Please Help!!! I am going crazy!!!
osx 10.4.11, itunes 9.02
I decided to move my itunes collection, around 32 GB to an external HD. I followed the instructions on apple website. (http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1449)
Everything was going smoothly. But about 10 mins. I stopped, because I wanted to rename the new folder I just created. Since it was copying, I figured I'd be ok, and could just re-do it. I tried to change the library location back to the original. some songs in the library had a grey exclamation next to them. Not Found.
But then, I didn't know what to do next. I went to File>Library>Organize Library> then here is what I did wrong. I selected the bottom option, I think its "organize itunes media" (its grayed out now, and the name changed). I did not select the Consolidate Files. Well it did some things quickly and then many many songs were not found. So I go into users>[me]>music>itunes>itunes music. Well, half my artist names are missing. I tried something else, I don't know what, and now there are about 11 items were there were hundreds. Maybe 200. And some of those 11 items are empty or have one song it a folder.
Before all this happened, my HD had about 3.44 GB free. Now it says it has 3.08 GB. My music MAYBE wasn't deleted, but its nowhere in the music folder. Nowhere to be found.
To make matters worse, itunes library is now: users>[me]>music>music. At least, in here there are 157 items. So about 157 different artists folders. But some are missing albums and such. And that 157 in not complete.
Soooo, where is everything. ?????????? ahhhh!!!!!! I've been collecting this music for 4 years. Soo much is irreplaceable. I mean its replaceable, but it would take soooo long. Friends lent CD's over the years, various internet finds. ahhh!!!!
I have stopped writing to the HD. I think. And I copied the entire music folder users>[me]>music to an external HD. just in case.
THe other thing is, the music folder still shows 31.99 GB. I think it may have been bigger. But that includes other stuff that wasn't in itunes library. logic, my own recordings. Before all this happened. the folder could have been bigger. But not by much.
Another thing, when I have itunes open, all the music I HAD, still shows up in the library, just cannot be found. And damned if I can find it anywhere.
I have no time machine and no backups.
Is there anywhere to recover what was lost. ? I am afraid to turn the computer off. Or close itunes. (I did close it once but the library still shows everything I had).
My library, on the bottom of itunes, says 3224 items, 43.52 GB. Some of those items were not there cause they were originally on other discs. Thats ok. But MOST of it was right here on mac HD.
OMG, I soo freaking out!!! I don;t know what to do. This is going to hurt for a long time!!.. Most stuff is on ipod. but just want it back to normal and then move it all to external HD. Damn, it was sooo well organized before this happened.
osx 10.4.11, itunes 9.02
I decided to move my itunes collection, around 32 GB to an external HD. I followed the instructions on apple website. (http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1449)
Everything was going smoothly. But about 10 mins. I stopped, because I wanted to rename the new folder I just created. Since it was copying, I figured I'd be ok, and could just re-do it. I tried to change the library location back to the original. some songs in the library had a grey exclamation next to them. Not Found.
But then, I didn't know what to do next. I went to File>Library>Organize Library> then here is what I did wrong. I selected the bottom option, I think its "organize itunes media" (its grayed out now, and the name changed). I did not select the Consolidate Files. Well it did some things quickly and then many many songs were not found. So I go into users>[me]>music>itunes>itunes music. Well, half my artist names are missing. I tried something else, I don't know what, and now there are about 11 items were there were hundreds. Maybe 200. And some of those 11 items are empty or have one song it a folder.
Before all this happened, my HD had about 3.44 GB free. Now it says it has 3.08 GB. My music MAYBE wasn't deleted, but its nowhere in the music folder. Nowhere to be found.
To make matters worse, itunes library is now: users>[me]>music>music. At least, in here there are 157 items. So about 157 different artists folders. But some are missing albums and such. And that 157 in not complete.
Soooo, where is everything. ?????????? ahhhh!!!!!! I've been collecting this music for 4 years. Soo much is irreplaceable. I mean its replaceable, but it would take soooo long. Friends lent CD's over the years, various internet finds. ahhh!!!!
I have stopped writing to the HD. I think. And I copied the entire music folder users>[me]>music to an external HD. just in case.
THe other thing is, the music folder still shows 31.99 GB. I think it may have been bigger. But that includes other stuff that wasn't in itunes library. logic, my own recordings. Before all this happened. the folder could have been bigger. But not by much.
Another thing, when I have itunes open, all the music I HAD, still shows up in the library, just cannot be found. And damned if I can find it anywhere.
I have no time machine and no backups.
Is there anywhere to recover what was lost. ? I am afraid to turn the computer off. Or close itunes. (I did close it once but the library still shows everything I had).
My library, on the bottom of itunes, says 3224 items, 43.52 GB. Some of those items were not there cause they were originally on other discs. Thats ok. But MOST of it was right here on mac HD.
OMG, I soo freaking out!!! I don;t know what to do. This is going to hurt for a long time!!.. Most stuff is on ipod. but just want it back to normal and then move it all to external HD. Damn, it was sooo well organized before this happened.
