victorfrombrightlingsea

Q: Exclamation mark problem:why do these exclamation marks beside tracks on my music library suddenly turn up,and why do some tracks on a cd have the marks and some dont.If itunes caused the problem why cant THEY put it right?

why cant Apple sort the exclamation mark problem on our libraries,they create the problem cant THEY sort it?

iPod classic, Windows Vista

Posted on Mar 19, 2015 2:05 PM

Close

Q: Exclamation mark problem:why do these exclamation marks beside tracks on my music library suddenly turn up,and why do some tracks ... more

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by mario49,

    mario49 mario49 Mar 22, 2015 11:53 AM in response to victorfrombrightlingsea
    Community Specialists
    Mar 22, 2015 11:53 AM in response to victorfrombrightlingsea

    Hi victorfrombrightlingsea,

     

    Thanks for using Apple Support Communities. Based on what you stated, it sounds like iTunes is not finding some of the music files. I would recommend that you read this article, it may be able to help the issue.

     

    iTunes: Finding lost media and downloads - Apple Support

     

    Cheers,

    Mario

  • by the fiend,

    the fiend the fiend Mar 22, 2015 12:42 PM in response to victorfrombrightlingsea
    Level 6 (8,550 points)
    Mar 22, 2015 12:42 PM in response to victorfrombrightlingsea

    victorfrombrightlingsea wrote:

     

    why cant Apple sort the exclamation mark problem on our libraries,they create the problem cant THEY sort it?

    Apple does not create the problem!

     

    The article to which mario49 has referred you should help to find the files, but it may not help you understand how this has happened in the first place.

     

    The exclamation mark means that iTunes can no longer find the file of that piece of music because:

    1. it's been moved from the location is was in previously
    2. it has been renamed
    3. it has been deleted

    either by...

    1. you
    2. another programme on your computer

    or because...

    1. you have disconnected (or not reconnected) the external hard drive where the music file is located
    2. the file was not been downloaded onto your computer (and is therefore not in your Library). Specifically, if you tell iTunes that the music is on external drive x, or in the cloud, but then don't have that external drive connected the next time you open iTunes, or you are no longer linked to the cloud storage, then iTunes will not be able to find the file, so hence the exclamation mark.

     

    So - what has happened on your computer that has caused one or more of the points listed above?

    • How did the music get put into your Library in the first place (imported from CD, purchased MP3, etc. etc.)
    • Do you use Windows Media Player?
    • Something else?
  • by victorfrombrightlingsea,

    victorfrombrightlingsea victorfrombrightlingsea Mar 22, 2015 3:46 PM in response to the fiend
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 22, 2015 3:46 PM in response to the fiend

    All music in my i tunes library has either been ripped from cd,or bought on i tunes.I am a real novice as far as computer's are concerned so don't play with them too much.What i cant understand is,one day all my music is happily sitting in my library waiting to be played then for no reason that i can suss out,i cant access HUNDREDS of my CDs because i tunes cant locate the file,and because as i previously stated,because i am a novice on computers,i will have to pay someone to try and fix this problem for me!

  • by turingtest2,Helpful

    turingtest2 turingtest2 Mar 22, 2015 6:54 PM in response to victorfrombrightlingsea
    Level 10 (86,986 points)
    Apple TV
    Mar 22, 2015 6:54 PM in response to victorfrombrightlingsea

    The "missing file" error happens if the file is no longer where iTunes expects to find it. Possible causes are that you or some third party tool has moved, renamed or deleted the file, one of its parent folders, or the drive it lives on has had a change of drive letter. It is also possible that iTunes has changed from expecting the files to be in the pre-iTunes 9 layout to post-iTunes 9 layout, or vice-versa, and so is looking in slightly the wrong place.

     

    Select a track with an exclamation mark, use Ctrl-I to Get Info, then click No when asked to try to locate the track. (Due to a bug in iTunes 12 you currently have to say No twice!) Look on the summary tab for the location that iTunes thinks the file should be. Now take a look around your hard drive(s). Hopefully you can locate the track in question. If a section of your library has simply been moved, a folder renamed, or a drive letter has changed, it should be possible to reverse the actions. If the difference between the two paths is an additional Music folder in one path then this is a layout issue. I can explain further if that is the case.

     

    In some cases iTunes may be able to repair itself if you go through the same steps with Get Info but this time click Locate and browse to the lost track. It may then offer to attempt to automatically fix other broken links.

     

    If another application like Windows Media Player has moved/renamed the files then the chances are that subtle differences in naming strategies will make it hard to restore the media to the precise path that iTunes is expecting. In such cases, as long as the missing files can be found somewhere, you should be able to use my FindTracks script to reconnect them to iTunes. See this post for an explanation of how it works.

     

    tt2