Help managing iTunes library on external hard drive

I moved my iTunes library to a WD Mybook Live in order to free up disk space on my main computer. But in the process of transferring the library to the external hard drive, I accidentally made duplicates of each song. I want to delete the extra songs, but the "Show Duplicate Items" command isn't working when I try to use it on the library on my external hard drive. (That command works fine for songs stored on the local hard drive of the computer, but the command is "dimmed" and not clickable when I try to use it for the library on the external hard hard drive.) Also, I notice that I cannot use iTunes to delete songs on the external hard drive.  (However, I *can* delete songs on the external hard drive manually by using Windows Explorer.) So I'm puzzled. How can I use the "Show Duplicate Items" command to help me delete thousands of duplicate songs on my external hard drive? Does iTunes disallow certain kinds of access to shared libraries? Why would iTunes not let me delete these songs when I can go into Windows Explorer and delete them. Help! Thanks. (I'm running iTunes 11.1)

As long as you don't have an existing library that is synced with a device or holds oodles of carefully crafted playlists, ratings etc. then...
Hold down shift as you start iTunes. You should get an option to choose or create a library. Click create, browse to root of the external drive and click save so that your library is say X:\iTunes where X: is the letter of your external drive. All new content downloaded to the library will stay on the external drive.
See this user tip for a backup strategy.
tt2

Similar Messages

  • Help with iTunes library on external hard drive

    Hi!
    I have a new computer and I don't want to put anything in it but the programs I need. When it comes to movies, music, etc. I have an external hard drive.
    Now, I want my iTunes to read the music from that hard drive, and, when I download something (more music, podcasts, apps, etc.) I'd like them to go straight to the folder "iTunes" that I created in that hard drive.
    I had a look at a few pages and people where only talking about creating back-ups, but I don't need that, because I have a second HD that I'll use for that.
    Someone told me to do this:
    Go to the File Menu, then choose Add Folder to Library. Then navigate to your external drive and folder where your music is to add it. Then all you have to do is download your new stuff to that folder.
    I did that and the podcasts I had in the external HD showed up there, but when I downloaded a new one, it downloaded onto my computer. What I want to do is have my iTunes library on an external HD and when I download from iTunes I want it to go straight to that external HD so I don't clog up my computer.
    I have iTunes 10.6. something =)
    Thank youuuuu very much!!!! =)

    As long as you don't have an existing library that is synced with a device or holds oodles of carefully crafted playlists, ratings etc. then...
    Hold down shift as you start iTunes. You should get an option to choose or create a library. Click create, browse to root of the external drive and click save so that your library is say X:\iTunes where X: is the letter of your external drive. All new content downloaded to the library will stay on the external drive.
    See this user tip for a backup strategy.
    tt2

  • Need help using music library on external hard drive

    Here is my scenario. I am hoping some one can help me as I have been having a heck of time trying to figure this out. I am what you would call newbie to Mac(I just purchased macBook) so bear with me).
    I have a iTunes library on an external hard drive that was created using Windows PC machine. I now would like to use the same library on my Mac. How can I get the Mac to connect to the iTunes Music on the external hard drive?
    This is what I have done so far. I have been able to network the Mac with my current network so it does see the external hard drive.
    BTW, I would like to achieve this without having iTunes open on Windows machine. I know about the sharing option in iTunes but I have discovered that it only works if I have iTunes open on the Windows machine. This may not always be the case so this is why i am hoping their is an alternative to get the mac to connect to the library on the external hard drive.
    I look forward to help on this one.
    ...Bruce

    Maybe I did not explain myself clearly. All I want to do is be able to listen to the music in my itunes library on external hard drive on my new MacBook. I am thinking all I will have to do is create the itunes database file on my Mac using the music in my library(on external HD).

  • Backup and restoring itunes library from external hard drive?

    is there a way to backup and restore my itunes library to external hard drive and not through the internal itunes backup utility cos i have over 20gbs of music and i want to keep my album art and renamed songs etc. because i will be reformating my pc and dont want to go through painful task of manually adding stuff again.

    Try this...
    *Fast backup for iTunes library (Windows Only)*
    Grab SyncToy 2.0, a free tool from MS. Use it to create a backup copy of your iTunes library & any other media folders onto another hard drive or network share. After making the initial backup copy use SyncToy to periodically synchronise the backup copy with your library and only the changed files will be copied saving lots of time.
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  • ITunes Library to External Hard Drive...and iTunes Match???

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    I recommend you keep everything inside the iTunes folder.
    Quit iTunes.
    Copy the entire /Music/iTunes/ folder from internal to external.
    Hold Option and launch iTunes.
    Select Choose library... and select the iTunes folder you copied to the external.
    This is all you need to do. Everything will work normally.
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  • Moved iTunes Library to External Hard Drive - having trouble - HELP!

