iTunes Auto-Locate Missing Files Gone?

[StPatty33]

Hey, all!
I'm running the newest version of iTunes and have a large personal video library. Because of the hard drive space used, I've recently done a bit of moving of the files, which resulted in all of them showing as "missing files" in iTunes. In the past this wouldn't be an issue because I could just try to "get info" on one, locate the file, and then iTunes would prompt you asking if you wanted to try and locate other missing files in the same location, to which I'd just say 'Yes' and be done.

The problem is that in the newest version of iTunes, it doesn't ask this. I've tried resetting warning dialogs, looked all over in settings and don't see anything anywhere that will do an auto-locate kind of thing. Going in and re-targeting over 1,000 files individually is a daunting enough task to where I'd really like to figure out a better solution. Anyone have any ideas?

EDIT: To clarify, my library is too large to be held on a single HD, which is why I can't just have iTunes auto-organize it into one mass library location like the newer iTunes versions are able to do.

 

[Gav2k]

I think you have to do it the other way round now and find the file in finder then cmd click and open it with iTunes. I'm not home to try but I'm sure that's what I did yesterday

 

[StPatty33]

Thanks for the response, Gav! Sorry I didn't mention earlier, but I'm using Windows so the nomenclature is a bit different. It sounds like you're saying essentially to simply add the files to iTunes, right? Unfortunately iTunes isn't smart enough to realize it's a file that's already in the library and just needs to be reloacated--it instead adds a 2nd copy to iTunes. This results in losing all ratings, play count, original add date, playlist spots etc., which I'm trying to avoid. Does that make sense?

 

[Gav2k]

Ah ok I see you want to save the play data etc.

Just tried this on my MacBook for you, had to turn iTunes Match off lol. Anyway I moved an album out of the library and opened iTunes. Got the exclamation mark. All I did was double click the track to play it and I got the pop up that it was missing and would I like to locate it.

 

[StPatty33]

Right--in the past when you do that, iTunes then asks "Would you like to search this folder for other missing files", and you say yes, and it then compares all missing file names in the library to file names in the folder you just picked. So I could locate one file, and then iTunes would auto-locate the other 1000. iTunes doesn't ask you to auto locate other files now, so I would have to go in and click each of the over 1000 files, say yes, navigate to the file, click ok, etc. Something that would have taken less than 10 clicks to retarget all my files will now take 10,000 clicks.

 

[Partron22]

iTunes doesn't ask you to auto locate other files now...

It does offer to search your disk for media files on the splash screen when you run an updated version of iTunes for the very first time.
You might try throwing away your iTunes prefs files and reinstalling the version you already have.
That might trigger the dialog which includes the "search for media" button.

 

[Gav2k]

Right--in the past when you do that, iTunes then asks "Would you like to search this folder for other missing files", and you say yes, and it then compares all missing file names in the library to file names in the folder you just picked. So I could locate one file, and then iTunes would auto-locate the other 1000. iTunes doesn't ask you to auto locate other files now, so I would have to go in and click each of the over 1000 files, say yes, navigate to the file, click ok, etc. Something that would have taken less than 10 clicks to retarget all my files will now take 10,000 clicks.

Maybe a difference in iTunes for each type :s