how do you find multiple original files in itunes? Many threads no answer

iTunes is a data base manager and creates associations - path - and if you disconnect the HD that the file is on then of course iTunes will want to find the 'original' - what would you expect?

MJ

If you are keeping 'all' the files including the Library file on the ext HD - and nest everything as if it were on the internal HD then I don't see where you can go wrong. That is how I handle other iTunes libraries that I have on ext HD's.

When launch iTunes I do so with the 'option' key down and direct iTunes to the Library file on the ext HD and all works fine.

iTunes will default to the last opened library - if it cannot find the last library opened it will give the dialog to find/open/create a different library.

MJ

Perhaps the following snippets of info. have bearing:

If your library is on an external drive which is not connected when you start iTunes it may open an older internal copy without complaining.

iTunes always opens the last library it opened if it can.

If iTunes opens from a library stored on an internal disc, but the library content is stored on an unconnected external disc, iTunes will "know" that all file paths are invalid, even if you subsequently connect the external drive. Closing & reopening iTunes should resolve things.

tt2

Keeping libray & content togther on the same drive will, I suspect, prove more robust. If you could arrange to copy your library files to the parent of the media folder on the "content" drive, then use the Shift/Option-start-iTunes method to open the library from the "content" drive you might get lucky.

When library & content are in the standard arrangement then iTunes can cope with changes in the drive letters or device IDs as all file references are considered relative to the library file.

The order in which your devices are connected or initialise themselves when you start your computer may explain the random nature of your problem.



tt2

N.b. On a Mac the .itl extension is omitted. The xml file may be called iTunes Music Library.xml depending on the location of the library.

Message was edited by: turingtest2

*Don't move any media* until your library is working reliably.

My experience is that you can move the "library" files (outside the red box) anywhere and provided the "content" (inside the red box) stays put iTunes will find the files. You can also move the library as a whole, "library" & "content", when nested as shown. Typically when people run out of room they follow a guide which explains how to relocate the content only using iTunes to manage the shift. This has two drawbacks, first iTunes can sometimes fail to complete the operation leading to an unstable library and second it complicates things when unxpected system changes occur.

You might find your existing library and content will reconnect if you edit the location of the iTunes Media folder in preferences to the current location, close iTunes and reopen.

iTunes 9 will work perfectly well with files in the older layout. If you "upgrade" to *iTunes Media Organisation* it should reorgainse the files, but similar caveats obtain. If iTunes crashes while moving the files about (as has heppened to others posting here) then repairing things is complicated. The automated process also fails to rename *iTunes Music* to *iTunes Media*

Again, from my own tests and when properly nested, iTunes will accept the renaming of the *iTunes Music* folder as *iTunes Media* and update the iTunes Media folder preference automatically. If that works and you then close & reopen iTunes and everything still works normally, you can try pushing an Artist folder into iTunes\Media\Music. I think it works, but I manage the structures inside iTunes Media manually & I don't have time to test it just now. If iTunes doesn't llike any step you take just put things back where the were. You can always let iTunes manage the iTunes Media Organsiation upgrade if you have a decent backup and can restore.

tt2

Again, from my own tests and when properly nested, iTunes will accept the renaming of the iTunes Music folder as iTunes Media and update the iTunes Media folder preference automatically. If that works and you then close & reopen iTunes and everything still works normally, you can try pushing an Artist folder into iTunes\Media\Music. I think it works, but I manage the structures inside iTunes Media manually & I don't have time to test it just now.

OK, got that wrong. It's probably going to be easiest just to leave iTunes to do it, but for anyone who likes to manually organise their library (i.e. has Keep organised turned off) but still wants to move things into the new layout it can work. Having renamed *iTunes Music* as *iTunes Media* and checked that the preference for the iTunes Media folder is set to ...\iTunes\iTunes Media close iTunes, move the artist folders from *...\iTunes\iTunes Media* to *...\iTunes\iTunes Media\Music*. Start iTunes and change the designated media folder to *...\iTunes\iTunes Media\Music*. iTunes will update the library and when finished should be able to access all the media. Close iTunes, reopen iTunes, change the change the designated media folder back to *...\iTunes\iTunes Media*. Close, reopen & test. You may also need to now take the final step of executing the menu *Library > Organize Library > Upgrade to iTunes Media Organisation* although itunes might already recognise that you're using the new layout and disable that command.

As ever backup up library files before changing anything and be prepared to backtrace your steps if something doesn't work out the way you expect.

tt2

The backed up XML files will refer to the old locations of files. When you try to import an XML playlist it will attempt to add the corresponding file to the library, which it can't because no file is there, and then add the track into the playlist, which it can only do if the file is already in the library or has been successfully imported. If you are prepared to edit the XML file so that the paths corespond to the current locations then it will work, otherwise at the end of a lenghty import process you will just get some empty playlists.

tt2