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

If there is an input box then the script stops and waits for your response. You can edit a couple of options in the script. I would recommend Notepad++ for the task but regular Windows Notepad should be OK. Locate the line that reads:

     SkipMulti=False

and change it to read

     SkipMulti=True

This will stop the script from asking for confirmation. Once you've cleared up all of the easy targets you should have a much shorter list of problem files left to fix

In a similar fashion changing

     SkipOutsize=False

to

     SkipOutsize=True

would prevent the script prompting when there is a size discrepancy between the track that iTunes remembers and the possible target that the script has found. Such variations might arise, for example, if another application such as Windows Media Player had updated the tags since the files were lost to iTunes. You can also edit the value of Limit on the next line so the script can automatically approve minor changes.

The logic behind my script expects that you may or may not have used album artist, or that it may or may not be reflected in the path. The script will look in all of the folders where it might possibly make sense to have stored the file, for one with a reasonably similar name, and of the right size (or roughly if you increase the size of limit).

It is still looking in the C:\ drive for those things that were there last time it had access to them. There is no way to simply edit one bit of the path since iTunes doesn't actually give access to this value in the script. The first thing the script does when processing each track is ask iTunes for the location. When iTunes passes back an empty string this indicates a missing file, and the script does its thing, otherwise it moves on to examine the next track in the selection.

tt2

Thanks for the info on script.........I understand what you are saying.........but have no idea how to open it ........ it is in my Download folder, rt click does not give me an option to open it in notebook or anything???

I may have misled you a little regarding Albums by Artist............if I click on header on the screen Albums by Artist comes up, on trax I have looked at I get  album + a date, presumably  the date I entered the info or downloaded it, I did not enter the date. I am now doing batches by Albums by Artist

You should be able to right-click on the file and select Edit to open in Notepad, or open Notepad from the start menu and drag the file onto it. Once open use Ctrl+F to open the find dialog and search for   SkipMulti=   The first result should be the line you want to edit.

Album by Artist is the usual list order if you want all tracks from the same album kept together and also all albums by the same artist next to each other. Sorting on other columns has it uses, e.g. sorting on date added will show your recent additions at the top or bottom of the list. (Click the triangle to reverse the order.)

There are a number of dates associated with tracks: Date Added, Date Modified, Last Played, Last Skipped,.Purchase Date & Release Date. iTunes populates these fields for you. The values can be used to control smart playlists but can be safely ignored if you don't have a use for them.

tt2

Thanks I will give it a bash tomorow

By the way regarding Album..........I entered in Album say XYZ and iTunes in Album by Artist entered a date > XYZ 12-4-14 Same in Album by Artist/Year

The Album column has three modes. Album, Album by Artist and Album by Artist/Year. The first should list each album in alphabetical order sorted by the values in Sort Album or Album, then by disc and track number. The second sorts first on the first non-empty value from Sort Album Artist, Album Artist, Sort Arist, and Artist, then subsorts by Album title, then disc and track number. The last attempts to list each artist's albums in chronological order.

You switch between the modes by clicking on text the column heading. This changes the display order but not the content.

iTunes wouldn't normally include a date as part of the album field. If it is looking up CDs as they are ripped then it would use the Gracenotes CD database which uses standard titles. Did you edit this metadata yourself or was it already like that when you added the tracks to the library?

tt2

Good Morning.........as far as I am aware [some of these downloads were 5 years ago]

A lot of the downloads are from Vinyl so there are no Tags. Typically I would enter under Album the name of the record and number or my source  "XYZ"  under Album by Artist it says "XYZ 23-1-15" ie a date after the name

I am copying found files to the Found playlist...... still 20,000+ to go!

I'm still don't think iTunes is adding the dates by itself unless it is auto-completing to some value that is already in your library. Either way the script should be able to locate tracks from the album XYZ 23-1-15 that are, for example, stored in the album level folder XYZ. If it still failing to find many tracks then I'd need to see how the properties in the tag were reflected in the path, or rather why they are not.

tt2

Thanks...........it could be me???........if I inadvertently entered album data in Album By Artist instead of Album
Strange thing is Album says XYZ and Album by Artist say XYZ 23-1-15 .......... I do not think it is causing a problem

I am ploding on thru the 20k missing trax with the script.........hopefully will be done over the weekend......... have a good un

? The Album column should show the same data in it whether the header reads Album, Album by Artist or Album by Artist/Year. Only the order of the listing should change.

tt2

I am the pitts

I altered the script to SkipMulti=True & SkipOutsize=True ............ it would not run

So I deleted Script and downloaded again......... it still does not run.......... what have I done wrong?

Oh I just remembered.........when I run the Script it does not ask me where the files are ie G drive

I am the pitts

I altered the script to SkipMulti=True & SkipOutsize=True ............ it would not run

So I deleted Script and downloaded again......... it still does not run.......... what have I done wrong?

Oh I just remembered.........when I run the Script it does not ask me where the files are ie G drive

I'm confused. Maybe you should install Notepad++ and try editing the lines in that. Right-click on this link to FindTracksSkipQs which already has those edits and download or save as..

tt2

I deleted the FindTracks that I edited as it would not run and downloaded a new FindTracks ...... I did not edit it but it to would not run and the screen that normally comes up...... is this the address/file to check for missing files did not come up

I cannot open FindTracksSkipQs ......... I tried the 3 Open rt. click options......... what should I open it with?

Either I, or the forum software, fluffed up the link. Try this one: http://samsoft.org.uk/iTunes/FindTracksSkipQs.vbs

tt2

Neither of the Scripts will run :-( I left 23 highlighted trax for 15 min.....not one was found, nor did I get any message

The screen where the trax are ie the G drive does not appear, previously I had to click that the destination was correct.

I think iTunes is corrupted ........ when I edited the FindTracks to change False to True, I did 2 things wrong

1. First time I copied and pasted FindTracks to Notepad first

2. I did not know what to open it with, so I tried iTunes???

Regards