Itunes 8 with library on ext hard drive

I have my Itunes library on an external hard drive, which has been working correctly. After installing Itunes version 8 today, Itunes cannot find most of the songs in my library. I have tried holding down the shift key when I start up, with no help. I can find the songs on my external hard drive, and they will play one at a time, but Itunes doesn't see them. Any ideas?

I was going to ask that, but I won't Small point though, not only must it be plugged in but the drive must be "ready" as well. If it's still running up the hard drive to full speed, it isn't ready.
In addition, the external drive must have the same drive letter allocated to it as before. If, for any reason, your laptop gives the external drive the drive letter E the first time, but drive letter D on the subsequent occasion, then once again, iTunes will fail to find the Library as it's "on a different drive" (letter).
Various things can transpire to cause the drive letter to be different; other deivces such as cameras, scanners, printers, or even memory card readers are all assigned a drive letter when plugged in, usually on a first come, first served basis. Perhaps your laptop has some quirk that means it decides on a different drive letter.
As a test, make a note of which drive letter has been used before you power off. Then check the next time iTunes fails to find the Library whether the drive has been given the same letter as before.

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Moving iPhoto library to Ext Hard Drive please help

Hi, I am moving from a Imac to Mac Book air. I copied the pictures folder on Imac to the External Hard drive. Plugged EHD into mac book air. Opened Iphoto and held down option key and then selected the libary on the EHD. Lots of activity on ext hard drive, but my pictures are not showing up in Iphoto. Any help would be really appreciated. Some priceless family photos I need to get access to. My Imac is no longer working, so I am going to be using the MacBOok air as my primary

I copied the pictures folder on Imac to the External Hard drive. Plugged EHD into mac book air. Opened Iphoto and held down option key and then selected the libary on the EHD. Lots of activity on ext hard drive, but my pictures are not showing up in Iphoto.
What are you seeing, when you are opening the iPhoto library in the copied Pictures folder? An empty iPhoto window? Error messages?
Is your external drive formatted MacOS X Extended (Journaled)?
Do you have the same versions of iPhoto on your iMac and new MBA? What are the versions?
Regards
Léonie

How do I access access library from ext. hard drive and send to icloud.

The library on the hard drive exceeds what's available on my mac. Also, cannot update to the most recent itunes because my desk top is so old. Also, itunes does not recognize anything I have purchase prior to 2011. I assume there is a way to access the library, but I'm unsure how to do it.

If you haven't yet - go into lightroom - select library - on the left you will see "folders" click the + sign and find the folder on your computer. Lightroom will not by default add folders that do not have images in them. Hope that helps... if you're already doing that try to describe your problem in more detail

How to move iTunes and Library to External Hard Drive

Is it possible to move the program and its contents to an external hard drive? The external can hold much more and it would be easier to bog down my external hard drive every so often than try to keep iTunes and its contents on my Mac.

beilenguitars wrote:
For instance would it all work if I simply dragged the "iTunes" application to my external?
Yes providing you use
Consolidating Your iTunes library
and allow iTunes to Manage your music.
Once you are positive that the External is working to your Satisfaction you can Delete your iTunes Library off your computer.
Leaving the iTunes Application / Program installed on your computer...
To Operate iTunes from the External Drive...
Start iTunes with the Option key held down and Choose library... and select the iTunes folder you copied to the external drive.
On Windows, hold Shift, launch iTunes and select Choose library... and select the iTunes folder you copied to the external drive.

