If you try to play a song in iTunes that has an exclamation point (!) next to it, iTunes will give you the error message "Original file not found." Whether it occurs with an individual song or multiple missing songs in your iTunes library, you can fix this error by performing a few simple troubleshooting steps. This will help prevent the error from happening again.
iTunes: The song could not be used because the original file could not be found. Would you like to…
An exclamation point appears next to a song if iTunes doesn't know where to find the MP3 or AAC file for that song. This situation occurs because songs aren't stored in the iTunes app. Instead, iTunes functions as a directory for the music files stored on a computer's hard drive. When you double-click a song, iTunes looks for the location on your hard drive where it expects to find the file. If the music file isn't where the app expects it to be, the song won't play.
The most common causes of the error are a file that has been moved from its original location, a file that is not saved in the Music folder, or a song file that has been deleted. Also, another media application may have moved the file without notifying you.
The default locations for music files are:
