Audio players not detecting media

For a little while now, my computer has not been recognizing my media. If I
move through the file structure and select the tracks they will still play,
playlists will still play, and I can still create new playlists by dragging
music into Media Player 11 and probably any other audio player, but there is
no standing library for any of them. My iTunes library had disappeared, I
got rid of itunes because I do not like it, however it is also occurring in
windows media player and media center, as well as Ruckus. With Ruckus I can
download new music and about half of it stays in the library but almost
everything I had before this began is gone, and I cannot update the licenses
for it. I have exhausted all of the options I know of. It does not even
detect media from my external hard drive. I have tried multiple audio
players, I have tried un- and re-installing the programs, I even deleted the
music from my main hard drive and restored it from my external. I do not
know how to proceed now.