iTunes directory problem

[Elrich]

I store my iTunes music on an external disk that suddenly refused to mount yesterday. I needed to use iTunes for something, so I made it use the iTunes folder on my internal hard drive.

Now Disk Warrior has fixed the external disk, but directing iTunes back to that disk, it's still showing the list of stuff that's stored on my internal drive and not the much larger library on the external one.

I'm sure this is one of those headachy things about iTunes -- a directory file that needs to be moved or something. What is it that I need to do?

 

[Spawn_Dooley]

Quit iTunes if it's running. Hold the OPT key as you launch iTunes. Navigate to the library Library on the ext HD & select it as the default library.

 

[Elrich]

Trying that, I got the following:
"The file "iTunes Library.itl" does not appear to be a valid iTunes library file. iTunes has created a new iTunes library and renamed this file to "iTunes Library (Damaged)".

I clicked OK, the beachball spun for a while, then I got an "unknown error" and iTunes closed.

Tried opening iTunes again, got the exact same result.

 

[Elrich]

And by the way, I can't find any such renamed file.

 

[Elrich]

Unknown error number is 13010, in case that's meaningful to anyone.

 

[Spawn_Dooley]

If you navigate to iTunes folder on the ext hd can you still see all your media?

Have you recently upgraded iTunes?

 

[Elrich]

Yes to both. Just installed the new update last week.

 

[Elrich]

Let me amend that. I can see all the folders, but if I click on one, it can't seem to display the contents, at least not within a reasonable amount of time.

 

[Spawn_Dooley]

Search for iTunes Library (Damaged) using Spotlight & tell me where you find it …

Try Repairing permissions with Disk Utility then reboot … then check the folder contents

 

[Elrich]

I think something is still wrong with this disk.

 

[Elrich]

It can't find any such file. Just a regularly-titled .xml library file. It won't tell me where it is, but apparently it's the one created on the internal HD yesterday, since that's the date on it.

 

[Spawn_Dooley]

… but directing iTunes back to that disk, it's still showing the list of stuff that's stored on my internal drive and not the much larger library on the external one.

In your first post, the part I've made in Bold text, can you explain this a little more as it's not clear, if you direct iTunes to the ext hd then you would expect to see the contents of that disc after you select it in the side bar of the Finder window …

 

[Elrich]

OK, I just checked to make sure *I* understand what I mean! There is *an* iTunes library file on the hard drive, and it seems that it includes SOME of my music but it's out of date. More recent stuff doesn't appear in iTunes now. But I believe the music it's showing in iTunes is indeed on the external drive...

But it's hard to tell right now because I can't even open iTunes since I made it try to find the library file on the external drive. And Disk Warrior and Disk Utility are both stuck on "loading disks" because something weird is going on with this external disk. It just keeps reading, reading, reading, but never finishes.