ITunes on multiply machines

I have been thinking about buying a laptop to go with my Mini Mac(OS X 10.4.10). I want to get an external hard drive for the mini mac. If I move my iTunes library onto the external hard drive would I be able to share it to the new laptop. I am not currently running a wireless network. Would I want to go to a wireless system and "network" the external HD and to share iTunes between the two machines. The new ExHD would be used for TimeMachine. Thanks for the info.

You could easily use the wireless system built into your mini to share with your new Macbook. You could either use file sharing or share iTunes in iTunes itself. For the external drive I suggest two partitions. One for Time Machine and the other for iTunes.

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This Question is at least 2.5 years old. But still an issue. I have an early 2008 and mid 2010 13 inch macbook pro running iTunes 10.7. Itunes on both machines doesn't recognize blank cds or allow me to import from a music cd when I insert it.

I have an early 2008 and mid 2010 13 inch macbook pro running iTunes 10.7. Itunes on both machines doesn't recognize blank cds or allow me to import from a music cd when I insert it.

iTunes does not use the .xml it uses the .itl
If you are sure your old library file migrated across (does the file size and modification dates suggest it has?) start iTunes while holding down the option/alt key and guide it to the .itl file to get it to use that one.

I am trying to connect my fathers ipod touch to itunes on my computer, how can i sync itunes on my machine with the ipod such that his songs don't get deleted and i could add new songs to it (mp3 on my computer)

I am trying to connect my fathers ipod touch to itunes on my computer, how can i sync itunes on my machine with the ipod such that his songs don't get deleted and i could add new songs to it (mp3 on my computer)

You cannot merge accounts. Frequently asked questions about Apple ID - http://support.apple.com/kb/HE37
One computer using multiple iTunes Store authorizations - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1206

IPhoto, iTunes, and Time Machine

I have a late 2009 Mac Mini running Mavericks. The Mini has a 200gb drive. Is it better to have iPhoto, iTunes and Time Machine on an external hard drive? I understand it doesn't matter where the location is as long as you have adequate drive space. That is not what I am asking. Another words, you have a separate external drives for EACH one. Does it make sense to have separate drives for iPhoto, iTunes and TM. All of these external drives plugged into the Mini. I am thinking of the recovery as well as if one drive crashes then you are not dead in water,
I am thinking this way because iPhoto alone can get fairly large as well as iTunes. It makes sense to me to have separate drives for each one. Anyone else have this type of setup at home?

Thanks for the response. I understand that I would need a backup of all three drives. However, I was asking if it is better to have your iPhoto and iTunes libraries on separate drives versus using 1 large drive to hold the data. The other point, iPhoto and iTunes can get fairly large in size over time. So, do you use 1 large external drive or use 2 separate drives. Obviously, I know that when a drive crashes, you may or may not be able to recover any data off of it. Obviously, I know that you need a backup of the drives in case of drive failure.
I would like to know if other Apple users have separate drives for iPhoto, iTunes and TM? If so, which manufacturer are you using?

I have iTunes installed on a laptop that I use for work, but it's owned by my employer. A new policy my have them deleting iTunes from the machine. If that happens, will I lose all my music? I am an iCloud user and pay for iTunes match.

I have iTunes installed on a laptop that I use for work, but it's owned by my employer. A new policy my have them deleting iTunes from the machine. If that happens, will I lose all my music? I am an iCloud user and pay for iTunes match.

If they just delete iTunes, the music files should still be there. I suggest making a backup of them though. Locate your iTunes folder (The one that contains your library file) and just copy the whole thing to your Documents folder or wherever you like (Just not in the same directory of the original folder otherwise the computer will get confused and could confuse your iTunes library). Then you will have a backup of all your music, plus if you purchased it from iTunes, you will still have it linked to your Apple ID so you can re-download them to any computer with iTunes on it when you feel like it.

My Wife got an iPhone at work. IT set it up the first time on another machine, they finally install iTunes on her machine but I don't know if she can sync without loosing Photos, SMS, and other things. She had six months of stuff on that phone?

My Wife got an iPhone at work. IT set it up the first time on another machine, they finally install iTunes on her machine but I don't know if she can sync without loosing Photos, SMS, and other things. She had six months of stuff on that phone?
The problem is she can't update to new software until she connect to iTunes, but she don't want to loose all that info.
My question is:
If she register her apple ID on that new computer, and sync the phone, will she loose everything? or iTunes will back up first (because apple id match) and then sync.
Otherwise, how can I do it? The closest apple store is 3 hours away. thanks!

