"song cannot be used because the original file could not be found" How do I fix?

I get an explanation point by songs that are gone, Why?

The media is not where iTunes expects it to be.
If you moved it, put it back.
If it was moved by another program, put it back.
Any other reason, restore the files from the backup of the computer.

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When I try to play a song it says " The song "Take a Chance on Me" Could not be used because the original file could not be found" how do I fix this?

When I try to play a song it says " The song "Take a Chance on Me" Could not be used because the original file could not be found" how do I fix this?

1. delete this songs from your liblary
2. go File -> Add File to Liblary... (Ctrl+O) or File -> Add Folder to Liblary

I have movies in my movie library but i cannot play them or drag them into my ipod.There is an exclamation point next to each of them.Then when i click on it to play it it says the movie cannot be used because the original file could not be found.

I have movies in my i tunes library but i canot play them or drag them into my i pod.There is an exclamation point each of them.Then when i click on them to play them on my pc it says this movie cannot be used because the original file could not be found.Help?

Read threads list over on the right under the heading of More Like This
Allan

My files could not be used because the original files could not be found,how can I locate them?

my files could not be used, because the original files could not be found, how do I locate them. Help!!!!!

Hello DBlake1,
I suggest this article named iTunes: Finding lost media and downloads found here http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1408
All the best,
Sterling

Receiving error message "The song "example" cannot be used because the original file could not be found. Would you like to locate it?". I have not changed any file names ...

Ive searched this error message and tried to remedy, with no luck.

Yes, with no luck ... But I'm not exactly a computer tech. I searched with spotlight with no results.

I cannot play music from my library on either my external drive or my laptop - keep getting same message "___ song (all of them) could not be used because the original file could not be found. I have tried changing the path in prefernces many times.

I cannot play music from my libray on either my external drive or my laptop. I keep getting the same message - "___ song (all of them) could not be used because the original file could not be found. Would you like to locate it?" I have changed the path several times under preferences and it still won't recognize any songs from either my laptop hard drive or my external drive. I can't play any music at all.

I think I've fixed this on my machine. If you look in the ITunes folder there is a subfolder called Previous iTunes Libraries. In my case for some reason this contained the one which had always worked and a new one was in the main folder. I closed iTunes, deleted the new one, and moved the old one back to the main folder, then opened iTunes. It then rebuilt the library and it plays correctly. Hope it works for you.

TS3694 Error: The Song " " could not be used because the original file could not be found. Would you like to locate it? Cannot find song.

When I try to pay a song from my itunes page a message pops up that says, The Song " " could not be used because the original file could not be found. Would you like to locate it? When I click of locate it cannot be found. This problem just started after I plugged in my new iPod Touch. After unplugging the ipod none of the songs in my iTunes library will plat. HELP PLEASE.

i've gotten that message after i delete a file so i think that is what is happening to you

I cannot play music from my itunes library. I keep getting an itunes message that says, "The song could not be used because the original file could not be found." Is there a fix for this? Thank you.

I cannot play music from my itunes library. I keep getting an itunes message that says, “The song could not be used because the original file could not be found.” Is there a fix for this? Has this happened to anyone else? Is there a fix for this? Thank you.

Hello Turintest2,
I am having a similar problem. I have over 4000 songs giving me this error. I certainily don't want to go in one by one and find them. I know you wrote a script for Windows but I am a Mac user. Is there a fix for me? Here is the info on where the song is currently (used by doing the get info)
Here's a shot of my preferences:
Just FYI, I know that apparently iTunes is looking for this music in the trash. However, if I go here:
Then I find the music there as well. (Which is where it is in my preferences.)
Please help! I don't want to have to go through over 4000 songs and update them one by one.

I have a new computer that downloaded all of my playlist. but i cannot play all songs. i get a error that say "the song could not be used because the original file could not be found. would you like to locate it? but it does not help to resolve.

i installed itunes to my new computer and transfered all my playlist from the older computer. the software came with the new computer hp link up. the problem
comes in where i want to play a certain song on a playlist and this error pops up "the song could not be used because the original file could not be found.
would you like to locate it? which is of no help.
is there a solution to this problem?

