ITunes library failing to refresh and recognize on different computer

[scisport]

My ITunes library has always been on an external drive. Recently, the Mac it was attached to suffered a complete screen failure (another issue I'm trying to resolve and having no luck getting an external monitor to function). So I took the external and connected it to another MAC, this one running Mojave (I don't wish to upgrade any further as this OS works perfectly), and I'm using ITunes 12.9.5.5.

I've added a couple of dozen new albums to the ITunes folder in the external. However, when starting ITunes itself, it is only picking up the new additions. It is not recognizing the entire library. So I used "Option" and start ITunes. The only new Library available is the one that has the new downloads. There are old libraries, but more than a year old. Before the first computer screen died about a month ago, I was always adding new music. The music is there in the external ITunes Music folder, but there is no "newer" library for 2020 under "Previous ITunes Libraries". The only current one that highlights is the one with these newer downloads.

Is it possible to take all of the music currently in the ITunes Music folder on the external and create all of that as a new library? Or what would be the proper way to have all the folder music brought into ITunes?

Thank you.

 

[Taz Mangus]

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[scisport]

There was no response in the window. Anyone else?

 

[James_C]

You need to tell your Mac where your old library is first. Press the ALT key down when you start iTunes and then browse and select your library on your external drive. I suspect that the new songs are in a new Library, so you will need to add those again to your existing Library on your external drive.

Update - I re-read your OP you do say that you pressed the ALT (Option) Key, however if you are not seeing your existing songs I can only presume that you accidentally selected the new Library rather than the old one on your external drive. I would go through the process again and open iTunes and select the old Library on the external drive. Check that your old songs are there before you start to add new ones again.

If your old songs are not there I would open the old library on your external drive in finder and check that the media files for your old songs are actually there.

If you look at your external library your media files should be stores in iTunes>iTunes Media>Music> see below as an example.

 

[scisport]

Great response, thank. However, there's some pieces missing here. All of my existing songs are still there on the externa in m4a format. They are in ITUNES>ITunes>ITunes Music. I checked and everything is there that was loaded prior to the screen going dead on the first IMac. The only Libraries I have in the folder are those under "Previous ITunes Folders".

In that folder, there are 7 Libraries. But the most current one is 2010-12-14 (?), so you can see one of the issues.

I did a search of the external and found an "itl" library that was labeled 2016-09-26. Again, the latest library file should be dated 2020.

So I can't view the songs that are in this "itl" file. The only place where I can actually see the music files is the folder I mentioned previously.

When I try to import using the ALT key method, it of course will only allow an "itl" file to be used. I guess one of the issues is finding where that current "itl" file is. It shouldn't be on the old IMac, as everything was done to the external. I can't even look at the old IMac hard drive because I cannot get the screen to work even if I use a mirror screen. I've added several cables to the back of the IMac that are supposed to carry a video signal, hooked it to an old monitor, and nada. I don't know how, or if, the system could just autonomously decide to put that newer "itl" file on the hard drive and not the external.

Let's say perhaps the download date of the most recent "itl" file is wrong, for some reason. If I click on it and use ITunes to open it, will it automatically import that file into ITunes, or allow me to look before importing? I have read that you can use Quicktime to open an "itl" file, but I'm unsure what it will do to the file itself.

Thanks again for the help and patience.

 

[James_C]

Your current library should not be in 'Previous iTunes Libraries' it should be in the root of your iTunes folder.

I have my iTunes Library on an external disk and this is what it looks like.

If you don't see your library database here then it must be somewhere else. At a guess it is probably in your Music Folder on your Old Mac.

 

[James_C]

If your iTunes Library Database was on your old Mac and you can't access it, then you will need to build a new Library.

When you start iTunes hit the Alt key at the same time and choose create new Library. I created a short screencast tutorial below how you can import your music to your new Library. The only downside is you will lose your playlists, if you have any created.

 

[scisport]

Wow, thank you so much for taking the time to create this video. For some reason, that updated file has to be on the old Mac, though I never changed any setting. If I could get that mirror screen to work, it would solve a lot, but even with the various dongles I've purchased, thankfully inexpensive, still no luck. I'll give this a try and let you know how it works. Again, very much appreciated.

 

[scisport]

Well, finally got to making the new file. It works, but there are/were some hiccups. First, ITunes imported movie files from my computer that were never called for, so I must have missed a checkbox. The biggest import issue is there are now more than 500 songs with no home. THey are listed as the end of the new file with number such as "01-17", no albums, artists or anything. I'm going to have to go back manually and figure out where they all go. Another issue I'm noticing is during a CD file upload. Every upload stops after a song or two saying there is no file. I restart the process, it asks if it should re-upload existing files, and it then seems to proceed with no issues. It's having to do it all twice. The new file had to be done, but the post-creation issues are daunting.