Backing up entire iTunes library's

Hey all my HDD is on its way out clicking like a gooden! oO
I have a spare old hard drive so wanting to backup to that just in case.
My question is what's the easiest way yo back up
Apps
Music
Photos
Contacts
iPhone back-up
iPod backups
basically everything, I found the file>library>backup to disc but I am under the impression that's just music and only to CD/DVD? im using iTunes 10 and vista
many Thanks in advance!
Nick

Assuming you have the default itunes setup and files are not scattered all over your hard drive, copy these two folders
C:\users\username\Music\iTunes
(this holds the itunes library database and the itunes library content .)
c:\Users\(username)\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup\
(this holds hte iphone backups)

Similar Messages

Backing up entire iTunes library to DVD

I am trying to backup my library to a dvd by file, library, backup to DVD. I am able to check the fields in the backup box but when I hit the backup, it does nothing. I cannot use the cancel button either. If I close this box, I get another box which states I need to highlight the playlist I want to backup. I want to backup the entire library.

mary.e wrote:
...when I hit the backup, it does nothing. I cannot use the cancel button either. If I close this box, I get another box which states I need to highlight the playlist I want to backup. I want to backup the entire library.
Mary,
Nowadays people don't back up to CD/DVD. They get an *external hard drive* and copy over their entire iTunes folder, and whatever else they are backing up.
The advantages are (1) this method does not depend on iTunes's horribly unreliable burning capability (2) you can look at the external and see that the stuff you backed up is really there. (If you want to see an unhappy person, it is when they try to restore from CD/DVD and discover that it did not burn correctly in the first place.) (3) it lets you back up your other valuable files besides your music.

Backing up entire iTunes Library on external hard drive?

I have recently purchased an external hard drive to backup all media on my computer (photos, music etc).
However, having searched apple.com for backup advice, the only instructions available refer to creating backup discs on an a CD.
I have already copied my Itunes Library to the external hard drive. However, please can someone confirm that this is sufficient and if, in the event that everything goes wrong, the $800 of music that I have from iTunes won't disappear.
Thanks for you help

Unfortunately the iTunes backup only works with DVD/CDs.
You can simply copy your iTunes directory to the external disk, or you can use backup software outside iTunes to manage it for you. If you have XP pro you already have a backup program. If you have the home edition, it has to be installed from the Windows CD if you got one with your PC.
There is a good article on backup here:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=1522195&#1522195

HT1751 if i back up my itunes library to an external hard drive and then add subsequent music and want to back that up a few days later, can i backup the only newly added music without backing up the entire library again?

hello,
if i back up my itunes library to an external hard drive and then add subsequent music and want to back up the newly added music a few days later, can i do it without backing up the entire library again? or do i need to back up the entire library each and every time i back up to the external hard drive?

Just copy Users/yourusername/Music/iTunes (containing your library-files) to your external drive as well as that (extaernal) folder that contains all your audio-tracks.

HT1660 I lost my entire music library when my hard drive crashed 2 wks ago. It's all on my iPod, though. I just cannot figure out how to download my iPod music BACK into my iTunes library. All they seems to address is Library - iPod. I'm not an iT geek..

Hi, I lost my entire music library when my hard drive crashed 2 wks ago. It's all on my iPod, though..but the songlist appears gray. I just cannot figure out how to download my iPod music list BACK into my iTunes library. All they seems to address is Library -> iPod transfers. I'm not an iT geek.. Help meeee!

See Recover your iTunes library from your iPod or iOS device.
tt2

I have my entire itunes library backed up to disk.

i have my entire itunes library backed up to disk. I have a macbook pro.

Re: I bought some songs from itunes: from cedar walton's CD one flight down. The CD is no longer available on itunes, and when i play any of those songs, none of them play all the way through. I have not received any error messages. What can i do? Please

Unfortunately I have deleted my entire itunes library and back up from my computer, is there any way I can copy my ipod nano back onto my computer into the itunes library? and re-download all the tunes I have purchased from I tunes.

Unfortunately I have deleted my entire itunes library and back up from my computer, is there any way I can copy my ipod nano back onto my computer into the itunes library? and re-download all the tunes I have purchased from I tunes.

Hello bigali,
Your options are kinda limited. I would use this first:
Downloading past purchases from the App Store, iBookstore, and ...
Then check here for the non-purchased items:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2452022
You want to rebuild the library first, then sync the ipod.
Here is a good idea for when your done:
How to back up your media in iTunes
Hope this helps.
~Julian

HT4914 How do I download my entire iTunes library back to my computer and iPhone ?

The things I love about iTunes Match are:
upgraded audio quality
entire music library backed up to cloud to prevent loss
available on multiple devices anywhere*
The thing I hate about iTunes Match is that if I don't have access to WiFi or Cellular then I have NO ACCESS to my music. Since I travel often and am frequently in situations where there is no Wifi/Cellular (or it's to expensive when in another country) I'm left with no options.
My question is - How do I download my ENTIRE ITunes Library to both my computers, iphone and ipads?
I can't image clicking the "download icon" on 50,000 songs... is there a workaround for this?
thank you!
Michael

Archived - How to back up your media in iTunes
If you use a regular CD, then you will need a lot (depending on how many songs, videos, or apps) I recommend using DVDs so that way, you can store a lot. (CDs hold up to 800MB or 80min.; DVDs hold up to 4.7GB or 120 min.)

How do I back up the songs from my entire itunes library (plus extra)?

I want to update my iTunes from iTunes 7 to iTunes 8. And I want to back up my entire iTunes library first (just in case some crap goes down, lol), but I don't want to just back up the songs without all the information that comes along with it (Date Added, Rating, etc.). Is there a way I could do that? Thanks in advance.

Consolidating pulls in copies of any files that are outside the iTunes Music folder. It's up to you where you store your music but if it's outside the iTunes Music folder then this approach may cause problems. If you want to back up your library then backup everything. There are two approaches - one is to copy everything exactly as it's laid out now to a new location from where you could pick & choose what to copy back in the event of a disaster. The other is to use iTunes built-in backup program, or that of a 3rd party, to backup to DVD or files in some proprietry format and hope you can restore them when the time comes.
I use SyncToy 2.0, a free tool from MS. Copy your entire iTunes folder & any other media folders onto another hard drive or network share. After making your initial backup copy use SyncToy to periodically synchronise or echo your library to the backup. A preview will show which files need to be updated giving you a chance to spot unexpected changes and during the run only the changed files will be copied saving lots of time.
If you do keep all your Music inside the *iTunes\iTunes Music* folder then, as a bonus, a library backed up in this fashion can also be opened and tested using the "Hold down SHIFT while launching iTunes" feature which lets you choose a new library.
If you are only interested in backing up the organisational part of the library, so you could roll back after upgrading for example, copy all of the main iTunes folder and it's subfolders, except for *iTunes Music*, to your backup location.
tt2

I accidentally deleted my entire iTunes library after updating my iTunes. Is there any way that I can get these songs back?

After clicking on an update for iTunes, the only change I noticed was the addition of about 9000 sound bytes, which was ridiculous and wasteful. I started to delete all the sound bytes, but that was going to be a huge chore. Instead, I moved the songs I had in my library to a playlist called "backup library." I then chose to "select all" under edit to highlight the rest of the 9000 soundbytes and delete these in one click. At first, this seemed to work. I still had the saved songs in my playlist, and the 9000 sound bytes went to the recycle bin. I then emptied the recycle bin to get rid of the sound bytes. When I checked iTunes again, there were no songs anywhere in the library or playlists. Is there any thing you can do to help restore all of these songs (and none of the sound bytes) to my IPOD Classic? Is my account saved with a back-up of everything I had saved in my iTunes library and playlists?
I have about 1500 songs in my IPOD Classic that are not affected by this error. Is there a way that I can transfer all of these songs back into my iTunes library?
I would appreciate any help with this problem.

Hello bigali,
Your options are kinda limited. I would use this first:
Downloading past purchases from the App Store, iBookstore, and ...
Then check here for the non-purchased items:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2452022
You want to rebuild the library first, then sync the ipod.
Here is a good idea for when your done:
How to back up your media in iTunes
Hope this helps.
~Julian

HT1751 I need to uninstall and reinstall iTunes (it won't let me update). So, how do I copy or back up my iTunes library of over 1,500 songs? Can I use a Flash Drive to do so?

I need to uninstall and reinstall iTunes (it won't let me update). I have IE 8 on Windows XP, and iTunes 10 something. In my Program files list I see iTunes and iTunes (2) and even iPod and iPod (2) where a tech had to back up and do this for me before. I'm just trying to fix it all. I keep getting the "The feature you are trying to use is on a network resource that is unavailable. Click OK to try again, or enter an alternate path to a folder containing the installation package 'iTunes.msi' in the box below." I can even run a search and find the folder, but it gives me the same error message. I was planning on using the Microsoft Fix-It tool to help uninstall then Reinstall iTunes. But I need to backup my library. So, how do I copy or back up my iTunes library of over 1,500 songs? Can I copy the folder to desktop or can I use a Flash Drive to backup my music? I don't want to do anything until I know for sure how I can backup my songs, and then reinstall them into iTunes. Thanks for any help.

