How to move a large messy library to an external hard drive?

I have a fairly large library that is about 120 GB. My disk has absolutely no space left, and I would like to add more to iTunes. I have not been consolidating my files up to this point, which means most of my files are in various folders throughout my computer, but they are all still in itunes (I normally just drag and drop them in). I can't consolidate them now because I don't have space to copy them all again. I bought an external hard drive large enough to hold my whole library but I can't figure out how to move everything over while keeping the correct tags, ratings, etc. and even keeping all of the music that isn't in the iTunes media folder. Can somebody help me please? I don't think I will be able to add albums to the folder one by one and delete them as I go, because I have so many. Thank you!

bump

Similar Messages

How do I combine an iTunes library on an external hard drive (laptop) with an iTunes library on an external hard drive on my PC?

How can I combine the iTunes library on an external hard drive (hooked to laptop) with the iTunes library on an external hard drive (hooked to PC) so that both external HD's and both laptop and PC have all the music on each one?

no need to create a secondary library - too troublesome, IMHO. you can spread your library over as many drives you can connect to your Mac (wired or wirelessly):
iTunes > preferences > advanced.
point iTunes media folder location to the external
on the same tab, ensure the copy files ... when adding option is checkmarked
okay out of preferences
highlight the content to be moved in iTunes and right-click
select consolidate files from the pop-up menu
wait for the process to finish
when done, you may delete the original files from your boot drive.
alternatively, you could move the whole shabang to the external HD:
copy the entire iTunes folder (not just the iTunes music or media folder) from <MacintoshHD>/users/<yourname>/music to the external, launch iTunes while holding the option(⌥) key, click on choose library when prompted, and select the iTunes folder you copied to the external.
when done, be sure to point iTunes media folder location to the external so that new additions to your library will be put there. also, you need to make sure the external is mounted on your desktop before you fire up iTunes.

How do I backup my iPhoto Library to an external hard drive and keep my photos grouped by their events?

How can I backup my iPhoto Library to an external hard drive and keep my photos grouped by their events?

I have attempted to make sure my iPhoto library has been backed up on the external hard drive and that it is safe to delete some events from my internal hard drive
You need to think this through.
Time Machine is a back up application. It keeps a rolling back up of the data. It's called rolling because it means you can revert to the data you had on a specific date and time. But that's not eternal, and as time goes by, and your drive fills up, older backups are deleted. So if you delete Events on your Mac they will - eventually - also be deleted from the Time Machine back up.
If you wan tot archive data hendon't use Time Machine for that job. Here's how you might archive an iPhoto Library:
Make sure the drive is formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
1. Quit iPhoto
2. Copy the iPhoto Library from your Pictures Folder to the External Disk.
Now you have two full versions of the Library.
3. On the Internal library, trash the Events you don't want there
Now you have a full copy of the Library on the External and a smaller subset on the Internal
Some Notes:
As a general rule: when deleting photos do them in batches of about 100 at a time. iPhoto can baulk at trashing large numbers at one go.
You can choose which Library to open: Hold down the option (or alt) key key and launch iPhoto. From the resulting menu select 'Choose Library'
You can keep the Library on the external updated with new imports using iPhoto Library Manager

How can I export my iTunes Library to an external hard drive?

How can I export my iTunes Library to an external hard drive? and once i do that how can i play the library through the external drive? I basically want to be able to delete all my music on itunes once it is on my external hard drive so i can have more internal hard drive space.

Follow this guide very carefully: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1364?viewlocale=en_US
It's very easy to do....

On imac 10.6.8 using current version of Aperture. How can I access the Aperture Library on my external hard drive that I use with time machine for backup? I can only access the application but not the library..

On imac 10.6.8 using current version of Aperture. How can I access the Aperture Library on my external hard drive that I use with time machine for backup? I can only access the application but not the library..

Go into Time Machine (the program not the bundle on the extrnal disk) and using Time Machine's browser go to the Folder where the library lives. You could look in the library bundle in Time Machine but that won't really tell you much,
If you want to make sure it truely has backed up your library you will need to restore it and open the restored library with Aperture.
If all this still has you confused you need to read up on Time Machine in order to get a feel for how it works, for what it is doing and for how to restore files from it.