    I have had quite the ordeal...upgraded my Mac iBook G4 from os 9 to os x 10 Tiger.
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    What else should I do to ensure I free up hard drive space, without jeopordizing my precious music files?
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    With iTunes 7.x you can transfer iTS purchases from the ipod back into iTunes.
    To prevent your iPod from syncing - hold down the 'option' and  keys at the same time when plugging in your iPod. Keep the keys held down until the iPod show up in iTunes.
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  • Having trouble transferring iTunes library to external hard drive

    I cant seem to be able to copy my iTunes 11.4  library (Macbook Pro) to my External Hard Drive ( Free Agent GoFlex Drive 500 GB). Could I get some help with this? I have tried what it has told me to do on the apple site. It just wont let me drag it to the hard drive.

    iTunes: How to move [or copy] your music to a new computer [or another drive] - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4527
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  • Can't import entire iTunes library from external hard drive

    I recently had to reset my IBM ThinkPad T40 (Windows XP) to factory settings. Of course, I backuped up my iTunes library on an external hard drive, and there didn't seem to be any problems doing so. (I've had to do the same thing before) But I can't re-import the entire library now! It only imports about a thousand songs (I had about 5,000), and I get an error message saying "The file iTunes Library.itl~ cannot be imported becuase it does not appear to be a valid exported file.") I also tried to import a previous back-up (stored in a different folder, and it wouldn't import all of those files, either -- no more than in the more recent backup files) either. I've tried re-downloading the iTunes software several times. Help!!!!
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    This seems to have deleted ALL of my iTunes. The folder (and all iTunes files) is still there on my backup, but now the newly-installed iTunes won't import ANYTHING (It at least imported about 1,000 (out of 5,000) songs before. But now it says all files are invalid, regardless of where I attempt to import them from. (although the names of some playlists import -- but they're empty files) It appears that SOME of the music files are located on the backup copy, but simply won't import. Perhaps they're corrupted?

  • Migrating iTunes library from external hard drive to new laptop

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    tonybassplayer wrote:
    Thank Chris I have just done that. How do I now get them in to Itunes ?
    If you simply copy the iTUnes folder to /Music/ and launch iTUnes, everythign will be there. No need to import anything.
    This will work the same with iPhoto.
    Simply copy the Photo library to /Pictures/ folder and launch iPhoto.

  • 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

  • Re: Best Way to (Continuously) Back up iTunes Library to External Hard Drive

    Hello friends :
    My iTunes music library is getting rather large and I feel it's time to "properly" back it up to an external hard drive.
    I understand that you can back up your iTunes music folder to an external hard drive by the simple old "click and drag" approach using Windows Explorer.
    What I'd like to know is ... after intially copying the entire iTunes music folder onto the external drive, how can I achieve regular back-ups where only the files, playlists, etc. that have changed since the last back up are then added to the external drive . . . rather than having to copy the entire rather large folder all over again (and again)?
    Hopefully, you know what I mean!  Thanks for your help.

    The first time I backed up my iTunes on an external drive, it took a 1 hour +. Do I basically need to start over on my external hard drive? Or is there an easier/faster way?
    Yes there is a faster way.
    Check this out -> Backup your iTunes for Windows library with SyncToy
    Don't change the library location or hold Option to update the backup on the external.

  • How to get ITunes library from external hard drive to new PC

    have ITunes folder from dying PC saved on external hard drive. PC now dead. New PC has Windows7, and have loaded ITunes.
    Now need to know exactly what to do to get all that lovely music from the external hard drive onto the new Windows7 PC. The ITunes folder has the following inside it:
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    ITunesMusicLibrary.xml
    ITunesLibraryGenius.itdb
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    the whole point of doing frequent backups was to not lose anything. Note: did NOT use apple for backups, just regular backup program. Can see the files and folders, just need to knkow what to do.
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    Drag and drop the whole folder into the iTunes application.
    The iTunes application meaning your library once iTunes is open

  • Moving iTunes Library to external hard drive when iTunes can't consolidate.

    Hi guys, hope you can help.
    I want to move my whole iTunes library to an external hard drive and then delete it all from my laptop, and from reading around I realise I have to consolidate the library into the iTunes music folder. However, as my internal hard drive on my laptop is completely full, iTunes won't let me do this, saying I don't have enough space. Is getting the libary into the iTunes music folder the only way of getting it onto the external hard drive?
    I can't really free up much space on the laptop as most of it (45 out of 60Gb) is the music I want to transfer!
    Thanks very much!

    Over half of my stuff isn't there.
    Isn't where? In iTunes or not in the iTunes folder?\>Is it possible to copy the iTunes music folder from my laptop to the external, and consolidate from iTunes directly onto there?
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    You can then delete \Music\iTunes\Media\ folder and hunt around the internal and delete all the other songs that were not in the iTunes folder.

  • How do I transfer iTunes Library from external hard drive to another drive?

    I have filled by 160GB drive with my iTunes music library so I am purchasing a 400GB external drive. I want to transfer the entire library to the bigger drive. Can I simply drag via fire wire then entire libarary to the new drive and then "tell" by iTunes Mac where it is? Any step by step would be appreciated.
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    I just posted this to another topic, but it applies here as well. Hopefully there's no prohibition on cross-posting on this board, my apologies to all if there is:
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    20" Intel iMac 14" iBook G4, 233 MHz Beige G3   Mac OS X (10.4.5)  

  • I am having trouble moving itunes library to external hard drive

    It is a WD My book essential external hard drive (1 tb) that I just bought. I already have a ton of files I put on from my PC and I want to get my itunes library from my mac. When I try and drag the itunes folder into the hard drive folder it says  somthing like "Can not move 'itunes' because 'music' can not be modified'" help please. Not sure about the oporating system I added below.

    i'm guessing but could the WD be NTFS formatted ?
    if so, your Mac can only read from, but not write to it. you may have to install the NTFS 3G driver for it to work.
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