ITunes, new computer, search/consolidate all songs?

I just went from a prehistoric iBook G4 to a lightning-fast MacBook Pro.
The new computer was a gift, so 'setup assistant' has already been run, and I don't want to reinstall the OS, seeing as my mum added her Mac programs (Word, etc) for which I don't have disks.
The problem is: my old iBook didn't have memory, so all my stuff is already on an external hard drive. I want to find a way that the new iTunes will read and consolidate all of the existing songs on my external hard drive. I've read forum posts, and in theory there should be a 'search' function, though I have yet to find it on the new OS.
I backup frequently, so I could use backup disks, but considering that I have 80gig of music this would involve going to the hard drive, deleting the existing music, then re-importing it (I wouldn't have room on my hard drive for the old 80gig + the same old re-imported 80-gig's worth...). Big pain in the tuckus, and counterproductive.
There must be a way to have iTunes search for and consolidate existing music on a hard drive.
I seem to remember having this function on the old OS, 'twould be a bummer not to have it on the new one. I already notice that in internet settings 'Use Interference Robustness" has disappeared, meaning I can't connect wirelessly to the internet using the MacBook Pro.
Not having internet or music will make me beg to have my old iBook-PowerPC back....
I have also used my MacOS help function with little luck...

Well you should be able to import songs by clicking on "File" and "import folder" then you can select the source such as your external hard drive. Itunes will then import your music and, if neccesary, convert them to the MP3 format.
Hope this helps!

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How to download mp3 to iphone G3 from from library on new computer with erasing all songs on iphone now?

how do I download a mp3 from the itunes library on a new athorized computer to my iphone G3 with out erasing all songs on my iphone ow?

Yes. That's what will happen. As I said, you can only sync to 1 iTunes database at a time. In order to set up a sync relationship with the new iTunes library, the media on your phone will be erased and replaced by media in the new iTunes library.

New computer not syncing all songs

I recently bought a new computer and when I entered my apple ID information, only a small amount of my itunes library showed up. When I upgraded to the new iphone a few months ago all my music showed up on that without a problem. Any problem solving fixes for the computer I should know about?

The personal data form your original computer will not just appear on a new computer. You must put it there by copying it from the original compute to the new computer. These Apple KB articles will help you:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4527
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1408
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4889

If I was to get a new computer and transfer all my music from my itunes on my old computer to hard drive then to my new computer and itunes, could I make a new itunes account on my new computer and still be able to use my old songs?

If I was to get a new computer and transfer all my music from my itunes on my old computer to hard drive then to my new computer and itunes, could I make a new itunes account on my new computer and still be able to use my old songs?
I am getting a new computer and I know I can transfer my music on my old computer to my new one with a hard drive but me and brother currently share an account and I would like my own, once I get a new computer can I make a new account on my new itunes and still be able to keep my old music and be able to sync it and play it etc?? Anyone with information on this would be muchly appreciated!!! Thank you in advance! Oh and I currently have a windows but will be getting a mac book pro most likely

The music sync is one one way - computer to ipod. The exception is itunes purchases. File>Transfer Purchases
Have you failed to maintain a backup copy of your computer?

HT201272 need to download ipod to itunes - new computer all my songs on comp are gone

new computer - trying to load songs from Ipod shuffle to Itunes

Same thing happened to me. No assistance from apple. They leave everything up to the people who bought their stuff! Thank you!

My old computer crashed and i just purchased a new laptop. How do i get my library on my new computer without erasing all the songs on my ipod?

?

damfam9 wrote:
My old computer crashed and i just purchased a new laptop. How do i get my library on my new computer without erasing all the songs on my ipod?
If ALL your music is on the iPod and it's ALL iTunes purchased content, you log into iTunes with your account on th enew machine and reverse sycn the music back.
If the music is from cd's and other sources (not iTunes files) then ask over at iLounge what third party solution currently works. (can't recommond it here)
I have some HUGE instructions here how to get your music off the old comptuer too:
Recovery options:
A: If Windows isn't booting:
You need to boot the computer from a "recovery disk or USB" that has a operating system on it and a graphical user interface to transfer files from your boot drive to a external drive.
I suggest using the Easy USB Installer to install Ubuntu 10.10 onto a 2-4 GB USB key.
http://www.pendrivelinux.com/universal-usb-installer-easy-as-1-2-3/
or
burn a ISO of Ubuntu 10.10 or PartedMagic to a cd-r with ImgBurn or Win 7 right click and burn
You can use Disk Utility in OS X to select the ISO and burn to cd/dvd as well.
Once you have it installed, consult this page for your BIOS boot key to hold to get into the BIOS.
http://pcsupport.about.com/od/fixtheproblem/a/biosaccess_pc.htm
Plug the USB into the back (if possible) of the computer, connect the external drive and enter the BIOS, set the USB (or CD) as first boot and SAVE.
Boot off the USB/CD and "Try Ubuntu/Run from disk" DON'T INSTALL. (Parted Magic loads into RAM and ejects CD)
Once in, go under the menu Places > Computer and transfer your files to the external drive just like you would in Windows, drag and drop.
(If using Parted Magic double click on the Mount Drive left icon twice, use the two GUI windows to transfer files to external drive, unmount drives, log out/quit in the lower left corner menu option)
B: If the computer hardware isn't working, but the drive might still work:
You'll have to remove the power cord and manually extract the hard drive. This might result in some damage.
There is a powered IDE/SATA to USB adapter for sale online for $20 that you can take that internal hard drive and use it like a external drive to access your files from another Windows machine.
C: If your iTunes content is deleted...
It might be recoverable if it hasn't been overwritten yet by fresh data. Undelete software works by reading the 1's and 0's of the files themselves, not what the OS says.
You need to use undelete software pre-installed before the iTunes content was deleted, or while on a bootable cd/USB and a external drive to transfer the recovered files.
You can also install undelete type software on a new machine and USE STEP B above to "undelete" the files and recover them directly to the new computer.
You can't install undelete software or recover files to the same drive your attempting to recover from or it overwrites the deleted data.
D: If the hard drive doesn't work and...
The data isn't worth spending $2000-$3000 in a ATTEMPT at platter dissection recovery, then your finished
If the data on the drive was encrypted, data recovery efforts may be futile, unless it's a encypted file and you transfer it successfuly and have the password to de-crypt it.
E: If you have a "iDevice" with any content
It can be synced back into iTunes, check at iLounge what third party software works reliably now and for your version.
(Once you log into your iTunes account, you can sync ONLY iTunes purchased content back from a iDevice)
Third party software can recover just about all the items on a iDevice, regardless of it's origin. (can't recommend such software here)
F: If any of the above is too hard, or the data is of "critical importance"
Then seek professional computer or forensic level recovery services.
Get help from someone who has done this sort of thing repeatly and can almost guaranty 100% results.
There is Linux software that can "rip" all data off a iOS device if that level of attention is needed, seek a professional service.
Hope this helps in your data recovery efforts.
Please, backup your data, it's the only thing us IT professionals can't recover.

