iTunes this is unforgivable!!

Question

Level 1

15 points

iTunes this is unforgivable!!

I noticed in my iTunes library that a song was missing, not just any song and iTunes purchased song (Pretty Girls from Despicable Me soundtrack). I found the folder it should have been in and the folder was empty. So I went to the iTunes store and it showed the song was suppose to be in my library and to click play to listen to it but no file so it doesn't play. I looked in my purchases for a place to download the file and there was nothing. I decided that since I just had the one song that maybe, MAYBE if I completed the album it would re-download the song. I watched as the song click by and it said downloading but when I go to find the song nope, not there. All the other songs were there but not the one I'm looking for.

So now I'm posting here because I feel this should not happen at all. There should be some way to re-download songs that iTunes itself LOSES the you have purchased from the iTunes store. I was advised to call iTunes support by this web page but was unable to as it wanted a serial number, a serial number for the iTunes software on my windows computer? So recap, a purchased iTunes song listed in my purchased items goes missing, I hunt for a file or a place to download it with no luck, I then spend additional money to complete the album its from and get the additional songs but not the one I was hunting for to begin with. I then try to contact support only to be asked for a serial number I am given no understanding as to what or where to find.

Please find away to allow me to download my purchased music to the registered computer I've been using for the past five years.

Windows PC, Windows XP

Posted on Oct 6, 2016 11:54 AM

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Answer 1

King_Penguin

Level 10

334,336 points

Oct 6, 2016 12:00 PM in response to Agent0008

Completing an album won't make any difference to the ability to download a previous purchase.

If you've deleted the music file from your computer then do you still have the track listed in the My Music section of your computer's iTunes ? If you do then select and delete it from there and it should then show in the Purchased section (Account > Purchased menu option on the current version of iTunes ; or Purchased link under Quick Links on the right-hand side of the iTunes store homepage) for redownloading - if it doesn't show there check to see if you've hidden it from the cloud : Hide and unhide iTunes Store, App Store, or iBooks Store purchases - Apple Support.

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Answer 2

ed2345

Level 9

63,626 points

Oct 6, 2016 7:13 PM in response to Agent0008

Agent,

Since you didn't mention it, might we ask if you have followed this procedure? Download your past purchases - Apple Support

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Answer 3

Agent0008 Author

Level 1

15 points

Oct 6, 2016 10:04 PM in response to Agent0008

The song was just gone, I deleted nothing, it doesn't show in my purchases at all, not for Despicable Me soundtrack nor for Pharrell Williams who sings the song. The folder was there in iTunes music but the folder was empty. After purchasing the album it was still missing so on my music song list where it was listed with the circled I, I deleted the song hoping it would then become available to download but it is still not showing up for download. All the information provided to re-download purchases so far is not helping.

Pharrell is now showing up but it only gives me a lists of songs and when I click on the song in question it has me try and locate it on my computer.

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Answer 4

Agent0008 Author

Level 1

15 points

Oct 6, 2016 10:23 PM in response to Agent0008

Song found, where it is on my computer I'm not sure as the original file is still giving me the locate reaction. Using the newly downloaded songs I followed and found it with windows explorer to locate the file even thou the folder it says it's in shows nothing if you go there direct and iTunes itself can't find it but explorer shows it. I have my computer set to show all hidden and system files so why they are not showing when all my other iTunes music files do has me confused.

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Answer 5

King_Penguin

Level 10

334,336 points

Oct 6, 2016 11:26 PM in response to Agent0008

So you've now got the song on your computer and it plays in from My Music in iTunes ? You can find where it's stored by right-clicking the song in My Music and doing 'show in explorer' on the popup

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Answer 6

Agent0008 Author

Level 1

15 points

Oct 10, 2016 12:24 PM in response to King_Penguin

There's the kicker, it shows it's suppose to be in the folder iTunes originally said it was in but wouldn't play it. If you follow everything the folder is empty thou suppose to contain the file. If I click on the original file (suppose to be in the same folder) iTunes tells me to locate it and I go to the folder and there's nothing showing and iTunes doesn't find the file. But if I click on the new file, supposedly located in the same place thou again, nothing shows, iTunes plays i

I've also noticed now many of my m4 files are not showing in there folders while some are.

