iLife 05: The Missing Manual

30.5. Files Missing in Action

Every once in while iTunes throws you a curveball out of the blue that can range from minorly annoying to downright panic-inducing. Here are a few common issues to look out for:

30.5.1. My Podcast Didn't Get Updated

Keeping current with the latest episode of your favorite podcast is easy with iTunes, since the program does most of the work of checking forand downloadingfresh installments. If one of your regular shows doesn't get updated, though, the server that actually hosts the program may be down or busy, and iTunes itself can't get through to grab the new installment. In iTunes, click the Update button in the upper right corner of the Podcasts playlist to reach out for the show manually. Or try waiting a while before trying again, in case the server is still having a really, really bad day.

30.5.2. I Get a "Movie File Cannot Be Found" Error

You can play .mov and .mp4 movies right in iTunes 4.8 and later, but the program sometimes gets discombobulated if you have QuickTime "reference movies" in the mix. These reference movies are typically temporary pointer files that aimed at the location of the real movie in whatever program it was created in, but they can confuse iTunes when you try to play them.

To fix the error, choose Edit View Options, check the box next to Kind and click OK. Click Library in the iTunes Source list, then click the new Kind column header you just made to sort your collection by file type. Scroll down to the QuickTime movie file section and double-click each file to make sure it plays. If you get the error messgage, click the Cancel button in the box, select the offending file, and choose Edit Clear to boot the bad seed off the list.

30.5.3. I Upgraded iTunes and All My Music Is Gone!

Sure, you think you're doing the right thing by upgrading, but sometimes things can go wacky when you install a new version of iTunes. If you update the program and start it up to find out that your entire libary has vanished , take a deep breath , put down the sharp object, and quit out of the iTunes program for a minute.

Just remember that your music is still on the Mac, but this new version of iTunes doesn't know where to look for it.

Now then, go find the folder that iTunes stores your music library's database file. Unless you've fiddled with the default settings, it's in your Home Music iTunes folder. Drag the file in there called iTunes Library out of the folder and dump it onto your desktop.

Next, go back to that main iTunes folder and open the subfolder called Previous iTunes Libraries that's tucked inside. Find the file called iTunes 4 Music Library in there and drag that out into the main iTunes folder where the old one used to be.

Restart iTunes. You should see all your old music, right where you left it.