Itunes folder on external drive keeps reverting back to local iTunes folder

So I have all my digital music,pictures and videos stored on an external drive. I have 3 different MBP acessing these files and itunes randomely reverts back to the default local itunes folder and then I have to change and organize all over again which includes dups that I have to manage and delete later. What a pain in the arse! Does anybody have a solution that prevents this from happening, running Lion on all 3 MBP.

They are all using the library (and by that I specifically mean the library file, not just the media files) at the same time?  Maybe when one is actively using the library file it prevents the others from using it or somehow interferes and makes them think the library on the external is not usuable and they revert to the internal one.
If this is set up through some fancier nettwork then probably hte person who can answer your question will want to know the details.  iTunes typically revets to default when it cannot find a library on an external drive and perhaps something is happening with the network to change the identity of the drive in the way your computer perceives it.

Similar Messages

  • Now got iTunes library on external drive, will TM back it up?

    Hi
    I've just moved my iTunes library from my internal HDD on my Mac to a portable USB powered HDD as it was taking up to much room.
    I use TM with another desktop external drive that I plug in. Will TM backup the portable USB drive with iTunes on?
    do I need to do anything to do this?
    Can I also add other stuff to the portable drive and TM will backup this to?
    The portable drive is formatted as Mac OS Journaled
    cheers

    the loc-man wrote:
    Ah ok so everytime I now add something to the portable drive I will have to specifically tell TM not to back it up, as it will do all of drive if not.
    correct.
    So the older iTunes library that was on my internal iMac HDD, will I dump this now? is it a case of going into a finder window, going to home/user/Music/iTunes and right clicking and delete all previous backups? or should I leave it there?
    that's a tricky question. instead of deleting the iTunes folder from your startup disk, you might want to consider it your backup of your precious media files (or perhaps move it to yet another external HD). see http://web.me.com/pondini/Time_Machine/20.html.
    but, if you really want to, *don't use the finder* ! see http://web.me.com/pondini/Time_Machine/12.html.
    JGG

  • Moved music folder to external drive, how do I get Match/ITunes to recognise it?

    Hi guys,
    I've been rather stupid in restoring my computer. I moved all the music to an external harddrive before I restored my PC but forgot to bring the Itunes library file with it. I've got ITunes Match so I can stream all my songs, but is there anyway to get it to recognise the songs on my external drive? I've tried re-importing them into ITunes but it adds each song as a duplicate, so I have the Match version and then my harddrive version, I really don't want duplicates of all 7000 odd songs! Likewise I'd like to try to avoid having to download everything from Match as this will take ages and be a bit of a pain! The only reason I care is so I can use my Sonos system with my laptop, otherwise I'd just leave them all on Match. Any ideas?
    Thanks, Luke

    You will need the iTunes Library.itl file which generally lives in ~/Music/iTunes/. You can recover this from the backups you were making before the HDD died. Otherwise, you cannot recreate the library.

  • Backing up iTunes located on external drive to another external drive

    Greetings,
    I'm on iTuens 11.3 and in preferences have chosen an external drive to keep all my music. I would like to back-up the contents of my iTunes to another external drive.
    I have NOT chosen: iTunes - File - Library - Organize Library
    Perhaps this is my problem…?
    The external hard drive that has my iTunes library does not have a single iTunes folder. Instead, each artist has a folder within which are multiple albums, single albums or songs.
    It seems there should be a single file folder somewhere that I can copy to another external hard rive in order to make a back up.
    Any help will be much appreciated.

    There will only be a single folder if you've told iTunes to organize your library. You need to either do this, or drag all of the individual folders to the second drive, or clone the first drive to the second.
    If desired, you can move the iTunes folder to the first drive, launch iTunes with the Option key held down, and choose it before organizing the library.
    (123377)

  • I redirected iTunes to an external drive and moved my iTunes library and folder, but my hard drive is still low on space.  How can I be sure that my music is all on the external HD ONLY, especially with the new iCloud technology?