Link between iTunes and Library lost. Hard drive failure

Hi!
   I need help with the following problem. (i7 27" iMac/256GB SSD + 1TB of internal disk hard drive. (SATA/7200rpm/3.5"))
          The 1TB internal hard drive on my iMac failed the S.M.A.R.T. Utilities test so Apple called in the computer and I had to have the hard drive replaced. The technicians reloaded the system from a 1TB external Western Digital hard drive; I had backed up the everything on it using Time Machine.
          Unfortunately, the iTunes application cannot now locate my iTunes library. I create a lot of slideshows on Aperture and use music from iTunes on the audio tracks. The titles on the audio tracks are now inaudible and are preceded by a yellow triangle with an exclamation mark inside. Can anyone help me on how I should re-establish the original link between iTunes and its library. The music files are located in folders (name of artists), within a folder (iTunes Music), within a folder (iTunes), within a folder (Music), within a folder (declangreaney) on the 1TB of internal disk drive.
          In trying to solve the problem, I went through the folders and double clicked on one song. This opened iTunes so I highlighted and dragged all the other 'artist-named' folders on the iTunes interface and in doing so, I succeeded in accessing all the files. This is not wholly satisfactory, however, as I do not have my own playlists and more seriously, there is still no link between the Aperture audio tracks.
Sincerely,
     DG.

    Hi again!
     I saved the last message by accident which caused the reply to be sent off and so I had not finished what I wanted to write. Aploogies.
     I didn't find the new iMac hybrid SSD/Disk system easy to understand when it arrived over a year ago. I eventually decided that the 256 SSD section would be best suited to having the Operatin System for greater speed and I must have decided to put the music files on the 1TB internal hard drive along with photos and raw video clips. I can't honestly remember. There was a lot to take in. I wasn't even aware until this failure that iTunes had a default location.
     In addition to having the iTunes folder on the internal 1TB hard drive, I used Time Machine to store the entire computer contents on a 1TB Western Digital external hard drive. I had done my last Time Machine back-up on the 13 February and so I was hoping that by opening one or two songs on the back-up, they might reactivate the 'old' interface with the original playlists on it. That didn't happen but I then realised, while I was still in the Tme Machine back-ups on the WD external hard drive, that in the iTunes Media folder contained within the iTunes folder on the default Users/Username/Music location there was only an Add automatically to iTunes folder which was empty. While still still looking through the Time Machine back-upsI saw that the music instead was stored on the 1TB of internal hard drive as outlined on the first post:
     'The music files are located in folders (name of artists), within a folder (iTunes Music), within a folder (iTunes), within a folder (Music), within a folder (username) on the 1TB of internal disk drive.'
   The iTunes.itl file was last modified on Monday at 21:52. Created on 17th February, 2012. Size 386KB
     Regards,
     DG.

Itunes won't find 'itunes music library' on external hard drive by default

I have my Itunes library saved on a wireless external hard drive. When I open itunes for the first time after a re-start it won't automatically detect the itunes music library file and I have to point it to the correct folder on the external hard drive. Once I do this everything works perfectly until I re-start my mac and then I have the same problem.
One of my friends has told me that macs won't automatically connect to wireless devices like windows does but he thinks there is some software that enables it to do so. I presume this would sort the issue out or alternatively any other suggestions are very welcome.
Thanks for any help

Your external HD needs to be mounted before launching iTunes or iTunes will create a new blank library on your startup drive.
You can add your external HD to the list of startup items in  > System Preferences > Accounts to avoid this problem.

How to put iTunes and library on EXTERNAL hard drive? Having major troubles

I started importing my entire CD collection about a week ago. Got halfway finished before realizing it wouldn't all fit on my computer's hard drive.
Bought a Maxtor 100GB external hard drive, moved all library folders there, then reinstalled iTunes on there as well. I used "Ad Folder to Library" to return all the tunes into iTunes library.
All of that seemed to work just fine, but now I've resumed importing my CDs and they are automatically going right to my computers C drive (the stock internal hard drive) and into "my music folder". Obviously, there is no room there.
How can I get it so that I import CDs onto the NEW external hard drive, and have iTunes pull them from there? I want ALL my library and music folders in the same place, on the external E drive. Can I do this? If so, how??
Many thanks to anyone who can help!