Before you connect to a new PC, make sure that autosync is disabled in Edit/Preferences/Devices, otherwise her phone will be wiped during the following sync.
If she has data on the phone she wants to save, back up manually:
Disable autosync in iTunes, connect your phone to her new computer and right click on it in the device list and choose backup. iTunes will backup your phone without syncing. Transfer the purchases the same way, choosing "transfer purchases" this time.
When you connect your phone for the first time, all media content will be erased. But you can restore your settings and app data from your manual backup afterwards.
Don't forget to set up at least one contact and event on your new computer to be able to merge calendars and contacts when you sync the phone for the first time.
About backups and what's saved:http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1766
How to back up and restore:http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1414
How to download apps for free again:http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2519
Transferring data is also covered here: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4137

Restoring itunes using time machine

Hi everyone,
I'm not hugely computer literate so please be gentle.
I managed to delete my ENTIRE itunes folder... apps, music, playlists, etc. Is it possible to restore itunes exactly as it was? I have a time machine back up from yesterday that would work.
So far I've managed to use TM to get all the music, apps and video back so I'm not stressed but it was basic and messy and not as organised as itunes was before I deleted everything.
So can you help? Can I restore itunes using time machine or not?

TheShield wrote:
Hi, im actually in the same boat here, im in the process of re installing my OS and i want to restore Iphoto and itunes as it was. So correct me if im wrong, all i have to do is on my Mac go to this folder (<MacintoshHD>/users/<yourname>/music )and than jump into time machine ? That would take me directly to the folder i have in view on my mac ? Once i hit restore, will this restore all my apps, songs, iphone and ipod back ups etc ? Thanks for your help all.
Probably not.
How and why are you reinstalling OSX?
Assuming you erased your internal HD before installing OSX, your best bet is to use +Setup Assistant+ when it reboots to transfer your apps, users, and data from your backups. See #19 in [Time Machine - Frequently Asked Questions|http://web.me.com/pondini/Time_Machine/FAQ.html] (or use the link in *User Tips* at the top of this forum).
If you don't do that, but set up a user account instead, that account probably won't be recognized as the same one on your backups, so you won't have permission to restore from them.

How to restore iTunes on Time Machine

When I try to restore my lost music on iTunes with Time Machine, it tells me that iTunes cannot be modified as it is an integeral part of OS X.
There has to be some way to restore this lost music (Thank you, Onyx!) and I would appreciate your good help.

Neil,
I have a list of iTune Libraries within Macintosh HD. None can be opened or restored via Time machine. i get the following: "The alias "iTunes Library 2013-09-26.itl" can't be opened because the original item can't be found."
What to do?

HT201250 Restore playlist to iTunes from Time Machine backup

I need to restore my playlist to iTunes from Time Machine backup. Anyone know how?

cindy1023 wrote:
i had a hacker get in my computer, got all my info used my name and passwords to convert safari into windows on another computer? and APPLE IS THE ONE GAVE HER THE PASSWORD.
There is no way to "convert" Safari into Windows. And very unlikely for a hacker to get into a Mac.
But, ok, your system is all messed-up somehow.
First, what version of OSX is on your Mac? If you don't know, click the Apple icon at the upper-left of the screen and select About This Mac. You'll see a display like this:
We need the Version number.
Second question: do you have backups made with Time Machine (on an external HD or the like) that you want to restore, or do you want to start your Mac over fresh, the way it came from the factory?
p.s. i dont have the disc it came with , my daughter set it up for me to get started !
You may need that, depending on what version of OSX you're running, to restore the backups or start fresh.
You really should have a copy of the original disc, as there's an Apple Hardware Test on it, tailored to the hardware on that Mac. You'll need it it there's ever a problem. If your daughter can't send it, call AppleCare (800-275-2273),and give them your serial number -- they can send you a replacement for a nominal fee.
Sorry, but it's late here, and I'm going to bed, but will be back tomorrow.

Restoring iTunes from Time Machine

Yesterday I did a clean install of Snow Leopard on my MBP. Now I would like to restore my iTunes library from my Time Capsule. I ensured that I did a full back up of my OS prior to the clean install. However, now when I enter Time Machine (the Star Wars interface), the backups created yesterday and before are not available. It shows the backups, but it won't let me access them. Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Hi, and welcome to the forums.
Since you erased everything, and set up one or more new user accounts, those accounts may not be recognized as being the same as the ones on your backups. One user, even an Admin user, doesn't normally have access to a different user's files, and Time Machine enforces that on the backups as well.
Also, when you erased your MBP's disk, it got a new UUID, which is how TM and OSX keep track of drives, so it's treated as a different one. By the way, the next backup will be a full one because of that.
Try the procedure in #E3 of [Time Machine - Troubleshooting|http://web.me.com/pondini/Time_Machine/Troubleshooting.html] (or use the link in *User Tips* at the top of this forum).
If that doesn't work, your best bet is to start over, and use +Setup Assistant+ to transfer most or all of your stuff. See #19 in [Time Machine - Frequently Asked Questions|http://web.me.com/pondini/Time_Machine/FAQ.html] (or use the link in *User Tips* at the top of this forum), for details and instructions. You'll need to start with the green box there.

