Trashcan Disaster on OS X
Last night I was developing an automation script for a folder action that would add anything that was put in a specified folder to my iTunes Library then it would delete the files. An error in script caused it to move all my mp3 files to the Trashcan. Not a problem, I thought, just go to the Trashcan and Restore the files. Wrong! The Mac Trashcan does not have a restore option, you have to copy the files back manually. With a large number of files this is just not viable plus the fact you my not know the location for all the files. What were Apple thinking by not adding restore option. If you look at it, it is not a Trashcan, it is just another folder.
I had a similar issue and was shocked that MS Windows has this capability while the Mac OS X does not!! Another issue I have is that iTunes will only allow one to name mp3’s as track#-track name-.mp3 in the artist’s folder. That seems fine (not really) until you delete thousands of mp3’s (by mistake) and they all end up in the Trash can and then there are name clashes so some of the mp3’s cannot even be restored manually because they’re gone. A decent mp3 management software would allow one to rip songs in this format: artist-album-track#-trackname.mp3. With this naming convention the probability of name clashes in the Trash Can are nearly zero.
Ugarit
Thanks for the comment, glad to see it is not just me that thinks the lack of restore is a glaring omission. Also thank you for the tip about how iTunes names files. I just checked my iTunes folder and you are absolutely correct. You have also just saved me losing hundreds of files that are missing due to me reimporting them from the Trashcan. Fortunately I still had the files on my server so I am reimporting them now.
Philip:
You’re welcome. Had iTunes permitted one to name mp3’s as artist-album-track#-trackname.mp3 then one can sort by artist and at least attempt a restore. That’s why I now rip with LameBrain and then manage the music in iTunes but never have iTunes rip the music for me.
iTunes also has this terrible feature where you can tell iTunes to “fix” filenames and it will rename all of your files from artist/album/artist-album-track#-trackname.mp3 to artist/album/track#-trackname.mp3. So be careful with that.