"I want ALL my library and music folders in the same place, on the external E drive. Can I do this? If so, how??"
If you want to make another drive (direct or portable) on your PC the main music location for iTunes, move all song files there, as well as any future imported music from CDs, here is one method (see the links below):
You will maintain your playlists, ratings, comments, etc. This will only move your music folders location, NOT your iTunes program files or the Library database files. It is my opinion that programs (i.e. – iTunes) work better when installed on your main hard drive. At the very least, it makes it easier to manage all your programs if they are centrally located on one hard drive (the Windows default standard).
See these links for some step-by-step info:
iLounge: Moving your iTunes Library to a New Hard Drive
MacMuse: iTfW: Move iTunes music/Library to new drive
iTunes: Moving your iTunes Music folder
If you are moving the music to an external hard drive or network drive, after the transfer (and to work correctly), the drive must be running prior to your opening iTunes. If not, iTunes will reset the location of your music folder location to the default location (usually: ‘C:\...My Music\iTunes\iTunes Music’). If this happens, you need to manually change the path back to your external location, or future CD ‘Imports’ will be deposited on your internal HD.
Also make sure that the new drive always loads as the same Drive Letter, otherwise you will lose the references within iTunes.

I moved iTunes and library to new Hard drive M: , now Sync is lost. Need to collect files and rebuild to proper folder.

I installed a new hard drive and partitioned it into 2, P: Pictures: and M: Music: . I moved all my iTunes Files and Folders to the M: drive. Then when I connected my iPhone4 to iTunes it asked if I wanted to create a new sync, I said no but I seemed it couldn't find my old sync file. So I searched my computer for files and folders of iTunes and placed them all into a iTunes folder on the root of M: drive. I need to rebuild the iTunes folder correctly.
I have all the correct items on my iPhone and haven't lost anything. Its just a problem trying to sync. Biggest problem is my music. When I try to sync music there is trouble. I can't seen to remove all music from iPhone and resync. When I thought I did iTunes would say no more music will fit. (Music is normally 70% of my memory on phone and I try and leave 1GB of 16GB free on it).
I wan't to build the iTunes install on the D:\Program Files (x64)\ since I don't install anything on my SSD drive C: except Windows 7.

How exactly did you move the files or more specifically, what did you move?
The correct way to move the iTunes files is to move the ENTIRE iTunes folder (or copy it) from the original location to the new location.
Once moved, hold Shift while launching iTunes and point it to the new location.
If anything other than the ENTIRE iTunes folder was moved, it needs to be put back in the original location to correct the issues created then moved correctly.

How do you copy your iphoto library to ext. hard drive?

I am sorry to ask this lame question, but: How do you copy your iPhoto library to an external hard drive, just to back it up? I'm confused, because of three things: a) I can't seem to find, in iPhoto pref's, where you select what the "path" is to the library; b) in the iPhoto library folder on my computer (which is NOT on my boot drive, but a different internal drive..) the newest "year" folder in there says 2005, yet we have imported many newly-taken photos for the last 3 years, AND c) in the user>Pictures folder there is a "file" called iPhoto Library, but I can't quite figure out exactly what that is, what it does, etc.
So, I apologize, but if someone can help me figure what I would like to think should be a very simple backup, I would be grateful. Thank you very much.

I am sorry to ask this lame question, but: How do you copy your iPhoto library to an external hard drive, just to back it up?
Drag it to the external drive
a) I can't seem to find, in iPhoto pref's, where you select what the "path" is to the library;
There not one - you change the path by launching iPhoto while depressing the option (alt) key and using the select library option to repoint to a different libary - however you would not do this to a backup library - it would just be a copy
b) in the iPhoto library folder on my computer (which is NOT on my boot drive, but a different internal drive..) the newest "year" folder in there says 2005, yet we have imported many newly-taken photos for the last 3 years,
This is probably an unused older library - a backup for a previous version
c) in the user>Pictures folder there is a "file" called iPhoto Library, but I can't quite figure out exactly what that is,
That probably is your iPhoto library and it is probably not a file but a Unix style "package"
Launch iPhoto and in events view select a photo and right click (control click) on it and select the show file option to see the path to the currently active library - I find the column view the easiest to see the path
LN

Cannot get iTunes to play from ext. hard drive - desperate!

Please, please help. I have tried everything that I can think of. I have iTunes set to play from the XHD and it still won't (even tho it shows the XHD as the location of the file). I can't put new music on my iPod...because the new stuff went right into a new, totally wiped out version of iTunes on the hard drive. This is the only iTunes I can get to open. If I plug in my ipod, it will sync and get wiped out. HEEEEEEELLLLLLLP!