    I redirected iTunes to an external drive and moved my iTunes library and folder, but my hard drive is still low on space.  How can I be sure that my music is all on the external HD ONLY, especially with the new iCloud technology?  It doesn't look like I created any more space by doing this, AND I totally lost all my iTunes playlists.  I'm not sure if because I added old library materials manually if this messed up my playlists, or if the new location is just not reading my moved library.  In any case, I followed step by step instructions and found a few holes and thought I'd just "figure it out" but I guess I'm not as smart as I thought since I'm still scratching my head many hours later.
    Thanks for any support ;-)
    Eaglerocker

    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) so you get a prompt to select a library, then guide it to the 'iTunes Library.itl' file in the moved iTunes folder.
    If this is to a new computer and you put the copied iTunes folder in the default location of Macintosh HD > Users > *User Name* > Music  then you don't even need to start with the option key held down, iTunes will automatically look for it there.  (Make sure there isn't anything already in the iTunes folder there that you want to keep since you will be replacing it with the one you are moving.)
    iTunes: How to move [or copy] your music [library] to a new computer [or another drive] - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4527 - a somewhat bewildering and not always easily understandable set of options.

  • Moved ITunes folder to external drive now can't get Ipod to sync

    I have moved my ITunes folder from laptop to external drive. Had to move each album folder individually to ITunes and when I went to Sync my Ipod, says its in Restore mode and can't get out of it as it stays in Restore mode over and over and over.

    As a best practice, you should move your content to an external drive and import references to into iTunes rather than moving the whole database and app files. In iTunes > Preferences > Advanced, uncheck "Copy files to iTunes Media folder when adding to library". This will keep all your music and movies on the external drive, but iTunes and all references to the content on your desktop.
    I know that's not what you wanted to hear as a fix, but this is how I have my MacBook Air setup and it works fine with the iPad. My son tried to move the whole app and database to a hard drive and we had endless problems with it.

  • HT201250 Can I include external drives to be backed up using Time Machine.  Not only do I want to back up my IMac, but I have several extenal drives for one iPhoto, one iTunes and one for other files & documents.

    Can I include external drives to be backed up using Time Machine?  Not only do I want to back up my IMac, but I have several extenal drives for one iPhoto, one iTunes and one for other files & documents.  How do I know if they are included in the backup process?

    Yes, if they are not exclude then TM backs them up.
    Allan

  • How do I prevent itunes from moving my music from its original place ie folders in an external drive when I play music from itunes. I have all my music in artist folders and separated by MPG3/MPG4 and FLAC folder within the artist folder.

    How do I prevent itunes from moving my music from its original place ie folders in an external drive when I play music from itunes. I have all my music in artist folders and separated by MPG3/MPG4 and FLAC folders within the artist folder and itunes moves the track/s whenever i try and load selected music to my ipod/iphone. I've tried to find some sort of preference to prevent this, but no joy? What am I missing?

    Try opening iTunes preferences. Then click on advanced tab. Then uncheck "Copy files to iTunes media folder when adding to library." By default, iTunes copies music to its own media folder when you use iTunes to play the music.

  • New iTunes folder on external drive...move xml file there?

    About a year ago, I created a new folder on an external hard drive and I thought that I followed the apple designated steps to move my itunes music to that folder.  I then selected the advanced tab in preferences in iTunes and selected the new folder on my external drive as my "iTunes" folder.  iTunes seems to have worked OK for this past year using the folder on the external drive.  After updating to the latest version of iTunes (11.1.1), I tried to sync some apps to my iPhone 4, and I got the message that the external drive folder I am using as my "iTunes" folder on the external drive is not the one associated with my iPhone.  iTunes asks if I want to erase my iPhone and use the contents of my external drive folder on my phone.  This is the first time I have seen this message, even though it has been a year, and I have connected my phone to iTunes during that time.
    In investigating this, I see that the .xml and .its files are not in the folder on the external hard drive.  In fact, there is no folder at all called "iTunes" on my external drive. They are still in the "iTunes" folder in my music folder on my internal hard drive.  This is what is still in the music folder in my home folder on my internal drive:
    Should I manually move the .xml, the .ita and the other files into the folder on the external drive?
    Thanks

    In my message above, I tried to include a .png file of what my internal hard drive has in the music folder, but that did not work, so I am trying to paste it in here.  I am wondering if I should manually copy these files to the music folder on my external hard drive.  There is no folder on my external drive names "iTunes".

