Migrating iTunes, iPhoto from external drives to new iMac

We've finally decided to upgrade from our trusty Power Mac G4 tower (10.4.11) we've had since 2002 to a new 21.5-inch iMac. It arrives tomorrow.
I'm already anticipating problems migrating to the new system, tho'. The 20Gb startup disk seemed science-fiction large in 2002, but obviously we quickly ran out of space. Currently, our iPhoto library lives on a second internal SATA HD, and iTunes on an external FireWire drive.
What's going to be the best way to migrate all that stuff to the new iMac's 2Tb (science fiction numbers, again!) drive? Will the migration assistant find the iPhoto and iTunes files on those other disks?

den.thed wrote:
Open iTunes on your new iMac and go to File > Add to Library then navigate to the iTunes library on the External HD and hit the Choose button.
Do the same for iPhoto File > Add to Library while your connected to the G4.
Just for clarity's sake, you're talking about selecting the iTunes/iPhoto media folders, right? Not selecting each file individually, I hope.
And from what you're saying, it doesn't sound like Migration Assistant is going to pull anything over from my old iTunes or iPhoto settings, much less media stored on external/expansion drives, is that correct? I'll have to drag those files over via Ethernet, I imagine.

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Transfer iTunes files from external drive onto new iMac

I had all of my iTunes files on an external hard drive with an old eMac. I want to transfer the files to my brand-new iMac.
It's easy to copy the iTunes Library folder from the external drive onto the iMac hard drive, and change the preferences so that new songs are stored onto the iMac, but it doesn't change the settings for iTunes. Then, if I "Add to Library" I get two copies of everything: the file that's on the external drive PLUS the file that's on the new iMac. If I delete all of the "old" duplicates, it will mess up my playlists.
Isn't there an easy way to point iTunes to the new Library on the iMac and have it change the location setting for all of the songs?

okay, let me rephrase my question:
when you moved your files from the old Mac to the external, did you
(a) drag the entire iTunes folder from <MacintoshHD>/users/<yourname>/music to the external
or
(b) use the +consolidate files+ command to move the files to the external
if (a), connect the external to the new Mac and launch iTunes while pressing option on your keyboard. when prompted, click on +choose library+ and select the iTunes folder on the external.
if (b), copy the iTunes folder from <MacintoshHD>/users/<yourname>/music on the old Mac to <MacintoshHD>/users/<yourname>/music on the new one, overwriting the iTunes folder in place there. connect the external to your new Mac and fire up iTunes normally.
if you want to move the media files from the external to the internal disk of your new Mac, go iTunes > preferences > advanced and point +iTunes media folder location+ to the iTunes folder in <MacintoshHD>/users/<yourname>/music. also on the advanced tab, make sure there is a tick in the boxes next to +keep iTunes media folder organized+ and +copy files to ... when adding to library+.
then file > library > organize library > consolidate files. this will copy all your media files to the location you specified earlier in the advanced tab. when done, you can (if you want) erase the external and use it for other purposes. or keep the files there and use the external as your backup.
JGG

Import iTunes Library from External Drive to New Computer with Vista

I can't seem to "import" my entire iTunes library from my external hard drive to my new computer. However, I can import songs one-by-one. There must be a way to transfer the whole file at once but it is beyond me. Anyone have a solution?

Hi I am new and have found a way to import Files & Folders over my home network and or other drives.
Start in File, click "Add File to Library", or "Add Folder to Library". In the “look in” dropdown window, locate the File or folder and double click on it. It should begin to transfer. I have never transferred an enter library though.
On a personal note,
I have come to realize that I can only transfer iTunes music. I can not transfer or even find the music that I have installed from a CD into my iTunes library. iTunes dose recognize even the folder that such music is in. If any of you have an answer to this problem let me know.
Thanks

How to get itunes library from external drive to new computer

i recently purchased a new computer w/the windows vista platform. there were posts regarding how to transfer the library w/playlists on this board, which i followed to the point of hitting shift while opening itunes, and choosing a library. however, when selecting such from my external drive, which has the itl and xml on it as well as the itunes music folder, it gives me an error noting it is locked or that i dont have write permission to use it. my external drive on my old computer was the G drive, now it is the F drive on new one. can anyone please advise what to do other than copy all music over and have to completely recreate all playlists?

