Q: Making iTunes library find missing tracks in multiple, not one by one

I had this problem too when moving all my music files to a NAS drive.  This is quite simple, just locate the copied library file in its new location, then view your music in song list view.  Then double click on a file showing an exclamation mark.  You will be prompted to locate the file.  Once located a new pop up with prompt to locate all other files, confirm this and away it runs.  Before you know it, all the unlocated files will be found.

Check out this video to help.

http://youtu.be/jNvhYP5fhGg

Perhaps the MOST frustrating feature of iTunes is that Find Missing Files thing. It has never found more than 2-3 tracks. Even tracks missing in the same folder as the one I just located will not be found. I assumed it did nothing for anyone. I have been trying that feature for at least 2 years and it never, ever does anything worth reporting.

If iTunes can't find your media perhaps my FindTracks script can. Probably best to disable Keep iTunes Media folder organized (if you use it) while using the script so nothing needs to move around...

tt2

I am on a MAC. But that would have been a useful page otherwise.

Oops.

tt2

Liverpool Red Fan wrote:

 

I had this problem too when moving all my music files to a NAS drive.  This is quite simple, just locate the copied library file in its new location, then view your music in song list view.  Then double click on a file showing an exclamation mark.  You will be prompted to locate the file.  Once located a new pop up with prompt to locate all other files, confirm this and away it runs.  Before you know it, all the unlocated files will be found.

 

I just used that method to convince iTunes to relocate a batch of video files after moving them between volumes (which, of course, orphaned them in the iTunes Library).  I'd remembered doing it several years ago but had forgotten the key step of attempting to play one of those files instead of running Get Info on it.  Thank goodness I found this topic to jog my memory; it eluded extensive searching a few days ago.

i did these step, its seems not work to my iTunes, iTunes say that could not found missing files with a mark "!".

This was totall the trick! Thanks for saving me from buying softwae to do it for me!

This is wonderful! Solved what I was trying to fix in 6 hours in 1 minute! Can't say thanks enough!

You're welcome.

tt2

Something usefull to have in your playlists to find dead files :

1. Make a smart playlist called “All Files” with this rule: “Artist” is not “123456789″ (or any nonsense name that won’t be in your library).

2. Make a static playlist called “All Live Files”.

3. Make a smart playlist called “Missing Files” with these rules: Match all of the following rules, Playlist is “All Files”, Playlist is not “All Live Files”

4. Select all the files from “All Files” and drag them into “All Live Files”. The dead files marked will not copy over.

5. “Missing Files” will contain all of your dead files. Select all and delete. Voila, a nice clean iTunes library.

I have these three playlists in their own folder. Whenever I gather more than a couple dead tracks for whatever reason, I delete all the tracks in “All Live Files” and repeat steps 4 and 5.

How to Delete a file from a playlist:

Windows: SHIFT + DEL
Mac: OPTION + DEL

brilliant guide for an idiot like me.  thanks.

I dealt with this problem in an easier way:

1. Close iTunes.

2. In Finder, go to where your music library is stored.  On my machine it was username/Music/iTunes.

3. Drag these items to the trash:

     iTunes Library Extras.itdb

     iTunes Library Genius.itdb

     iTunes Library.itl

     iTunes Music Library.xml

     Previous iTunes Libraries (this is a folder)

4. DO NOT DRAG the other folders to the trash. 

5. Start iTunes and it will recreate the library database. 

6. If you have music on an another disk that you want to add to the library then use File > Add to Library

7. Don't empty the trash until you make sure everything is working right and you still have your songs / videos / other goodies.

That's fine, if you're not looking to preserve playlists, ratings, play counts, downloaded artwork, date added info. etc. etc.

tt2

Yes, it does mean the information on play counts, etc. will be lost.  I had 4500 lost songs; I wanted a solution that did not involve finding them one at a time.

An alternative would be to take the entire iTunes folder and move it.  Then when iTunes restarts it will recreate the libraries but the information is still there and there may be a way to re-integrate it.  This is probably a better approach since it preserves the whole contents of the data structure.

I should also add that I felt comfortable doing this because I had just made a backup of the whole library, so the risk if something didn't work was minimal. Making a full backup before using unfamiliar software is also a good idea.