  • External drive format to be used as iTunes library and media folder

    Hi everyone, I want to transffer my iTunes to an external drive, do I need to format my external drive to Extended Journal or will an Appleshare be alright? Thanks!

    Thanks for the reply, good! I only asked because I read that if you transfer you iPhoto Library you need to have your external drive formatted to Extended Journal so I thought that it might be the same for iTunes. And I only read the post after I started to transfer the iTunes to an external drive. Thanks again!

  • Media folder on external drive is getting lost

    I keep my iTunes media folder on an external hard drive. It works beautifully, as long as I remember to always have the external drive plugged in when I launch iTunes. Ocassionally I forget, though. And if I launch iTunes without the drive connected, iTunes resets my preferences and reverts to the default media folder location (inside my user folder).
    Interestingly, after this happens I can plug the external drive back in, and I can still play all of the media files that are located on the external drive.
    However, if I add NEW files to iTunes, it puts them in the default media location on my internal drive.
    I then have to go into iTunes preferences and reset the media folder location to my external drive... at which point it says it has to reorganize all of my files and move them to the external drive (even though they're already there, and already organized!).
    This process can take 24 hours (I have a big media library). Very frustrating.
    So... if I forgot to plug in my external media drive when I launch iTunes, and if iTunes resets my media folder, is there any way to fix things without having to rebuild/reorganize the whole media library all over again???
    Thanks in advance
    Drew

    This is a timely discussion for me; I am having the same problem, with a little bit of a twist.
    My iTunes 10 library resides on an external HD and has for some time.  Apparently, at some point, the default library reverted back to a file on my MacBook Pro itself.  Consequently, any new media I added after that was added to this MBP-based library.
    I finally caught this issue last night, changed the default library back to the HD file (via Advanced Preferences -- and yes I saved the change), consolidated the newly added stuff onto this HD-based library, then junked the MBP-based library.
    Now when I open iTunes it acts like its the very first time I have ever opened iTunes, i.e., no media at all identified.  I went to Advanced Preferences and once again the default library had reverted to MBP.  Again, I changed default library to HD-based library (my media is all still there).  I closed iTunes, reopened, and again it acted as if it was the very first time using iTunes, i.e., no media.  I looked at Advanced Preferences and it still shows that HD-based library is my default.  Its just that none of the items in the library appears in iTunes.
    Thoughts?

  • I store my itunes library on an external drive shared between 2 computers and itunes on computer A isn't seeing or showing the songs I added using itunes on computer B.

    I store my itunes library on an external drive shared between 2 computers and itunes on computer A isn't seeing or showing the songs I added using itunes on computer B. How to fix this?

    I don't know if this is me adding files to iTunes when the external wasn't connected
    it is.
    is it OK to just keep deleting that library on the Air?
    i wouldn't - at least not until i
    mount the external
    point iTunes media folder location back to the external via preferences > advanced
    consolidate my library via file > library > organize library
    The ntfs hasn't seem to be causing any problems, but I've always wanted to know.
    in order for your Mac to write to NTFS drives, it needs some help by installing e.g. the NTFS 3G driver. apparently that or something similar is installed on your Mac already. preferably, it would be formatted for Mac but then windows machines would need to have e.g. MacDrive installed to recognize the drive.

  • How can I download my iMac iTunes library to an external drive and reload the library to iTunes on a PC?

    How can I download my iMac iTunes library to an external drive and reload the library to iTunes on a PC?

    Hi Niel.  Can you be move specific for those of us not tech savy?   1 - Can you provide steps to back up the library?  2 - How do you organize the library?  3 - When you move the entire iTunes folder, does it include iTunes paid for music along with downloaded music from CDs?  Thanks

  • Moved iTunes Library to external drive- now can't move iPad purchase to Mac

    I moved my iTunes Library to an external drive because I didn't have enough internal HD space to move a movie purchased on the iPad to my Mac. Now iTunes won't sync my iPad - and wants to reformat it - because it says it was formatted on another Mac.
    I've tried Aiseesoft iPad Manager but the movie - a iTunes+ movie, so I assume it is a package of some sort - doesn't show up in the movie pane.
    This is a really crappy position to be put into. If I could re-download the movie I'd just reformat my iPad and be down with it. Unfortunately, this is not an option.
    Help!

