Moving iTunes music files from external to HD that already contains songs

Okay, here's my situation as best I can explain it:
I changed the location of my iTunes Music folder to be on my external hard drive a few years ago, which was where all of my iTunes music was until recently. A few months ago, I noticed that my iTunes Music folder on my laptop (my only computer) was starting to have songs in it again. I realized that with an update I did, iTunes changed the folder location back to being on my computer, so any song I had added since that date was now within the folder on my laptop's HD.
So now, I want to put all of my music back into the main iTunes folder on my hard drive to be the main folder and delete the one on the external. The problem is I can't use the 'Consolidate Library' option because I had to do a restore CD and have duplicate copies of multiple songs, and I don't want to have to go into iTunes and spend more time to fix this, which is why I've been working on this problem manually, adding songs I find on my hard drive that I want into iTunes one at a time. Point is, I don't have enough hard drive space on my computer to consolidate and then delete duplicates.
So am I going to have to create an entirely new folder and copy contents of both iTunes folders into that one? I did this so long ago, I can't remember how I did it. I know I can't just move the files to a new folder because the iTunes program doesn't recognize the new location unless you put them into iTunes directly, which is not an option because they are within folders and I'm not going to take the time to go one by one through my thousands of folders. Please help.

Okay, I've done some reading and it seems consolidating is an option if I understand it correctly. So, if I choose consolidate, iTunes will ONLY copy music files that are currently within iTunes and not currently located in the library into the library folder, correct? i.e. It will not copy songs in my Public folder that I have not put in iTunes yet, or any duplicates, right?
So that way, I could do that which will put any songs from my external into the folder on the HD, and then I can delete the iT folder on my external so that there will be no duplicates, correct? Then I could go about fixing the rest of the random songs floating on my hard drive.
Has anyone done the 'Consolidate' option and then deleted their original files? There are no adverse effects right? Then I would be free to back up the iTunes library onto my external and all will be well...

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ITunes, music files from external dr F to new computer dr C... problems?

I currently have a setup with an older computer and external hard drive, but will be getting a new computer in the near future. That is to say, I have not yet encountered a problem, but am anticipating one.
As it is, iTunes is installed on the old computer, and the library of songs and videos is all on the external hard drive.
I will be wanting to install iTunes on the new computer, and put the entire library on that computer as well.
I understand that moving a library between computers can be fairly simple, just as long as you keep the path the same. I expect that moving everything from C:\Program Files\iTunes on one computer to C:\Program Files\iTunes to a new computer would be quite easy. However, since the library currently points to files on drive F, the external harddrive, I am wondering if there will be a problem when I dump my library onto the new computer's drive C? If so, how can I get around this?
I'll try saying it another way;
currently, my directories are like so:
iTunes Folder - C:\Program Files\iTunes
Library - F:\iPod
and what I want, when I get a new computer:
iTunes Folder - C:\Program Files\iTunes
Library - C:\Program Files\iTunes\library

First of all, about the moving the 'program files\itunes' directly: don't do it. Install iTunes properly.
Then do this:
Copy the contents of 'iTunes Music' within My Music to the same location on the new computer.
Then connect the external drive and start up iTunes. It should appear identical to the way it did on the old computer.
Then use these directions to move them to My Music or anywhere else you want:
MacMuse: Moving iTunes to a new drive

Moving iTunes music folder from hard drive to external drive

I see a couple of topics related to iTunes folder locations and losing track of where the file are. What's the right way to migrate from having the iTunes music files on my hard drive (C:) to using an external drive...without having to re-map everything manually? I'm running out of space on the C: drive!

There's actually hundreds of those topics. It gets asked daily.
Did you still have a specific question after reading several of them?
Here is a very thorough and wordy article on it
http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/articles/comments/moving-your-itunes-library-to -a-new-hard-drive

ITunes Music Files on External Drive

I have an iBook and am running short on internal hard disk space primarily because of a large number of music files (~24GB). I would like to move all my music files to an external disk to free up space on my internal HD. How would I do that with iTunes and make sure any music I import or download/purchase goes to my external hard drive?

