iTunes Cannot Locate Song Files...

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iTunes Cannot Locate Song Files...

I have double checked that iTunes is pointed to the right folder as per the iTunes Media Folder Location under Edit/Preferences/Advanced, however, I cannnot play any songs -- I get the message "The file "xxxx" could not be used because the original file could not be found. Do you want to located it?" The strange part is that when I click on "Yes" and used the browser function to locate it, I can go locate and select the song file and that song is then playable from iTunes.

Any thoughts?

Deill Inspiron 6400

Posted on Jun 6, 2010 10:18 AM

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Answer 1

Jun 6, 2010 10:26 AM in response to Fishbone222

Are those tracks located on your int drive C:\ ?

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Answer 2

Fishbone222 Author

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Jun 6, 2010 10:29 AM in response to Kay Marczoch

iTunes is pointed to my external hard drive (E), however, when I click on each file on iTunes, it says that is located on my C drive. I want to play songs from the E drive. Does that make sense? (BTW, I know a bit about computers, but not a lot.)

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Answer 3

jonod

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Jun 6, 2010 10:31 AM in response to Fishbone222

I am having the exact same problems with a Mac Book Pro

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Answer 4

Chris CA

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Jun 6, 2010 10:37 AM in response to Fishbone222

How did these songs get onto the E: drive?
Did you move them there yourself?

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Answer 5

Fishbone222 Author

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Jun 6, 2010 10:38 AM in response to Fishbone222

Theoretically, I could go through EVERY song on iTunes and point it to the E drive (I have tried several songs and I know this works), however, that will take a LONG, LONG time.

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Answer 6

Fishbone222 Author

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Jun 6, 2010 11:10 AM in response to Chris CA

About a year and a half ago I copied all of my music into my E drive because my C drivew was filling up. Everything since then that I have downloaded (I pretty much ONLY download from CD), I have downloaded to my E drive.

I recently had my hard drive replaced and then I started having this issue.

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Answer 7

Chris CA

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Jun 6, 2010 11:46 AM in response to Fishbone222

I recently had my hard drive replaced and then I started having this issue.

Did you have a backup of your hard drive?
How did you get iTunes back to "normal" with the new internal hard drive.

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Answer 8

Fishbone222 Author

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Jun 6, 2010 12:50 PM in response to Chris CA

The hard drive (and to be clear, I am talking about the internal hard drive here) was backed up before it was replaced.

What do you mean by "get iTunes back to mormal"?

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Answer 9

Chris CA

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Jun 6, 2010 3:33 PM in response to Fishbone222

If you replaced the HD, did you do something (such as backup) to get the HD back as it was after it was replaced.
It seems oou did.
Is the external drive using the same drive letter as before replacing the internal HD?

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Answer 10

jonod

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Jun 6, 2010 3:38 PM in response to Chris CA

Chris CA

You seem knowledgable about these kind of issues. I have the same thing going on with I Tunes in my Mac Book Pro. All my songs are there but when I click on them it get a message saying original file could not be found do you want to locate. I am then able to locate the file and open and play it. My songs are are my hard drive in users/jon/music/itunes/itunes music. They have always been there. This problem began yesterday when I consolidated my library. Any ideas?

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Answer 11

Fishbone222 Author

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Jun 6, 2010 3:48 PM in response to Chris CA

I had someone replace the internal hard drive for me, so I don't know what was done and what wasn't but I can tell you that the external hard drive still uses the same letter as it did previously...it was the E drive and still is the E drive.

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Answer 12

Katrina S.

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Jun 7, 2010 12:23 AM in response to Fishbone222

try this. Go to itunes preferences > advanced tab.
Uncheck the box to keep itunes media folder organized, press OK.
Then go back and re-check that box and press OK.

There should be a message with a status bar that itunes is "organizing files" and it should find everything.

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Answer 13

Fishbone222 Author

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Jun 7, 2010 4:17 AM in response to Katrina S.

Thanks again...tried that but did not get a status bar come up. And the problem still exists.

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Answer 14

jonod

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Jun 7, 2010 6:04 AM in response to Katrina S.

Katrina

When I tried that I did get the organizing files notice but most of the files showed up with the mark indicating the original could not be found.

Jon

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Answer 15

Carlilee

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Jun 7, 2010 7:19 AM in response to Fishbone222

I am having a similar problem and after much frustration am resorting to re-copying ALL of my c.d.'s onto my external hard drive. This is because the first external hard drive I had crashed! The problem now is what to do with the purchases made from I-Tunes? These songs also have an "!" next to it with the message ".... cannot be located...." and it then looks for it on my :C drive. Any ideas of how to get these purchased songs back onto my hard drive?
By-the-way I can still play all of my music on my Apple tv.

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