How do I use itunes from an external HDD on a new laptop?

This really does seem to be an unanswerable question but you guys have helped so many times in the past without me ever having to post.
Here is my set up when I first got iTunes way back I had it on my first laptop, we'll call this PC A, but the Hard Drive was so small I moved the library to my external HDD. I say I moved it, a friend did it for me.
For years this set up worked fine, iTunes was on the HDD and I would access it via PC A as long as the two were connected. If the HDD wasnt connected then I couldnt access iTunes, of course, as all of the library was stored on the HDD.
I dont want to sound like I am talking to you all like idiots but Ive explained this so many times and people never know what I mean.
So now I get another laptop. (PC B)  but obviously I cant get to iTunes from it even when the HDD is attached.
For years I used to crank up old PC A and get to iTunes that way but now the old girl is on her last legs so I need to be able to access iTunes from PC B (this has been going on so long Im now looking for PC C).
I do have iTunes on PC B that my iPhone is synced to and they seem to understand that each other exists but if I plug my iPod that is synced with iTunes from PC A with PC B it wipes it
Please. Please. I just need to know what to do

Make a split library portable
Here are the typical layouts for the iTunes folders:
In the layout above, 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 can rearrange things to make a split library portable by taking a number of small steps which don't break the library.
Before you start any media files that are outside of the media folder will need to be consolidated. If the library is in the old style layout then it should ideally be be upgraded to iTunes Media Organisation (Library > Organise Library > Rearrange files in the folder <Media Folder>) to ensure that iPod Games, Mobile Applications etc. are brought inside the media folder.
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. (I.e. in this form the libary is portable).
If you have already moved/copied the media content from a subfolder of the library folder to a different location then you only need to copy the library files for it to appear as if you have moved the entire library in the way allowed above. I.e. just copy the library files into the parent folder of the media 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 making the library portable in advance of migrating it from one system to another, don't forget to deauthorise the old computer if you're not planning to use iTunes on it again.

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