Interesting thing happened when I moved all my iTunes folder files to the external HD. Even with the EHD connected, iTunes did not display my music library. I had to import the music files from the EHD. Then I found that iTunes had placed the Album Artwork, iTunes Library database file and iTunes Music Library.xml file in the default location on my internal HD even though the path in iTunes Preferences links to the EHD. Now when I open iTunes the library displays but the actual audio files are on the EHD. I'm wondering where a purchased, downloaded audio file will go. What's up here?

Re-import music files from external library location (i.e. from archive)

This is maddening as ___
I keep my iTunes files on a drive external to my OS drive for safe keeping. I did a clean install of the OS, backed up the library from iTunes beforehand, and now I can't reimport the library with creating a whole new library and duplicating the files. So I know how to...
1) Set the music location to another drive - not a problem
2) When I import the XML library I get my play lists, BUT I only get the message my other music cannot be found. Importing the library itself does nothing. I've also tried moving the library (from the original, with its XML file) and I get all the songs and preferences but none of the songs can be found - grrrr!
3) So, how do I import the music into iTunes, and leave it on the remote drive. (iTunes always wants to create a new directory and copy it there it seems and since I don't have enough room to just let it make a whole new 48GB directory....
4) Why is this SO difficult - it is consistently a sore point with this one thing (I otherwise love all my other apple goodies for 10+ years, but this...ugh!) Any tools people know of?
Thanks
A.T.
G4 Quicksilver800Mhz 1.5GB RAM Mac OS X (10.4.2)
G4 Quicksilver800Mhz 1.5GB RAM Mac OS X (10.4.2)
G4 Quicksilver800Mhz 1.5GB RAM Mac OS X (10.4.2)

The 'iTunes Music Library.xml' file is not used by iTunes, but created by iTunes so it can be used by other programs.
If you still have the 'iTunes Library' file from before the clean install, putting it in the iTunes folder should reveal your library.
Read more about the library files here:
What are the iTunes library files?
You can also use the .xml file to restore the library.
Just set the folder on your EHD which contains all the music as 'iTunes Music folder location' in the preferences.
Then run iTunes (with the empty library), choose 'Import...' from the File menu and navigate to the .xml file.
Your library will be restored, no new folder, no dupes.
Before posting this message, I tested the procedure on my 'test' account, on which I keep a very small iTunes Library (about 10 songs), to 'mess up' and test certain procedures.
I moved (consolidated) the library to a 'testtunes' folder on an EHD, trashed the 'iTunes Library' file and used the 'iTunes Music Library.xml' file to restore the library. No dupes, no new folder. Worked just fine.
Hope this helps.
M
17' iMac fp 800 MHz 768 MB RAM Mac OS X (10.3.9) Several ext. HD (backup and data)

Hard Drive Crash--Restoring music files from External Hard Drive

My hard disk crashed, but I think (at least I hope) that I'm backed up. I had copied all of my Itunes music onto an external hard disk before the crash, although I'm not sure I copied everything that you are supposed for a full backup (i.e. all files in the Itunes folder). I'm uncertain as to the process to get everything restored.
Right now, Itunes is not installed on the new hard disk. Obviously I need to download and reinstall Itunes, which I'll do. But from here I'm confused, and I haven't seen a straightforward explanation of the next steps. Is it then as easy as copying all the old music from the external hard drive into the new Itunes music folder once Itunes is reinstalled, then synching? Or, do install itunes, then reopen it while the external hard drive is attached, and "consolidate" the old library into the new? Or do I first have to plug in the Ipod, authorize the new drive, and move the purchased music from the Ipod to the new drive through the manually managing music process that I've read about? Is there a relatively straightforward "step by step" process someone can point me at?
I'd appreciate any guidance anyone can provide, or any directions to some materials that I can read. Thanks very much.

