iTunes has eaten my music! Can you help me to make it spit it out again?

[nuley]

Dear clever friends

 

I have just downloaded the newest version of iTunes update. iTunes is now telling me my music is not there.

 

I keep my music on a separate hard drive (G). The hard drive is still showing that 23 gig (or some other significant amount of gig) are being taken up by music files. However, when I click on the music folders to find the mp3 file itself, it is not there: the folder says it is empty. iTunes doesn't seem to think it has moved the files or folders - it's still pointing me to the G drive when I ask where it thinks these files and folders should be.

 

Weirdly, some music files are playing, even though they apparently aren't there in the folders.

 

I suspect all the music is still there but the permissions have been changed so that I am no longer allowed to see it or use it.

 

I tried uninstalling and reinstalling iTunes but this didn't help.

 

Please can anyone help me? I have 8 years of music on there and I don't have it backed up. And I am not very good at computers.

 

With many thanks

Nuley

[KenB]

Hi

 

I am not a user of iTunes.

 

You could try a System Restore to a date just prior to installing the updated software.

Start > type in .....system restore .....ENTER

Select an appropriate date - not the oldest.

There may be an option to see restore points older than ....... tick the box if you need to go back further.

[nuley]

Hi there

 

Thank you for this. I neglected to say that I already did this but still could not access the music.

 

I think it has messed with the permissions and system restore did not help undo this, I don't know why.

 

Is there anything else I could try?

 

All best

Nuley

[KenB]

As I have already said ........I am not an iTune user.

 

I will ask the other Mods to see if they can offer an idea or two :)

[RandyL]

Hi nuley.

 

Try a search for the files using Windows. Maybe we can find them.

 

Start>Search-type mp3-click See more results-click Computer.

 

This will search all drives. Do you see any of the mp3 files? If so right click the file and select Properties. Note the Location. It will give the path to the folder it's in.

 

If you just want to search your G drive

Start>Search-type mp3-click See more results-click Computer-click Custom-expand Computer-Select drive G-click OK

 

If still no luck check to see if the mp3 files are hidden in a folder somewhere.

Go to the Control Panel>Folder options. Click View. Select to show hidden files, folders and drives. Apply>OK.

Run the search again. If found right click the files and unhide the files.

[nuley]

Dear Randy

 

Thanks very much for this. I have found the mp3 files, exactly where they should be. So at least they are all there.

 

I can play them with Windows player, but iTunes will for some reason only acknowledge a few of them. When I click to play on a song it for some reason can't see, it gives me the usual warning that the song can't be played because the original file can't be found. iTunes prompts me to locate it which I try to do (I know it's in the folder where it should be, because Windows player can see it). iTunes thinks the folder is empty - even though, and this is really weird, it may be able to play another tune from that folder. Which it says is empty, and which I can't see when I look at the folder via the iTunes prompt.

 

Do you have any idea how I might be able to persuade iTunes that the music is really there? I did uninstall and reinstall iTunes but this hasn't made any difference. Also, when I plug the hard drive into a laptop with an older version of iTunes, it doesn't help either - it still can't see the music. It's as though iTunes has done something to the permissions or hide/unhide - it is very strange.

 

Thanks again for all your help so far.

 

Nuley

[RandyL]

Very strange. Well there's good news and bad news.

 

The bad news is that I updated and now get the error message that my song can't be found. I only have one song in my library. :)

 

The good news is that now I can play with possible solutions.

[Plastic Nev]

Just an idea, and not being an I Tunes user myself it is all it can be, but obtain a new tune and put that into the folder, is it recognised and can be played?

If so, it may mean using Windows explorer to copy each existing tune to a new folder specially created for the purpose, delete the old and then send the copy back into the folder. Try that with just one tune first, does it work?

 

Nev.

[RandyL]

OK it had nothing to do with the update. My problem was that I moved the file after I added it to the library. When I selected to find the file Itunes opened the folder from the listed path. Of course it wasn't there. I located the file from inside Itunes and it updated the path.

 

nuley select a file to highlite it that won't play. There will be an exclamation mark in front of it. Press Ctrl and i on your keyboard. When asked if you want to locate the file select No. You will see a summary. You will see the file path. This is where the file was when you added it to the library. Now do the same for a song that will play. Note the file path.

 

It's likely that the path will be different. Pay attention to the drive letter too. It might be different. I hear that Itunes sometimes needs to reassociate the path when the path points to an external drive. It might also be that if you unplugged the drive it may have been given another drive letter.

 

Make sure your file is in the folder via Explorer. In Itunes select the file and Ctrl and i again. This time select to find the file and navigate to where you know the file to be. If you navigated to the correct folder Itunes will see it and all the other files in the folder. Click the song file then Open (or something similar) then click OK.

 

If you renamed the file that's another issue.

 

Like I said note the folder paths. It's likely that the path Itunes shows does not match the path in Explorer where the files actually exists. The drive letter is an important part of the path as is the exact song name.

[nuley]

Dear Randy

 

Thanks for this. I have made sure the files are really really in the G drive. They are all there. However, Explorer can't see them if iTunes is running, but Explorer can see them when I shut iTunes down. iTunes just won't see them, even though they're there.

 

iTunes may play one of the tunes from an album. It gives me the correct album location via iTunes when I click control+i of the song it's playing. I have checked the drive name and everything is fine with the location. But when I look at the folder via Explorer if iTunes is running in order to find another song from the same album, it says the folder is empty. Even though iTunes is playing a song for me from that folder at the time. And then if I shut iTunes down, Explorer can see all the music files again. Weird.

