Change app download folder

Question

i have 2 hard drives, a 60GB (Windows 7) system SSD and a 2 TB HDD. my SSD is filling up because i initially installed some programs, most notebly itunes, after building my computer not knowing how much the folder size could expand. i have been able to move all my media to the HDD and have it work with itunes fine, but whenever i update apps, it keeps downloading onto the SSD even though i have changed the place where media is downloaded in my itunes prefrences. is there a way to change where apps are downloaded too or am i stuck having to cut and past them to my HDD every time i up date my apps?

Answer 1

Here are the typical layouts for the iTunes folders:
From what you say it sounds like you have a split library in the old layout. This leaves the Mobile Applications folder inside the library folder on the C:\.
You can use File > Library > Organize Library > Reorganize files in the folder "<Media Folder>" and then File > Library > Organize Library > Consolidate files to get iTunes to store apps inside the iTunes Media folder.
In the layout above right, with the media folder (everything in the red box) inside the library folder, the library is considered to be portable. A portable library can be moved from one path to another without breaking the links between the library and the media and being self-contained is much easier to backup (You do backup, don't you?).
You can rearrange things to make a split library portable by taking a number of small steps which don't break the library.
The basic non-fatal manipulations are:
You can connect to an alternate set of library files by holding down Shift (Win) or Option (Mac) when starting iTunes.
You can move the library files to a new location as long as the media stays put.
You can move the library files and the media together if the media folder is a direct subfolder of the library folder.
You can rename the media folder to iTunes Media (if it isn't already) if the media folder is inside the library folder.
iTunes uses the name of the folder holding the library files as the window title. Having made a library "portable" you may need to take a final step of renaming the library folder to iTunes or, if the library files have ended up at the root of a drive, moving all of the library files and content folders into a new folder called iTunes.
After each change you need to open, test and close the relevant library before attempting another change. If a change broke the library, undo it or revert to using the previous set of library files.
In essence all you need to do to make your library portable is copy the library files into the parent folder of the media folder on the external/secondary drive and use the hold-down-shift/option-when-starting-iTunes method to connect to it. Other manipulations may be required to normalize the library so that the library and media folders have standard names.
If you are interested I can give specific steps for your circumstances.
tt2