The file path for these songs IS NOT correct per your iTunes Library file.
See: http://dougscripts.com/itunes/scripts/ss.php?sp=listmias for an Applescript to locate these files for re-adding.

On some of my files there is a ! in front of it, if I try to play the song, I get an error message; "The song "_____" could not be used, because the original file could not be found. Would you like to locate it?" Then when I click "Locate", I get nothing.

I'm really dumbfounded on this one and it's driving me bonkers!!!! On some of my music files there is a ! in front of it, if I try to play the song, I get an error message; "The song "_____" could not be used, because the original file could not be found. Would you like to locate it?"
This began to happen when Chuck made playlists2burn on2CD-and then he would delete the playlist; sending all the song files into oblivion. Certain songs have a ! right next to the file name, and as I stated before, i get that error message:
"The song "_____" could not be used, because the original file could not be found. Would you like to locate it?"
So I click on "Locate". No help. I get a menu with folders that say "catroot" and other folders which names I cannot remember, but I scroll PAST the file folders, & it's just a bunch of ".DLL" files.....I don't understand what any of the names of the folders mean...it's frustr8ing-coz this is my 2nd iTouch, my 1st one got stolen & I can't afford2buy my music back at this time & i NEVER before had a single problem with losing song file locations.
              Is there anyone out there who has been through this frustrating game of chasing your tail?....<that's how I feel>
If so I would be ever so gr8ful if maybe someone with the knowledge would be so kind as 2 tell me how/where 2 retrieve these songs & how to put everything back where it belongs, I would be 4ever gr8ful !!!
I can't afford 2 replace the songs just like I'm unable 2 buy back my old music from my stolen iTouch....man that was an awesome collection-someday I'll be able 2 afford 2 do that & I would like 2 have all the new music that I paid 4 but cannot find when I got my new iTouch....that would just be wonderful.
             I hope someone sees this post that can help me retrieve these files....losing $100.00 of iTunes is a REAL BUMMER!!!!!!
                                                  ThanQ SO very much!
                                                                         [email protected] or [email protected] or [email protected] .
                                                                                           You can also find me on Facebook, my given name is Tiffinie Trimmer, &
                                                                                            that's my Facebook "handle". ThanQ 4 taking the time 2 read all of this!
                                                                                            hope 2 get a reply someday....I'll B checking all my emails & my Facebook, as well
                                                                                            as marking this page in my FAVORITES so I can find it fast! Take Care!!!

I was not complete clear.
Since you never changed the settings in the advanced section of iTunes preferecnes, you have to chech that your music is really in the location setted in the folders reported in the advanced section. If not you have 2 ways: reset the position of this folders or in the actual disk organisation or in the pointing on the preferences.
If you press the reset button you just give to itunes its default setting as for the position of the music files: probably this will be a good choice if you have never changed any default preference.
But before I would check the folders and see if the songs are really there
In my iTune I have this, and I believe it is the default.
Users/YOURHOMEFOLDERNAME/Music/iTunes/iTunes Music

Library Lost - Please HeIp I tried updating my old ipod & now all 10,000 songs in my library have an ! next to them and I get the error message "song " " could not be used because the original file could not be found" on every song I try to play

Please help - this morning I tried updating one of my old ipods for my wife (this ipod hasn't been updated in 2-3 years). I plugged it into my pc, it was recognized and the software updated. I created a new playlist and tied to sync the ipod. This ipod had never been used on this pc/itunes since the pc is only 2 years old. When I tried to sync the ipod it stated that it would have to erase all the old songs on the ipod prior to syncing. I clicked ok and it proceeded to wipe out the old ipod and sync the new playlist (~1000 songs). When the sync was complete there were only 6 songs from the new playlist (all purchased this morning from itunes) on the ipod and to my horror all ~10,000 song on my pc in itunes now have a ! next to them. Only my recent purchases from itunes do not. When I click on a song with the ! I get the error message "the song " " could not be used because the original file could not be found." How do I correct this issue - I am scared to hook my ipads or other ipods to my pc for fear of losing everything?!?!? I spent 100s of hours burning the 10,000 songs from my cd collection and do not want to have to do it again.
Any help is greatly appreciated.

