HT1848 Transferring from one computer to another

I want to be able to move all my daughters iPod music, games, etc to my computer so I can help her manage it. It is currently on another computer. Can I do this safely without erasing everything she has?

iTunes: How to move [or copy] your music to a new computer [or another drive] - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4527
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 new location of the library.
Note: Using the above method you can have two iTunes libraries in one computer account and switch back and forth using the shift key startup method.

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All sorts of problems transferring from one computer to another

This looked so easy on the Apple Website. I followed the instructions to the letter I am sure.
Just bought a new computer using Vista. Wanted to transfer a 16gb library from the old computer to another. Used the iPod as the hard drive to do so. Managed to get the files onto the new computer and opening the iTunes music folder from My Computer shows all the tracks are in there.
However, opening up the library using iTunes itself - nothing. Nothing at all listed.
I have checked the "Copy to library" thing in the settings - still nothing. Its like they are all in the right place (the folder identity is exactly the same as the one showing on settings i.e. iTunes Music). Nothing.
I even copied them into another folder and called it iTunes Music 2 and told iTunes to look there - nothing.
They are definitely in the new computer - if I click on a track from within the folder itself it will play - using iTunes - and then it appears in the library but the thought of doing this for 16gigs of music is not good. Why can't iTunes see them. I daren't plug my ipod into it now (I have changed it to manual by the way.)
To make things worse - I think I have lost half of my purchased tracks in the process. They are still there but I bought them under an AOL name and when I created a new Apple ID later...... it now wants to know all the details of the AOL account to authorise them. The AOL account doesn't exist anymore.
Help. Please.

These are two possible approaches that will normally work to move an existing library to a new computer.
Method 1
Backup the library with this User Tip.
Deauthorize the old computer if you no longer want to access protected content on it.
Restore the backup to your new computer using the same tool used to back it up.
Keep your backup up-to-date in future.
Method 2
Connect the two computers to the same network. Share your <User's Music> folder from the old computer and copy the entire iTunes library folder into the <User's Music> folder on the new one. Again, deauthorize the old computer if no longer required.
Both methods should give the new computer a working clone of the library that was on the old one. As far as iTunes is concerned this is still the "home" library for your devices so you shouldn't have any issues with iTunes wanting to erase and reload.
I'd recommend method 1 since it establishes an ongoing backup for your library.
Note if you have iOS devices and haven't moved your contacts and calendar items across then you should create one dummy entry of each in your new profile and iTunes should merge the existing data from the device.
If your media folder has been split out from the main iTunes folder you may need to do some preparatory work to make it easier to move. See make a split library portable.
Should you be in the unfortunate position where you are no longer able to access your original library or a backup then then see Recover your iTunes library from your iPod or iOS device for advice on how to set up your devices with a new library with the maximum preservation of data.
tt2

Are Keywords etc. transferable from one computer to another?

I'm working abroad at the moment using my laptop to manage my photos - usually at home I use another PC for my photography. If I organise my photos here by adding new keywords, ratings, metadata etc. are there any issues in transferring those criteria when I copy the files to my other PC when I get home?

I guess that I may have badly phrased the original question. I think the issue that I'm trying to resolve is that in Bridge you can set up a keyword hierarchy but when you open Bridge on another computer the keyword hierarchy (showing in the keywords panel) is different until you change it. So if I create a keyword hierarchy in Bridge on one computer is there any way that I can copy that hierarchy over to another computer?

Transferring from one computer to another

Hi All... I have a computer that's on its last legs and I have a new one coming here in a few days. If all goes well, I'd like to put everything from my external harddrive back-up to the new computer. Does anyone know the following:Do the MyBook Essentials backup our software programs too or just our files?Can I just tell it to put everything on the new computer without having it override the 8.1 Windows operating system with the old Windows 7 operating system?I'm sure I'll have other questions, but those are my big concerns for now. I'd really love to NOT have to take the computer to a store and pay someone $150 to do this for me. Any help is appreciated. Cheers,Laura

Hi,
Do the MyBook Essentials backup our software programs too or just our files?
The backup software that comes with this unit, does not backup softwares, just the files.
2. Can I just tell it to put everything on the new computer without having it override the 8.1 Windows operating system with the old Windows 7 operating system?
Restoring a backup wont override the OS. Since you are going to retrieve the files on a different computer, the file structure will be a bit different, so as a recommendation, retrieve the files to a specific location.