 

I haven't tried Nev's kind suggestion, mainly because I've got nearly 20 gig of music and I can't bear the idea of copying it all one song at a time! It's just very frustrating because it seems so weird and random.

 

Do you know what I could try next, please?

 

Thanks again

 

Nuley

[nuley]

Dear Randy

 

Ooh, I've just noticed. One of the songs I can't play, even though I haven't moved it and Explorer knows it's in the G drive where I left it, comes up as in a different place. When I control+i, iTunes seems to think it's in my C drive, oddly enough in a folder that Explorer can't find (because it doesn't exist). When I try to remap it to the correct folder in the G drive, it can't find it again as usual.

 

Is this vaguely helpful?

 

Thanks again

Nuley

[RandyL]

OK try this.

 

Using Explorer (not Itunes) go to the folder on your G drive where the music file is and open it.

Locate the song that Itunes won't play and right click it to copy.

Open Itunes.

Click Edit.

Click Paste.

If you get a dialog window saying you are adding a duplicate click Add. Not skip or cancel.

 

If the song plays then the original song was moved after it was added to Itunes. This is why it won't play. It needs to be added from the new location. There is no way around this.

 

If you do have two copies in your play list now Cntrl i will show two different locations for them.

 

Try this and let me know if it works. If it does I'll explain how to to set up the Itunes folder to your G drive and automatically copy any songs to it that you add. This will prevent this from happening again.

[nuley]

Dear Randy

 

Thanks for your help with this again.

 

I went to find my music folders via Explorer and they had all disappeared again. I ran a search for .mp3 and found them - in the location that iTunes and now Explorer had not been able to find them a minute before.

 

I copied one of the songs like you said and pasted it successfully into iTunes. It plays!

 

When I control+i, both songs have exactly the same path: I have checked 4 times, and there is absolutely no difference in location.

 

Now get this: once I clicked play on the new copy, BOTH songs will play. I feel like tearing my hair out. I shut iTunes down and relaunched it just to see if they would play again, and both did. I have looked to see if I can see the song via Explorer, and I can't. The only way I get to see it is via the search path that I ran. (I think that's what I must have been looking at yesterday, because Explorer actually can't see them today, and it couldn't see them before I contacted you for help.)

 

I guess the really good news is that I can make iTunes see my music - perhaps I should just copy it all back over and then delete the duplicates once it can play it all again. What do you think? (I wish it had found the entire album once I copied and pasted a song from it, but it only found the specific track.)

 

I still have NO idea how or why this happened, unless there was a glitch in the iTunes update. All the folders were last altered at the exact time of the update, but they haven't moved. It is as if they aren't recognized as mp3 files unless I specifically search for .mp3; and then I can only make iTunes see where they are by pasting a copy. It's as if it goes: 'Oh, that's what you meant. Yes, I can see that.'

 

Thanks again for your help - I would have almost given up by now if I was doing this on my own.

 

All best

Nuley

[RandyL]

perhaps I should just copy it all back over and then delete the duplicates once it can play it all again.

That's what I would do.

 

Here's what else I would do. I would have Itunes copy any music you add and already have to the Itunes media folder. This way you will have all your music in one place and Itunes will play it from that location. By default the location will be on your C drive and look something like this for Itunes 10 in Windows 7. C:\Users\Randy\Music\iTunes\iTunes Media

 

You can change the location to your G drive if you wish. After you're sure it's working right you can delete the original folder. When you add more songs in the future you can delete or move the songs because they will be copied to the media folder.

 

And one more thing. You should always keep a backup of your songs. Sooner or later all drives will fail.

 

Open Itunes and click Edit.

Click on the Advanced tab.

Click Change.

Navigate to your G drive where you would like the folder created.

Click Select folder.

If need be create a folder on drive G. Click to highlite then click Select folder.

Click OK.

 

Next click File.

Go to Library and click Organize library.

When a message appears put a check next to Consolidate files.

Click OK.

 

WARNING:

Once everything is working right you can delete the original Itunes Media folder but do not delete Itunes Library files that may be in the same location as the iTunes Media folder.

[Armageddon]

Hate to stick my nose in but have you considered a itunes alternative personally I use Clementine it organises my music better then wmp and itunes combined , and also it will link to my ipod for music transfer etc

[nuley]

Dear Armageddon

 

I would definitely consider an alternative but we have several iPods in the family and an iPad - will Clementine organise them too, or am I stuck with iTunes? Can I buy music off Clementine or is it just a player?

 

I'm going to do what Randy suggests at the weekend in any case but Clementine could be a good alternative. I started with iTunes in 2004 and it was just so easy I stuck with it - until now!

 

Thanks very much

Nuley

[Armageddon]

Clementine will recognise each device Nuley yes , and no you cant buy music from there it is just a player heres a link to have a look Clementine

[seedy21]

itunes

 

Sounds like the Itunes library has been come corrupted.

 

 

Can always try this and see if it works.

 

 

When Clicking your shortcut to itunes hold down Shift Button, a window will come up asking if you would like to create or choose a Library, click create new library, save it as a different name for example Itunes2 , choose the new library.

 

 

Click file and Add Folder to Library, Locate the folder with all your music, Click Add, After completing close Itunes, Restart your machine and see if the music is still there when you reload Itunes.

 

 

If it doesn't you can always reload your old library.