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How to Solve Duplicate File Problem on iTunes

I find that I have three or four copies show up in my itunes folder for just about every album I have. Itransferred all my CDs to itunes (Apple Lossless format) a couple of years ago. The only exceptions are recent files I added (new CDs). Is there a way to remove these duplicate references? I'm not sure why they're showing up. I have had one or two harddrive fails, and I created a backup directory for music at one point, which have have had something to do with it - but it should be a backup, not a duplicate.

Any help would be apprecaited in knowing how to remove these dupes, and on keeping proper backup going forwrd.

Am using a PC, iTunes, all Apple Lossless files. Am also open to changing to another interface as long as it's convenient. I do like the itunes remote access via iphone though..
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Showing 3 responses by outlier

outlier's avatar
outlier OP
381 posts
 
Hi Guys
Thanks for the help so far, although none of you solved the problem for me, yet ;-)

All the duplicate files I have are identical to one another (same bit-rate, same size, and even same exact time and date of "date modified"). I get this info by hitting the 'get info' menu.

I'm aware of the "Display Duplicates" action, but it does not appear to be useful. If I use display duplicates, it seems to show me my four versions of the track - am not sure how that's useful when just abotu all my tracks have between two and four duplicates. The ony ones that do not are ones I've added recently.

Do I have to manually go and delete all these dupes in the itunes menu. I could totally understand this if I had multiple (yet different in some way) versions of the same song, or had identical song files in more than one location, but I don't (apart from an itunes music backup folder that is not being referenced). I'm pretty shocked at how bad this experience is.

Any more advice? Thanks!
outlier's avatar
outlier OP
381 posts
 
Just to add to my previous comment, the duplicate files are referencing the same location, so there do not appear to be actual multiple files.
outlier's avatar
outlier OP
381 posts
 
Hi Onhwy61, the duplicates do not show the same play count - if I play a music file, just that 'version' shows the additional play count.

Waltersales, thanks for the tip although I think that software is only for the Mac, and I'm using itunes on a PC. Also, I'm really not keen on uploading all my music again as it's quite an undertaking - am hoping to somehow bulk remove the duplicate references. Worst case, I'll just ctrl-c the dupes, which should at least be faster than uploading all my music again.

I'm amazed that aa mature and hugely popular software like itunes can be so flakey. The interface and other features have a lot to be desired too.
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