HT201303 if i have transfered from one computer to another and forgotten my account question and anwser how can i be able to show its me just on a different computer?

How do i purchase music and movies on the new computor with out knowing my verification question and anwser?

Welcome to the Apple Community.
Contact Apple through iTunes Store Support, and explain that you have forgotten your 3 security questions, that you can reset your password, but doing so doesn't reset your security questions.
Explain that after resetting your password, you are still asked for the answers you have forgotten, before you can gain access to My Apple ID > Manage your account > Password & security, which is where you need to be to change your answers.
Remember, support will receive hundreds, if not thousands of requests per day, some from people trying it on, others with little explanation and others that are written extremely poorly. Take the time to explain your situation properly, be precise and concise, brief but comprehensive.

Can I transfer an iTunes movie rental from one computer to another?

A movie I rented on one PC with iTunes Windows won't transfer to my main PC. I'm using the latest version of iTunes and Windows 7.
I also have an iPhone 4s with iOS 6. I can't transfer the movie rental there either.
(I want the movie on my main PC, because only that PC will show it on my TV. Both PC's are suthorized.
Help!

Sorry, but rentals cannot be transferred from one computer to another. Unless someone's found a trick I haven't seen, if you want the rental on your main PC, you'll have to pay to rent it again. As to transferring the rental to your iPhone, see:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1390
Regards.

Transferring external iTune library from one computer to another

I am having great difficulty in changing my external iTunes library from my old MBP laptop to my new iMac 5k.
My entire iTunes library is stored on an external drive and can be accessed directly with my MBP. When I started up iTunes on my new iMac, it created a new empty library in the MUSIC folder. What I want to do is connect my new iMac to the external library directly. I can see it when I turn on HOME SHARING but only when iTunes is running on my MBP, which is useless since my MBP will now be seldom used. I have of course on the iMac, changed the library location in the advanced preferences to the external location, to no avail. I do not want to keep any media files on the iMac for capacity reasons.
To compound the problem, I cannot seem to sync my new iPhone 6+ to the original external library, only the new empty one!
Surely this ought to be a simple job, transferring an external iTunes library from one computer to another! Am I missing something obvious here?

Wow, what a quick response! Thanks, Limnos. I guess it was bleeding' obvious, and I should have thought of it before. Such a simple solution!
On a related matter, I also have just realised that the iTunes iOS backups are saved on the internal computer drive in a folder called MOBILESYNC rather than on an external drive, thus chewing up a lot of capacity on my SSD. Others reading this response may be interested to know that it is easy to have iTunes save the iOS backups to any external drive using a symbolic link in this directory. Go to
http://support.digidna.net/hc/en-us/articles/203504123-Storing-your-iPhone-Backu ps-on-an-Alternate-Location
for the details.
However, note that iBooks will NOT let you use this work-around, pathetic app that it is.

Transferring home movies from one computer to another

What is the best way to do this? I have about 500 video clips that I want to move from one computer to another. I've tried using the export function in iPhoto but all I get upon transfer is a single frame of the movie. I keep the files on an external HD but I can't find where they are stored. I see the iPhoto app to open but not the original files. Additionally, whenever I do locate these files, how can I get them transferred with the keywords assigned to them? TIA! Going from a MBP running 10.6.8 to a MBA running 10.8.2

I'm not sure you can assign keywords to a movie on export, as these are written to the exif metadata of a photo and most video has no such metadata.
You say you've tried the export function in iPhoto, but what settings have you used? Exporting with the Kind set to Original should yield the videos.
Regards
TD

Transfering songs from one computer onto another...

