Why can't I find my music?

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Level 1

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Why can't I find my music?

This has happened a few times and I'm about done with iTunes. I go to click on a song to play and I get a little exclamation mark next to it and a message that says "The song '...' could not be used because the original file could not be found. Would you like to locate it?". Then I browse for its location and nothing happens, even though when I use my desktop's search function I can find all of my files just fine. The most peculiar part is that some of the music albums in my iTunes library remain playable - no problem. I did nothing to deserve this! I fixed it before by simply uninstalling iTunes and then reinstalling the lastest version from the iTunes store. Everything reappeared just fine. This time, no luck. Uninstalled, reinstalled, still the same albums missing. Pretty fed up. I appreciate any help possible in getting my music back in there - I have a huge library and if I have to manually re-enter it again, I promise it will not be into iTunes. Thank you.

Posted on Oct 8, 2008 4:54 PM

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Answer 1

Oct 8, 2008 5:07 PM in response to jerk1

I have a similar problem. I backed my music onto my hard drive too, but when I installed the new version of iTunes it severed the files and made an exclamation mark appear next to all my music, movies, podcast, tv shows etc. I tried to pull the files off my back up drive but they were corrupted too. All 400 of my purchased items were deleted, along with my ripped albums. I would really appreciate if apple would reimburse me for my lost items. If the forums don't appeal to help me I'm going to try and call. I hope this problem is resolved soon; I understand your situation and it isn't professional at all to destroy everything a consumer has.

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Answer 2

jerk1 Author

Level 1

0 points

Oct 8, 2008 5:09 PM in response to Maestro_MAD

Yep, my iTunes purchased music is gone, too. Thank God my favorite podcasts are there...

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Answer 3

Katrina S.

Level 7

24,131 points

Oct 8, 2008 6:36 PM in response to jerk1

+original file could not be found. Would you like to locate it+

That message happens when
1 - you move files around in Windows Explorer and itunes loses the links
2 - you rename files or folders in Windows Explorer and itunes loses the links
3 - Windows unhelpfully chnages an external hard drive lettter on you
4 - itunes unhelpfully can't read a damamged ITL library database file

My advice is to make regular manual backups of your ITL file. I copy mine to a USB drive about once per week, more often if I've done a lot of additions/changes, and ALWAYS before an iTunes update.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1660

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Answer 4

Oct 9, 2008 3:39 AM in response to Katrina S.

What if it does this when you have copied files from your iPod directly to your Mac? I have done this twice and the songs will play for a day or two and then do the "exclamation point" thing. I don't want to have to rebuild my library on my Mac, but the only songs that play are those I have added directly into my Mac from CD. Those new songs are not on my iPod (yet).

The idea was to add more songs from my CD collection to my iTunes on my Mac and then eventually sync to my iPod. I already have 1800 songs on my iPod and most of those will not play on my Mac now.

Please help this Mac newb! Thanks!

Message was edited by: Indelibrella

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Answer 5

Oct 9, 2008 6:32 AM in response to Indelibrella

Anyone have another idea I could try? Thanks... :o)

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