iTunes Library Blues

[barito7]

G'day

 

Just wondering if anyone can suggest a fix to this problem below?

 

Unfortunately my hard disk failed with my music on it….so I went to my backup (this was a few months older)…and so I'm missing probably about 100 songs.

 

I restored this using time machine, to the same location on a new hard-disk (and named that disk the same), however, iTunes doesn't seem to recognise many song locations….many more that 100 songs that I know are missing. I've done many random checks to see if my backup did not back up file (i.e. the file really is missing) but the file exists in the file directory and it's just that the iTunes metadata doesn't seem to be linked to the file location.

 

Without going through thousands of songs and relocating them, is there a shortcut or some form of task that I can get iTunes to perform to relink the files without losing all the meta data such as ratings etc?

 

Thanks for help CA fans!

 

Cheers Charles

[Axiom05]

Hopefully there is something useful here:

 

iTunes for Mac: Moving your iTunes Media folder

 

I had a similar problem several months ago, forgot exactly how I solved it but I went through tips that I found on the Apple Support site. I also found that it was best to keep the Library.XML file on the computer drive and only put the folder with music files on the external drive.

[mwheelerk]

First double check that in iTunes Preferences under Advanced and iTunes Media Folder location is it showing the actual location of the files? Secondly just below that do you have checked Keep ITunes Media Folder Organized and Copy iTunes Media Folder When Adding to library?

 

If above is yes then go to File>Library>Organize Library and check Consolidate Files and OK.

 

If songs are missing from your library are they still listed in iTunes but have a funky little symbol to the left of the missing files? If so select one of those songs and then Summary tab. A pop up window should say something like "iTunes can't find this file do you want to locate it. Selecting Yes/OK and a browser window should pop up that will allow you to follow the path to where you know the file is. Once you have found the file select Open (or whatever that choice is) and another pop up question should come up asking something like "do you want iTunes to find other missing files? It may find them all or if you haven't kept your iTunes Media Folder Organized checked previously you may have to do it for a few more of the missing files until, hopefully you have them all.

 

Over the years I have had files go missing and typically it has been either when I was adding a new hard drive or if like me you use external hard drives and for some reason it doesn't or hasn't booted up iTunes will default to the location on your internal HDD under the path User (whatever your computer is named)>Music>iTunes>iTunes Media>Music. If there are music files there you can either drag them onto the iTunes icon or you can use File>Add To Library and browse to that file/files location.

 

Good luck. I know it can be a giant pain to have those files go AWOL.

[mwheelerk]

Oh and be sure to do regularly scheduled backups. I use two backups. One I utilize on a weekly basis or sooner if I have added a lot of music in one session and the second on a monthly basis.

[barito7]

Thanks Gents, will give this a go and see what happens. Will let you know. Cheers!

[barito7]

Took a while but found 95% of the tracks when I fixed one and iTunes asked if I wanted to find the rest. Thanks!

 

Will be making sure I get a more regular backup going.

 

Cheers