Can i keep itunes content on an external hard drive

how to keep itunes content on an external hard drive

Thanks Niel, I tried it and got this. What am I missing

Similar Messages

  • What is the best way to manage itunes content using an external hard drive connected to airport extreme?

      Just a little history on what I've already tried. I have my itunes folder on my external hard drive with an alias linking to my macbook pro. My hard drive is networked from airport extreme. Streaming content is not a problem. Syncing my iphone is the problem. I just get the pinwheel and a message stating sync unsuccessful because itunes was unable to connect. It takes a very long time to change any settings in itunes for mu phone.I have 8g of ram so that shouldn't be a problem. Any help would be appricated.

    The best solution would be two different types of backups, one local (in your own home) and one elsewhere. So, option 3 is the "best" solution.
    I, personally, use Crashplan to backup all of my computers because it's much more convenient than an external hard drive.
    With an external hard drive, you can either use Time Machine to create the historical/incremental backups OR you can create a bootable clone periodically using SuperDuper! or Carbon Copy Cloner.
    I don't know of any way to make the machines mirror images of one another - as far as I know, the best you could do is transfer data from one to the other at time of purchase and then use something like DropBox to keep files in sync.
    ~Lyssa

  • Bought a MBA and am trying to keep iTunes files on an external hard drive. Having problems.

    Hi, I bought a MBA 13" and want to keep my iTunes files on an external hard drive to save space.However, I keep running into problems. I can't get the iTunes Media folder to stay on the folder in my external hard drive. Whenever I unplug it, regardless if iTunes is open or not, it changes back to the media file on the MBA. I tried renaming the media folder and deleting it, but the computer just makes another if I do that and then ends up deleting my whole library, forcing me to load it all back from my hard drive. Can anyone help me out on this? Thanks.

    In iTunes 11 uncheck the preferences setting in in the iTunes Preferences panel "Advanced > Copy Files to iTunes Media folder when adding to Library"

  • I can't load some content from my external hard drive to itunes,

    I can't load some content from 1 of my external hard drive to itunes, it can see it and try to load the folder / files but it doesn't appear, these files worked recently as some of them are currently on my ipod touch - I had to factory restore my laptop this week (virus) so have been trying to put everything back on to sync ipod - any ideas???

    To delete files from your external HDD, attach it to your MBP and drag the unwanted files to trash and then empty trash.
    Then you select the files that you want to transfer by 'drag and drop' to the external HDD and trash the files on your MBP.
    Ciao.

  • Can't change itunes library location to external hard drive

    I did have my itunes library location set to an external disk (my time capsule) and this worked great with my macbook pro. However, the macbook pro "died" last week and now I'm trying to set my new replacement imac itunes library to also be the external hard drive. 
    The advance tab on itunes preferences indicates that library location is set as requested however, I can't see any of my music in my itunes window.
    I could of course just copy my music on to my new computer but that'll take ages and I'd rather keep it on the time capsule.
    Many thanks
    Anna

    So the additional step  need to do was make sure the copy files to itunes media folder is unchecked and the go to itunes>files>add to library then select my itunes music folder in my itunes location on the time capsule. Done!
    Answer was found here http://www.macworld.com/article/46248/2005/08/shiftitunes.html

  • Keeping iTunes library on an external hard drive

    Hi,
    I am about to order a 1 TB external hard drive to store my photos and iTunes library on.
    It will have Firewire 800, so will my iTunes access files on the external drive as fast if they were the internal drive? ( and will iPhoto do the same? )
    Cheers.

    Hi, I am also having trouble moving my library. I've looked at a million threads related to this and it looks like other people have had similar issues, but I still can't seem to resolve it. I moved my iTunes music folder from one external hard drive to a larger one. then I went into iTunes-->Preferences-->Advanced, and selected the new location on the new hard drive. Then I clicked file-->Library-->Consolidate Library. Now when I click songs, I still get the message "The song "..." could not be used because the original file could not be found." I also tried quitting out of iTunes, and then opening it while holding option. Even after I selected the new location of the folder that way, I'm still running into the same problem. What am I missing?
    Jon

  • How can I transfer iTunes backup from my external hard drive to a USB thumb drive via my MacBook Air?

    I sold my MacBook Pro to downsize to a more managable MacBook Air. I backed up iTunes to my external HD before selling my Pro, but don't have room for my whole library to the Air until I upgrade the size of my SSD. I want to see if I can transfer just the iTunes library from my external HD to a thumb drive using my MacBook.
    Also, is there a way to manage and edit my iTunes library on my external HD so I can at least download some of the library to my Air?

    This forum is for questions from those managing sites on iTunes U, Apple's service for colleges and universities to post educational material in the iTunes Store. You'll be most likely to get help with this issue if you ask in the general iTunes forums.
    Regards.

