I've managed
to duplicate every single song on my itunes. Everyone appears twice.

Worse, all my podcasts appear 5 times.


Not only is this ruining my life in a very first world problem way, thus qualifying as an answer to this week's question, it is also a genuine cry for help. WHAT THE FUCK HAVE I DONE AND HOW DO I UNDO IT?
( scarpe We Stole Bikes, Thu 1 Mar 2012, 13:38, 27 replies)

Give it the tradesman's knock.

( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Thu 1 Mar 2012, 13:40, closed)

Fuck it up the arse?

( scarpe We Stole Bikes, Thu 1 Mar 2012, 13:41, closed)

Hit it with a big spanner until it starts working properly.

( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Thu 1 Mar 2012, 13:42, closed)

I called out National Breakdown recently because my rear wheels were jammed.
That is literally all he did. Got a spanner, whacked the tyres and fucked off.

True (dull) story.
( scarpe We Stole Bikes, Thu 1 Mar 2012, 13:43, closed)

Got a spanner, whacked the tyres and fucked off.
( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Thu 1 Mar 2012, 13:45, closed)

Does the Tradesman always Knock twice?

( .Yeti. El amor en los tiempos del cólera, Thu 1 Mar 2012, 13:42, closed)

To undo
File- Display Duplicates- Sort by Name/Artist/Whatever makes it easier - Untick or delete.
(Sivvus trolley collision in the fruit aisle led to a jam, Thu 1 Mar 2012, 13:49, closed)

Not an option when you
have 9,000 songs duplicated, as I did once.
(username failed moderation, Thu 1 Mar 2012, 13:58, closed)

Yup.
23,000 songs, each there twice.

200 podcasts, each their 5 times.

All because I moved to an external hard drive. This is why I normally only touch computers to make sarcastic comments at bad stories.
( scarpe We Stole Bikes, Thu 1 Mar 2012, 14:04, closed)

how the hell have you managed to accumulate 23,000 songs?

(TheManWithThePlan cussed your mum on, Thu 1 Mar 2012, 14:07, closed)

All the CD's I've owned since I was 16 (apart from those stolen in two separate burgalries), all my parent's CDs, everything I have harvested from friends
and probably 5 or 6 new albums a month from iTunes itself.

it adds up quickly.
( scarpe We Stole Bikes, Thu 1 Mar 2012, 14:09, closed)

it would be really funny if after all that
you went deaf!
(TheManWithThePlan cussed your mum on, Thu 1 Mar 2012, 14:12, closed)

Pardon?

( scarpe We Stole Bikes, Thu 1 Mar 2012, 14:14, closed)

hoho
touché
(TheManWithThePlan cussed your mum on, Thu 1 Mar 2012, 14:14, closed)

Have you recently
switched over to iCloud & iTunes Match?

Have a look at the info of a pair of duplicates and see which tags differ.
For example, are Size, Bit Rate, Date Modified and Date Purchased the same?
See if this difference is consistent amongst duplicates.
Create a smart playlist using tag info for the copies you don't want to keep.
…
Profit!
( wakeupandsmellthebacon, Thu 1 Mar 2012, 13:52, closed)

Delete everything
Then add it all back.

Once.
(username failed moderation, Thu 1 Mar 2012, 13:57, closed)

Hahahaha
*real office lols*
(Professor Kenny Martin Hmm? What?, Fri 2 Mar 2012, 14:29, closed)

After making sure you have a backup
add to library from the new drive. Bear in mind it will reset various tags such as date added/modified/play counts etc but the data should be otherwise fine. If you don't trust me, you wouldn't be alone, but try it with just a couple of songs first.

I have had to do this when I added a NAS drive and foolishly ignored the step by step instructions for moving a library.

Alternatively move the location of itunes media folder in preferences to the correct/preferred location delete the copy on your storage and if the add to folder box is ticked it will move them automatically when you do the above. Six of one half dozen of the other.
( number5 has been fighting tramps and losing., Thu 1 Mar 2012, 14:29, closed)

Stop using iTunes,
and manage your files like a man.
( monster munch person, man, woman... camera... TV?, Thu 1 Mar 2012, 14:44, closed)

This ^^^
Winner!
( His Popiness the Hole Invaded Poland on, Fri 2 Mar 2012, 13:23, closed)

Why not pay a small child
a few pounds to delete all the duplicates? Should take them what? two/three hours at most and will cost you a fiver.
(Che Grimsdale Best before:, Thu 1 Mar 2012, 15:54, closed)

Back in my day,
nonces would just offer to shows us puppies. Kids today, eh? They don't know they're born.
( monster munch person, man, woman... camera... TV?, Thu 1 Mar 2012, 16:00, closed)

Don't use iTunes
It's shit.
( Draconacticus Reject shampoo. Demand real poo!, Thu 1 Mar 2012, 16:12, closed)

This^^

( P-MONKE We're all fucked, Thu 1 Mar 2012, 18:10, closed)

Also this.
I have a few months worth (if played sequentially) of music, all perfectly ordered into Albums, Soundtracks, Compilations, and Singles folders, with the same naming conventions used throughout, and all ID3 tags set sensibly. I can find any music straight away, whether to play it or copy it somewhere else.

Hooray for foobar, it only took a weekend.


...and a little OCD. :-)
(MrTrick, Fri 2 Mar 2012, 5:13, closed)

I feel your pain
I turned 120 Gbs into 260 with duplicates.

It took me months of drinking goon on a friday night deleting them out. Only for it to happen again.

Fucken Itunes can go fuck a flaming spiky dildo.
( jakedamusss I understand, and dont care., Fri 2 Mar 2012, 3:33, closed)

1. Stop using fucking itunes to manage your music
2. Continue with the rest of your life
( Zuowan, Fri 2 Mar 2012, 9:09, closed)