Why is music ripped from CD's missing from my library?

Question

I have seen this in other forum posts and I hear this from many of my friends: tracks ripped from CD's eventually go missing. Entire albums and entire artists. This is not unusual to me nor is it unique.
Granted, I hear tons of complaints about how bad iTunes is at managing a library to begin with (Why can't I sort by missing tracks?, and what on earth is "Display Duplicates" for other than to prove my point?).
How do I get iTunes to stop deleting imported music from CD's? Afterall, I OWN the music. Does Apple think I don't?
Very disappointed in this product overall.

Answer 1

Is your post simply a series of trick questions?
devedsmith wrote:
...Why can't I sort by missing tracks?, ...
Er... because they're missing.
devedsmith wrote:
what on earth is "Display Duplicates" for other than to prove my point?).
To help you find any song that you have duplicated in your Library because it is on on two different albums.
devedsmith wrote:
Granted, I hear tons of complaints about how bad iTunes is at managing a library to begin with
I don't suppose it might be that some people simply don't know how to use a computer and or they try to use iTunes in exactly the same way as other music players instead of learning how to use a programme that's new to them?
It's rhetorical question - I already know the answer. If you tried to use two different photo editing programmes, music editing programmes or even two word processor programmes, you would find differences between the two, every time. One needs to learn how to use a new programme, not simply try to do it the way it was done in the other programme.
Now, down to your problem.
Why would iTunes delete your music, do you think Apple simply want to annoy you?  There are reasons why music goes missing from iTunes. It might help to list them. That way, we might be able to identify the cause of your issue.
Another programme has renamed, moved or deleted the song's file after you imported it into your iTunes Library.
You have renamed, moved or deleted the file in question, outside of iTunes, since you imported it.
I don't think there is a number 3. I stand corrected, by tt2. (That's fine by me!)
The first thing to do is check to see if the file is still on your computer. Pick one missing song, preferably on a single-artist album, not a compilation.
For example, Ride Across The River by Dire Straits, from the album Brothers In Arms.
If you have a look in your music folder (the filepath may be slightly different to mine, depending on your current and previous versions of Windows), you should find a folder for "Dire Straits". In that folder will be a folder for the album "Brothers In Arms". In that folder are the songs, by title, possibly with a track number preceding the title. Since that song is in my Library, here's screenshot of the entry in iTunes, from the Summary tab:
and you can see the artist name\album name\song number  song title.
So can you find your missing song, the album or even the folder, either for the one I suggested you pick, or for any of your other missing songs?
Compilation albums are listed under "..\iTunes Music\Compilations\Album title\song title.
Use the Windows Search facility to look for the songs. Think about whether you have moved part or all of your Library to an external drive, a popular pastime for some reason. Do you use Windows Media Player or any other music player/mangement programme that may have altered the songs?
You should have noticed that my tough guy approach at the start of my post has actually tried to help you.
Back to the tough guy now though.
Try helping yourself instead of assuming Apple is to blame for every single problem in your world! It isn't.
Message was edited by: the fiend