Restoring iTunes from Time Machine after losing data on iPhone. Help please

Hello,
I updated my iPhone 5S to the latest 7.0.5 today but for some reason it wiped my iPhone and I had to restore from an iTunes backup. However I then realised the last time I made a backup to my computer was 3 months ago, so when it restored it was only correct upto 3 months ago. All my SMS messages in that time has disappeared plus photos and old conversations I had stored on my Skype app. Strangely notes I had made in the "notes app" were still up to date?
I then tried to restore from iCloud however it made a new backup in the meantime so also has a backup of my iPhone as it was 3 months ago.
I do have an Iomega Ego backup drive plugged into my Mac Mini so Time Machine does back up my Mac Mini every hour.
So my question is, can I restore iTunes as it was before I updated my iPhone to 7.0.5? Will that bring back all my old text/SMS messages, photos etc..? Or will it not work as I have now updated my iPhones to the latest OS?
If it does work how do I actually restore iTunes, are their particular files I need to pick and is there a risk with doing this? For example will it cause conflict issues on my Mac Mini and iPhone.
Apologies for all the questions, never had this happen before and I'm a bit relucatant to try it just in case I do something wrong.
All help appreciated, thank you.
I have a Mac Mini running Mavericks and an iPhone 5S that now has the very latest update 7.0.5.

If you don't have a backup of your iPhone that you made with iTunes right before you updated to 7.0.5, then you can't restore your iPhone from that backup. You can't restore from a backup that you don't have.
Notes.app is synced via iCloud, so that's why you still have it. Music on your phone syncs via iTunes.
If you have your music in iTunes on your Mac, then all you need to do is select the music you want on your phone and then sync your phone via iTunes (either with a USB cable connecting your phone to your mac, or via iTunes wifi sync).
If that music is in your external HD backup, but not in your Mac, you have to move it from the backup to iTunes in your Mac.

Problem with sharing an itunes library between machines

Hi all,
Hoping someone can help. I've moved my iTunes library onto my Time Capsule and have my mac and windows PC both using it. The problem is whichever machine I open it on, I get a message saying "Updating iTunes Library" for a few minutes. It's fine after that, until I open iTunes on the other machine, when the same thing happens. So have I forgotten to do something, or am I doing something I shouldn't, in order to use the same library across machines?
Thanks all

Anyone have any ideas?

How to rip CDs into iTunes from several machines, simultaneously

I have about 300 CDs that I'm re-ripping into my library for two reasons (1) I had a hard drive failure that corrupted / lost some of the files and (2) I'm shifting from MP3 to Apple Lossless format.
Setup: MacMini is linked to entertainment center for iTunes playback but I ahve 2 other Macbooks on network. iTunes library is on an external hardrive connected to mini via firewire --accessible to macbooks via network.
Issue 1: Can I load the iTunes library from the external hard drive on each of the three machines, then have each of the three re-rip CDs simultaneously to overwrite the old files? After the CDs have been re-ripped, I'd just tell iTunes on the MacMini rebuild the library so that it knew the actual file types for the CDs imported by the macbooks.
Issue 2: I want to overwrite existing songs (1) to avoid duplicate files and (2) I've misplaced / stored a couple hundred other CD's, so I can't just erase the old library, rip from three machines, then import into the mini b/c that would be a large loss of CDs.
My plan would as follows, but I'm not certain if it will work or if it's the best way:
1. Erase the iTunes library (not the files) on all three machines for a clean start.
2. On Each machine, Preferences -> Advanced -> General: Set the iTunes music folder to the external drive where the current music files are located. Also set each computer to "Keep Music Folder Organized" and "Copy files to iTunes Music Folder..."
3. on Each machine, select File -> Add to Libary: to add all of the current music files.
4. Start simultaneously shoving my CDs into the three machines and re-importing using lossless / telling it to overwrite existing files when prompted.
5. When done re-importing the CDs, erase the macbook libraries (I don't listen to music on them), tell the mac mini to erase it's library, then re-add all the newly ripped files and the preexisting/not-overwritten files to the library to rebuild it, so that the mini becomes aware of the files that were added / rewritten by the other two machines.
While none of the three machines would be ripping the same CD or trying to overwrite the same music files at the same time, my concern is that all three machines would run into problems if trying to update / write to the same iTunes non-music file, for example the iTunes Libarary Database file of the iTunes Library.xml file on the external drive.
Comments? Suggestions? Experiences?
Thanks,
mjc