polydorus, this was the response/post that i found and it was posted by sweepea on 9/4/2007. and all my music is now from the external drive to the itunes music folder on my laptop and it let me keep all my playlists. thank you again for your help!
I had that problem too. I tried to remove iTunes from my computer and then download it again, but that did not make any difference. Then I tried polydorus' answer ("starting iTunes with the shift key held down, when asked to choose a library, navigate to your iTunes folder and choose iTunes Library.itl"), but that did not work either and that same message about the library being locked appeared again.
Then I had a brainwave. I deleted that iTunes library.itl file. (To find it, go to My documents, then My Music, then iTunes, and there is the itunes library file). I now tried to open iTunes by clicking on the iTunes icon on my desktop, nothing happened, as if I had not clicked on it at all. I restored the file from the recycling bin to where it was before. But that also returned me to where I had been before, i.e. I got that locked-library message again. So I deleted that file again. Then I tried right-clicking on the iTunes icon. On the little menu that appeared, I clicked 'Open' and hey presto, suddenly the iTunes set-up assistant appeared and everything went smooth from then on. When I checked, there was a file called iTunes library.itl again and this one worked OK.
By the way, I did not lose any of my music downloads or podcasts when I deleted that file, so it's definitely worth a try.
custom built Windows 2000

Problems playing iTunes purchases from external drive on new computer.

My computer recently died and I had to get a new one. Luckily I had copied all of my iTunes purchases onto an external drive. However, when I connect the external drive to the new computer I can see the purchases but cannot see them in iTunes-I try adding the files in iTunes, but this doesn't work. I have authorised the computer, so it should be able to play the purchases but I have tried dragging them all into iTunes, copying them to the computer but no joy.
Any help would be appreciated.

In Windows Explorer, right-click on your media folder and click Properties, then go to the Security tab and click Advanced. If necessary grant your account and SYSTEM full control of this folder, subfolders and files, then tick the option to replace permissions on child objects which will repair permissions throughout the library. This is the XP dialog but Windows 7 shouldn't be too different.
If it won't let you change the permissions use the Owner tab to take ownneship from an account with administror privileges.
tt2

How to Recover Playlists when Transferring iTunes Library from External Drive to New Computer

iTunes library copied to external drive and then loaded to new computer. All songs are there but all of the playlists that I had set up do not appear. I cannot figure out how to retrieve/recover them. The back-up was not done by me so I'm not sure of the steps that were followed. Is there something special that needs to be done when backing up to external drive in terms of saving playlists? Help!

Hello TNCGRCT,
It sounds like the library was successfully transferred to the new computer, but the songs were imported into a new iTunes library. If you still have access to the external drive, or better yet the previous computer, we will want to transfer the iTunesLibrary.itl file and open it with iTunes:
iTunes: How to open an alternate iTunes Library file or create a new one
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1589
More helpful information...
Where are my iTunes files located?
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1391
iTunes: How to move your music to a new computer
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4527
Thanks,
Matt M.

Transferring iTunes music from external HD to new iMac

I've searched and read and still am a little confused, so apologies ahead of time for asking yet another transfer music question.
I had to do an erase and install of Leopard onto my iMac Intel; I've since performed a software update and now am running iTunes 9. My iTunes music is still on an external HD back-up.
Can someone be kind enough to list the steps needed to transfer my iTunes 8 library from the external HD to the iMac's iTunes 9 while maintaining playlists, album cover art, etc.? I also have some other music (mp3s) in a separate folder (user/Music/allofmp3) that I need to transfer over as well.
Much thanks ahead of time!

Can someone be kind enough to list the steps needed to transfer my iTunes 8 library from the external HD to the iMac's iTunes 9 while maintaining playlists, album cover art, etc.?
My iTunes music is still on an external HD back-up.
If you only backed up your iTunes music and not the entire \Music\iTunes\ folder, you have no playlists, album cover art, etc.

How to import photos into iphoto from backup drive to new computer

2008 "Vintage" iMac recently died. Data was saved on external hard drive. Purchased new iMac, OS 10.9.4, how to get old iphoto library from hard drive to new computer. Iphoto 9.5.1. Thanks

Data was saved on external hard drive. Purchased new iMac, OS 10.9.4, how to get old iphoto library from hard drive to new computer.
Teresa, in what way way the data saved to an external hard drive? Do you have a copy of your iPhoto library on that drive? Or is it a clone of your old system drive ? A Time Machine backup?
And which iPhoto version did you have on your old Mac?
If your external drive holds a copy of your iPhoto library, you can simply connect this drive your new mac and drag the library over. It will depend in the version of your old iPhoto, how you can open the the old library. If it is an iPhoto '09 or '11 library, you can aunch iPhoto with the options key held down and select the library as your new iPhoto library. If the iPhoto version is older, you will have to ru the iPhoto Library Upgrader first.
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Importing library from external drive on new computer

