itunes cannot locate music in my library

I'm having a similar issue but on a mac. When I got to iTunes only my recently purchased music shows up, not any of the music I've uploaded from CDs through the years. When I go into the folders all the music is in the iTunes Music folder. Here is an example path: /Users/davidrosen/Music/iTunes/iTunes Music/AC_DC/The Razor's Edge. I am not seeing file names with exclamation points, I don't see them at all. Any suggestion on how to get iTunes to see the music?

Thanks

Try Empty/corrupt iTunes library after upgrade/crash.

tt2

Hello foley1857,

Congratulations on your new computer! I would be concerned too if I was not able to locate my music in iTunes. I recommend reviewing the following articles to locate you music files on your computer:

iTunes: Finding lost media and downloads

http://support.apple.com/kb/ts1408

Where are my iTunes files located?

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1391

If you are not able to locate the music on your new computer and still have access to your previous system, you can follow the steps in this article:

iTunes: How to move your music to a new computer

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4527

Thank you for using Apple Support Communities.

Best,

Sheila M.

If you still have the library on the old computer see this migrate iTunes library post.

Otherwise I can probably make suggestions for how to resolve the issue. I expect iTunes is "assuming" your media is in a slightly different place from where it really is. Select a "missing" track, find out where it really is, and find out where iTunes "thinks" it is from the Get Info > Summary tab. The two paths are usually enough to see what needs to be done.

tt2

turingtest2: thanks, I've identified that itunes has added some computerspeak in front of the actual path, namely: file://localhost/

I don't know what that means or how to correct other than going through each song one-by-one and revising the path.

Anyone got any ideas?

Can you show me the actual path for one of the missing files and the equivalent file://localhost one from iTunes? The two paths may suggest a quick fix, otherwise I have a tool that should do it...

tt2

After reading a few fixes and knowing how the best laid plans of mice and men and me can go so wrong, I just searched for a couple of tracks. When I found one, I fixed it and it asked me if I wanted to use that location to look for other missing files. I did a couple more tracks, answering yes each time to that box.

iTunes started searching for missing files and eventually found 1470 of 1626 files and proceeded to add them back in.

It feels too easy.

hi turingtest2

I have come across this issue. All my music was saved on an external drive which got bust (Yes stupid of me I know to keep it there!). I have managed to import all my existing music from my ipod back to pc, however no matter where I stick my music and change on preferences to that folder to direct itunes, its having none of it - can't locate a thing and have to individually.

Saw that you had commented on the hhtp thing and on looking and Get Info for each music file it says: file://localhost/C:/Users/Rachel/iTunes/iTunes Music/ etc etc.

All my files are sitting in this location.

Is this something you can help with as I have no idea?!

Many thanks,

Rachel

Hi there.

I take it you've got the media somewhere, and an iTunes library full of exclamation marks? Pick a single broken song, press CTRL+I to Get Info, say no when asked to locate it, then look at the summary tab. Please post back the full path that starts file://localhost for this particular file. Then find the actual file this entry should be connected to and post back the path to this as well. With the two paths I should have enough information to recommend the best course of action...

tt2

Actually, and maybe I was just lucky, but as I posted above, it gave me a dialogue box when I chose one song and asked me if wanted to look for other missing songs there in same area. I clicked "yes" and it found over 1400 files. I'm assuming this worked since all the missing songs were in the same broken folder.

It's been fine ever since.

Thank you for this information. We were able to find about 2000 missing songs, which were on my computer, but the location had changed.

All fixed now I trust? If not I have repair techniques and tools but deciding which to use depends on how out of place things are.

tt2

Thanks for replying so quick turingtest2.

Yes indeed I have an iTunes full of exclamation marks! I have all the music stored on my desktop and also have re-copied into my iTunes on the C drive. However, I have so much I actually want to stick it all back on an external hard drive when I am done.

When doing Get Info on a track I get for example : file://localhost/C:/Users/Rachel/Music/iTunes/iTunes Music/_Amy Winehouse/_Back to Black/Wake Up Alone.mp3

Where this is stored is : C:/Users/Rachel Milne/iTunes/iTunes Music/Amy Winehouse/Back To Black/Wake Up Alone.mp3. PLEASE NOTE THAT THEY ARE ACTUALLY BACK SLASHES AND NOT FORWARD ONES. I just can't find the backslash on my keyboard!!

sorry maybe I should have said that they are foward slashes on the localhost link, but backslashes on the actual location link.

Also I have rescued all this music from a broken hard drive and used Sharepod to do this - I created a folder on my desktop and it got copied into that - I tried then to use this folder as my music source on iTunes by changing the source folder on preferences within iTunes. That didn't work and I got all the exclamation marks. I then copied it all back onto my iTunes folder on my c drive, but still getting the above issue. I guess it is a typical case of iTunes getting confused about where the source is?