    As a best practice, you should move your content to an external drive and import references to into iTunes rather than moving the whole database and app files. In iTunes > Preferences > Advanced, uncheck "Copy files to iTunes Media folder when adding to library". This will keep all your music and movies on the external drive, but iTunes and all references to the content on your desktop.
    I know that's not what you wanted to hear as a fix, but this is how I have my MacBook Air setup and it works fine with the iPad. My son tried to move the whole app and database to a hard drive and we had endless problems with it.

  • File Structure with iTunes on an External Drive

    This is an image of the file structure on my external drive that holds all of my iTunes music:
    Is this correct, or should I have set it up differently? I am asking since it is differnet the the iTunes file structure on my MacBook Pro and some files will get uploaded to my external drive and others will go onto my MBP,s iTunes Music folder. All of my iPhone/iPad apps, Album Artwork, Mobile Applications. I have Book folders on both drives and the both have books on them.
    I should say that I had a major problem a few years ago, which has nothing to do with the above problem, with one of the iTunes updates which disconnected most of my songs from their respective files. I tried a solution a friend sugested, which really messed up the files and now many of the files have different info inside the song files, i.e., Otis Redding as the Artist on a Radiohead track. Or another groups cover for a Beatles album. I have a large library and have gone through slowly and fixed many things, but it is still quite messy and a huge bummer.. As a proud new owner of a Late 2011 MacBook Pro, I would love to be able to have a solution for this as well.
    TIA

    Well I just went through the same thing. I had a Lacie Porsche mobile drive at 80GB and changed to a Lacie Rugged 250. I keep all my music on external never local. Not a fan of loading my laptop. Anyways.... I was getting those same errors. I had copied all the itunes library contents from the Porsche drive to the Rugged drive. It took quite some time to transfer so you knew it was working. Then changed in the preferences of iTunes to save in the Rugged drive. If you trashed or deleted any files from the new drive and just put them in the trash without emptying you get that 501 trashes path. I found I had multiple duplicates of songs with the name of the song followed by a 1.mp4a. I think the library.xml file is the key to a clean transfer of music. I think this file is stored locally in your user folder and then it's used to direct to the alternate drive but from what I've read it's the file with all the playlist information and stuff on it. If you find it and move it over to the mobile drive then hold option and boot up itunes then tell it to look for that file on the new mobile I think you'll have no worries. I'm actually gonna try this myself.
    You don't want to know how it got it working. I physically opened every music file on the rugged drive to make sure the were all where they were supposed to be. All 70'gb's of music. Never doing that again.

Maybe you are looking for

  • LaserJet_600_M602_NW_access

    hello i have LaserJet 600 M602. how to setup 802.1x auth? when i enter name, password, server address and then i click on submit, nothing happens. i can see "successful" but 802.1x auth is still inactive. also i have Network access protection server

  • How to write to mounted disc image

    I need to add a file to a disc image I created, but it always comes up no write no matter what I do. Anyone know a good tip to do this? Thanks.

  • Hp 915 printer driver for windows 8.1

    i am using a laptop lenovo g50. operating system is 2indows 8.1  64 bit. iam unable to connect it to my hp allin one printer 915. still in very good condition since i am using it very carefully. Now because of the driver problem iam unable to take pr

  • Issue in Downloading or Identifying correct Software zip file of EBS R12 !

    Hi, I am confused a bit about downloading the EBS R12 software Link from https://edelivery.oracle.com/download/osdc_download_links.html. Could you please specify which software Link or rather zip file is accurate in order to download EBS R12 for Inst

  • What are the differences between Cartweaver CF and PHP?

    I am on my final step of finishing the webpage that I am building and saw Cartweaver for a shopping cart that is compatible with dreamweaver. But I looked into the site and hey didnt give an explanation between the CF and PHP version. So I would like