My Brother has an ipod mini (as I used to) but our computer is so old that it can only hold one ipod (Therefore, I returned my ipod so he could use his). However, several months after I returned mine we bought two new computers, but still kept the old computer. After this I bought an ipod nano and have been using it on my new computer. Although we are glad that we can both use our ipods efficiently (on seperate computers) he is afraid that the old computer might crash soon. I tried putting his ipod into disk mode and tried transferring it to his [new] computer over a month ago, but it was too confusing and did not work correctly. Is there any possible way to transfer it without the directions being so confusing? Or could someone kind of "Translate" the directions for us?
<center>Thank you so much,
<center>pnkpolo92

How to Copy and Move (Clone) your Music Files from One Computer to Another – or Archive Prior to a PC Re-Image or Reformat
This is the conceptual framework with related and important links. Apply and adapt it to your specific situation and equipment resources.
The safest, quickest, and most optimal method to move your Library to a new computer is to actually clone the entire ‘iTunes’ folder (directory) structure, rather than just copying just the song files. By copying the entire ‘iTunes’ folder and all sub-folders, you capture not only the music files, but the all-important ‘iTunes Library.itl’ database file (usually located in the ‘iTunes’ folder), which contains all the data about your songs (Playlists, Ratings, Play Counts, Last Played, Date Added, etc). See: What are the iTunes Library files?
Install iTunes on the new computer. Then go back to your old computer and move (copy) the "iTunes" folder which usually resides inside your "…\My Documents\My Music" folder from the old computer to the exact same place (both Drive Letter and complete Path) on the new computer. When you open iTunes on the new computer it will look and behave exactly the same way it did on the old, Play Counts, Ratings, Comments and all!
NOTE: It is usually safer moving files between computers with the same version of iTunes!!
iTunes Files to Copy and Move to your New PC
1) All music files in their current folder structure (usually located in and under the ‘iTunes Music’ folder)
2) The Library database file: ‘iTunes Library.itl’ located in the ‘iTunes’ folder
3) The Library XML file: ‘iTunes Music Library.xml’ located in the ‘iTunes’ folder
4) Any XML playlist files you created for Playlist retention
5) The two iTunes.pref files (optional)
-- C:\Documents and Settings\<your username>\Application Data\Apple Computer\iTunes\iTunes.pref
-- C:\Documents and Settings\<your username>\Local Settings\Application Data\Apple Computer Inc\iTunes.pref
6) The XML file of Ratings, Play Counts and Last Played attributes saved from the main Library and created by Otto’s SaveRatings script (also optional, but recommended):
“Download this: http://ottodestruct.com/itunes/SaveRatings.zip . It's a program, just run it like any other program. Run it on the machine where you're copying the info from BEFORE you move the files to the new machine. Click the "Save Ratings" button and it'll create a ratings.xml file. Now when you move the files, move the program and this file as well. Then after you make your new iTunes library, run it again and click the "Restore Ratings" button. Voila, all your information is back in the Library. Well, most of it anyway, it's not perfect. It'll tell you what songs it couldn't figure out though, and there's usually not very many.”
Here's a list of methods to copy and move your music files from one computer to another:
1) Use an External Hard Drive (ExHD) to move the complete files and Folder structures from one computer to another (my preferred option). You can clone’ the entire ‘iTunes’ folder structure in one very easy step. Also great to have available for complete backups of your Library. External hard drives now run less than $100 for 200-250GBs of storage. See This Link
2) Directly connect the two computers....
- 2a) Connect them through a Router &/or Network
- 2b) Directly connect using an Ethernet cable: Straight for using at least one Mac; or Crossover for PC/PC Instructions here.
- 2c) Connect them via a USB-to-USB Network Bridge. Example here. There are various types out there (use Google).
....Then copy the files from one computer to the other.
3) Use the iPod as a transfer device, as this extensive Apple link explains. It will be a bit easier if your iPod has a larger capacity than your music collection, otherwise you will need to perform multiple copy/move transfers. This well written process also works fine while using any other data transfer medium (ExHD, Flash Drive, DVD, CD, Zipp, Jazz, etc.).
4) Burn several DVDs (at 4.7GBs each) with your music data files and folder structure, and load them onto the new computer. Re-writable DVDs are more cost effective (if your DVD drive can manage these types).
5) Burn 6x more on CDs (at 700MB each) than in #4 above and load the files and folders on the new computer. Re-writable CDs are more cost effective (if your CD drive can manage these types).
6) Use a larger USB Flash drive (1GB - 4GB) to move the files and folders. Best if the flash drive is larger than your Library, otherwise you will need multiple copy/move transfers.
These are links to various additional instructions on performing the transfer (read them all, but some listed steps may not be required depending on your specific situation):
Switch from PC to Mac Using the iPod
hudgie: Migrating iTunes for Windows to a new PC
How to copy music between authorized computers
Also, remember to Deauthorize your PC before reformatting or disposing of it. Or, if you no longer will use it for iTMS use.