  • Itunes library on an external hard drive for the Ipad?

    Does anyone know of a way that I can access an iTunes library through an external hard drive on the ipad?  Currently, I have an external hard drive connected through an airport base station.  From my ipad, I can connect to this hard drive and see all my media files (using the FileBrowser app); however I cannot create playlists or let the music play on a loop.  Is there a way I can import this library of music into itunes and still have it reference the external hard drive location? 
    I have this setup on my computer to keep the hard drive clean and am trying to do the same with the hard drive. 
    Any suggestions?

    I have my iTunes library on my hard drive, but keep a number of mp3's on an external hard drive..but here are some things I looked at to get an idea how to best manage this:
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1473 ( adding content on your computer to iTunes section..important to avoid duplication)
    https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2723211
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1364
    Hope this helps. 

  • TS1967 In the past, when I updated iTunes, some items would be 'lost'. I quit updating, still running 10.6 i do keep my files on an external hard drive, which I plug in before starting iTunes. If I leave the drive off, and update, would that keep me from

    In the past, when I updated iTunes, some items would be 'lost'. I quit updating, still running 10.6. I do keep my files on an external hard drive, which I plug in before starting iTunes. If I leave the drive off, and update, would that keep me from losing any files? Also, does anyone know how to search the iTunes store by price? I'm particularly interested in movies and audiobooks... Thanks

    iTunes does not have provision for automatically storing one kind of media on a separate drive, so you have some basic decisions to make first.  Do you want these movies to still appear in your iTunes library, or are you content with browsing filenames on a drive in Finder when you want to look for one?  The second's the easiest thing because then you don't have to have an external drive permanently turned on and attached to your computer (wired or wireless).  To do that you literelly only need to drag your movies folder to an archive drive and delete movies from iTunes.  To watch them again you can add it back to iTunes while holding down the option key so the movie is used from its location on the external drive.
    There's ways to move the movies to an external drive while keeping them in iTunes but the external drive iwll always have to be turned on and connected to the computer or you will see a bunch of broken link exclamation marks.
    Realize what you are talking about is not "backup".  Backup (which you should do) is putting a second or more copy of items on external drives for the day when your internal drive fails and everything on it is lost, inclduing all your home photos and perhaps things that have been pulled from the iTunes Store and can no longer be re-downloaded.

  • How do I Play videos from external hard drive on Apple TV2?  Can I just move the iTunes Library to the External Hard Drive?

    I have several HD videos stored on an external hard drive and would like to bring them into iTunes and play them via iTunes on my Apple TV2, but I am not sure how to go about it.  I don't want to store the movies on my iMac hard drive because it would eat up to much space...so do I just move the iTunes Library to the external hard drive?  And, if so...will the Apple TV2 find the iTunes Library on the external hard drive?  Thanks for any help anyone can suggest.

    iTunes content on an external drive isn't a problem.
    The simplest method is to just move your library to an external drive.
    If you wanted to keep just movies on an external drive, that's a little more difficult. You'd need to put the movies where you want them to reside on the external drive and add drag and drop them onto iTunes while holding down the option key. Obviously any movies already in iTunes would need moving from their current location and removing from iTunes first.

  • Is it possible to keep all iTunes media on an external hard drive and not on my Mac Book and have ITunes still function?

    Let me begin by saying I'm new to the Mac world as well as to the realm of online forums so I apologize if this is a question that was already asked and/or if it is a very noobish question...
    But anyway, I just recently got the new Macbook Pro 15" with RD and I am curious if I can keep all of my Itunes media on an external hard drive without keeping any of it on the Macbook itself and have Itunes still function (when the HD is connected of course). I am trying to keep the computer memory clutter free and not fill it up with music and stuff so I want to keep all of my media on a 1T Buffalo external hard drive so the computer stays like brand new for a long time..Right now I have about 5G worth of music on my hard drive and I thought it was only on the hard drive and I just recently found out that it is also within the music folder on the computer itself. Any thoughts? Sorry if it is an odd question, I can try to rephrase the question if need be. Any tips or advice is greatly appreciated, Thanks!