My hard drive recently crashed, received new one from mfgt. and sent old drive to have data extracted and put onto an external drive. I am trying to get my library onto new drive. Was able to get purchased off of Ipod. I tried going to file, import, clicked on itunes folder on external drive but nothing seems to happen. My itunes currently shows only what I have put on it from disk and what the purchased I was able to transfer from ipod. But in my documents folder it appears that my old library is there but doesn't show up when i open itunes.
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I actually just answered my own question. I had to import the XML file. It took awhile but I have a lot of music. It imported a few automatically generated playlists that I never had before (???) but I just deleted them. Everything is there!

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Is there a way to transfer music not purchased from the iTunes store from my ipod to my imac? Also, is it possible to move photos from ipod to imac? My computer was stolen so lost it all...have learned the lesson of backing up the hard way!

See this older post from another forum member Zevoneer covering the different methods available for copying content on your iPod back to your PC or Mac.
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2452022?start=0&tstart=0
B-rock

Migrating iTunes library from external hard drive to new laptop

Hi there, I am wondering if anyone can help me please? I am a complete newbie to this forum thing, I am just getting into this cosmic sharing world but find myself utterly frustrated with iTunes and my new laptop - with little help on the Support pages, so i am venturing into the unkown and seeking help from anyone out there.........slightly scary for me, this really is my first post on a forum - so be gentle with me :0)
On my old steam driven laptop I had to move my iTunes library to an external hard drive, my 250MB hard drive just wasn't enough (I know pathetic wasn't it). All ok there and I have been using it no problem. I have now upgraded (finally!!) to a new wonderful laptop (with webcam and all sorts!)but I am at the end of my tether trying to get my iTunes library from my external hard drive to appear in the Library on the laptop. boo hoo.
I have tried changing the file location in the Advance section of preferences, i have tried choosing the library after holding down the shift key on start up (you see not a complete numpty). They all appear to work as i don't get any error messages, but the songs just don't appear in the library. Am i being a complete numb nuts here? what am i missing?
If anyone can help i would be really grateful as this is spoiling the euphoric feeling i have of my lovely new laptop!
cheers Latte

tonybassplayer wrote:
Thank Chris I have just done that. How do I now get them in to Itunes ?
If you simply copy the iTUnes folder to /Music/ and launch iTUnes, everythign will be there. No need to import anything.
This will work the same with iPhoto.
Simply copy the Photo library to /Pictures/ folder and launch iPhoto.

Migrating iTunes library from old mac to new, and library is on external HD

Hi, I'm trying to figure out how to point my newly set up iTunes to my old iTunes library file located on my external HD. It wants to build a new one.
I have a new iMac 5K I just got Friday. I have an old Mac Pro 2007 running 10.7.5 (the latest software I could update to due to hardware restrictions.)
Unfortunately, I can't do a straight up Migrate from the old one to the new one, due to the difference in OS. I got most of the iMac set up, but am having some issues with iTunes. My entire iTunes library is on an external HD, and it has been for quite some time. In preferences under advanced, I had my iTunes Media folder location set to the folder that was on the HD.
So when setting up my new iMac, I set the same preference in the new iTunes, so it has access to all of my music, but I don't remember how to point the new iTunes to that "iTunes Library" file so that all of my playlists and settings are in there. Intead iTunes keeps building a folder and library file on my Music folder that's on my iMac.

A library is everything in an iTunes folder, not just media. In particular, iTunes is looking for a file called iTunes Library.itl.
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How to move iPhoto Library from external drive to new mac?

I have exported a copy of my iPhoto Library from my old mac to an external hard drive. How can I import entire library into iPhoto of new mac? When I click Import to Library, I'm unable to highlight iPhoto Library file listed on my external hard drive in Finder. Any suggestions? Thanks.

Is the iPhoto library on the new computer empty? If it is, quit iPhoto and just drag the iPhoto library on the New Computer to the trash and drag the iPhoto library from the EHD to the pictures folder on the new computer - there is no importing involved - you NEVER want to import an iPhoto library into another iPhoto Library
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LN

Moving iTunes from external drive to new computer

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LN

Migrating iTunes, iPhoto from external drives to new iMac

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