Transferring an iMovie project from one computer to another

I have an iMac with some iMovie projects that I want to work on through my MBP.
What is the best way of doing this?
Drop Box doesn't seem to be the way. Migration Assistant is an option I suppose but all I want to do is to be able to work on a project back and forth from one computer to another. Is this possible?

use any kind of drive thats big enough to hold the data your imovie projects are stored in account>movies>imovie projects

Transferring iPod from one computer to another

I just got a new laptop and it will only let me transfer my purchases to it. How do I move my entire iTunes library from one computer to another, easily?

Click here and follow the instructions if possible.
(52033)

Transferring EVERYTHING from one computer to another w/ same source

I want to transfer all my iTunes files (playlists, music, play counts, everything) from one computer to another, on account of the logic board of my old one is messed up and I want to get everything on my Mac Book Pro.
HOWEVER.
When I was using my old computer, I had my iTunes folder on an external hard drive, which would then be the source of all the music and where the new music would automatically go. So I have the external hard drive, and I can't save the playlists from my old computer because I can't use it.
So how do I transfer all the information? I've tried doing the whole "delete iTunes Data, import XML file" thing and it says it doesn't detect certain music and therefore doesn't place everything where it needs to be.
Any help?

Well the way to work around it I think would be to remove the hard drive from your broken computer, assuming of course that your broken computer is broken because of something else besides the hard drive.
Put that drive into an external enclosure. Hook up to the new computer. Copy the iTunes stuff from the old drive into the new computer overwriting the existing database files on the internal.
Now with the other external hooked up, start iTunes and see if it then sees everything properly.
Patrick

Transferring "My Rating" from one computer to another

Anyone know how to transfer previously established ratings from one computer to another? Is there a file that contains this data? Thx.

Yeah there is a file that contants this data. It is located in the iTunes Music folder. There is a file that have an exension of .xml. Transfer that to your new computer on the desktop. Go to iTunes and File>Import. Locate that file in your desktop and select it.

Transferring my itunes music from one computer to another.

How do i get the music in itunes from one computer to another without having to rip all the music over again?
Windows XP

How to use your iPod to move your music to a new computer
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=300173
And in case you are interested in other methods...
Copying from iPod to Computer thread...
http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=3536077#3536077
http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=797432
Also these useful internet articles...
http://www.engadget.com/2004/11/02/how-to-get-music-off-your-ipod/
http://playlistmag.com/help/2005/01/2waystreet/
iPod: Frequently Asked Questions
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=60920
Patrick

I bought a new laptop and used Windows Easy Transfer cable and moved all files from one computer to another. I installed iTunes and found my iTunes music Library. However, when I plug in my iPod it says it is already synced with another iTunes Library.

I bought a new laptop and used Windows Easy Transfer cable and moved all files from one computer to another. I installed iTunes and found my iTunes music Library. However, when I plug in my iPod it says it is already synced with another iTunes Library.
I don't see anything in Help that shows when you already have transfered all the files over. Why would it want to erase and sync when I already have all the music folder copied over? I didn't have an issue when I had another technician copy from one laptop to another. Home sharing is also on but not being recognized.

I suspect you only migrated the media folder instead of the complete working library. Either review the transfer process and copy over the entire iTunes folder from your old profile's music folder or see Recovering your iTunes library from your iPod or iOS device.
tt2

HT1848 Transferring from one computer to another

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