Question : Problem: Apple iTunes and lost MP3 s

I have MAC powerbook with over 4000 songs. I went in today and all the sudden the files cannot be found by iTunes. 90% of my music is now not in my ITunes Library in finder.

this is not the 1st time this has happened. Thoughts?

Answer : Problem: Apple iTunes and lost MP3 s

Do you have access to the files by alternative means? (Run a search for "mp3", "mp4", "m4p", etc...depending on your music formats (Your library is probably mostly mp3, with some m4p iTunes purchases.....)

After runninng the search, note where most of the files are... ("Reveal in Finder" after a Spotlight search for a few of the songs you are missing/any files with music-related extensions [ex. search for "mp3"]..)

Now, go back into iTunes and Open Apple [Command] , [comma] for Preferences.

Go to Advanced.

Under the General tab, change your iTunes folder to the highest level folder on the drive holding the brunt of your media

(ex. I ran a search for mp3's.

I Reveal in Findeer.

In the top-left corner of the newly opened window there are back and forward buttons, and buttons to change the folder view settings.

Change the folder view settings to view files recursively [the third view setting,- not the one with four little squares aranged in a square pattern, NOT the one with four [horizontal] lines,

THE ONE WITH THE THREE VERTICAL BOXES will give you a recursive/Unix view of your folder tree/file tree.

Work your way back, using the horizontal scroll (at the bottom of the file window), until you see a folder/vertical screen full of all your iTunes music [managed folders]. (Ie.. It should have at least 40 folders, with titles of the artists whose music you own/previously playlisted via iTunes.) You CANT miss that folder. It will be a huge folder, with a ton of other folders in it.....

Now, go one folder up/back from that folder (again, utilizing the horizontal scroll bar in the lower portion of your file browser window)..... The folder that is highlighted is the folder that iTunes uses to manage your music....It has all your music organized into folders named for the artist (and inside of the artist's folder, there will be an album folder).....

You have found your missing files. The folder may be named iTunes. It may be named iTunes Music.

Sometimes, with updates or, even with changes in drive layouts, iTunes can confuse itself into mismanaging your music. Having iTunes manage your library isn't very condusive to multiple drive systems...or, even if you wanted to upgrade your hard drive space [to accomidate more music]...

(Some examples: If your music is on an external hard drive and say, you plugged it into one port, then plug it in to a different port the next time, iTunes could lose track of where the file is...

Or, you plug your iTunes music drive in after plugging in some other drive - hence, changing the file layout/drivve order thanks to your "timely" drive loading - that can [also] effect iTunes' knowledge of where your "managed" music folder should be.

Or, if you unplugged your usual iTunes "managed" music drive, ripped some music to your iTunes library/ordered some new music off the iTunes store, and then plug your regular iTunes music drive in...that can confuse iTunes as well....as, iTunes had to create a new, "managed" library so that you could store your newly acquired tracks [because it couldnt find the normal folder/drive...]).

These problems are rare on an OSX install of iTunes Macintoshes handle files so much more intelligently than Windows does (you can totally rename a file you have aliased somewhere else, like on the desktop [for easy access], and the mac will automatically reroute the renamed file...windows would leave you with a broken link. Not to mention, there aren't really any drive letters, so to speak, on a Mac. The drive ordering is fairly transparent on a Mac, but IT IS STILL THERE...), ...Anyway, the things I have talked about can and will happen from time to time. Especially on machines that dont get much attention/maintenance (fix permissions, defrag with TechTool Pro, etc.)... yes, even despite the awesome stability of HFS/Mac/OSX/Unix file systems.... Anyway, if you have done of the things above....the fix I am about to drop on you should clear your problem.....

Once you have located the drive and [top-level] folder of your "managed" iTunes library (remember, it's the folder that ccontains every "artist" folder), change your itunes Music folder location by going into preferences (Open-Apple-,) selecting Advanced, selecting the General tab, and hitting Change...

Change your iTunes music folder to the folder you found through your recursive search.... Now try to play you exlamation pointed track....(DONT FORGET WHICH ONE/FEW WERE MISSING.... You can use those tracks as the benchmark for this fix....) It WILL play.

If it doesn't play, and still can't find the track (ie. wants you to look for the track manually).... Go up or down one folder level (remember what we talked about earlier...using the horizontal scroll at the bottom of the folder view window....Go back or forward one level... Note and choose that file path in your iTunes prefs...

If that doesn't fix your problem.....you should probably kick a cat and pee all over yourself because you are FUBAR, and something is majorly wrong with your file system. TechTool Pro may be able to help you... Back in the day, we used to use Drive10... Same company as TTP, and it was for OSX, HFS+ Journalled file systems... However, it did so much more. Anytime anyone had a problem with their mac, i'd run Drive10 and then no more problem... Apparently Micromat, the makers of Drive10 and TTP have discontinued Drive10... They say the TTP handles all of Drive10's tasks now.... I have the newest version of TTP, haven't had any use for it yet....but, I am skeptical about how well it'll handle file system problems... Basically, the only problems you will ever run into with a Mac is file system related.... I could fix any Mac, that wasn't fried in hardware, with Drive10....3-4 years ago.... I just started running Mac's exclusively again....updated to  a 2.4 MBP.... As a 21 year Apple/Mac veteran...I can reliably state that you are having file system issues... I have NEVER seen anything other than file system issues in my 21 years of Mac experience (I got the first Macintosh there ever was!) Anyway, relink your file...then, manage your library yourself.... And, get yourself TTP.