Original file can't be found. I have over 2,000 songs. HELP!!! PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!

Hi,
When I click on any song, regardless of how I got it (CD, download from internet, etc.), it tells me that the song cannot be played because the original file cannot be found. It asks me whether I want to look up the file, and when I click yes, the Temp folder of iTunes opens. Any ideas? These songs used to play just fine.
I have over 2,000 songs... HELP!!!!!
I have tried going to Itunes - File - Add to Library, but nothing happens

If you rename a fodler used by itunes, or manually move it, you break links. If you have your library on an external drive and don't turn it on before starting iTunes, you break links. If your drive is corrupt nd doesn't know where its files are located, you break links.

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I have just downloaded all of my music into the new itune's however all of my music has an "!" buy it and I get an error saying "original file can not be found". How do I get my music back?

I have just downloaded all of my music into the new itues, however; all of my music has an "!" but it and I get an error that says " original file can not be found".
How do I get my music back?

Ok, I had a glitch, forced to restart, and lost my train of thought.
Reinstalling iTunes should fix the major issue that might have gone wrong, perhaps your explaination points will disappear and everything will be peachy again.
But if they don't, you can open the XML file in iTunes Folder using a Text edit program to see what the common pathname is to the iTunes Music folder or where your content is located.
If you moved the itunes folder, it needs to go back.
I can't download iTunes to my Vista virtual machine to test it out right now because iTunes is down, so I can't verify the pathname, perhaps your issue and the iTunes being down are related somehow?
You don't want to import all your music again, but it's a option, but you lose all your playlists, that's what I'm trying to recover.
If oyu don't have a whole lot of playlists, then simply select all the explaimation point music and delete, select File from the menu and import your itunes folder again.

I keep getting a pop up with Original files can not be found. I just updated my iMac to Lion and I have over 10,000 songs I can not access. Help!

This morning when I went to access my iTunes library I got a message that "Original Files can not be found" and would I like to locate them and others. Of course I clicked "yes" but that did not solve the problem. Why did this happen over night and what is the easiest way for me to retrive 10,000 songs. This is not a good thing!!!

Hi wcb82,
If you keep getting these messages, you may need to delete the subscription to that calendar. You may find the following article useful:
Cal 5.x: Delete a calendar or reminder list
http://support.apple.com/kb/PH4720
Regards,
- Brenden

HT1399 My songs can't be played because the original files can't be found. What can I do?

I can't play my songs on my computer because the original files can't be found. I can, however, play them on my ipod. I tried to re-download my purchases but itunes won't allow me to do so. What can I do to retrieve my music files on my computer?

If you still have the 'pointers' to the tracks on your computer's iTunes (even if the files themselves aren't on there) then it won't let you re-download them as it assumes that they are still there - if you delete the 'pointers' then you should be able to copy your Apple purchases back from the iPod via File > Transfer Purchases, and depending on which country that you are in you might also be able to re-download them for free. For music bought from other sources or copied from CDs you will either need to copy them back onto your computer from a backup, or you need to get a third-party program that can copy them off the iPod

Error " song can't be used because original file can not be found"

Our computer was about to crash, so we backed up our iTunes library to disc like it suggested. However, once we imported the library back to the new computer, iTunes will no longer play the songs without the disc in! It says the "original file can not be found" unless the disc is in. How do we get the "originals" off the disc and back onto the computer so I don't have to carry the disc everywhere?? I can't seem to find any help on any of the help sights about this problem. I tried using iTunes Folder Watch like another post suggested and it didn't work. I still need the disc to play the songs.

Roberta hello,
The remedy is very easy...
Open the iTunes folder and select the iTunes Library file and type command -D
this will make another copy for safe keeping, if anything goes wrong you can always return this copy ... leave the duplicate file where it is.
Start iTunes in the normal way and open the preferences > advanced > general tab... set NOT to copy files when adding to library and DO keep iTunes Music folder organized.... OK your changes.
From the file menu select 'add to library' and choose the iTunes Music folder.
After iTunes has checked and made any adjustments needed have a look and see if any problems still exist ... come and let me know Roberta ... TP
iMac 800MHz PowerPC G4 17 Flat Screen. G4 iBook. Mac OS X (10.4.3)

Albums can not play because original files can not be found

Suddenly about half of my albums in iTunes will not play. Error message says tunes will not play because original files can not be found. The other albums still play fine.

This happens if the file is no longer where iTunes expects to find it. Possible causes are that you or some third party tool have 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 might be able to reconnect iTunes to them using my FindTracks script.
tt2

HT1390 I rented a movie and it shows up in my iTunes "Rented" section, but when I click to play it, it gives me an error message saying the movie can't be played because the original file can't be found. Please help!

I rented a movie and it shows up in my iTunes "Rented" section, but when I click to play it, it gives me an error message saying the movie can't be played because the original file can't be found. Please help!

Never mind I fixed it. Just in case anyone else has this problem, after you reinstall iTunes you have to delete all your old music, and if you have iTunes match all the songs you have saved on itunes match will display and you just have to download them to your Macbook.

Help--Original File Can't be found

I am getting the Original file can't be found message for a lot of my songs. Both import and iTunes Store downloads. When it asks if I want to search I do the search and the song is right where it was suppose to be. It then works. So far I have had to do this 20+ times. Do I need to rebuild the database (how?)? Or is there some other solution. I am running 7.6.1 on OS 10.4.11.
Thanks

Bump

Original files can't be found.

I transferred my Itunes program/library to an external hard drive to save space on my computer. Now when I open iTunes it tells me I have 100 errors because the original files can't be found. What happened and what do I do about it? Any suggestions?