This "original file cannot be found" 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 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

Error message when trying to play music on computer states The song ... could not be used because the original file could not be found. However, my library shows how many items and the GBs used. How do I locate the files?

When I try to play my iTunes music on my computer, an error message comes up and state "The song (title of song) could not be used because the original file could not be found. Would you like to locate it?
When I click on Locate It, I cannot find where the music file may be located. Does anyone have any suggestions?
This all occurred when I attempted to do a backup to an external hard drive. Unbeknownest to me, the files did not copy over and do not appear on the external hard drive.
When I open my iTunes library, at the bottom of my music list it shows how many songs and the GBs, so it appears that the files are still there; however, cannot be located.
Thank you.

Hi angela dfromtx,
When tracks in iTunes display a it means the file cannot be located; it may have been moved or deleted. You'll have to locate the file manually if it is still available. For more information refer to the following article:
iTunes: Finding lost media and downloads
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1408
Alternatively, if your media was downloaded from the iTunes Store, you may be able to download it again free of charge:
Downloading past purchases from the App Store, iBookstore, and iTunes Store
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2519
Thanks,
Matt M.

After installing iTunes 10.5 update i get the following message when trying to play any song in my Library "The song could not be used because the original file could not be found. Would you like to locate it?" how do i fix this??

I have an iPod Classic and work on Windows 7.
i recently installed iTunes 10.5 update and since then i cannot play any of the songs in the Library - i get the following message
"The song could not be used because the original file could not be found. Would you like to locate it?"
what happened to all my songs (almost 2000) How can i get them back into my music library?
Please help - i do not want to spend another week downloading all my cd's onto my computer !!!!!

Try my script FindTracks. Select a few of the missing files to start with then run the script. Choose No at the first prompt so that you can check how it works track by track, then confirm or edit the location of the media folder where your files are. Once you are happy with how it behaves let it process larger numbers of tracks automatically.
tt2

Can someone please tell me the cause of the msg-The song could not be used because the original file could not be found- and how I might correct that problem?

Can anyone please tell me the cause of the msg-The song" " could no be used
because the original file could not be found-and how I might correct that problem? Lou

I stupidly tried to copy my music files to an external drive so I could transfer them to my new iMac (old Macbook Pro is being retired). I now know I should've tried home sharing or something to transfer the music.
Anyway, the situation I am in is that I have not managed to transfer anything and I now cannot access the music on my old Macbook Pro either! I have the message "the song 'xyz' could not be used because the original file could not be found. Would you like to locate it?". I understand that this is because iTunes cannot locate the files. When I try to locate the files I find nothing.
I have tried searching my whole Macbook Pro for mp3 files and m4a files and Spotlight cant find any! The tracks are all still listed in iTunes. I also searched the external hard drive. I definitely haven't deleted anything. So where could they have gone and is there anything else I can do to search for them? I have a feeling I am just not searching for them in the right way because I have not deleted anything.
Old computer is Macbook Pro OS X 10.6.8 with iTunes 10.4.1
New computer is iMac OS X 10.7.2 with iTunes 10.5
All I want to do is to set everything back to how it was so I can try the transfer a better way.
Please help. Thanks, Dashford.

My iTunes says: "The song ".............." could not be used because the original file could not be found. Would you like to locate it?" How do I solve this ?

My iTunes says: "The song “..............” could not be used because the original file could not be found. Would you like to locate it?" How do I solve this ?

That means iTunes cannot find the music file associated with the listing in its database. The first thing to do is simply say "yes" and then try to find the file it should be. If there are many entries like this, did you rename or move any files or folders with media? Also run disk utility and check your drive isn't corrupted and losing files left, right and center.

"song cannot be used because the original file could not be found" How do I fix?

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