HT204318: How to move your iTunes library to a new computer

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MacMinty

Q: Trying to migrate files, but some files are invisible to me

Description of problem:

 

Old PC died, but hard drive was fine. Bought new PC, removed old hard drive from old computer, used an adapter to connect old hard drive to new computer (this part worked fine).

 

My music files are of several types:

1). Some were purchased from itunes

2). some were purchased from amazon

3). Some were recorded off of vinyl to turn them into digital copies

4). Some were regular old CDs that I loaded to my old PC

 

Of these different file types, they are all visible on my existing iPod, and I use my PC with iTunes to manage my music. The files I cannot find were all from old CDs that I had loaded to my previous PC (or even the one before that). Approximately 100 "albums" are not showing up in my newly migrated iTunes library. Furthermore, they are not visible on my old hard drive, but they WERE on the old PC and the old iTunes library.

 

Question: What's going on here? and is there anything I can do to make these files visible? I've looked through all the existing files, and they are not visible anywhere. I no longer have these CDs for the most part. I'm worried that I have to buy the albums again.

 

Second question: If I sync my iPod with 400 albums to my iTunes library that has only 300 of the albums, will I lose the ones that are not represented in the iTunes library, or will the two systems cross-pollinate? I am worried that I will lose music if I sync my iPod (which has more music files) to iTunes library (which has fewer files) .

 

Thanks

iPod classic, Windows 7

Posted on Apr 15, 2016 9:11 PM

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Q: Trying to migrate files, but some files are invisible to me

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  • Helpful answers

  • by hhgttg27,

    hhgttg27 hhgttg27 Apr 16, 2016 10:06 AM in response to MacMinty
    Level 5 (5,407 points)
    iTunes
    Apr 16, 2016 10:06 AM in response to MacMinty

    How did you migrate the iTunes library - did you use the iTunes database on the old drive, or create a new library and import the media from the old drive?  In either case, can you see files/folders for the "missing" albums on the old drive?

     

    BTW, in almost all circumstances you don't have any rights to retain media extracted from CDs if you no longer possess the physical CDs.

  • by MacMinty,

    MacMinty MacMinty Apr 16, 2016 11:23 AM in response to hhgttg27
    Level 1 (4 points)
    iTunes
    Apr 16, 2016 11:23 AM in response to hhgttg27

    I have the old drive accessible, and I can see files (but apparently not the "missing" or invisible files). I copied and pasted from the old drive into the new iTunes auto-add folder. I didn't realize that I was missing about 30% of the music albums until I looked at my iPod and saw numerous albums that are not in the new iTunes library.

     

    One thing I'm not understanding is how the old hard drive (and iTunes folders) can have music files that I can't see.

  • by hhgttg27,

    hhgttg27 hhgttg27 Apr 16, 2016 11:44 AM in response to MacMinty
    Level 5 (5,407 points)
    iTunes
    Apr 16, 2016 11:44 AM in response to MacMinty

    "One thing I'm not understanding is how the old hard drive (and iTunes folders) can have music files that I can't see"

     

    What evidence do you have that they are there?  When you copied folders from the old drive to Automatically Add to iTunes were any Not Added folders created?

  • by MacMinty,

    MacMinty MacMinty Apr 16, 2016 12:08 PM in response to hhgttg27
    Level 1 (4 points)
    iTunes
    Apr 16, 2016 12:08 PM in response to hhgttg27

    If the files were not there, then the albums would have been erased from my iPod when I synced it a couple weeks ago (right??), so the files must be somewhere.

     

    My understanding is that iPods will lose any music that is not in the iTunes library when the iPod is synced. As of two weeks ago, these missing albums were in my old itunes library that was in the computer that was trashed. The albums were not stored in cloud, nor were they downloads.

     

    I do not see anything labelled "Not added" or anything similar.

  • by hhgttg27,Solvedanswer

    hhgttg27 hhgttg27 Apr 16, 2016 12:42 PM in response to MacMinty
    Level 5 (5,407 points)
    iTunes
    Apr 16, 2016 12:42 PM in response to MacMinty

    Thanks for the clarification.  Those symptoms definitely suggest that the "missing" media was on your HDD at the time the drive was synced.  Is it possible that they were (are) in a non-standard location, or on a different drive?  Depending on how you've had iTunes configured, its possible that some of your media may not have been stored within the iTunes Media folder hierarchy - it may be worth searching the entire drive for *.mp3 and *.m4a files just in case they are lurking in unexpected places.

     

    Otherwise, you're best solution may be to use one of the solutions described in turingtest2's user tip on Recover your iTunes library from your iPod or iOS device to recover the albums that are on your iPod and put them into your library (this recommends Mediamonkey as a solution for recovering selected items from your iPod).

     

    Once you've resolved the issues, make sure you create and maintain a backup of your library as insurance against future mishaps (as well as making it a lot simpler to move your library between PCs).

  • by MacMinty,

    MacMinty MacMinty Apr 16, 2016 12:42 PM in response to hhgttg27
    Level 1 (4 points)
    iTunes
    Apr 16, 2016 12:42 PM in response to hhgttg27

    wow, I had not thought of that, but you are correct. Found the missing files in a very old saved file on the old hard drive. I had assumed that iTunes had to have the files in same location.

     

    Many thanks, problem solved. And I will now keep them more organized.

  • by hhgttg27,

    hhgttg27 hhgttg27 Apr 16, 2016 12:45 PM in response to MacMinty
    Level 5 (5,407 points)
    iTunes
    Apr 16, 2016 12:45 PM in response to MacMinty

    You're welcome.