HT1329 How do I transfer my iTunes Library to an external hard drive?

How do I transfer my iTunes Library to an external hard drive?

See this support article:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=305451

How do I move my old iPhoto library from my external hard drive to my new Mac?

Hi guys!
I recently bought a new MacBook Air as my MacBook Pro was on its last legs... I have my backup for my old MacBook Pro on an external hard drive and I'm trying to put a selection of albums from my old iPhoto onto my new MacBook Air iPhoto. I can't simply click and drag it over as I get an error message "The iPhoto library is a Time Machine backup, and so cannot be used as the main library...". I've tried to reopen iPhoto while holding option and selecting my old iPhoto library from my external hard drive to open... AND I get the same message.
If anyone could help me out that would be amazing!
FYI: The hard drive I am using is a G|Drive mobile with Thunderbolt 1 TB.
Thank you very much in advance!
Cheers,
Kendall

I may sound like a real rookie here, but on my new MacBook Air there isn't a "Pictures" folder under "Users/kendallwilson" like there used to be on my old MacBook Pro (Early 2011). I'm still working out the new software on my MB Air, so where exactly should I open this new window to start following the steps you just provided me.
Thanks again!

How do I create an iTunes library on an external hard drive?

I have a MacBook Pro running OS10.6.8 and iTunes 10.3.1.
I have simply run out of hard drive space on my laptop.
I want to create a secondary iTune library on an external hard drive.
(I know how to create a new iTune Library - it ends up in my Music folder on my laptop hard drive).
So how do I:
a) create or move this folder to an external hard drive, and
b) once done, how do I move my video files (television programs and movies) from my laptop iTune folder to the external hard drive?
Thank you for any assistance.

no need to create a secondary library - too troublesome, IMHO. you can spread your library over as many drives you can connect to your Mac (wired or wirelessly):
iTunes > preferences > advanced.
point iTunes media folder location to the external
on the same tab, ensure the copy files ... when adding option is checkmarked
okay out of preferences
highlight the content to be moved in iTunes and right-click
select consolidate files from the pop-up menu
wait for the process to finish
when done, you may delete the original files from your boot drive.
alternatively, you could move the whole shabang to the external HD:
copy the entire iTunes folder (not just the iTunes music or media folder) from <MacintoshHD>/users/<yourname>/music to the external, launch iTunes while holding the option(⌥) key, click on choose library when prompted, and select the iTunes folder you copied to the external.
when done, be sure to point iTunes media folder location to the external so that new additions to your library will be put there. also, you need to make sure the external is mounted on your desktop before you fire up iTunes.

How do I migrate my itunes library from an external hard drive to my mac mini's internal hard drive?

I have my iTunes library on an external hard drive because my macbook pro's internal hard drive didn't have enough room. I would like to migrate or transfer the itunes files while continuing to keep my playlists. Is there a way to do that with the migration software?

Thank you for your help. My biggest concern is losing all of my sorted music into playlists. I have 124GB of music and resorting it will very difficult. When I moved the itunes library with the help of a supervisor at apple tech to the external HD I had to resort it.
Will it move the entire library and setting as they are now?

How do I copy my iTunes library to an external hard drive?

I´d like to copy (note: copy NOT export) my iTunes library to an external hard drive but I just can´t figure out how! It says that the external hard drive can not be changed, therefor I can not drag and drop the iTunes files to it. The external hard drive is called iXternal (80GB). Please help, I´m on a tight dead line!

Select the external drive on the desktop and Get Info (Command-I).
At 'Ownership & Permissions:', click on the small triangle till it points down.
Verify that 'You can Read & Write'.
You should also see a checkbox 'Ignore ownership on this volume'.
If it is not checked, check it.
Hope this helps.
M
17' iMac 800 MHz, 768 MB RAM, 200 GB HD, DL burner Mac OS X (10.4.8) iTunes 7.0.1

How can I consolidate my music library with an external hard drive?