If you copied the entire iTunes folder to the external, then all you have to do is install iTunes like normal, then start up with these instructions and point it to your backup on the external...
How to open an alternate iTunes Library file or create a new one
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=304447
Assuming that works, you can either leave everything as is and continue to use it directly off the external. Or close iTunes, then again copy the entire iTunes folder back to your internal drive, then reopen iTunes with those instructions again and re-point it back to your internal drive's copy.
Patrick

Copy Itune Music Files from Laptop to Windows Home Server

I just picked up an Acer easyStore unit which runs on Windows Home Server (WHS). This has an Itunes Server functionality and you can see the shared folders from this server in iTunes under "Shared". So, I copied my entire "iTunes" music folder from mu C: Drive on my laptop to my shared music folder on my WHS. Note I did not delete the original files from my C: drive nor have I changed the "Media Folder Location".
Off first glance it looked like all the files and folders copied to the server folder when I check the properties of each folder in Windows (i.e. the properties are identical). However, when I jump back and forth between my "Music" and my "Shared" Libraries within iTunes, it appears that the "Shared" library is less 110 songs (0.5 GB). Why would this be?
Thanks
RK

I just picked up an Acer easyStore unit which runs on Windows Home Server (WHS). This has an Itunes Server functionality and you can see the shared folders from this server in iTunes under "Shared". So, I copied my entire "iTunes" music folder from mu C: Drive on my laptop to my shared music folder on my WHS. Note I did not delete the original files from my C: drive nor have I changed the "Media Folder Location".
Off first glance it looked like all the files and folders copied to the server folder when I check the properties of each folder in Windows (i.e. the properties are identical). However, when I jump back and forth between my "Music" and my "Shared" Libraries within iTunes, it appears that the "Shared" library is less 110 songs (0.5 GB). Why would this be?
Thanks
RK

I moved iTunes TV files from my PC to an external drive. I want to return them to my PC so I can watch during travel, but cannot figure out how to move them back. Can you help? Thanks in advance.

I moved some iTunes TV shows from my PC hard drive to an external drive. I can watch them as long as the external drive is plugged in, but I now want to move them back to my PC to watch from the internal drive, but cannot figure out how to do it. Can anyone help? Thanks in advance.

Is it just the TV Shows that you moved to the external, or did you consolidate all your media there?
What is the current location of the media folder given under Edit > Preferences > Advanced?
If the media folder is currently pointed to a folder on the internal drive you could select the files you want to copy, then right-click and select Consolidate Files from the pop-up menu. This will leave the originals behind. If you want to move specific files to a new media folder then my script ConsolidateByMoving can do this.
tt2

Error message when moving iTunes music folder to External Hard Drive

I have followed the instructions in Apple support to move my iTunes music folder to an external hard drive. During the consolidate library step, only half of my music is transferred before I get the error message "Copying music failed. The disk could not be read from or written to."
Has anyone gotten the same message, and what was your experience correcting the issue?
15" Powerbook G4 Mac OS X (10.4.8)

In Windows, you go through File >> Library >> Organize Library. here you can choose to consolidate your library. this should do the job.. alternatively you could take a look at this blog..
http://www.tuaw.com/2006/09/19/how-to-keep-your-itunes-library-on-an-external-ha rd-drive/
Even though its step by step on mac you should be able to figure it out from there.
Message was edited by: MuldVarp3N

Undelete music files from external drive?

Quick version:
External drive got reformatted, but music files maybe still there. Know a good, and reasonably priced, software with best chance for recovery? Cannot affort to send drive to pros to recover. Thx!
Longer version:
I have an external/USB hard drive which had a lot of music for my iTunes library. Unfortunately a computer guru, working on my system, reformatted that drive. Using a free trial of some undelete software it appears the song files may still be there. But reviews of most software online are very mixed as to recovering music, versus other, files. Sounds like many of them cannot recover music files and may even corrupt them more in the process.
Does anyone know from experience a good and reasonably priced, or free wouldn't be bad, software I could use to recover these music files? I understand the files may be trashed, but I'm looking for my best shot at recovering them and cannot afford to buy several software apps trying to undelete these, or to send the drive off to a drive recovery service. Thanks in advance!!

thx for your speedy reply. Let me ask, was the recovery for general files or for music files? What I read was that many of the recovery programs do good jobs on basic files, like Word and Excel, but that music files are much harder to recover and software might be very poor at recovering them.