How did you move it to the external drive? Did you drag & drop your iTunes folder (not just the iTunes Music folder you find inside the iTunes folder) to the external drive and copy the entire thing? Which is the way you should do it.
Patrick

Original files can't be found?! Help! Lost over 100 songs (I think)

In my Itunes library, next to over 100 songs (on the left), there's an exclamation point. when you click on that, it says Original file can't be found and would I like to locate it?
It USED to be on my Itunes (after hours upon hours of loading my cd's)
Now, I copy my Itunes library to an external drive as a backup, so I'm hoping it's somewhere there...any suggestions?
These songs are no longer on my IPOD either.
Thanks!

This has been happening to me for a long time now. Files just randomly disappear, and they have not moved and are exactly where they should be. In an album, purchased from the iTunes store, the first track plays, but the others will not. When I locate the file, it is in the same folder as the first track in my iTunes library folder, which iTunes sees, but have to manually locate all files in the album one at a time. Seeing as I estimate there are hundreds of tracks missing (I have over 6,000), I have not got the time to sort this, so now have big gaps all over the place which is very annoying.
*COME ON APPLE* How hard can it be to write a simple auto locate all missing tracks, as they are all in the iTunes library folder, they have not moved, so why can't it find it.
This is a serious bug and needs addressing. Been happening for ages for no reason at all. Not got a simple fix other than opening one file at a time, which is INFURIATINGLY SLOW!!

HT204406 iTunes Match - can't play because original file can't be found

Hi, I've uploaded 600+ tracks to iTunes Match and since deleted the original files from my computer - when I go to play them 'via the cloud' only a handful of songs will play, the rest say 'can't play because original file can't be found!
I assumed the purpose of iTunes Match was to create a copy of all your tracks so you could access them from anywhere.
Hoping someone can help/offer advice?
Cheers, Lee.

This happens if the file is no longer where iTunes expects to find it. Possible causes are that you or some third party tool have 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 might be able to reconnect iTunes to them using my FindTracks script.
tt2

How can I relocate songs from my Itunes? Itunes tells me that the original files can not be found! can someone help?

How can I relocate songs from my Itunes? Itunes tells me that the original files can not be found! can someone help?

punzete wrote:
I can't do it that way. I erase these songs from the iTunes Library, but when I sycronize the iPhone, all these songs are copied again to the Library. Isn't there any way to stop that? Everything I buy on iTunes Store through my iPhone cannot be erased from the iPhone?
WHY can't you do it the way 100 million people do it?

Itunes can't play the file because the original file can not be found

There is many things wrong with that message and I don't know why.
I had around 30 songs off an album on my computer
I put the album on Itunes
I edited them and then they played fine
I put them on my ipod and then deleted them off coz i wanted to put something else on
but i found out I had more space to put the other 30 songs I had from before back on so I went to the album
when I wanted to play a song it said "Itunes Can't play the file because the original file can not be found"
1) The original file was on my computer, in the exact place where I left it last time when Itunes played it
2) I did not change the file path name
3) I did not change the folder path name
4) The songs aren't corrupted
5) They play fine on other programs
I deleted them all off and took them on again and they played fine but whey did they keep stuffing up before?

The "missing file" thing 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 say no when asked 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. I can provide a step by step guide if you give me the two paths.
In some cases iTunes may be able to repair itself if you go through the same steps and locate the lost track. It may then offer to attempt to automatically fix other broken links. 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

TS1717 This article is vague and unhelpful. My iTunes needs help from a pro. I have over 120,000 songs -- NO movies, TV, radio, or books... I have other programs which efficiently run things which are not audio-based. So why can I not get iTunes working w

This article is vague and unhelpful. My iTunes needs help from a pro.
I have over 120,000 songs -- NO movies, TV, radio, or books...
I have other programs which efficiently run things which are not audio-based.
So why can I not get iTunes working well?? It now takes at least 10 secs for any operation to be completed!
That is just plain evil. But I am sure I could do something to help.
All the music is on an 2T external drive.

TS1717 as noted in the thread title...
Brigancook, is the library database on the external or just the media? iTunes reevaluates smart playlists and rewrites its database after every action on the library. I've found this can make a library half that size, with a lot of smart playlists, quite sluggish. That said I'm aware part of my problem is aging hardware. Having the database on the internal drive may improve performance if it is currently on the external.
I'd expect to see an exponential relationship between size and response time which may explain what you see. Cutting down on the number of smart playlists might help. If we're really lucky the long awaited iTunes 11 might have streamlined some of the background processes as well as cleaning up the front end.
tt2

I downloaded the new version of itunes and it changed my path. I have over 10,000 songs in 100's of play list. This is the third time it has happened. It is putting file://localhost in front front of the path. Does anyone know why and has a solution RJ

I downloaded the new version of itunes and it changed my path. I have over 10,000 songs in 100's of play list. This is the third time it has happened. It is putting file://localhost in front front of the path. Does anyone know why and has a solution RJ

Hello there, RJ Quick.
I've located the following Knowledge Base article that might be the information you're looking for:
iTunes 11 for Mac: Change where your iTunes files are stored
http://support.apple.com/kb/PH12165
The following section may be of help:
Change where imported files are stored
Choose iTunes > Preferences and click Advanced.
Click Change and select a new location for your files.From now on, new songs and other items you import will be stored in the new location. Songs you’ve already imported stay in their current location.To go back to storing imported files in the iTunes folder, choose iTunes > Preferences, click Advanced, and click Reset.
Thanks for reaching out to Apple Support Communities.
Cheers,
Pedro D.

Original file can't be found. I have over 2,000 songs. HELP!!! PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!

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