I have moved my entire music library onto an external hard drive. However, when I want to copy a new CD at work, I often copy the music onto my laptop then have to manually transfer it to the external hard drive at home.
I thought that "consolidate" library would do this automatically for me. The problem is when I disconnect the external, the next time I open iTunes it tells me "The folder containing the iTunes Library cannot be found and is required. Please choose or create a new iTunes Library." So I choose the iTunes library that resides on my laptop in the Music folder. When I go back to using my external music folder and try to consolidate my library nothing happens. I would like to use the "consolidate library" command to copy the music from my laptop to my external hard drive. Please help!

Drag it to the internal drive.
If it contains the iTunes database files, launch iTunes with the Shift key held down, click on Choose Library, and navigate to it.
If it doesn't, drag it from there into the open iTunes application window.
(108123)

How do you transfer your itunes library from an external hard drive?

I've just bought a new internal hard drive for my macbook because I've run out of space. I'm planning on putting my itunes library on an external hard drive then putting it on the new internal hard drive... but i have no idea what the best way to do that is, since it isn't just the files that are important, my playlists and all the changes to song names need to stay intact. and also i'm gonna put snow leopard on the new hard drive if that makes any difference?
Hope some one can help me find the best way!
peacexx

I have much the same problem. I have my iTunes files on an 80GB external drive along with my iPhoto files. Currently, my MacBook Air sees and operates from the iTunes setup on the 80GB drive. To provide more space to handle these files I got a 500GB portable external drive. Now I want to bring the iTunes files back into my MBA and, when complete,put them out on the 500GB drive from which I'll operate my iTunes. This might be simpler if the MBA had two USB2 ports instead of one. I've tried the method noted in "Transferring Your iTunes Library" (http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/articles/comments/moving-your-itunes-library-to -a-new-hard-drive/), but couldn't seem to get the 80GB files back to the MBA such that iTunes would see them there. (I copied the files over, but the link's broken.) Ideas?
Thanks in advance

How can I move part of itunes library onto an external hard drive?

I have a small hard drive (160 gb) and I want to keep my music on my internal hard drive so I can take my laptop around and listen to music throughout the day, but if I want to watch a movie I can plug in my external hard drive and launch them from itunes. For example, if the external hard drive was not connected it would just say "unable to find file". Currently I have my entire itunes library on an external hardrive.
Is this possible? Any help would be greatly appreaciated.
Late 2008 Unibody Macbook
OS X 10.9.1
Itunes 11.1.3

Create a new library and transfer what you want in it from your other library. To switch between libraries hold down the OPTION key as you start iTunes. Select the one you wish to use.

How do i migrate my iTunes library to an external hard drive

I have burned a lot of movies and have a lot of music and it's maxed out my computer hard drive. How do I migrate it to an external hard drive and not lose it all? And what steps do I need to take to access my iTunes? Just have it connected all the time? Or should I just wipe a computer and use it only for iTunes?

1. Drag the entire iTunes library.
2. Yes.
3. Check that the library works and is backed up, and then delete it from the internal drive.
(109152)

How do I recover my iPhoto library from an external hard drive?

I have an ancient iMac (2006!) that has housed my photos in iPhoto ever since. I have the iPhoto library backed up (using Time Machine) on an external hard drive . Well, my computer has finally given up the ghost and won't turn on. The repair shop says it's not worth the money to repair it any longer, which I don't doubt. Before I let them dispose of it, I want to make sure I can move my iPhoto library to my husband's (2013) laptop. When I click on the iPhoto library that shows on the external hard drive menu, iPhoto opens but tells me that it cannot use a backup library as a main library. What do I do? How can I move the backup library onto another device? OR do I need to retrieve the photos somehow from my kaput desktop computer?

You can restore the library file from the Time Machine backup to a hard drive. Please visit Pondini's Time Machine FAQ for help with all things Time Machine where you will find out how that is done. Or you can simply copy your iPhoto Library file from the computer's /Home/Pictures/ folder to any external device in order to move it to another computer. Do not forget the preference file(s) located in the /Home/Library/Preferences/ folder: com.apple.iPhoto.plist. Also, from the same location copy: com.apple.iPhoto.LSSharedFileList.plist if it is there.

How to move a large messy library to an external hard drive?

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for