Problem With Transferred Music Files From External HD

I have two external drives, both of which have music stored on them. One I use as my library for iTunes, the other is basically just stored as a secondary because I didn't really listen to it much. I decided to move all of the music together on one drive, obviously as my iTunes library, but everything I moved over from the secondary drive doesn't show up in iTunes. It does, however, show in my iTunes Music folder with the rest of the music. Any ideas?

Figured it out.

Importing music files from external HD previously using PC now using Mac

Hi,
Ive been using itunes on my PC for years, I have all of my Music files stored on a LaCie external hard drive. I bought a Mac and wanted to sync my music to the Mac but when I plug in the HD nothing happens. Im new to Macs so I may not be looking the the right place within the Mac...long story short, how can i access my files?

Read this article and see if it helps - http://www.myfirstmac.com/index.php/mac/articles/how-do-i-move-my-itunes-library -from-pc-to-mac-and-keep-my-settings-intact
MJ

How do I transfer non-iTunes music files from my iPad to my MacBook using home sharing?

My MacBook Pro hard drive recently had to be replaced by Apple, because it quit for some reason they couldn't identify. However, now my ipad2 doesn't recognize my macbook pro and I have at least 200 music files in my library on my iPad that I did not get from iTunes. I need to upgrade my iPad to iOS 5 but I also don't want to lose all those music files. I was hopeful I could use home sharing to sync my iTunes libraries, but I can't figure out how to export files from my iPad. Please help, anyone?

I was hopeful I could use home sharing to sync my iTunes libraries,
Unfortunately, you can only stream content to your iOS devices via home sharing (not sync it).
I'd have a check through the following user tip instead:
Recovering your iTunes library from your iPod or iOS device

Moving iTunes media files to external drive broke connection

I recently moved my iTunes media files to an external drive. All other iTunes related files were left in my home folder. Everything worked great for about a month. Then, mysteriously, I went to access a movie and it said that it could not be found. I performed the search to my external and the movie played just fine. Somehow, my connection to iTunes has been broken. Incidentally, all media files in my external drive show up in the respective folders in iTunes. They just have exclamation points associated with most of them. Strangely, some of the files play just fine without having to search. Very confused. Can anyone provide a solution to re-establishing my link to iTunes? Thank you very much.
Bill

You had the drive plugged in and mounted before starting iTunes?
Sometimes a link will get broken, but then re-established, such as doing the aforementioned forgetting to start the drive first. When you double click the track it will try again and suddenly find it works again. It can be a nuisance having to test each track this way. You may find that Dougscript "List MIA" will help do this.
http://dougscripts.com/itunes/
I have not seen any successful automated way to re-form truly broken links. You have to either do it by hand or just add the media again. If you add the media again some things will be re-set such as date added (obviously), playcount, etc. I don't use any of those so it doesn't matter to me if I have to do this (and there are tricks to storing them in places where they will be kept).
Why they got broken? One reason mentioned before. Have you re-named anything or moved it? Have you ever had multiple drives with the same name plugged in?

HT1751 How to transfer iTunes media files from external drive to another external drive and bring in the library from the main drive.

I have my iTunes media on an external hard drive while the library is on the main computer drive. I want to move both to a larger external drive. How do I get both together? When I consolidate, it only transfers the media files. Help.

Since I already consolidated, can I just move the library to the root level of the external drive then option click to point to that library? But using that method, all the media files are at the root level along with the iTunes folder. So nothing will be in the iTunes media folder itself. WIll that work?

Moving iTunes music files from external to HD that already contains songs

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