Message is original file cannot be found what do i do

i have downloaded and paid i tunes for alot of songs and i can see them in my downloads but the songs have a barred sign beside the song no when i go to play it message is original file cannot be found what do i do

Try these links:
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1967
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1408

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HT1933 My new computer has been authorized, but I can't play any of my purchased songs in itunes. What do I do to play, I get an error message that original files cannot be found.

My new HP ENVY 23 TOUCHSMART PC has been authorized for itunes, but I can't play any of my purchased itunes songs. When I try to play a purchased song in my itunes library, I get an error message prompt stating that the song could not be used because the original file could not be found. When I check for available downloads it states that all downloads have been made. Ironically, all my movie purchases play fine, but the songs do not play. What do I have to do to play my purchased songs?

The 'unable to locate' message means that you don't have those music files on that computer, or that they are not where iTunes is expecting them to be. How did you get the entries for those tracks in your new computer's iTunes ?
If you still have your old computer then you can try copying them over again : http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4527
You may also be able to re-download them from the store (checking for available downloads only checks for items that have not yet been downloaded, not for past purchases) via the Purchased link under Quick Links on the right-hand side of the iTunes store home page (re-downloading music isn't possible in all countries). You may need to delete them form your library first (where you are getting the 'unable to locate' message), otherwise iTunes will assume that you still have them somewhere and won't let you re-download them.
Re-downloading : http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2519

I got a new PC and was able to get my list of tunes to show but will not play, message comes up "original file cannot be found, would like to locate" I no longer have old PC but do have shuffle with all tunes

I got a new PC and unable to get my tunes to play after I transfereed them over via a thumb drive. The message I get is, "original file cannot be found, would you like to locate" and of course it cannot locate on this PC. I no longer have that computer (gave to mother in a different state). I do have my shuffle that has all my tunes on it. I have read several things on this website from using a third party device to transfer tunes from shuffle to de-authorizing old computer and authorizing this one. No definitive instructions. Please help. I want to get these tunes to play and then buy new music. Oh and the home sharing I believe is only if you still have original computer.
Thanks

The shuffle is not a backup device.
Was the media actually moved from the old computer to the new computer? If not, how did you magically make the content appear on the new system?
Use the backup of the old computer to put all the content on the new computer.

I backed up my I-tunes library (by dragging my "music" folder to my new external hard drive. Now 6,000 songs won't play stating, "original file cannot be found." What can I do to get these songs back???!!!

I backed up my I-tunes library (by dragging my "music" folder to my new external hard drive. Now 6,000 songs won't play stating, "original file cannot be found." What can I do to get these songs back???!!!

Try putting the files back where they were before you moved them, then follow the steps in this Apple document -> iTunes: Back up your iTunes library by copying to an external hard drive

I purchased a song from iTunes and when I try to play it I get a message that the original file cannot be found and asks if I want to try and locate file.

I purchased a song from iTunes and when I try to play it I get a message that the original file cannot be found and asks if I want to try and locate file. I locate the file and it's empty?!

Delete the file, then download again from the iTunes Store, Purchased section (in the Quick Links sidebar).

I have over 2000 tunes in my ITunes library but I cannot use them because their original files cannot be found. What can I do to correct this ?

I have over 2000 tunes in my ITunes library but I cannot use most of them because their "Original files" cannot be found. What can I do to correct this ?

This happens if the file is no longer where iTunes expects to find it. Possible causes are that you or some third party tool has moved, renamed or deleted the file, or that the drive it lives on has had a change of drive letter. It is also possible that iTunes has changed from expecting the files to be in the pre-iTunes 9 layout to post-iTunes 9 layout, or vice-versa, and so is looking in slightly the wrong place.
Select a track with an exclamation mark, use Ctrl-I to get info, then cancel when asked to try to locate the track. Look on the summary tab for the location that iTunes thinks the file should be. Now take a look around your hard drive(s). Hopefully you can locate the track in question. If a section of your library has simply been moved, or a drive letter has changed, it should be possible to reverse the actions.
Alternatively, as long as you can find a location holding the missing files, then you should be able to use my FindTracks script to reconnect them to iTunes.
tt2

I recently bought the i pod touch 4 and noticed that not all of my songs transferred over-The songs that didn't, say original file cannot be found. What should I do?