I have a new computer that downloaded all of my playlist. but i cannot play all songs. i get a error that say "the song could not be used because the original file could not be found. would you like to locate it? but it does not help to resolve.

i installed itunes to my new computer and transfered all my playlist from the older computer. the software came with the new computer hp link up. the problem
comes in where i want to play a certain song on a playlist and this error pops up "the song could not be used because the original file could not be found.
would you like to locate it? which is of no help.
is there a solution to this problem?

The file path for these songs IS NOT correct per your iTunes Library file.
See: http://dougscripts.com/itunes/scripts/ss.php?sp=listmias for an Applescript to locate these files for re-adding.

How do you transfer songs from my iPod Classic to my new computer? The only songs that transfer are those that I purchased on iTunes. Is there a 3rd party website or something?

I am trying to transfer 3000 songs from my iPod Classic to my new computer. The only songs that transfer are those that I have purchased on iTunes (242 songs). All of the music from my CD collection that I have on my iPod Classic will not transfer. What (if any) is the best 3rd party website that will assist?

See this older post from another forum member Zevoneer covering the different methods and software available to assist you with the task of copying content from your iPod back to your PC and into iTunes.
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2452022?start=0&tstart=0
B-rock

HT203167 I transfered my ipod to a new computer. Not all my music was synced. I had 700+ songs and now I only have207

I transfered my ipod to a new computer. Not all my music was synced. I have 700+songs and now I only have 207

Probably not enough memory on your device. Also, if most of the songs on your library are ripped from cds, you will not be able to transfer those from your device to your computer. Try checking the articles below:
iTunes: Finding lost media downloads
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1408
iTunes Store: Transferring purchases from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod to a computer
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1848
You can also contact support.
http://www.apple.com/support/itunes/contact/

HT201269 How can I sync my ipod on itunes to a new computer without loosing all my music?

How can I sync my ipod on itunes to a new computer without loosing all my music? Is there any way to do this?

See:
Syncing to a "New" Computer or replacing a "crashed" Hard Drive: Apple Support Communities

How can I use iTunes on my new computer, without lossing all my music?

How can I use iTunes on my new computer, without losing all my music?
I don't want to rebuy everything I have purchased over the years.
Your help would be greatly appreciated.

They should be in your itunes media folder. Use an external hard drive and just copy that to your new computer. I'm sure there's an easier way like this one (iTunes>File>Library>Export Library>External Hard Drive) but I never tried it before. Anyways, once that's done, just simply authorize your itunes account to play music you bought on to the new computer.

My computer died, so trying to connect my phone on a new computer and download all my music to the new computer/itunes?

My computer died, so trying to connect my phone on a new computer and download all my music to the new computer/itunes?

The iphone is not a storage/backup device. The sync is oen way - computer to iphone. The only exception is itunes purchases. File>Devices>Transfer Purhases
Copy everything from your backup copy of your old computer to your new one.

I have a new computer and have all my music is on an external hard drive. I have the external hard drive connected to my computer. How do I get my music that is on my ipod to go to the itunes on the new computer.

I have a new computer and have all my music is on an external hard drive. I have the external hard drive connected to my computer. How do I get my music that is on my ipod to go to the itunes on the new computer.

What error message are you getting when you try to launch iTunes? (Precise text, please.)

HT1351 We had 2 computers: his itunes library on one, and mine on the other. We got rid of both of those and got a new computer. I put music on the new computer. My ipod songs are not on itunes. Will I erase them if I sync? How do I add new music?

We had 2 computers: his itunes library on one, and mine on the other. We got rid of both of those and got a new computer. I put new music on the new computer. My ipod songs are not on itunes on the new computer. Will I erase them if I sync? How do I add new music?

See this older post from another forum member Zevoneer covering the different methods and software available to assist you with the task of copying content from your iPod back to your PC and into iTunes.
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2452022?start=0&tstart=0
B-rock

HT1420 looking at the 'help' to work out how to authorise new computer so can play songs, the instructions say - open itunes - go to store tab -locate 'authorise computer'- I cannot find the 'authorise computer' part !

looking at the 'help' to work out how to authorise new computer so can play songs, the instructions say - open itunes - go to store tab -locate 'authorise computer'- I cannot find the 'authorise computer' part !

You are looking at the drop-down menus at the top of iTunes e.g. on a Mac :
If you are on iTunes 11 on Windows then press Alt-S and the Store menu should appear at the top.

ITunes, new computer, search/consolidate all songs?

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