What kind of external drive? What are your system specs? What format is the media and do those clips play OK in Quicktime if opened from the Finder?
Russ

ITunes Won't Recognize My Music Library on Ext Hard Drive

Hey All,
Just got a iBook G4 and I'm trying to access my music on iTunes, but I can't. Is there a trick I'm missing here? I set the folder location to the Ext Drive, but still nothing. Everything work with out issue on my old iBook G3.
Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Mike

Pointing iTunes to a folder simply tells iTunes to put all new music there. You need to File -> *Add to library* then select that music folder.

*No way to stop itunes from updating shuffle (Ext. hard drive disconnected)

Seeming there is no way to stop itunes from updating and therefore erasing my ipod shuffle, as the ipod SHUFFLE does not have:
"Click the iPod button in the lower right corner of the iTunes window."
...sniff
http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=3211434#3211434
PowerBook G4 867 Mac OS X (10.4.7)

Unfortunately, as you noted, not all apps are listed by backwards compatibly, and lack of it is often a bug later fixed.
The really odd thing here is that the latest version of 1 Password (3.1.1) was released 4/20/10, well before iOS4.... It most definitely IS compatible with 3.1.3 and in fact ISN'T 4.x tested. This can be re-downloaded
1 Password Pro (3.5), is a new app which was just released for 4.0, and won't install in 3.x phones. It is a new app, not an update of 1 Password, and downloading it doesn't replace the original 1 Password either in iTunes or the phone
I suggest Hecubus79 delete 1 Password Pro and re-download 1 Password 3.1.1, if it's really gone, and contact the developer for a refund for the Pro version.
Message was edited by: modular747

Moved iTunes library to an ext hard drive to make space on my int drive... Followed steps from apple. Now I cannot access my music... It says: "File could not be used because the original file cannot be found. Would you like to locate it?"

Moved iTunes library to an ext hard drive to make space on my int drive... Followed steps from apple. Now I cannot access my music... It says: "File could not be used because the original file cannot be found. Would you like to locate it?"
I moved my iTunes library to my external hard drive some time ago and I followed the directions listed here on the apple support page. It did copy my library and now is on my hard drive... I can open iTunes and use it to sync all of my devices but I would like to play my music... I can see all of my music files but can not play them if I click on an album or song it says the following: "(file name) could not be used because the original file cannot be found. Would you like to locate it?" I click locate but do not know where to go from there? I need a way to access all files and not to hunt down one at a time on my hard drive... I am pretty sure I deleted the original library to make space on my internal drive which was the reason for moving it. I have tried and tried to fix it and do not have a lot of time to do so with a one and two year old at my house who do not like it whenI sit down at my computer. What to do??? Any help is much appreciated!!!

See Make a split library portable. Move all of the bits of the library together in the the correct shape and it should work. Or undo exactly what you did and then start over.
If you're a former Windows user don't try merging two folders together that have the same name by dropping one into the same folders as the other, as that goes badly on a Mac.
tt2

I have a new Windows tablet computer with limited hard drive space, and cannot transfer my itunes library to the hard drive. Can I run t media from an external hard drive? If so, how do I transfer my files?

I have a new Windows tablet computer with limited hard drive space (32 GB), and cannot transfer my itunes library to the hard drive. Can I run itunes from an external hard drive? I have tried to follow some of the directions on this site, but am having no success. Thanks.

iTunes will run fine with the media on an external drive.
However, I suggest that a tablet computer with a tiny hard drive is not ideal as the primary computer for managing an iTunes library, even a small one. If you have another machine, perhaps a big, boxy, inexpensive old desktop with a decent amount of storage, that might be a better choice.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1364

I have several versions of itunes on my computer and hard drive. My itunes library has become mixed up with my husbands how can i fix this?

I have several versions of itunes on my computer and hard drive. Now my itunes library has become mixed up with my husbands how do I resolve?

assuming the copy files ... when adding option is checkmarked in preferences > advanced, drag the folder into an open iTunes window while holding option (⌥).

Itunes 8 with library on ext hard drive

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