missing all files after restoring library on new computer

i followed the steps to move the master database to an external hard drive, and the same issue occurred.

The backup process dos NOT move your music, only the database.

Where is your music located?

I actually have an identical library on both computers and an external hard drive.

So with your original computer, the source of the music was the external drive?

It was on the HD of the original computer. Everything was copied from there on to an ext HD, and then on to the new computer - so now the same file organization is on all 3

Is the username of the new computer EXACTLY THE SAME as the original computer?

I'm wanting to factory reset the original computer, so I want to move the primary location of the file org to the external HD so I can use that for both comps

No the usernames are different, and they cannot be changed

That's the problem - the database is looking for the paths in the wrong location. The database can be changed to reflect that, but if you read in the instructions, the name must be identical in order for that move to work properly.

If you're going to have everything external anyhow, simply use the relocation too. Select all tracks, right-click on one, then relocate and point them to the new location (external).

if I do that, do I need to also change the database location to ext HD?

You should move the database first. Did you follow these instructions to do that?

What IS the order I should do things?
1) move database
2) restore library
3) relocate files from ext HD?

My suggestion is as follows:

If you still have access to the old computer:
1) move database to external
2) connect external to new computer
3) tell new computer you want to load database from external
4) relocate files

If you don't have access to the old computer:
1) restore library
2) move database to external
3) relocate files

I'll try this tonight - thank you!

pulse - so i tried to relocate files on the new machine last night. my music is broken down into sub folders by month and year, for example:
2015.01
2015.02
2015.03, etc
when i relocated a file and ask it to relocate all the other files in that directory, it only finds the other files in that particular folder (2015.03 for example). is there a way for it to look in all the surrounding subfolders? i'm starting to think it would be easier to reinstall my OS and rename the User to be the same as my laptop, so that the path is exactly the same.

Did you select ALL the files then locate the parent folder?

i selected all the files, but it doesn't allow you to select a folder, it makes you select the actual file.