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.

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This question has to do with how to restore your computer drive if you backed up the computer to an external drive. Did you use backup software or did you just copy the data from the old computer to the new computer? If you just copied, then you need to just copy over the Music folder which should contain the iTunes folder.

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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.
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Do a shift-start of itunes.
Press *AND HOLD* the shift key whilestarting ituens.
Keep pressing and holding until you get a prompt to choose an itunes library.
Browse to wherever your music/itunes folder is, and select iTunes Library.itl.

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I did an add file to library with the entire music library and after all day of processing it is now showing up and did not duplicate the setup. I had changed the save location to the music folder under preferances first. Thanks for the help. I guess it is time to figure out playlists next. Then go buy the iPod.
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After moving Music folder to external disk, iTunes and iPhone Apps gone :-(

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Thanks. John, for your excellent problem-solvers.
Since I had already deleted the itunes files on my Mac, I went the "TimeMachine restore way" and it works. Thanks! Good also to know that the iPhone Apps are always available.
Perhaps you know the answer to another iTunes/iPhone question:
On the iPhone I have some iPod music, but I hardly use it. When I sync the iPhone with the Mac, I'd rather just leave the music on the iPhone "alone" and only sync the iPhone Apps. But when I un-check the Sync Music box (in iTunes>Devices>iPhone>Music tab) I am getting a message that if I do not sync the music, the tunes on the iPhone will be deleted. How do I leave the music on the iPhone, WITHOUT syncing it with iTunes on the Mac (while syncing Apps, and perhaps photos)? Any suggestions there?
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If you had the entire library running from the external drive it should be a matter of holding down option as you start iTunes and browsing to the library on the external drive.
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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.
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Click Itunes at the top of this page and download it.
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instead of dragging the folder out of the external hardrive and onto the desktop just do this
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See Recover your iTunes library from your iPod or iOS device.
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Compaq Presario Windows XP Notebook.
Compaq Presario Windows XP Notebook.

To move your iTunes music to an external drive...
1 Quit iTunes.
2 Move the entire iTunes folder including music to
the external drive.
In point #2 do you mean move the entire Program File folder of iTunes or just the "My Documents" iTunes library folder?
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I moved my iTunes library to the HD and then in iTunes I used the "add folder to library" function, but it brought all of the song files back onto the laptop.
How do you iPod gurus configure your setup with comp, HD and iPod? I need some guidance, my methods are not working.
laptop Windows XP

How do I have itunes use/detect my external hard drive and place music on the external drive from the itunes store? There are no music files on my pc yet. I will like to do this after installing itunes 11 on my pc for the first time. I am using windows 7

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Hey idw3,
Welcome to Apple Support Communities, and thanks for the question. Follow the instructions on this article to move your iTunes Media folder to an external hard drive:
iTunes for Windows: Moving your iTunes Media folder
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1364
Regards,
David

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mdockrell wrote:
will make sure both machine are running the same version and try again
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what happens ?

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

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