MisterQuint

Q: After relocating my library from external hard drive back onto MacBook Air.. songs aren't "found"

I have 3,624 missing files.... and have the ! next to them. I've been finding 1 at a time.. but part of me wonders this:

* Can either  just delete all my local library and just "start fresh" like with a new iPhone.. and therefore everything will start in the iCloud. If I want to download a playlist or album / burn a cd.. I can of course do that. So then I wouldn't be trying to find files tagged from the past.

OR

maybe just delete the place that indicates that I downloaded those tracks at some point... to my iTunes won't know to try to find them some place I downloaded them...

 

Just trying to avoid having to find all those tracks for the next 1-2-3 years.

 

If I'm totally off-base and there's some other direction I should go to correct this.. I'm all ears. I pay for "iTunes in the Cloud"... I'm sorry I'm unaware.. but is this a rebranding of the name "iTunes Music Match?"

 

Thanks,

David Murphy

MacBook, OS X El Capitan (10.11.2), MacBook Air

Posted on Jan 28, 2016 10:57 AM

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Q: After relocating my library from external hard drive back onto MacBook Air.. songs aren't "found"

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  • by Limnos,

    Limnos Limnos Jan 28, 2016 11:08 AM in response to MisterQuint
    Level 9 (54,277 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jan 28, 2016 11:08 AM in response to MisterQuint

    First, how did you move your library? That's probably how the problem started and many people don't do it correctly.  How you should move it will depend upon your exact previous setup in terms of which files you kept where and you will have to tell us that.

     

    Sometimes if you find one file iTunes will offer to find others based on a similar pattern.

  • by MisterQuint,

    MisterQuint MisterQuint Jan 28, 2016 11:18 AM in response to Limnos
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 28, 2016 11:18 AM in response to Limnos

    I used this process (or rather the reverse since I was moving from LaCie back to MacBook air: How to move your iTunes library to a new computer - Apple Support

     

    Yes.. when adding a track.. I do get the prompt..to find more.. and when I try that it fails to find anything else.. even though there are other tracks from say an album that are in that same spot.. so it's surprising that it doesn't find them.

     

    My motivation by the way was disappointing timing/waiting when doing simple things like dumping a track into a playlist.. taking so long. I surmised it was due to basing my library externally.

     

    At least for me.. I've seen no change in that timing and slow process to manage my library for what it's worth.. so if anyone reading this has their iTunes library based on an EHD.. you are probably ok leaving it there!

     

    Seems like there should be a way to "refresh" your iTunes to it treats all my tracks like they are in the Cloud only and not on my computer or EHD...

     

    DM

  • by MisterQuint,

    MisterQuint MisterQuint Jan 28, 2016 11:30 AM in response to MisterQuint
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 28, 2016 11:30 AM in response to MisterQuint

    It just feels like I could start totally new, with a new computer and iTunes.. and I'd be better off.

    I could be wrong about that!

  • by Limnos,

    Limnos Limnos Jan 28, 2016 11:38 AM in response to MisterQuint
    Level 9 (54,277 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jan 28, 2016 11:38 AM in response to MisterQuint

    Are you using iCloud? I do not (I don't even use the iTunes Store) so I really start getting lost because it adds a whole different level of complexity!

     

    The method you used should have relocated any media you keep on that drive as long as you have been using iTunes' default advanced preferences for organizing and copying media.  It should all have been in the single folder you moved.