Trouble importing music files into iTunes

I cannot get all my music files/folders into iTunes. They are all on an external hard-drive in a folder called "our music". Prior windows 7 i used to point to this folder and all 3000 imported. Now they only impport 191. I have re-installed several times no luck. I also get when i go to any of the folders/files an error message stating i do not have permission to access this file. If I look at properties, it has read only and "cannot display owner" in fields. I have tried to re-assign owner via edit option and take off read only property - but an error message received that it can't do that without owner permission and go to security tab. I still then get the same message.

I have just had to re-install everything as I had Windows 7 about month ago first put on, and i didn't have these problems then. I think i must have set something up in security but i can't see any options to change that would prevent this from happening - As I have spent the last 4 weekends uninstalling etc as the image I created wouldn't load either, and system restore couldn't complete. I really do not fancy having to do the lot again, if i can trace the error it would be great.

Update: I have just tried copying from my backup music sata drive into a new folder and i do not get these problems. I have a thought- I setup a folder in my documents- and created shortcuts to my external drive on the desktop and then put them into the my documents folder so that I didn't have to keep going to my computer or explorer to open the external hard drives. Could they have had document "read only" settings applied to them, being in a document folder????? Just a thought, cos something I did differently has resulted in the change, and neither windows media player, realone or itunes is able to play them now.

Would anyone have any views on this to help me understand this problem so i don't repeat it.