Can't Load Music From External Hard Drive

Regarding the library file what is the result of running this script?

http://samsoft.org.uk/iTunes/scripts.asp#iTunesITLPath

And what is written under Edit > Preferences > Advanced > Media folder?

At this point I'm not clear which set of files iTunes is actually working with, even if you are.

Rather than the syncing I should have said what is being auto backed up from where to where?

I tried turning off and on and noting happened. I still have the '!' when trying to play the music.

OK, I was describing a hypothetical that would have worked had you followed the steps in the correct sequence. The aim was to understand what you might have done differently, for example moving everything from ...\iTunes Media\Music\Music up to ...\iTunes Media\Music by hand. Conversely if you did not move any files check on one of the broken files and see if iTunes is now expecting the file to be one level higher, in which case moving them by hand ought to work.

tt2

I suspect that you and/or iTunes may be getting confused by working with two sets of folders and paths. My setup is not dissimilar to what I think you are looking for, so let me see if a description helps you out.

• My master iTunes library (the iTunes database file, media, artwork) is all stored on an external hard drive (K:). The key files and folders are as follows"
  • K:\iTunes\iTunes Library.itl -- this is the iTunes database
  • K:\iTunes\iTunes Library.xml -- XML version of the iTunes database
  • K:\iTunes Library Extras.itdb
  • K:\iTunes Library Genius.itdb
  • sentinel -- hidden file
  • K:\iTunes\Album Artwork -- folder containing:
    • K:\iTunes\Album Artwork\Cache -- iTunes working storage for album artwork
    • K:\iTunes\Album Artwork\Cloud Purchases -- artwork for iTunes Store purchases
    • K:\iTunes\Album Artwork\Download -- artwork as retrieved from the Store using "Get Album Arwork"
    • K:\iTunes\Album Artwork\Remote -- empty in my setup
  • K:\iTunes\iTunes Media -- folder containing:
    • K:\iTunes\iTunes Media\Audiobooks
    • K:\iTunes\iTunes Media\Automatically Add to iTunes
    • K:\iTunes\iTunes Media\Music -- this is where all music is stored, one folder per artist, each containing one folder per album (with the exception of compilations that are stored in the Compilations folder rather than by artist)
    • -- may be additional folders if you have TV shows, movies, ...
    • iTunes Preferences.plist -- file
  • K:\iTunes\Previous iTunes Libraries -- folder containing duplicated iTunes Library.itl files created by iTunes update process
• I have iTunes configured as follows (Edit > Preferences > Advanced):
  • iTunes Media folder location set to K:\iTunes\iTunes Media
  • Keep iTunes Media folder organized is checked
  • Copy files to iTunes Media folder when adding to library is checked

When iTunes runs, it uses the database file and the media stored on K: - this can be set by holding down the SHIFT key when starting iTunes, clicking on Choose Library, and browsing to the K:\iTunes\iTunes Library.itl database file. If I understand your setup correctly you files and folders should look like this, with your "C:\Users\myCPUname\Music" path substituted for the external drive "K:" in my description, i.e, your iTunes database and media folders should be:

• C:\Users\myCPUname\Music\iTunes\iTunes Library.itl and
• C:\Users\myCPUname\Music\iTunes\iTunes Media

respectively, and the latter should be set as the iTunes Media folder location under Edit > Preferences > Advanced.

I suggest getting this working first before you start worrying about the backup folders on your external drive. In my case I use MS SyncToy to replicate by iTunes Library to a second external drive - the files and folders are identical on this to those described above, the only difference being the drive letter.

If you configure your library as described above and still have problems post specific issues back here.

That should have been in response to rzybly, not to turingtest2!

rzybly wrote:

I ran the script for the library and it came back with "C:\Users\CPUName\Music\iTunes\iTunes Library.itl"

Preferences = C:\Users\CPUName\Music\iTunes\iTunes Media

Good. Those two are as expected/desired.

I take it the library is currently populated with media, but the links are broken. Can you post back what you see if you Get Info for a track and say no when asked to locate the track?

My C:\ drive is being backed up to G:\ (my external hard drive). Where I store the iTunes media folder on G:\ is different than where the system auto backs it up.

Ignoring automatic and manual backups I would encourage you to organize the library at <Some Path>\iTunes and the media at <Some Path>\iTunes\iTunes Media. Anything else gets complicated when you want to move/backup/restore.

This is what makes me think it may be easier to uninstall iTunes and then reinstall.

Again uninstalling and reinstalling iTunes will not have any effect. The iTunes preference files and registry settings are preserved when you do this. If you reset those iTunes will discover any existing library stored in <User's Music>\iTunes or create a new empty library there if needed.

I should probably add an addenda to the split library tip that discusses the role of the hidden file <Media Folder>.iTunes Preferences.plist. This file tells iTunes which of the two folder layouts it is supposed to be using. As far as I can tell you are using the right one, but cutting and pasting media folders around could change that.

tt2

rzybly wrote:

I take it the library is currently populated with media, but the links are broken. Can you post back what you see if you Get Info for a track and say no when asked to locate the track?

C/Users/CPUName/Music/iTunes/iTunesMedia/Music/artist name

It looks like it is still sitting on my old directory path and not updating to the new path.

If the path doesn't begin file://localhost/ then it isn't "broken", but if it isn't broken the slashes would be in the other direction. I would also expect to see an album name, then a filename with extension. The actual details for a specific track make it clear, particularly if we have different assumptions about which bits can be generalized.

Assuming the missing details were there that shows iTunes is looking where it ought to be looking, but you said earlier the files were one level deeper. Is that still correct? If so popping them up one level should work.

rzybly wrote:

Ok, I followed your advice. I now have it set like this on my external hard drive;{Some Path}\iTunes\Album Artwork,Itunes Media (contains all music), and 4 library files. Is this correct? Can I delete the 4 library files off my external hard drive?

Again it sounds like you're working with more than one copy of the library at the same time. Work with one. Get it working properly, and in the right shape. Mirror it somewhere else as a backup.

tt2

So where is that very self same song?

If it is at:

C:\Users\CPUName\Music\iTunes\iTunes Media\Music\Music\Artist Name\Album Name\Song Title.m4a

as implied by earlier posts, and that pattern is typical, then moving the content of the folder

C:\Users\CPUName\Music\iTunes\iTunes Media\Music\Music

up into

C:\Users\CPUName\Music\iTunes\iTunes Media\Music

then deleting the now empty folder

C:\Users\CPUName\Music\iTunes\iTunes Media\Music\Music

will resolve the broken links. Do this while iTunes is closed.

I am going to delete the 4 library files out of G:\ so that all I have is the iTunes Media folder (with music inside) and Album Art.

What you do on drive G: should have no impact on the working library at this point in time. I'm not sure why you're focused on it. 😕

tt2

The song's path should have one folder called Music in it. Not zero, nor two.

The standard naming scheme for iTunes is <Media Folder>\<Media Kind>\<Media Kind Specific Subfolders>

For music that is <Media Folder>\Music\<Album Artist>\<Album>\## <Name>.<Ext>

There are some more details where Artist is used if Album Artist is blank, and potentially leading disc numbers, but that gives the main flavour.

tt2

rzybly wrote:

Not sure what happened, but I went in and File - Add Folder To Library - and went to my folder location that contained my music and it imported all my music and it all plays now. But.... now I have duplicates of every song in my library. Is there a quicker way to remove all the duplicates rather than removing manually?

Sort the library by date added, select the older half with the broken links, delete. Since there were no playlists, stats, ratings etc. in this case there is nothing to lose. I have better methods when there is.

tt2