Comments on: iTunes: ! a.k.a. The Exclamation Point http://mybiggestcomplaint.com/itunes-aka-the-exclamation-point/439/ Where the world comes to complain. Tue, 16 Mar 2010 21:56:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 By: iHELL http://mybiggestcomplaint.com/itunes-aka-the-exclamation-point/439/#comment-15159 iHELL Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:20:48 +0000 http://mybiggestcomplaint.com/itunes-aka-the-exclamation-point/439/#comment-15159 First thanks to all who have contributed solutions to this problem. That said I've tried at least 5 or 6 of the posted solutions and none of them worked for me. My situation is I'm trying to transfer all of my music over to a new PC. All of my original raw source files were located on an external drive (E) that I had attached to my old PC. Based on iTune instructions it sounded like the move would be as easy as downloading iTunes and then replacing the entire newly created iTunes folder in "my music" folder with the iTunes folder I had on the (E) drive. BTW what was the (E) drive on my old machine became the (I) drive when I connected to my new PC. Anyhow, I replaced the new iTunes folder with the previous one, restarted iTunes and sure enough it looked just like nothing ever happened. All songs, playlists, titles, artists, etc. were all there. Then I tried to play one song and received the infamous "can't locate source file" message. Each and every song (4,000) is in this condition. Having to drop all of these songs in a new library is one thing but when I originally put the songs in my library I spent countless hours manually typing in song, names, artist names and generes. Thinking this could be a problem before I started the transfer I also copied all of the original source file folders in to "my music" on my new PC thinking it may help avoid this type of problem but with a much larger C drive now I primarily wanted to get all of my source files on the C drive and use my external drive just for back up functions. Would love to hear from anyone in a similar situation that may have figured this out. Thanks! First thanks to all who have contributed solutions to this problem. That said I’ve tried at least 5 or 6 of the posted solutions and none of them worked for me. My situation is I’m trying to transfer all of my music over to a new PC. All of my original raw source files were located on an external drive (E) that I had attached to my old PC. Based on iTune instructions it sounded like the move would be as easy as downloading iTunes and then replacing the entire newly created iTunes folder in “my music” folder with the iTunes folder I had on the (E) drive. BTW what was the (E) drive on my old machine became the (I) drive when I connected to my new PC. Anyhow, I replaced the new iTunes folder with the previous one, restarted iTunes and sure enough it looked just like nothing ever happened. All songs, playlists, titles, artists, etc. were all there. Then I tried to play one song and received the infamous “can’t locate source file” message. Each and every song (4,000) is in this condition. Having to drop all of these songs in a new library is one thing but when I originally put the songs in my library I spent countless hours manually typing in song, names, artist names and generes. Thinking this could be a problem before I started the transfer I also copied all of the original source file folders in to “my music” on my new PC thinking it may help avoid this type of problem but with a much larger C drive now I primarily wanted to get all of my source files on the C drive and use my external drive just for back up functions. Would love to hear from anyone in a similar situation that may have figured this out. Thanks!

]]> By: Sam K http://mybiggestcomplaint.com/itunes-aka-the-exclamation-point/439/#comment-15120 Sam K Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:56:45 +0000 http://mybiggestcomplaint.com/itunes-aka-the-exclamation-point/439/#comment-15120 I just followed Jim's suggestion about the exclamation points in itunes. It worked! I have a Russound Media Server and must constantly toggle between my music. Of course, all of the media servers' content showed an (!). By holding down the control button while launching itunes, I erased all of the confounding (!)'s. Yes!! Thanks so much for this suggestion. I just followed Jim’s suggestion about the exclamation points in itunes. It worked! I have a Russound Media Server and must constantly toggle between my music. Of course, all of the media servers’ content showed an (!). By holding down the control button while launching itunes, I erased all of the confounding (!)’s. Yes!! Thanks so much for this suggestion.

]]> By: Lisa http://mybiggestcomplaint.com/itunes-aka-the-exclamation-point/439/#comment-15110 Lisa Thu, 11 Mar 2010 07:12:37 +0000 http://mybiggestcomplaint.com/itunes-aka-the-exclamation-point/439/#comment-15110 Okay, so i have an ipod, and everytime i download music from a music sharing website, it goes staright to itunes.and when i try to sync it, it shows the damn exclamation mark near the damn song! WTF? Okay, so i have an ipod, and everytime i download music from a music sharing website, it goes staright to itunes.and when i try to sync it, it shows the damn exclamation mark near the damn song!
WTF?

]]> By: Rob Rankles http://mybiggestcomplaint.com/itunes-aka-the-exclamation-point/439/#comment-15069 Rob Rankles Mon, 08 Mar 2010 04:05:46 +0000 http://mybiggestcomplaint.com/itunes-aka-the-exclamation-point/439/#comment-15069 I agree! iTunes sucks in some very basic ways! I agree!

iTunes sucks in some very basic ways!