I recently bought the i pod touch 4 and noticed that not all of my songs transferred over from my i tunes library-The songs that didn't, say original file cannot be found, when clicked. What should I do? I tried using the tips on this site, but they weren't too helpful...I downloaded the songs from cd's and purchased them from i tunes.
Any help would be much appreciated! Thank you!

I doubt that your music files are gone. Do a spotlight search and look for The Cure. What likely happened is that for whatever reason, your iTunes lost track of the location of your songs.. which happens on occasion.
What you need to do is go to the folder where your music library is - where the song files are - and check to see if they are there. If so, then go into your iTunes preferences and in the 'Advanced' pane put in the location of the folder where it says 'iTunes Media folder location'. iTunes should then be able to 'see' the songs again.
Deb.

Ihave tons of music on itunes , but everytime i try to select it says "the original file cannot be found, would you like to try and locate it" i have no idea what happened to all of my music any tips? i have a dell windows vista.. thanks !

I have tons of music on itunes , but everytime i try to select it says "the original file cannot be found, would you like to try and locate it" i have no idea what happened to all of my music any tips? i have a dell windows vista.. thanks !

Basically, the computer thinks the music is 'lost'. Follow the prompts and try to locate it. It should navigate to the files and redraw the links which should make that pop up go away

Help! needed original file cannot be found

I move the whole iTunes files to a new computer. I can see all the songs. I purchase a new songs and connect my ipod mini to add to my ipod. I am getting "song could not be used because original file cannot be found" error message. What is wrong?
Alex

Alex,
Are these the newly purchased songs, or songs you moved to a new computer? Do they have ! next to them? Double click on one as if to play it in iTunes, if that ! comes up and a dialogue window to tell you that iTunes cannot locate the file, you will get the option to search for it.
If you do that and iTunes still cannot locate it, it's my guess that something went amiss when you moved them to your new computer.
You said you "moved the iTunes files", but did that include your iTunes music folder?
And Alex, it's always best when posting to include details of your computer system.

Moved iTunes library to an ext hard drive to make space on my int drive... Followed steps from apple. Now I cannot access my music... It says: "File could not be used because the original file cannot be found. Would you like to locate it?"

Moved iTunes library to an ext hard drive to make space on my int drive... Followed steps from apple. Now I cannot access my music... It says: "File could not be used because the original file cannot be found. Would you like to locate it?"
I moved my iTunes library to my external hard drive some time ago and I followed the directions listed here on the apple support page. It did copy my library and now is on my hard drive... I can open iTunes and use it to sync all of my devices but I would like to play my music... I can see all of my music files but can not play them if I click on an album or song it says the following: "(file name) could not be used because the original file cannot be found. Would you like to locate it?" I click locate but do not know where to go from there? I need a way to access all files and not to hunt down one at a time on my hard drive... I am pretty sure I deleted the original library to make space on my internal drive which was the reason for moving it. I have tried and tried to fix it and do not have a lot of time to do so with a one and two year old at my house who do not like it whenI sit down at my computer. What to do??? Any help is much appreciated!!!

See Make a split library portable. Move all of the bits of the library together in the the correct shape and it should work. Or undo exactly what you did and then start over.
If you're a former Windows user don't try merging two folders together that have the same name by dropping one into the same folders as the other, as that goes badly on a Mac.
tt2

Selected App cannot be used because the original file cannot be found and must be re-downlaoded from the iTunes

1- on the beginning i used to purchase any App from iTunes and will be downloaded to my MBAir with out any problems .
2- But, after 2 or 3 days i will get Apps icon as inactive icon in the itunes Aplication and cannot copy them to my iPhone neither cannot open them in his iTunes and i will get an error message " selected App cannot be used because the original file cannot be found and must be re-downlaoded from the iTunes".
MBAIR with Mac OS 10.8.4 with the latest iTunes version 11.1
thx.

And redownloading doesn't work...?

I recently had to get a new computer, my list of audible books is there but can't open because original file cannot be found. how do I find them or redownload them when they are not in my purchased list anymore?

I recently had to purchase a new computer, after doing so I no longer can open my audible books. the list is there, but I get an error message telling me that the original file cannot be found. How can I redownload them when they are not in my purchased list anymore when I go to the Apple Store??