This files plays and is listed as: C:\Users\***** * *****\Music\iTunes\iTunes Music\Music\ABBA\More Gold\02 Angeleyes.m4a

But if I go to that folder, even thou my computer is set up the show all hidden and system files, there's nothing in the folder.

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Answer 7

Agent0008 Author

Level 1

15 points

Oct 20, 2016 1:42 PM in response to Agent0008

Still having issues. Found another iTunes purchased song missing from my library. When I follow the instructions, Account -> Family Purchases -> etc I find the song but it doesn't allow me to download it, it offers to allow me to play the song but when I do it tells me its missing and to locate it. Again, folder, song picture are there but the folder is empty!!

The biggest annoyance is that iTunes will not bring the songs back from my iPod where they all still are, WHY NOT!!??

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Answer 8

King_Penguin

Level 10

334,336 points

Oct 20, 2016 1:47 PM in response to Agent0008

If you have the song listed in the My Music section of your library (even if you've deleted the actual music file from your computer) you won't be able to potentially redownload it (being in My Music will also stop purchases being copied back from a device) - you need to select/highlight it there and delete it to potentially redownload it or copy it back from a device (or just copy the music file back from your backup drive)

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Answer 9

ed2345

Level 9

63,626 points

Oct 20, 2016 3:50 PM in response to Agent0008

The biggest annoyance is that iTunes will not bring the songs back from my iPod where they all still are, WHY NOT!!??

That's been fundamental to the design ever since the iPod was introduced. Although Apple has not given an official reason, one might surmise that it is an anti-piracy measure.

It is possible to get songs off an iPod, although it is complicated and requires 3rd party software. See tt2's guide:

Recover your iTunes library from your iPod or iOS device

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Answer 10

Agent0008 Author

Level 1

15 points

Oct 22, 2016 7:28 PM in response to King_Penguin

The problem is the songs were removed but not by me, After the upgrade, the one before this last one, I had noticed missing songs when I went to create a disk for my grandkids who live with me. I then have been noticing more and more songs missing and the majority of the songs are one's I have purchased. So far only one song I've imported came up missing.

Purchased songs that have just disappeared from my library and the inability to re-download them is why I think this is unforgiveable. If I had done something to cause it I wouldn't be so PO'ed. My purchased files should be automatically restored unless I removed them myself which I did not do!! All the friggin' software controls they put in to stop piracy you'd think they'd have something to help you keep your library from these random disappearance's which seem to happen quite often.

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Answer 11

King_Penguin

Level 10

334,336 points

Oct 23, 2016 12:08 AM in response to Agent0008

My purchased files should be automatically restored unless I removed them myself which I did not do!!

How should iTunes know how a file was deleted ? If you think files are being automatically deleted have you scanned it for malware ?

If you've (or somebody else who uses the completer) deleted, or moved/renamed, the files on your computer, you can either copy the music files back from your backup, or try deleting them from My Music and see if they then show in Purchased for redownloading (assuming that they are still in the store and you haven't hidden them from the cloud).

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Answer 12

Agent0008 Author

Level 1

15 points

Oct 25, 2016 12:05 PM in response to King_Penguin

The songs disappeared after a software upgrade. I dug out my back up hard drive and was in the process of finding the missing files I had in my back up when I noticed the download icon was now next to all my purchased files in my song listings, it wasn't there before. I was able to download my files but they would not go into the old empty music folder, iTunes created and identical folder and put the file in there. Some files I could not download until I deleted the previous folder. Notice the problem only existed with purchased songs, the only other song effected was and Amazon converted MP3 file.

The files always showed in my purchased items at the iTunes store but I couldn't download them.

If iTunes can tell if my software is outdated it should be able to tell if my music isn't in it's folder and is no longer in my library.

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