    Quick answer if you use iTunes' default preferences settings:  Copy the entire iTunes folder (and in doing so all its subfolders and files) intact to the other drive.  Open iTunes and immediately hold down the Option (alt) key (shift on Windows), then guide it to the iTunes Library.itl file in the moved iTunes folder.
    If you put the copied iTunes folder in the default location of Macintosh HD > Users > *User Name* > Music  then you don't even need to start with the option key held down, iTunes will automatically look for it there.  (Make sure there isn't anything already in the iTunes folder there that you want to keep since you will be replacing it with the one you are moving.)
    Longer answers if for any reason you do not think all library files are inside your iTunes folder (changed preferences settings at some point):
    iTunes: How to move [or copy] your music [library] to a new computer [or another drive] - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4527 - a somewhat bewildering and not always easily understandable set of options.
    For the record there's this reference for iTunes 11 but it really doesn't strike me as having the specifics you need. iTunes 11 for Mac: Move your library to another computer - http://support.apple.com/kb/PH12168
    2011 ilounge article: Transferring your iTunes library - http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/articles/comments/moving-your-itunes-library-to -a-new-hard-drive/  - An article with good background information (similar to the links above), particularly if you are not sure your media files are all grouped for quick answer above. Unfortunately under the single term "transferring library" it describes two very different moves; relocating just your media (not  really transferring your library and not recommended unless you really need this configuration), and relocating media+database (really your whole "library").  Make sure you understand the difference before electing to move only media.

  • Can I sync my itunes account with an external hard drive to save memory on my computer?

    I have a computer with limited space, so I transferred my itunes library to an external hard drive.  Now my problem is syncing my itunes account on my computer with my itunes library on the external hard drive.  Can someone explain how to sync these two up?

    When iTunes launches it looks for a iTunes Library .XML file in your Music/iTunes Folder, if it's not there, then it creates one.
    So you got the entire iTunes Folder on the powered external drive (you also should have a backup someplace too)
    Now launch iTunes and then quit it.
    Look in your external drive iTunes Folder for a iTunes Library .XML file, copy that and replace the new one in your iTunes Folder on your boot drive.
    Now open this .XML file in a Text program that has "Find and Replace" ability, you have to take all the old pathnames to your content and replace them with the new pathname.
    For instance \Windows\Users\Mark\Music\iTunes Folder
    should now be something like this:
    \DriveB\MusicFolder\iTunes Folder
    Get the idea? your replacing all the partial pathnames to match the new drive.
    You need to have the external drive mounted and ready, then launch iTunes which will look for the .XML file in your boot drive >iTunes Folder, then when you click to play a song, instead of it finding it in your boot drive iTunes Folder, it's in your external drive iTunes Folder.

  • HT1151 I have my iTunes library on an external hard drive that was connected to a PC, now I want to connect to my new iMac and load the iTunes library onto that computer, can I do that?

    I have my iTunes library on an external hard drive that was connected to a PC, now I would like to connect that hard drive my new iMac and load the iTunes library onto that computer, can I do that?  Looking for a solution that keeps me from re-ripping my CD collection.

    Here are the official Apple Support instructions:
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4527
    Ciao.

  • I have two apple id's one from my old laptop and one from my iPhone. I saved my iTunes library to my external hard drive and then tried to transfer it to my iMac. My music skips like a scratched cd now and I can't add any to my iPhone. Help please!

    I have two apple id's one from my old laptop and one from my iPhone. I saved my iTunes library to my external hard drive right before my old mac laptop died and then tried to transfer it to my new iMac. Now when I try to play my old music it skips like a scratched cd. Also, now I can't add any music to my iPhone unless it was purchased recently through itunes and downloaded through icloud. I tried to "Organize" my library in hopes of correcting the problem but my iMac just ejects my external harddrive part way through. Please help!

    Ejects the harddrive?
    Of what did your old Mac die?
    It sounds to me like you have some file corruption somewhere.  Either in the transfer of your library to the external or the external itself is flaky if it keeps ejecting.

  • I keep my library on an external hard drive 4TB.  It's full.  Can I use more than one hard drive to keep my library on?

    I keep my iTunes library on an external hard drive 4TB.  It's full.  Can I use more than one hard drive to keep my library on? Like two 4TB next to each other.

    Create a concatenated disk set
    Increase storage space with a concatenated RAID set (also called “Just a Bunch of Disks” or JBOD). If you need one large disk, but you have only several smaller disks, you can create a concatenated disk set to use several small disks as one large disk.
    Open Disk Utility, in the Utilities folder in Launchpad.
    Select one of the disks that you want in the set, and then click RAID.
    Click Add (+), and type a name for the RAID set.
    Choose a format from the Format pop-up menu. Usually you’ll choose the Mac OS Extended (Journaled) format.
    Choose Concatenated Disk Set from the RAID Type pop-up menu.
    Drag the disks you want to add to the set to the list on the right.
    Click Create.
    Exerpt from:
    Disk Utility 12.x: Create a RAID set - Apple - Support
    Note that the biggest CON to concatenated RAID configurations is vulnerability to volume failure. If either disk fails, the whole volume fails. If you choose this option, I would highly recommend backing up your music to a cloud service. There are very cheap per GB/storage, and some of the most reputable actually offer unlimited storage:
    Five Best Cloud Storage Providers - Lifehacker

Maybe you are looking for