Q: Locating files

Still having problems I'm afraid !

Have arranged my iTunes folder on drive G as you showed it on your Make a split library portable instruction article, so everything is now in the iTunes folder including all the library files. Also within it now is the iTunes Media file which have two sub folders, Music and Automatically Add to iTunes. I don't have any Movies, Books or Podcast folders etc.

The problem is now I seem to be back where I started. When I open iTunes I can't play any tracks as iTunes is unable to locate the Music file. I went into edit/preferences/advanced and it won't let me type in the new location. Also tried your FindTracks Script but get the following message,

Windows Script Host

Script: C:\Users\Alex\Downloads\FindTracks.vbs

Line: 759

Char: 7

Error: Unspecified error

Code: 80004005

Source: (null)

Please hope you can help

Regards, Alex

You don't type in the new location, you click the Change... button and browse to it. However even when you do that iTunes doesn't necessarily work out where to find everything since the job of the setting is to tell iTunes where to put new content added to the library, not where to look for things that have been moved around manually.

To prevent that error with the script under Edit > Preferences > Advanced enable the check box Share iTunes Library XML with other applications. A recent change means the XML file is no longer created by default. My script uses its location as a last resort to try to predict where it should be looking for your lost files. I'll have to go through all of my scripts that have that function and patch them up. Grr!

tt2

Thanks for the speedy reply and I apologize for testing your patience.

I did try clicking change and browsing the new location but when I clicked on the new location it showed G:/iTunes/iTunes Media/iTunes Media. instead of G:/iTunes/iTunes Media/Music. The other odd thing is the music file has adopted a music logo symbol rather than the standard file logo symbol which make me wonder if it has been somehow influenced by windows.

Your aim should be to have your library database file stored at G:\iTunes\iTunes Library.itl and the media folder location registered as G:\iTunes\iTunes Media. Music items in your library should be located at G:\iTunes\iTunes Media\Music\<Artist>\<Album>\## <Name>.<Ext>.

Which version of Windows are you running? Depending on what you've copied from where you may have a hidden Desktop.ini file in the folder that causes it to display with an icon denoting the content in it.

tt2

I have the iTunes library and my music items stored as you described and are running windows 10

Sounds like you're nearly there then.

tt2

Thought I would let you know first of all that yesterday once I enabled the check box Share iTunes Library XML with other applications your find tracks script worked OK and managed to get iTunes working again. However I still wish to make a split library portable as you advised. I did inform you that I managed to arrange the iTunes folder as you advised but on closer inspection discovered it was not quite right and will try to explain why.

iTunes

           Album Artwork

           iTunes Media

           iTunes Library Extras

           iTunes Library Genius

           iTunes Library

           iTunes Music Library (xml)

          There are more iTunes folders but too many to list, the ones listed above been the main ones in question.

When I open the iTunes Media folder there is:-   Automatically add to iTunes

                                                                             Music  (this is the file that has the windows music logo)

When I open the Music file it obviously lists all my music files, but also:-  Automatically add to iTunes    (empty file)

                                                                                                                     iTunes

Opening the iTunes file reveals                                                                              Album Artwork

                                                                                                                                iTunes Library Extras

                                                                                                                                iTunes Library Genius

                                                                                                                                iTunes Library

Note no iTunes Library (xml)                                                                                  iTunes

                                                                  opening this iTunes file reveals                     Automatically add to iTunes   (empty file)

My music folder was starting to resemble a Russian Doll !  As these items on closer inspection appeared to be the same as those already stored and listed under the iTunes folder I decided to delete them. However once I did this iTunes could not locate Media so had to add the Music folder to the library for it to work again. Once I did that I was back to where I started and the same files had appeared in the music file.

I then thought there must be something wrong with iTunes on the computer so decided to uninstall iTunes from the computer as before and start again but there was no change and the same thing happened so I'm assuming I can't have done anything wrong and it may be a problem with iTunes.

Also going back to the Music folder shown as a windows music logo could that have anything to do with me making iTunes my default music program ? iTunes would also not allow me to call my music file Music and showed it as iTunes Media  for example instead of showing:-

G:/iTunes/iTunes Media/Music  it shows  G:/iTunes/iTunes Media/iTunes Media but it still works.

I've tried this time to give you as much detail as I can to highlight the problems I'm encountering and are hoping you still may be able to help.

Am very gracious for your patience. Regards, Alex

Please make sure that Windows Explorer is listing hidden files and folders. Look inside the folder that appears as G:\iTunes\iTunes Media\iTunes Media. Is there a file called Desktop.ini? If so delete it. Does the folder name change to Music now? If not can you rename it?

tt2

No, but there is three hidden files listed in G:/iTunes/iTunes Media/Symbols/desktopwindowsmgm.bdp

Could these be responsible. Will not delete unless you give me the OK.   

I don't recognize that folder or file tipe. It would be good to know what might have placed them them there, but you could try deleting the Symbols folder and see what the side effects are, or if Windows objects, or if it is restored.

tt2

I used the search tool to look for the symbols folder as I could not find them myself even after making sure windows now lists hidden folders and files, which I thought was odd but when I tried to delete them from where they were shown a window appeared saying they could not be found. If I tried to open any of those files an error window appeared saying they must of been moved or deleted so I think they no longer exist.

Looks like we're back to where we started !

Can you post an image of your G:\iTunes\iTunes Media\iTunes Media (should be Music) folder?

tt2

OK, so the first image shows one problem. You have installed the iTunes application in G:\iTunes when it should be installed to C:\Program Files\iTunes.

See the second box in Troubleshooting issues with iTunes for Windows updates. Uninstall iTunes and all of its components, then reinstall on the standard path.

In a well formed library the iTunes folder holds the following files and folders only:

Where Previous iTunes Libraries will generally exist after one or more updates to iTunes, and the presence of the XML file is controlled in advanced preferences. Sentinel is normally hidden.

The iTunes Media folder will contain at minimum the Automatically Add to iTunes folder and the file .iTunes Preferences.plist, also normally hidden.

The various subfolders for different media kinds are created as and when they are needed.

Your images show iTunes Preferences.plist in G:\iTunes\iTunes Media\Music rather than G:\iTunes\iTunes Media,together with a redundant sentinel file. Both of these can be deleted after resetting the media folder to G:\iTunes\iTunes Media as set out below.

Open Edit > Preferences > Advanced. If the media folder doesn't show as G:\iTunes\iTunes Media please click the Reset button. It should end up looking like this:

Regarding the folder G:\iTunes\iTunes Media\Music right-click on it, click Properties > Customize > Change Icon > Restore Defaults > OK. This should fix the issue with the folder displaying as a music note rather than a folder.

tt2

OK, thanks for that. Should have sent those screenshots ages ago. Just a couple of questions before I begin. Is it necessary to protect my music folder on drive G by manually deleting the other iTunes folders and then disconnecting G, before uninstalling iTunes, or will it be OK ?

Secondly, I have the iTunes installer in downloads, when I open it gives me the option of a repair or removal/uninstall of iTunes from the computer. Can I use this to remove iTunes and then manually remove Bonjour ?