Troubleshooting

iTunes Can't Find a Song in My Library

I try to play a song in the iTunes Library, but I see a message stating that the song can't be used because the original file can't be found.

iTunes doesn't actually store music files in the Library, but rather contains pointers to music files stored on your Mac, on an external drive, or wherever you have selected to store your music. If the original file is moved around or deleted from your machine, iTunes can't find it and doesn't know how to play that song. When you see this dialog box, you can attempt to locate the file yourself. If you are successful, iTunes restores its link in the Library and it works as before. If you can't find the file, you have to re-create it and add it to the Library again.

iTunes Can't Find My Burner

When I start iTunes for the first time, I see a message stating that no supported disc recorders were found. Or, my burner is not recognized when I try to record a disc.

This problem occurs when iTunes doesn't detect a supported drive in your Mac system. To be supported, iTunes must have the appropriate device software incorporated into it. This can also occur if your drive is not properly connected to and working with your Mac.

If your drive was included as part of your Mac and isn't recognized by iTunes, you most likely have some sort of hardware issue. This isn't likely to be the case because Apple hardware tends to be pretty reliable, but it can happen from time to time. If your system is still under warranty, contact Apple for assistance. If it isn't, you'll need to decide whether the drive is worth repairing or replacing or whether it's time to get that new Mac you've been wanting for a long time.

If you've added a third-party drive to your system, the first step is to ensure that your drive can work with at least one other application on your Mac. For example, if CD burning software is included with your drive, such as Toast, use that application to record a disc. If that works, you know that the problem is related to iTunes. If it doesn't work, you need to troubleshoot your drive before trying to use it with iTunes.

The second step is relatively easy, but if it doesn't work, there isn't much you can do. Go to the Apple iTunes website (www.apple.com/itunes) to see whether a newer version of iTunes is available. If so, download and install it and try again. Apple will continue to add support for various drive mechanisms to iTunes, and if you get lucky, yours will be one of them.

If neither of these steps works, you still have several options. One is to buy a drive supported by iTunes (hey, you needed a good reason to buy a new Mac, right?). The other is to use another application to create the disc. For example, Toast also enables you to create audio CDs.

iTunes Stops Recording Before the Process Is Complete

The disc I am attempting to record is ejected before the process is finished. What is causing this?

When you see a message stating that iTunes is stopping the burn process, some error has prevented iTunes from completing the disc. You usually see an error dialog box; unfortunately, such a dialog box almost always contains an indecipherable message.

The most likely cause of such errors is the inability of iTunes to write data to the drive fast enough. If pauses occur in the data stream that is being recorded to the disc, the process sometimes fails. Make the following changes to attempt to correct the problem:

1.	Stop all other applications except iTunes. Although Mac OS X provides iTunes with protected memory, other applications might be accessing other drives in your system. This can slow the data being transferred to the recorder.
2.	Reconfigure iTunes so it uses a slow burn speed because slower burn speeds are easier to maintain.

After making these changes, try to burn the disc again. If it still doesn't work, try Apple's support site and search for the specific error message you are seeing.

The CDs I Make Won't Play in My Noncomputer CD Player

When I install a CD I have burned in a regular CD player, such as the one in my car, either the disc is ejected and won't play or the player acts as if no CD is in the player at all.

There are a couple of causes for this problem. One possibility is that the CD you burned was a CD-RW disc rather than a CD-R disc. Standard CD players (noncomputer CD players) are usually incapable of reading CD-RW discs. You should always create audio CDs that you intend to play in other CD players using CD-R discs.

The other possibility is that the standard CD player you are trying to use does not recognize the format of the CD-R disc. This usually happens only when the CD player is relatively old. The only solution to this is to use a different CD player.

I Can't Listen to Music I Have Purchased from the iTunes Music Store

When I try to play music I purchased from the iTunes Music Store, I see a message stating that this Mac is not authorized to play this music.

For a Mac to be able to play iTunes Music Store music, it must be authorized to do so. You can have up to five Macs authorized to play your iTunes Music Store at the same time. If you see this message, the machine you are using is not currently authorized to play your iTunes Music Store music.

Select Advanced, Authorize Computer. Then log in using the account under which you purchased the music. If four or fewer computers are authorized under the account you used, you will be able to authorize it. If not, you'll have to deauthorize one of the other computers before you can authorize the current one.