I have about 300 CDs that I'm re-ripping into my library for two reasons (1) I had a hard drive failure that corrupted / lost some of the files and (2) I'm shifting from MP3 to Apple Lossless format.
Setup: MacMini is linked to entertainment center for iTunes playback but I ahve 2 other Macbooks on network. iTunes library is on an external hardrive connected to mini via firewire --accessible to macbooks via network.
Issue 1: Can I load the iTunes library from the external hard drive on each of the three machines, then have each of the three re-rip CDs simultaneously to overwrite the old files? After the CDs have been re-ripped, I'd just tell iTunes on the MacMini rebuild the library so that it knew the actual file types for the CDs imported by the macbooks.
Well, yeah, this wold work, in 1/3 the time. If you have changed ANYTHING about a song title, album title or artist, iTunes will not see it as a duplicate.
Issue 2: I want to overwrite existing songs (1) to avoid duplicate files and (2) I've misplaced / stored a couple hundred other CD's, so I can't just erase the old library, rip from three machines, then import into the mini b/c that would be a large loss of CDs.
So, some of the MP3's won't be AAC's in the end?
My plan would as follows, but I'm not certain if it will work or if it's the best way:
1. Erase the iTunes library (not the files) on all three machines for a clean start.
Right Click/Duplicate first, just in case. OR (better method) hold the Option key while opening iTunes and choose create new library.
2. On Each machine, Preferences -> Advanced -> General: Set the iTunes music folder to the external drive where the current music files are located. Also set each computer to "Keep Music Folder Organized" and "Copy files to iTunes Music Folder..."
3. on Each machine, select File -> Add to Libary: to add all of the current music files.
4. Start simultaneously shoving my CDs into the three machines and re-importing using lossless / telling it to overwrite existing files when prompted.
If you have changed ANYTHING about a song title, album title or artist, iTunes will not see it as a duplicate.
5. When done re-importing the CDs, erase the macbook libraries (I don't listen to music on them), tell the mac mini to erase it's library, then re-add all the newly ripped files and the preexisting/not-overwritten files to the library to rebuild it, so that the mini becomes aware of the files that were added / rewritten by the other two machines.
On the three machines, hold the Option Key while opening iTunes and choose the original library, then delete the new library file you created for this adventure. Then do the same to create a new library on the MacMini. If you have created playlists, first export each playlist as a .xml file and import it when finished.
While none of the three machines would be ripping the same CD or trying to overwrite the same music files at the same time, my concern is that all three machines would run into problems if trying to update / write to the same iTunes non-music file, for example the iTunes Libarary Database file of the iTunes Library.xml file on the external drive.
They will each be creating their own unique library database, missing what the other two machines are adding to the iTunes Music Folder. They will not be re-writing the .xml file on the external hard drive. Each computer will have it's own .xml file on it's hard drive.
Tracy

How do I go back to an older version of iTunes using Time Machine?

This latest version of iTunes (v.12) is crashing, not to mention when I connect my iphone or ipod it's not only harder to use them but I can no longer see the break-down of what is on them, e.g. now it's just "12 GB full" rather than "9GB music, 1GB audiobooks, 2GB podcasts". I want to go back to the previous version but Time Machine just says iTunes "can't be modified or deleted." Is there a way around this?

Do a web search for "revert iTunes". There are many web sites with detailed instructions. It is a complicated process and I do not think it can be achieved with Time Machine alone. Time Machine can act as a source for your old library file but the rest involves going into protected files and folders of the system and removing various components. Oh, the version to which you want to revert also has to be one of the few still available for download. I don't, for example, think you can download a copy of iTunes 12.0 It would have to be 11.4 and you would have to have a backup copy of your library file from back when you used that version.

Unable to install iTunes 11.1.3 and uninstall iTunes on XP Machine.

Scenario: Can't synch my iPhone4 with iTunes on Windows XP machine.
- Pop-up says I need iTunes 11.1.3.
- Download 11.1.3 and run installer
- Fails with error "The Folder Path "Program Files" contains an invalid character. Run installer again".
- Run installer again (and again...) and keep getting same error. (endless loop.....)
- Go to Support page which says to completely uninstall iTunes for XP in this order:
    - iTunes
    - Apple Software Updates
    - Apple Mobile Device Support
    - Bonjour
    - Apple Application Support
- When I uninstall iTunes I get exact same error message when uninstaller tries to configure iTunes.
     "The Folder Path "Program Files" contains an invalid character. Run installer again"
         - Why the heck would the uninstaller try to configure iTunes before uninstalling it???
            Seems kind of pointless to me.
So, bottom line, I can't synch my iPhone, can't install or uninstall iTunes. DOA...!!! Need help!
Thx,
Ron

- Fails with error "The Folder Path "Program Files" contains an invalid character. Run installer again".
Try the following user tip:
"not a valid short file name" and "invalid character" install errors

ITunes on multiply machines

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