Ok, thanks that helps. I don't have an external hard drive though. What about backing up through 'the cloud'? I'm just wondering since my husband syncs his iPod to the PC through iTunes and he's worried that he will lose all the songs on his iPod if the library is lost from iTunes and he tries to 'sync' it up again. I'm not exactly sure how to 'copy the entire iTunes folder' either. I kinda suck at this unless I have step by step instructions, which I haven't found yet on iTunes help or other sources.
The only way I know how to back anything up is by going back to a restore point, etc. (as stated before, we don't have an external hard drive.)
Thanks for the info.

Somehow my entire itunes library got deleted ... I have the old ipod nano, which does not connect with iCloud so it has all been saved there, BUT .. I cannot load all my music that I put on and I no longer have the cd's PLEASE HELP!!!!

PLEASE HELP!!! Somehow my entire iTunes library got deleted, and I cannot sync all my music that I put on from cd's (which I no longer have). All the purchased music has been synced, but nothing else! All my other devices are synced with iCloud and lost the material as well ... I am so frustrated, because the nano has not been working properly, and I am afraid of losing it forever, and of course the cd's I backed everything with are MIA!!!! GRRR! Please HELP!!!
Thank you so much!

I can't tell from your post what you have and what you don't have. Are you saying the files are no longer on your computer, no longer on your iPod, or both?

How can I back-up my Itunes library?

I need to have my MAC (Snow Leopard) hard drive replaced. How can I back up my iTunes Library?

Just drag-copy the entire iTunes folder, presuming all your content is in that folder, to your backup device.
Regards.

How do I back-up my itunes library in newest version of itunes?

How do I back-up my itunes library in newest version of itunes?

Fast backup for iTunes library (Windows)
Grab SyncToy 2.1, a free tool from MS. This can be used to copy your entire iTunes library (& other important data folders) onto another hard drive or network share. You can then use SyncToy periodically to synchronise or echo your library to the backup. A preview will show which files need to be updated giving you a chance to spot unexpected changes and during the run only the new or updated files will be copied saving lots of time.
If your media is all organised below the main iTunes folder then you should also be able to open the backup library on any system running the same version of iTunes, regardless of the drive letter or path it appears on.
Step-by-step guide to using SyncToy.
tt2

How do I remove entire iTunes library that has duplicated itself in each individual playlist???

Hi,
Further to my previous posting yesterday I have somehow miraculously managed to find and restore my playlist folders (although some of my playlists that I created are missing tracks for some reason - any suggestions???).
However, as happy as I am, when I click on the folder heading for each playlist eg. ADELE it drops down the playlist I have for each albumie. 19, 21 but the folder itself shows my entire iTunes library. Bizarre! Any suggestion as to how I remove the library from each individual folder?
I have added a new folder and re-named > dragged playlists into it and then deleted the old one with the entire library in, but taking into account I have a huge iTunes library it will take me hours to do this for all of my folders.
Help much appreciated! ;-))

And do I take it that the actually playlist, e.g. THE E.N.D. only shows the tracks of that album? Anyway, something has gone horribly wrong.
The easiest way to resolve this might be to go back to an earlier build of your iTunes library and then bring it up to date with any recently added content, like this:
Empty/corrupt library after upgrade/crash
Hopefully it's not been too long since you last upgraded iTunes, in fact if you get an empty/incomplete library immediately after upgrading then with the following steps you shouldn't lose a thing or need to do any further housekeeping. In the Previous iTunes Libraries folder should be a number of dated iTunes Library files. Take the most recent of these and copy it into the iTunes folder. Rename iTunes Library.itl as iTunes Library (Corrupt).itl and then rename the restored file as iTunes Library.itl. Start iTunes. Should all be good, bar any recent additions to or deletions from your library.
See iTunes Folder Watch for a tool to catch up with any changes since the backup file was created.
When you get it all working make a backup!
I would add that you probably have too many playlists. The column browser provides a way to quickly locate, for example, all tracks by an artist, in a certain genre, or specific albums. Creating multiple playlist folders for artists, with playlists for their albums, is overkill. Playlists are best used to create lists or selections that can't be pulled out easily from the Column Browser.
tt2

Backing up entire iTunes library's

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