]]> By: Jen http://mybiggestcomplaint.com/itunes-aka-the-exclamation-point/439/#comment-15065 Jen Sun, 07 Mar 2010 19:06:58 +0000 http://mybiggestcomplaint.com/itunes-aka-the-exclamation-point/439/#comment-15065 Jeff's post of January 26th, 2008 worked brilliantly, you're my new favourite person - so simple too - sort by date added and delete as appropriate - love it! Jeff’s post of January 26th, 2008 worked brilliantly, you’re my new favourite person - so simple too - sort by date added and delete as appropriate - love it!

]]> By: Taote http://mybiggestcomplaint.com/itunes-aka-the-exclamation-point/439/#comment-14992 Taote Wed, 03 Mar 2010 20:10:05 +0000 http://mybiggestcomplaint.com/itunes-aka-the-exclamation-point/439/#comment-14992 I have had this problem for a long time, and finally I found a good solution: http://paulmayne.org/blog/2007/11/how-to-remove-broken-or-dead-tracks-from-itunes/ I hope this helps. I have had this problem for a long time, and finally I found a good solution:

http://paulmayne.org/blog/2007/11/how-to-remove-broken-or-dead-tracks-from-itunes/

I hope this helps.

]]> By: Dee http://mybiggestcomplaint.com/itunes-aka-the-exclamation-point/439/#comment-14944 Dee Sun, 28 Feb 2010 16:34:41 +0000 http://mybiggestcomplaint.com/itunes-aka-the-exclamation-point/439/#comment-14944 I renamed my music folder and that caused the exclamation marks for me. Any change at all to your music folder will cause this. If you move it or any change. I put it back the way it was and now all is well. I renamed my music folder and that caused the exclamation marks for me. Any change at all to your music folder will cause this. If you move it or any change. I put it back the way it was and now all is well.

]]> By: phoenix http://mybiggestcomplaint.com/itunes-aka-the-exclamation-point/439/#comment-14931 phoenix Sat, 27 Feb 2010 06:16:11 +0000 http://mybiggestcomplaint.com/itunes-aka-the-exclamation-point/439/#comment-14931 hello everybody! I've seriously tried almost everyone's ways of getting rid of that exclamation point thing on itunes. but nothing seems to help/work. it all started when I just dragged all my stuff from itunes onto my external hard drive. then the next time I tried playing itunes some songs got the "!" and later on turned out to be allll my 3000+ songs plus the movies. and Ive been trying to fix this problem for many many hours now. and I dont know much about this itunes stuff either(except for download, play, and etc).. its very frustrating and tiring to constantly try and figure out. someone help me? please? =T hello everybody! I’ve seriously tried almost everyone’s ways of getting rid of that exclamation point thing on itunes. but nothing seems to help/work. it all started when I just dragged all my stuff from itunes onto my external hard drive. then the next time I tried playing itunes some songs got the “!” and later on turned out to be allll my 3000+ songs plus the movies. and Ive been trying to fix this problem for many many hours now. and I dont know much about this itunes stuff either(except for download, play, and etc).. its very frustrating and tiring to constantly try and figure out. someone help me? please? =T

]]> By: Kipper http://mybiggestcomplaint.com/itunes-aka-the-exclamation-point/439/#comment-14907 Kipper Thu, 25 Feb 2010 07:50:43 +0000 http://mybiggestcomplaint.com/itunes-aka-the-exclamation-point/439/#comment-14907 Followed William's suggestion: "I had the same exclamation problem, for weeks. I copied all music into “itunes/itunes music” folder. Then I went to file and “add folder to library”. I chose the itunes music folder and voila it worked like magic. No more exclamation marks… I hope that helps." IT WORKED! Caused some duplication of files, but deleting the duplicated files took alot less time than having to update the info for each file. Best of luck to everyone! Followed William’s suggestion:

“I had the same exclamation problem, for weeks. I copied all music into “itunes/itunes music” folder. Then I went to file and “add folder to library”. I chose the itunes music folder and voila it worked like magic. No more exclamation marks… I hope that helps.”

IT WORKED! Caused some duplication of files, but deleting the duplicated files took alot less time than having to update the info for each file. Best of luck to everyone!

]]> By: zideburn http://mybiggestcomplaint.com/itunes-aka-the-exclamation-point/439/#comment-14840 zideburn Thu, 18 Feb 2010 05:56:06 +0000 http://mybiggestcomplaint.com/itunes-aka-the-exclamation-point/439/#comment-14840 Same problem. I haven't done anything cute to my music. It sits quietly every day on the same damn NAS for months. Sonos can see and play them just fine. I close and reopen iTunes a couple of times and the '!' are gone. Makes absolutely no sense and is a PITA. This is my first Mac and everything is super smooth and perfect but iTunes just plain sucks. It's the 800lb gorilla that doesn't do anything well. Same problem. I haven’t done anything cute to my music. It sits quietly every day on the same damn NAS for months. Sonos can see and play them just fine. I close and reopen iTunes a couple of times and the ‘!’ are gone. Makes absolutely no sense and is a PITA.

This is my first Mac and everything is super smooth and perfect but iTunes just plain sucks. It’s the 800lb gorilla that doesn’t do anything well.

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