Downloading past purchases from the App Store, iBookstore, and iTunes Store - http://support.apple.com/kb/ht2519 - enabled with iTunes 10.3 and newer; not available in all countries; apps, books (not audiobooks), music, t.v. shows, and movies (some - not all studios have permitted this). Movies currently available in the USA only. Downloading previously purchased movies and TV shows requires iTunes 10.6 or later. Discontinued items not available. For items not included in the iCloud list, or locations or computer systems where iCloud is not (yet?) available, you only get one download per fee paid. Apple notes it is your responsibility to back up your purchases.
Select the store on the left side of iTunes.
Click on Purchased on the right side under Quick Links.
You can re-download your available previous purchases.

Error: this song cannot be played because the original file cannot be found

I recently purchased a new computer and restored my music to the new computer. Although all of my songs are being displayed in the itunes library only half will play. When I try to play the remaining songs I get a message that says "this song cannot be played because the original file cannot be found". I'm at a loss and need help because all of the songs are in the same folder.

Hi
I've pretty much got exactly the same problem. We've just replaced our old computer with a laptop and I've transferred my iTunes library over but I can't open almost all of my songs as "the original file couldn't be found." I've tried the "locate" prompt but that gives me so many different options, all to no avail. However, I have added a few new CDs since transferring the library to the laptop and they open up without any problems.
Can anyone help? I've got to go through all of this again soon as my daughters both have ipods as well!

"File could not be used because original file cannot be found." Locate File?

Everytime I try to play a song on iTunes, I get a message that says "The song cannot be played because the original file cannot be found. Would you like to locate it?" I also cannot add songs to playlists, or pretty much do anything. The only songs that will play are ones I recently purchased from the iTunes store. I also have 2 libraries setup on my computer. The original library is fine, its the second one that is a problem. Should I just go back to one library? or how can fix the problem?

This happens if the file is no longer where iTunes expects to find it. Possible causes are that you or some third party tool has moved, renamed or deleted the file, or that the drive it lives on has had a change of drive letter. It is also possible that iTunes has changed from expecting the files to be in the pre-iTunes 9 layout to post-iTunes 9 layout,or vice-versa, and so is looking in slightly the wrong place.
Select a track with an exclamation mark, use Ctrl-I to get info, then cancel when asked to try to locate the track. Look on the summary tab for the location that iTunes thinks the file should be. Now take a look around your hard drive(s). Hopefully you can locate the track in question. If a section of your library has simply been moved, or a drive letter has changed, it should be possible to reverse the actions.
Alternatively, as long as you can find a location holding the missing files, then you should be able to use my FindTracks script to reconnect them to iTunes .
tt2

Itunes song cannot be played because original file cannot be found? but i just downloaded the song 1 week ago from cd

I imprted music in to my itunes librabry a little over a week ago, today I am trying to play the music and I am getting a locate button telling me that the original file cannot be found? What do I do?

This happens if the file is no longer where iTunes expects to find it. Possible causes are that you or some third party tool has moved, renamed or deleted the file, or that the drive it lives on has had a change of drive letter. It is also possible that iTunes has changed from expecting the files to be in the pre-iTunes 9 layout to post-iTunes 9 layout,or vice-versa, and so is looking in slightly the wrong place.
Select a track with an exclamation mark, use Ctrl-I to get info, then cancel when asked to try to locate the track. Look on the summary tab for the location that iTunes thinks the file should be. Now take a look around your hard drive(s). Hopefully you can locate the track in question. If a section of your library has simply been moved, or a drive letter has changed, it should be possible to reverse the actions.
Alternatively, as long as you can find a location holding the missing files, then you should be able to use my FindTracks script to reconnect them to iTunes .
OR
Assuming you are in a region where you are allowed to redownload your past music purchases, delete the entry for the missing track from your iTunes library, close and then reopen iTunes, go to the iTunes Store home page, click the Purchased link from the Quick Links section in the right-hand column, then select Music and Not on this computer. You should find a download link for your track there.
While downloading select Downloads in the left-hand column and make sure Allow Simultaneous Downloads is unchecked.
If the problem persists, or that facility is not yet available in your region, contact the iTunes Store support staff through the "Report a problem" links in your account history, or via Contact Support.
See also:
HT5085 - iTunes in the Cloud and iTunes Match Availability
HT2519 - Downloading past purchases from the App Store, iBookstore, and iTunes Store
tt2

Message is original file cannot be found what do i do

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