Where are my "missing" files?

I had downloaded some files all to one folder created on my Desktop. I later transferred all these files and the folder to an external hard drive as a backup. I think-but am not certain-that I then dragged the folder and files from the Desktop to the Trash, and then emptied the trash. This is what I intended to do. In any event, the icon for this folder and its files no longer appears on my desktop.
I was recently looking for something else and did a "Find" based on "ending with" the same extension as these files referred to above, and lo, here appeared this folder with its files which I thought I'd deleted. The find window indicates the path to be the computername/Desktop/Foldername/filenames. However, if one clicks on the Tiger desktop icon and displays the desktop window, no files or folders appear there (which is what I expected, as I had removed everything from the desktop to the trash earlier as I indicated above.) If one closes all windows and looks at the desktop, only the hard drive icon appears there. Therefore, where ARE these files which appear in the Find window which say they are on the desktop but aren't? The files are indeed there someplace, too, as one can double-click them open and they are fully functional.
Is this a case of UNIX/OS X goofiness? Is there more than one "Desktop" in OS X? (I've never had something like this happen in the MacOS before all the way back to MacOS 1.x)!

OK! This is odd and I don't see why it is happening! I can do what you recommend -- I had already done that even--but, I cannot get the Desktop enclosing folder to display: it disappears.
I can do a "find" and get a list of the files in the Spotlight window. At the bottom of the window I can see that the files are in "Folder A". I can see that Folder A is in a folder entitled "Desktop". I can see that this Desktop folder is on my internal hard drive (the only hard drive on this computer). From the nesting at the bottom of the window I can double click on the Folder A and get a finder window to open in the column view. This view shows that it is in the Desktop folder among all the other stuff listed in the left-most column, which otherwise shows the rest of the contents of the Hard Drive. However, if I do anything in this window, then the Desktop folder DISAPPEARS along with its listing of Folder A and the files in Folder A. If I click on the Desktop icon which appears on the left along with the typical Tiger icons there (Applications, Documents, etc.), then all that appears is the one other folder which is actually on my desktop and which I can use in a normal fashion, but it has nothing to do with this mystery Desktop which has my Folder A with my "missing" files.
Comprende?

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How do I find out where iTunes thinks missing files are?

I have several hundred "missing" files in my iTunes library but they are all actually on the computer. But I don't remember where the were previously. I add dozens of songs at a time to my library all the time and there is no Earthly way for me to constantly remember where they were before. I don't just want to reimport the files because I have several hundred playlists with these files and it would be completely stupid to edit them all one at a time when all I need to do is to move them back to where iTunes thinks they should be. So where is that? The Windows media player has a column that displays file location. Why doesn't iTunes? (This is so stupid. It makes things -not just this- so much easier when you have the file location in the music list in your music player.)
Is there a way to find out where iTunes thinks the missing files should be at?

Chris CA wrote:
How do I find out where iTunes thinks missing files are?
The exclamation mark means ITunes doesn't think they are anywhere.
If you right click - get info on a song then view the Info tab, you will see where iTunes last used it from.
I'm not a newbie. I know quite a lot about iTunes. You sound like you don't though because if you did you would know that this is not true. If you "right click - get info on a song" (pressing cancel to the Locate popup) "then view the SUMMARY (not info) tab" you will see "Not Available" where the file location usually is. I wouldn't have asked this question if I hadn't gone through the steps already.
Thanks for trying though. Next time, please try the advice before you give it.
I add dozens of songs at a time to my library all the time and there is no Earthly way for me to constantly remember where they were before
You should not have to remember anything about where they were.
I agree.
Are you always moving them around?
When I install a new hard drive. Yes. I generally keep everything organized and I let iTunes keep the folder organized but several years ago I used windows media player to organize my media.
Frankly I don't know HOW the recent songs/videos/etc. go missing. But some do. Maybe I accidentally move a folder without realizing it. Mistakes happen. Then I need to move it back but since I didn't know I did it in the first place I can't possibly be expected to remember where I moved it from.
Do you have iTunes prefs -> Advanced Keep ITunes music folder organized ticked and Copy files to iTunes ... ticked?
*OF COURSE!* Again, I'm not a newbie.
I have several hundred playlists with these files
Why would you have several hundred playlists?
I don't mean to sound rude but you sound like an Apple fanboy. Are you trying to tell me how I should use my own program? The answer to the question is I am a salsa instructor/DJ and I am constantly adding songs and videos to my library. Every month I have various salsa events, classes and performances that I do. I use my iPhone for the music. I need to maintain the playlists because students/teachers/studios/clubs/bars/churches/etc. call me back and want a repeat of the great salsa night I gave them a year ago. Naturally my playlists are highly organized into folders. So, I still have them and I need them.
Apple has its own ideas about how people should use its stuff but everyone is unique and our needs therefore are unique too. Apple doesn't realize this and still wants us to do things "the Apple way" even though "the Apple way" only works well for people who want their hand held through everything. This is why I say you sound like a fanboy. You don't know my situation and question if I need hundreds of playlists. I do.
I just need an answer to the question.
Thank you for your reply though. It gave me hope, for a time.

Where are the audio files located?

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I saturated all the available iPad (3rd. generation) screen space (home screens or desktop space) with apps, and the apps that got bumped out of the last screen, mysteriously disappeared? Where are those missing quick lauch app icons?

Running my 3rd generation iPad on iOS 7.0.4, I saturated all the available iPad screen space (which would be the 15 home screens or desktop worth of space) with apps, and the apps that got bumped out of the last screen space mysteriously disappeared. Where are those missing quick lauch app icons now? The apps are still installed and can be searched/accessed through the finder, but they no longer have a user friendly access. How can I solve this problem?

Christopher Doryan wrote:
Hi Hexonxonx, thanks for trying to help, but next time please read the entire discussion, in oder to better comprehend what is being asked. The reason being is that your answer added nothing to what had already been mentioned.
Like I said, I was aware it was possible to access the apps through the finder, but the question revolved around how to recover the quick launch app icons for certain vanished apps.
Wow, kind of a snotty response to someone who was taking their own time to offer help. Whether you thought it was helpful or not, didn't deserve such an unkind retort. Maybe when you realize we all just users here trying to help others like you, who have issues and we don't get anything in return for the countless hours some people here spend offering that assistance, you'll maybe be a little less quick to be critical.
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Where are my "missing" files?

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