iTunes keeps losing my imports

Every time I get in iTunes I notice lot's of random songs are missing. I noticed it often but today it happened with half of my 18GB music library. The only thing I did yesterday was Secure Empty my trash and run System Optimizer. I have no idea why my files would have been stored in the trash bin (I didn't put them there on purpose). It seems most of the lost songs are newly imported ones. Is there something I have to do to "lock" these songs in my library? I assumed once I imported from a CD they were where I put them and not somewhere else (I'm a new switcher and confused about lot's of Mac things).
Could it have anything to do with my iPod? I notice it after I connect my iPod.
side note: yesterday my Mac crashed. I was very suprised by that and pissed. I thought that never happens.

"side note: yesterday my Mac crashed. I was very suprised by that and pissed. I thought that never happens."

**** happens, all computers crash - so is life..

"It seems most of the lost songs are newly imported ones. Is there something I have to do to "lock" these songs in my library?"

2 Possible solutions to this riddle, 2nd one seems likeliest, but I'll give you both ideas anyway:

1)
Check your preferences to see if you have the 'copy files to iTunes music folder when adding to library'

If that is off, it will add the files to the library, but will look for them in the spot you first put them.

Example: Let's say you downloaded a song off my band's website (ampliphonic.de) (outdated link removed) and then saved it to your desktop.
You then proceeded to add it to your iTunes library. Having done that, you trash the file and then empty trash.

iTunes will look on the desktop and will not be able to see the file resulting in the sort of behavior you described.

Make sure that option is checked, then you can delete any files you download/import.

Btw, I think imported songs automatically go to your iTunes library folder, so they shouldn't disappear anyway...


You might want to repair permissions (applications->utilities->disk utility->repair disk permissions) to make sure that isn't bugging things up...

2)
Are the files missing in iTunes or only on your iPod? You can't have songs on your iPod that aren't in your library, i.e. if you import a CD, sync it to your iPod and then delete it off your mac, it will be deleted off the iPod next time it automatically resyncs...

It sounds as though this is what is happening, but since you said you haven't deleted any files it shouldn't really...


Hmmm, can you describe the problem a bit more?


Maybe try hitting the option 'Consolidate my library' to organise your songs so you can keep better tabs on them...