How can I reload (refresh) my files into iTunes

I've seen this topic discussed for many years now, and don't think there is a definite method. iTunes only reads files if you really change something about them, otherwise it relies upon what it has in its library database about the track. Things to try:

Grab files in a playlist and start to drag to another playlist, but stop before you do so and just let them bounce back into place.

Play files (you've tried). There's a Dougscript called Needledrop that will just play a file for a few seconds, but still a hassle if you have 10,000 tracks.

Try Dougscript MIA an see if it tickles the files enough to get them to update.

Find some junk field in your files (for example, "show" usually is empty for music files). Get info on a series of files, change the field contents so it re-writes all the files. (Yeah, not ideal.)

http://dougscripts.com/itunes/ look for one "List MIA"

You're welcome. Did anything work?

A "thinking outside the box" suggestion would be to create two iTunes libraries, one with the hard drive connected and one with the hard drive disconnected. That way the artwork from the external hard drive won't be disturbed when you open the "disconnected" library. Only open the "connected" library when the external hard drive is connected.

Tracy

If it were me I would go with putting the complete library on the external. iTunes just doesn't like it when you use it this way. Although they have the feature for keeping just media on another drive, it isn't intended that you then disconnect that drive. At least with all the library on the external, if you then forget ot plug it in it will just be a matter of re-starting iTunes with the option key held down and guiding it to the external.

You could try the two library thing suggested by another poster but it might be a nightmare to keep them up to date with each other.

iTunes would not move those new files automatically. The big question is, where do you want all the files - spread out on two drives or consolidated on one drive?

Keeping the two libraries up-to-date is easy. I have three different Macs with their own libraries that share the original files on one Mac, the "Master Library". I created a Smart Playlist called "Newest" in the master Library. I edit it so that only the newest songs are in it, export that playlist and import it into the other two Macs' iTunes Libraries.

You could do the same with your two "disconnected" and "connected" libraries. The new additions will stay on the internal hard drive and both iTunes Libraries will show include them.

Since both "connected" and "disconnected" libraries share the same files on your internal hard drive, importing the "Newest" playlist into the "connected" library just updates the library. The files are already where they need to be. Think of the music files as chapters in a book and the library as the table of contents. When you add new chapters all you need to do is update the table of contents in the other iTunes library.

Tracy