iTunes losing tracks

[bdriver]

My problem is with iTunes being unable to locate a file. I have downloaded many of my store-bought cds to the itunes library over the years, making playlists so I can make straight copies or mixes for use in my car. A lot of the tracks, including Audacity exports I've made in the last couple of days are disappearing. Sometimes it's just individual tracks, not the whole cd that go missing. Sometimes it's the whole thing. iTunes puts an exclamation point along side the name and says it cannot locate it and asks if I want it to try. Most attempts fail. I've seen a reference in the Forum which I can't locate now to the fact that the names in the library are merely links, not the actual data. So when I save something to itunes library where is it actually stored? And more to the point, how can I stop losing the tracks? I have Windows Vista and Audacity 1.3.11 Beta (which, I have to say, is absolutely wonderful!)
Thanks in anticipation.

[Gale Andrews]

My problem is with iTunes being unable to locate a file. I have downloaded many of my store-bought cds to the itunes library over the years, making playlists so I can make straight copies or mixes for use in my car. A lot of the tracks, including Audacity exports I've made in the last couple of days are disappearing. Sometimes it's just individual tracks, not the whole cd that go missing. Sometimes it's the whole thing. iTunes puts an exclamation point along side the name and says it cannot locate it and asks if I want it to try. Most attempts fail. I've seen a reference in the Forum which I can't locate now to the fact that the names in the library are merely links, not the actual data. So when I save something to itunes library where is it actually stored?

See:
http://wiki.audacityteam.org/w/index.ph ... d#location

See these search results if problems persist.


Gale

[waxcylinder]

So when I save something to itunes library where is it actually stored? And more to the point, how can I stop losing the tracks?

It depends on how you have your iTunes settings - iTunes can either refence a set of audio files external to itself and just manage links to those. Or it can copy the audio files into it's own music "database" on import. Actually database is a bit of a mis-nomer as when it copies the files in what it does is to make it's own copy of each individual audio file into iTunes area in your windows filesystem (the actual location is defined at iTunes setup - but can be modified if required. To see what your settings are, in iTunes go to Edit>Preferences and select the Advanced tab. You will see a checkbox which says "Copy files to iTunes Media folder when adding to library" Above it you will see a box labelled "iTunes Media folder location" - this is where iTunes is storing the audio files if you have thelected the "Copy ...." option.

Note that in addition to the Media folder that iTunes is managing there is also the other gubbins that it has to manage like album artwork, playlists and the file that actually manages the locations of the audio files. If you have accepted the iTunes defaults these (and the Media folder) will all live in the folder:
My DocumentsMy MusiciTunes

And more to the point, how can I stop losing the tracks?

Don't move, delete or rename your audio files (nothing in the iTunes folder shown above - nor external audio files if you are not copying them in) - manage them only through iTunes.
And back up your iTunes library (i.e. the iTunes folder and external files if used) from time to time - I store two copies on two separate external USB disks (and occasionally my son in London gets a third copy as an off-site backup). You do a lot of work in feeding your iTunes library - it really is worth the effort to back it up.

[waxcylinder]

Oh and if iTunes has "lost" those audio files, as marked with the exclamantion point - if you still hace the audio file stored somewhere else provided you put it back to where iTunes "thinks it is" the iTunes will see it again.

You can see where iTunes is storing or referencing any individual folder by going to the song, right click on it and select Get Info from the dialogue box - and slect the Summary tab . And note that this works still for those "missing" files - it doesn't tell you where the file is, rather it tells you where iTunes is expecting to find it - and that's where you need to restore it to.

Good luck,

WC

[bdriver]

Thanks for your help. I don't get as much opportunity as I'd like to convert my LPs, (busy, busy!) so my response to your help is a little delayed. I apologize. I also have to inwardly digest all you wrote. I know I haven't knowingly deleted any of these files prior to them going missing, and I've been able to reinstall most from other places - sometimes the original cd, other times from the files itunes makes when originally importing to itunes. It takes a long time to do so, though. But it seems every time I open the itunes library and click on a track, all too often it cannot be found. As I said before, it might be an LP I've just converted to digital form in the last day or so, and all I've done is make a cd from it with itunes. Once I saw this begin to happen I made sure to keep the Audacity files so I could reload and re-export to itunes. Sometimes the whole cd can't be found, and it happens to be a cd I don't play at all, so I can't possibly have interacted with it. itunes just can't find it.
The backup point is well taken. I must buy another hard drive and start doing that. Not good at that. I now need to re-read your responses and see what I may be doing wrong. Thank you again.

[kozikowski]

Sudden Computer Insanity can be caused by your hard drive filling up.

Go > Computer > Control-Click on the System Drive and Get INFO.

I start worrying when my system drive is over half full. It should never, ever be over 90% full.

Have you done all the system tricks? Repair Permissions, Verify Disk, Periodic Tools? You are about to be less busy, busy, busy. Unless we figure out why your system is deleting music, it may start to delete other valuable files, or outright fail. Does the Mac chong when you start/restart it?

I can talk you through the tools.

Koz

[kozikowski]

<<<I have Windows Vista and Audacity 1.3.11 Beta (which, I have to say, is absolutely wonderful!)>>>

Wait. You're on Vista? Have you done a thorough virus scan? It's still a really bad idea to fill up your hard drive except I don't know how to check that in Vista.

Koz

[bdriver]

Well, many thanks again for your time and helpful suggestions. I've been working with this problem and I think I have the answer. I have plenty of hard drive space available - over 100 gigs. I've found and reinstated all the missing files (thanks on where to find them, WC, although some had to be reinstalled from the original cd) and so far they seem to remain in place. It took a while though. The problem seems to be with a family member's (who shall remain nameless, but whose title rhymes with 'trouble and strife') ipod which seemingly corrupts my itunes music library files. Of the several people who access this computer I think I'm the only one who uses an itunes library and no one but myself has access to my files. But when the ipod is plugged in for charging it accesses my library, even though I'm not signed in. When I do sign in a flag comes up asking if I wish make my library its primary, stating it can only access one at a time. One time (only) a flag stated the ipod contained corrupted files, and suggested disconnecting and reconnecting might solve the problem. The ipod is connected right now and I have seen no more such warnings. I believe 'she who must be obeyed' is disconnecting improperly. Next prob is getting her to accept it!
I appreciate all your help. Keep tuned because I may get more problems in the future.

BD

[waxcylinder]

Well, well BD, funny you should say that ...

The reason that I have such a reasonable understanding of iTunes library structures is that my experience is very similar to yours. When my wife and I first got our iPods we were sharing the same home PC. We opted to create a shared library in a "Shared" folder location with our own independent iTunes virtual "libraries" in our own user accounts - both both pointing the the "Shared" folder.

We did this because it sort of worked (and we share most of the same music!) - but yes, we experienced exactly the disappearing music file problem that you wrote about.

Now we both have our own laptops and our iTunes libraries are managed totally separately on these machines - this seems to work MUCH better. Though of course if anything goes wrong with my library now it's all down to me - no blame can be apportioned elsewhere.

Glad that you are managing to fix the "holes" that appeared on your library.

WC

Update: I do actually manage two separate iTunes libraries on my laptop, as I now have two iPods one for music and t'other for spoken word documentaries, plays etc. I do this by managing them from two entirely separate user accounts on the laptop - this approach segregates the two libraries nicely.

WC