View Full Version : I can't get my Library to update.
Ok. I'll try to make this understandable. I used iPod agent to load some of my buddy's songs onto my iPod. I then used iPod agent on my computer to copy those songs into my iTunes music folder. On the same day, I used iTunes 4.5 to convert my remaining WMA files to MP3 files, and put them in my iTunes music folder. Then I updated my iPod, and it loaded the newly converted files (wma/mp3) onto the iPod, but then erased my buddy's songs from the iPod. When I checked, those songs weren't showing up in my library at all. I can see them when i browse the iTunes music folder, but I can't seem to make my library see them, or get them.
Isn't this supposed to happen automatically? It's a lot of songs, and I don't want to have to retrieve them manually. I tried restarting the iTunes, and rebooting the computer. I even waited a day, thinking maybe it updates once per day. What else can I do?
pmoto
05-04-2004, 04:28 PM
iTunes doesn't have a watch folder feature. That is, it does not automatically add music files to your library when files are placed in your iTunes Music folder.
In order to get the new tracks into your library you must use the 'Add file to library' or 'Add folder to library' from within iTunes.
BillClinton
05-04-2004, 05:13 PM
Or you can highlight the folders and "open with" "iTunes" and it should update them
Starboard
05-04-2004, 09:46 PM
yeah, simply moving files to the music folder doesn't add them to your iTunes library, so won't sync to your iPod. You have to go into the folder and drag the files into your library. On the mac it's a simple drag and drop. It should be the same in XP.
Thanks for the replies... I guess I was hoping there was an easier way. Some of the new songs are by artists I already have music by, so it's not easy to separate the "new" from the "old". And it's about 400 songs. For future reference, I guess I should put them in a temp folder so I can add them as one chunk. This is going to be a pain, finding and moving 400 songs manually. Live and learn, though, I guess. That was one feature Windows Media Player got right... it automatically searched your designated folder for newly added music.
mdobilas
05-05-2004, 02:53 AM
have you tried going to the folder where the new music is and then showing them by date modified? should put them all in one place to make it easier to bulk drag and drop
drifting
05-05-2004, 04:32 AM
Originally posted by PBnJ
Thanks for the replies... I guess I was hoping there was an easier way. Some of the new songs are by artists I already have music by, so it's not easy to separate the "new" from the "old". And it's about 400 songs. For future reference, I guess I should put them in a temp folder so I can add them as one chunk. This is going to be a pain, finding and moving 400 songs manually.
You shouldn't have to find the files seperately. When you use "Add a folder to library", just click on your entire MyMusic folder, or whatever you use, and it will add all the songs in the folder WITHOUT duplicating the ones already in the library, so you will, in effect, update just the new songs.
I seem to remember that if you did this with some programs, like the Windows Media Player, it would just add all files again, which would result in duplicate listings in your library. Not with iTunes.
Originally posted by drifting
You shouldn't have to find the files seperately. When you use "Add a folder to library", just click on your entire MyMusic folder, or whatever you use, and it will add all the songs in the folder WITHOUT duplicating the ones already in the library, so you will, in effect, update just the new songs.
I seem to remember that if you did this with some programs, like the Windows Media Player, it would just add all files again, which would result in duplicate listings in your library. Not with iTunes.
Boy, I sure hope you're right. I've already had to track down some duplicate songs, but I don't remember exactly how they got there. Maybe I'll create a small sample folder to test this before I'm brave enough to risk duplicating the other 2986 songs.
I tried sorting by date created/modified, and it worked for some of the files, but for some reason they're not all showing up. I haven't figured that out yet, but if it would work, it would indeed solve the problem.
Crossing my fingers...
Brian
Starboard
05-05-2004, 02:12 PM
I think with the drag and drop method, iTunes won't duplicate. I was trying to get it to duplicate, and couldn't get it to. But I was doing it with only a few tracks. I don't know if it'll handle as well when you have 400+ songs at once.
Originally posted by Starboard
I think with the drag and drop method, iTunes won't duplicate. I was trying to get it to duplicate, and couldn't get it to. But I was doing it with only a few tracks. I don't know if it'll handle as well when you have 400+ songs at once.
No good on the drag and drop. I tried one artist, and it duplicated the album I already had. Same files, only difference is "date added". It did mark the older duplicate files with an exclamation point in the far left column though, so if there's a way to separate those, I could remove all the duplicates at once.
Wait... nevermind... I tried again, and it seems to work. Hallelujah! I'm about to try with the whole folder... wish me luck...
drifting
05-05-2004, 09:28 PM
Originally posted by PBnJ
Boy, I sure hope you're right. I've already had to track down some duplicate songs, but I don't remember exactly how they got there.
When I first switched to iTunes, I found a fair number of duplicates in the library as well - they turned out to be duplicate files I never knew I had!
Good luck!
Well, I'm not sure what the rules are governing which songs get duplicated and which don't, but I only had to clear about 100 songs, so I'm happy. Thanks for the help guys!
Brian