Level 1

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Moved my iTunes library to a new computer - library showing titles and not locating files

I copied my iTunes file to a removable drive and then to my new computer C:\users\music\, first deleting the empty iTunes folder that was there and replacing it with the iTunes file I copied from the old computer. When I open iTunes on the new computer it shows albums and artwork and tracks and can't locate songs.

I changed preferences to look in C:\users\music\iTunes Media - when I opened iTunes using Shift + click and choosing the library.

There's no question that the error is mine. I am not sure quite what the error was, or how to fix it.

Will someone out there please help me out of this self-made quandary?

Thanks in advance

Dunnytoons

Library Name = John’s Library

Media location = C:\Users\(me)\Music\iTunes\iTunes Media

BTW, my device wasn't listed when I tried to associate this problem with a device. So I chose the device it came from.

Windows, Windows 10

Posted on Apr 25, 2025 12:28 PM

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turingtest2

Level 10

277,723 points

Posted on Apr 27, 2025 06:13 AM

Moving things around by hand tends to cause problems. iTunes may be able to fix things itself if it knows things are broken, you repair a single track by repointing the library at it, and there is some simple systematic change that applies to all other broken paths to fix those. Alternatively you can put the content back at the path that it used to be at when the library worked. This can be done by comparing the current path to a file and the one that iTunes "thinks" it is at when you look on the Song Info (ctrl+i) > File tab, and working out the correct cut/copy & paste operation. I can help with that. Or you can try my relinking script. Unless you can go back to the original working library on another computer, or a backup of the same. There is no one answer, what you need to do depends on what you've done to break things and what options are available to undo the damage. The information that would help me most help you are these details as requested earlier:

The location of the media folder under Edit > Preferences > Advanced
The location of a sample missing track shown under Song Info > File > Location that begins file://localhost/
The true path to the file whose details you gave in 2

If you don't care about your ratings, play counts, playlists, .wav metadata, or anything else not captured in tags then you can always start over by importing the media you have into an empty library, but I assume that isn't the route you want to go down.

tt2

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20 replies

dunnyt00ns Author

Level 1

20 points

Apr 26, 2025 12:32 PM in response to turingtest2

With apologies, I did a boneheaded move, putting the wrong media folder into the iTunes Media folder. (I have several copies in varying stages of edit completeness and album ID)

Am moving it now and it'll take about 6 hours, at which point I'll repeat all steps you've said and report back.

Thanks

Dunnytoons

turingtest2

Level 10

277,723 points

Apr 27, 2025 10:27 AM in response to dunnyt00ns

One job at a time. Artwork may sort itself out once files can be located.

The key difference I can see is that your file is located in <Media Folder>\<Artist>\<Album> whereas iTunes is looking in <Media Folder>\Music\<Artist>\<Album>.

The default layout since iTunes 9 has been to put all artist folders inside a Music subfolder inside the media folder. Prior to that artist folders went directly in the media folder. You may have a legacy layout from an older version. You can either move the artist folders down into that ...\iTunes Media\Music subfolder, or you can use say Notepad to edit a hidden preferences file in your media folder called .iTunes Preferences.plist and change the layout value from 1 to 0 to make iTunes use the older layout.

Deleting a playlist from the library doesn't remove any tracks from the library.

tt2

dunnyt00ns Author

Level 1

20 points

Apr 27, 2025 11:28 AM in response to turingtest2

Thanks.

So with 1600 unattached tracks spread across several albums (as displayed in the LOST playlist), how best to bring the layout consistent with the "since-iTunes-9" layout?

Any way to group tracks in LOST (smart) playlist by album? Any batch-y possibilities?

Thanks

Dunnytoons

dunnyt00ns Author

Level 1

20 points

Apr 30, 2025 11:47 AM in response to turingtest2

OK, thanks.

Out of sheer nervousness I'm not going to alter the .plist. It looks like whichever way I go it may leave orphans.

FindTracks script just finished AND I literally have no Idea what I did that made that happen (though I followed the instructions on your scripts page and - magic happened). I pulled up the LOST playlist and highlighted it and double clicked the downloaded and opened script. In the setup I asked for a yes/no on each proposed track match and matched 48 of 1566 tracks. Might have matched more and I've taken liberties in renaming ... It appeared to be running against the iTunes Media file but I have no way of knowing. I did not limit file and folder names.

It's possible your scripts are adult-proof and I can't mess up, AND I don't know how to run a script against Windows iTunes (other than to select tracks, download script and double click as in your instructions) AND I don't know how to point it at a particular media folder. Some guidance would be most appreciated.

Finding the remaining unattached tracks is the first step in the investigation of the larger 16K tracks group that didn't make it over in the copy process. Another conversation..

Many thanks tt2

Dunnytoons

dunnyt00ns Author

Level 1

20 points

May 5, 2025 11:50 AM in response to dunnyt00ns

OK, after all is said and done I abandoned counts and statistical stuff and reloaded the media to a new library and POOF! - no missing tracks.

Thanks all for your help and thoughts.

Now to the artwork challenge - in a fresh thread.

Dunnytoons

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Moved my iTunes library to a new computer - library showing titles and not locating files