60GB of iTunes Music Vanished!!! HELP!

[jufros]

I've successfully been running my iTunes library off of an external hard drive for some time now. I have copy files to the library and keep library organized both checked and haven't had any problems... until just now. The folder of music on my hard drive has vanished. It's not in my trash which I hadn't and haven't emptied today. It's not on the drive and spotlight searches for individual tracks or artists come up completely blank. My "library" file is still intact and iTunes has maintained a log of everything I previously had. A lot of this was very hard to find material. Hours and hours have gone into that collection. Can anyone help me out here at all?! Thanks so much in advance to anyone who can.

Edit: the small collection of videos I had in my library is still there. All the music is gone and my external HD magically has a bunch of new free space.

 

[Jolly Giant]

are there still entries for the missing files in iTunes ? if so, what happens if you try to play them ?

does iTunes ask you to locate the file ? does it display a "!" next to the file(s) ?

 

[jufros]

Yes there are still entries for them, yes I get an ! if I try to play anything, and no a spotlight search of all drives turns up empty for each track if I try to locate it manually. The media folder has disappeared entirely but apparently not via the Snow Leopard Trash (OSX 10.6.5.) Macbook Pro 2.8GHz C2D.

 

[Jolly Giant]

Yes there are still entries for them, yes I get an !

try if this script can help:

iTunes Track CPR v1.3

This script attempts to locate the files of so-called "dead tracks"--iTunes tracks designated with (!)--that you assume are not actually missing but are still located in the iTunes Music folder in their "iTunes File Order" (Music -> Artist -> Album -> file.xxx)."​

 

[maflynn]

Two things, are you talking in iTunes or are the music files/folders physically missing?

Second item, do have a backup don't you. Apple makes backups a no brainer with Time Machine and external drives are so cheap, it should not be an issue.