Open Radar

 
Summary:
As new computers are generally supplied with relatively small SSD drives, it is becoming increasingly necessary to store large music collections on remote (network attached) storage devices. iTunes does have support for storing its Library in a configurable location, but behaves badly if the drive containing the Library is ever unmounted (due to idle time, or physical disconnection from the appropriate network).

I am referring here to the behaviour of the program when the computer is back in range of the storage drive and connections can be trivially re-established.

iTunes does correctly reconnect to the network share if you double-click on a specific song to start playing it. However:

iTunes does NOT reconnect to the network share if you click the play button on an album to start playing it.

iTunes does NOT reconnect to the network share if you sync an iOS device *and consequently deletes music from that device*

Steps to Reproduce:
1a. iTunes is installed. 
1b. In Preferences > Advanced, iTunes Media folder location is set to a remote folder on a network share. (In my case, a Synology DiskStation DS213j but I don't think this is significant). 
1c. The music library contains a selection of albums, some from the iTunes music store and some imported from other sources (e.g. imported from CD). 
1d. The library is synchronised to an iPhone or similar device.

2. (Quit iTunes if it is open). Eject the network share.

3. Open iTunes. Click on an album cover to chow the expanded view. Click the play button in the album expanded view.

4. Double click on the first song of the same album.

5. Wait for the track to finish (or move the playhead close to the end of the song)

6. Quit iTunes. Eject the network share.

7. Open iTunes. Plug in the synchronised iOS device, and allow it to sync.

8. Open the Music app on the iOS device.



Expected Results:
3. iTunes should start playing the first song of the album.

4. iTunes should start playing the first song of the album.

5. iTunes should start playing the second song of the album.

8. The iOS device contains all the same music as the iTunes Library on the computer.

Actual Results:
3. No music starts playing.

4. iTunes does start playing the first track, but an exclamation mark in a circle appears next to every other track of the same album.

5. Music stops playing at the end of the first track. The second track does not start.

8. The iOS device does not contain any music imported into the computer's iTunes library from CD or MP3. It does contain music purchased from the iTunes music store.

Version:
iTunes 12.0.1.26
OS X Yosemite 10.10.2 (14C94b)


Notes: