Moving iTunes to a different PC

A Windows 8.1 PC was used to host iTunes for an iPhone.
The PC gor damaged bur I was able to save a copy of the \users\username1\music folder and subfolder.
I installed iTunes on a different Windows 8.1 PC and copied the original music folder in the users\username2\music folder of another user.
Can I connect the iPhone to the new PC without losing anything either on the PC and on the iPhone?
Should I perform any additional task to make the iPhone connect to the iTunes on the new PC?
Regards
marius

For the future see this backup tip.
tt2

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Moving iTunes to a different drive

Ok folks, I have a partitioned drive, long story short, tried to move iTunes to my drive "D" following the Apple article right down to "Consolidate". Must of done someting wrong, now, when I go to iTunes it shows no songs, apps or movies, as if it was newly downloaded. Checked the Preferences>advanced> tab it reverted back to the default folder in "C" drive. I tried to copy the two library files into the folder, no luck. What did I miss? Thanks folks...

Hi tt2, thank you so much for that information, but too little too late I tried to move itunes back to it's original location on the C drive and am still trying to rebuild the library. So the last point you made "shift open" was the step I missed.
So let's start over...my itunes folder was in C:\documents..., made a copy of it on an external HD, I moved it to D:\itunes, then moved it back from the external HD to C:\.... During the move process when I did try to point to the library file .itl to the D:\itunes it didn't show anything. So, I'm thinking what didn't help was that most of my library was in a file that I acquired previously for my mp3 player, then imported to itunes. Now as I'm trying to rebuild again I tried to point to the .itl file and still have some songs that have exclamation marks beside them, which to me means that itunes reads the mp3 file from my other music directory.
So how do I get my playlists back is that through the llb.itl, or .xml files as well or in the other "playlist" files?
So in the meantime I'm going to continue to rebuild, and reorganize and start over, any help would be appreciated, (this is actually a good learning exercise, and next time I'm getting a 2t HD with no partitions)
Thanks again,
klouw

Moving itunes to a different computer

i got a new computer and all my itunes r on my old one..how do i put my itunes on my new computer without having to delete everything off my ipod??

hiya!
this Buegie post is an excellent resource on these matters:
http://discussions.apple.com/click.jspa?searchID=-1&messageID=2231034
love, b

Moving iTunes to a different computer - there's a catch!

I have a new laptop and I want to install iTunes and move my iTunes library to it without losing any information. Here's the catch: I currently keep my music on an external harddrive, which I want to continue doing, just with iTunes on the laptop instead. I did a little research and here's what I came up with:
...here's the way to make the change and save all your playlists, ratings, and play history.
* iTunes Preferences -> Advanced tab; Keep Music Folder organized ... should be enabled.
* iTunes Preferences -> Advanced tab, set the library location to some folder on the new drive; preferably a new empty folder
* iTunes Advanced menu -> Consolidate Library... This step copies all the files in iTunes' library to the new location. It also maintains your ratings and playlists.
* if it finishes properly, manually delete the original files through Windows Explorer. iTunes won't Move the files, only copy them to the new location.
* If you see a file called iTunes 4 Music Library.itl1 in the old area - leave it alone. It continues to live in that location despite the change to the Library location.
1 - in version 5, this file is now known as iTunes Music Library.itl
HOWEVER: I do NOT want to use iTunes "Keep Music folder organized." I use a variety of other music programs and have my music databased and organized very specifically. I've tried using iTunes to organize my music and I do not like it. Is there any way to export my music library to the new laptop, still keeping my music on the external harddrive, and without having my filing system screwed up?

Hi
My hard drive crashed on computer. I had to replace it. Now my itunes libraryis gone. Everything is on my ipod but I ant get it back into computer since it thinks it is a previous library. I am afraid to click yes and lose everything on ipod..TONS!...can anyone help me please????? oh I have pictures on my ipod too...I lodt all of them on my defunct hard drive too.

Need help on moving itunes to different computer.

i am getting a new computer.
But my old computer has my itunes and doesn't read disks.
how do i transfer the itunes to the new computer without being able to use the disk drive?
please help.

Probably the most straightforward way to get iTunes onto your new computer is to network it with the old one and copy your iTunes folder across. This works fine if you have been using iTunes to completely manage your music and all your songs are in iTunes Music not in different folders. You can also use this method with an external hard drive, you drag the folder from the old computer to the external drive and then from the drive to the new computer. If the songs in your library are not all in the iTunes Music folder you can consolidate them. When you consolidate, any songs in the iTunes Library that are not in the iTunes Music Folder are copied to the Music Folder and the Library is updated to point to those new files. Files already in the iTunes Music Folder have no changes made to them: Copying all your iTunes files to one location - Windows
Copying the whole folder brings with it the iTunes Music folder and also the iTunes Library (iTunes Library.itl in Windows) database file which holds all the information about your songs (Playlists, Ratings, Play Counts, Last Played, Date Added, etc). You'll get more information including the Folder/File structure in this article: What are the iTunes library files?
When you copy the iTunes folder make sure you put it into the same location on the new computer. This has to be the exact same place, on a PC this is \Documents and Settings\Username\My Documents\My Music\. When you open iTunes on the new computer it will be the same as on the original one Songs, Playlists, Play Counts, Ratings etc. When I moved iTunes a while ago for my daughter I was also using the same version of iTunes, not sure how important that is but it's probably worth keeping them the same.
If you have an iPod it can be used as an external drive and you can move the iTunes folder onto it: How to use your iPod to move your music to a new computer

Moved iTunes to different drive - now my library is empty???

I should've left well-enough alone, but someone suggested I move my files to my second hard drive. I moved iTunes from C drive to F drive and changed the settings in my iTunes preferences; however, now my iTunes is empty. I moved them back to C drive, but still nothing. I can find the files when I look under C drive in my computer, but I can't get them to show up in my library.
Any suggestions??

Set the location to what you need and then try the steps here:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93313

Help - moved itunes folders to external drive and now my itunes is totally

A few months ago, in order to free up space on my c drive, i had to purchase an external drive - everything i installed via itunes since that date has been on the hard drive and everything was fine.
Last night i needed more room on my C drive so i stupidly moved the remaining itunes folders from my C drive to my F drive - unfortunately, when i opened itunes it was blank.
i've tried a few things - including adding the folder from the F drive - and that retrieved about 80% of my music/videos and the last playlists i had - however, they were all missing songs - even if all the songs that should be included remained on my itunes
i began the tedious process of manually adding files back in but soon realized this doesn't help itunes consider this the same ipod as what's still on my actual ipod.
*What I'd like to do (if possible) is to wipe itunes clean and somehow restore everything on my ipod into itunes so that i retrieve not only the songs and videos but also the playlists that i've spent way too much time building. At this point i fear that the various components to my ipod are in too many files on my external drive to be easily restored another way (though if i'm wrong please let me know)*
sadly (as this story might suggest) I am borderline computer illiterate - I've read a few posts suggesting some sort of software online (something the apple help line also made an "off the record" remark about) - but I can't for the life of me figure out which i would use or how to do this without risking the contents of my existing ipod (which has the playlists and songs/video I want to reestablish).
*Can anyone possibly suggest how to best handle this and walk me through it in painstakingly basic and specific detail? I would be forever grateful.*
Thanks

iTunes uses the iTunes Library files - in particular the iTunes Library.itl file - to keep track of where your song files are located as well as playlist and related information.
Most likely in moving your folders around iTunes has been confused to such an extent that it created a new Library file. With a bit of luck you might still be able to find the old file which would restore your old Library.
So the first thing you want to do is look around your computer and make a note of any iTunes Library.itl files you can find. Generally speaking you'll find them in the iTunes folders on your system and depending on how you've been moving the folders - i.e. whether you "cut" them or "copied" them - you may still find at least one one on your F: drive and some on your C: drive.
Having noted where they are you know want to check each of them out as described in this article in the Apple Knowledge Base. In following those instructions you want to select the Choose Library option and use the pop-up window that appears to zero in on the various .itl files you've located.
Remember that each Library file will show a different Library in iTunes - perhaps slightly different, perhaps completely different - and if the first one isn't what you're looking for you'll have to close iTunes and repeat the procedure by selecting one of the other .itl's.
Post back for any clarification.

Moving iTunes from PC to Mac - problem...

When moving my iTunes folder from PC to Mac (via hard drive), the following error message appears: The operation can’t be completed because you don’t have permission to access some of the items". Anyone come across this before?

My feeling is there isn't much you can do about it since standard things such as changing file permissions won't work if you can't write to the drive. You could try formatting the drive to FAT so both the PC and Mac can use it (as long as you don't have any huge files). Alternatively, if you have a smaller flash drive formatted FAT you can move the library in groups of folders as long as you make sure it all goes back together properly again.
Here's my standard post on moving libraries:
If you use iTunes' default preferences settings: Copy the entire iTunes folder (and in doing so all its subfolders and files) intact to the other drive. Open iTunes and immediately hold down the option (alt) key (shift on Windows) so you get a prompt to select a library, then guide it to the 'iTunes Library.itl' file in the moved iTunes folder.
If you put the copied iTunes folder in the default location of Macintosh HD > Users > *User Name* > Music then you don't even need to start with the option key held down, iTunes will automatically look for it there. (Make sure there isn't anything already in the iTunes folder there that you want to keep since you will be replacing it with the one you are moving.)
Longer answers if for any reason you do not think all library files are inside your iTunes folder (changed preferences settings at some point):
iTunes: How to move [or copy] your music [library] to a new computer [or another drive] - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4527 - a somewhat bewildering and not always easily understandable set of options.
For the record there's this reference for iTunes 11 but it really doesn't strike me as having the specifics you need. iTunes 11 for Mac: Move your library to another computer - http://support.apple.com/kb/PH12168
2011 ilounge article: Transferring your iTunes library - http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/articles/comments/moving-your-itunes-library-to -a-new-hard-drive/ - An article with good background information (similar to the links above), particularly if you are not sure your media files are all grouped for quick answer above. Unfortunately under the single term "transferring library" it describes two very different moves; relocating just your media (not really transferring your library and not recommended unless you really need this configuration), and relocating media+database (really your whole "library"). Make sure you understand the difference before electing to move only media.
Windows users see tip at: https://discussions.apple.com/message/18879381

Moving Itunes/songs on XP PC with multiple users

I have seen the good articles on moving songs/library from an old to a new PC and seems easy.
My concern is how this all works when I have three users/XP accounts on my old PC and each user has their own library, playlists, etc.. and I want to move all this to the new PC with the same users/XP accounts and not loose links and all. All three users "pull" the songs currently in the same iTunes folder but different song list of course in each users library from this iTunes folder.
Any help is appreciated as a lengthy forum search could not be located on this exact subject. I'm wondering if I have to repeat the procedure for each account that you do for a single account? Seems odd way though.
Thanks
Dell Windows XP
Dell Windows XP

Thanks for such a quick and helpful reply Dave.
Sorry but the issue still nagging at me is do I have to Consolidate (which copies the songs from my current song location on the E drive to C:\My Documents per the below) into the My Documents Folder for each user and then transfer this My Document data for each user onto my external HD and then to the new PC and each users My Documents folder? So I would then transfer all the songs from my E Drive three times? My entire 30G music collection would then exist in three places in each users My Documents on the new PC? Sorry to be an idiot but I have a roadblock on this point.
Or maybe it is much simpler and when I consolidate all three users automatically have their library file pointers updated to point to the new "consolidated" location i.e. My Documents?
Once you have the method set up, you're going to have to prepare iTunes.
THE FOLLOWING METHOD CAUSES YOU TO LOSE YOUR FOLDER SCHEME. IF YOU DON'T WANT TO LOSE THE SETUP, AND/OR ARE MORE COMFORTABLE WITH MOVING THINGS MANUALLY, PLEASE SEE THE 'ADVANCED' SECTION AT THE BOTTOM
Open iTunes on the old computer, and hit Edit>Preferences>Advanced, and make sure that the folder listed is \My Documents\My Music\iTunes\iTunes Music.
Next, hit Consolidate Music Library. This action is irreversible, and it will make sure that all of your music is put in the aforementioned iTunes Music folder. Shut iTunes, and move on.
Now you're going to have to move the info to the new computer. If you have an external hard drive, drag the iTunes folder, located within My Documents\My Music onto it. If you have a network set up, copy the iTunes folder to a location that can be accessed by the new computer.
Now, on the new computer, open either the external HDD, or the network folder, and copy the folder iTunes to the My Documents\My Music folder.
Start up iTunes, and everything should be in place.
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=607339

HT1473 I have two separate iTunes libraries on different computers and I would like to compact into one. But I cannot without completely erasing one of the libraries. How can I do this without deleting anything?

I have two separate iTunes libraries on different computers and I would like to compact into one. But I cannot without completely erasing one of the libraries. How can I do this without deleting anything?

Copy the content from one computer to another and import the media into iTunes.
Any playlists, playcounts, etc on the computer the content is being moved from will be lost.

HT1364 If I already moved Itunes media folder to external drive and now music is not matching up in iTunes?

Dear Itunes Community~
This is my first time using glad you are here, but all the passwords!!
Question/Quandry:
If I already moved Itunes media folder to my external drive and now my music is not matching up in iTunes, what should I do? I have tried my solution !?, and now I have 17,000 songs, instead of 9,000!
Should I just uninstall Itunes, and then reinstall Itunes, and let it do it's thing, and then figure out how to move to the external hard drive later?
Help, I screwed it up all on my own!
Any/all help and Itunes educated suggestions appreciated!
Thank you very much,
Doris =:o
PS ~~ Is there anyway to easily delete duplicates?? Seems not?

I have a very similar problem. Hope I don't confuse people trying to help us since the solutions may be different.
I had my iTunes path directed to a 2nd internal hard drive. Everything was working fine - except I found that purchased Apps were still being downloaded to the Mobile Applications folder on my main hard drive instead of the 2nd internal drive. I decided to retry directing the iTunes path to my 2nd internal drive, hoping that might get iTunes to save my Apps there. Big Mistake. Suddenly, there were no Apps showing in my iTunes Library Apps window at all. I verified the downloaded apps are still in my main hard drive's Mobile Applications folder, but I cannot get iTunes to display them in my Apps Library window anymore.
I decided to try downloading a new app and, sure enough, iTunes once again downloaded it into the very same Mobile Applications folder on my main hard drive, where all my (now orphaned) original apps are, but the only one iTunes will only display in my Apps window is the new one. I read you can redownload purchased apps, but my apps are not missing. iTunes just won't display them in the Apps window anymore.

Moving iTunes files/library to an external hard drive

Hello,
My music library has outgrown my MacBook, so I've purchased an external hard drive which I'll use to store all my music. I've been able to find information on the apple site about consolidating and moving my iTunes folder to another location, which I've done. But this hard drive will not be hooked up to my MacBook, but to a MacBook Pro that will remain on my desk, mounted to the hard drive, while I access the tunes through iTunes on my MacBook.
The problem is uploading the transferred files into the iTunes software on my MacBook Pro. When I do this, I lose a lot of the tagging (numbers appear before song names, I lost information about track and disc numbers, and sometimes much more) and I certainly don't have my user ratings or play statsitics. How do I preserve this information while moving the files from my MacBook to an external drive and then uploading the library into iTunes on a different computer?
It's this last step of successfully uploading the files with all their correct data that I'm having trouble with.
Thanks

I just bought a new hard drive, since my old 250 GB drive was maxed out (mostly music - I have 50,000 songs). I tried to do the standard consolidation method to move the songs over, but after 10 long attempts I kept getting an error. I'm going to try this method though - seems to be much more straightforward - I don't have ratings for my songs, so all I care about is getting the songs onto the new drive and having them play in itunes.

Combining 2 itunes from 2 different computers

I have two itunes on two different computers and i was wondering what would be the best and easiest way to combine them

Hi, I have a suggestion, Try getting an external hard-drive or if your collection is small, get a USB drive.
1-Find where your songs are stored or where iTunes is getting them from (to find out go into iTunes Prefs or settings under "advance tab"- it will say iTunes Media Folder Location).
2- Go to that spec. fold location and copy or move you music to your USB/External Hard-drive
3-Go to your new computer, put in USB/Hard drive, BUT!!!!... instead of Dragging music files to itunes directly to your iTunes Music Library, on left side of bar in Itunes, copy the music into the fold which the new computer's music is store, to find out repeat step 1&2
4-Copy that music in THAT folder first, (because if not, you'll have to leave you USB/Hard drive plugged in all the time if you want to play/snyc music. iTunes remembers where the files are, it doesn't store them direct into the program itself, so if you ever have an "!" by your songs, that is why-FYI)
5-From THAT folder on your NEW COMPUTER, import them into iTunes (File--Import into Library) OR Select and drag into "Music Library"
6-iTunes will ask if you want them to be organize , I click yes, and depending on how many songs you are moving into your new computer's iTunes, you might want a cup of coffee--or do a cross word
I hope that helps!!!

Moved iTunes to EHD, now it won't play. I see it there, but...

I have moved my iTunes library 3 different ways to my external hard drive. Changed where it looks for the library and consolidated it. Do I just have to pick every song I want to hear? I thought it would play like it was still on my computer. Arrgh.

Welcome to the forums!
It should work exactly as before if you followed this workflow:
Our iTunes guru Terence Devlin advises the following:
1. Quit iTunes
2. Drag the iTunes folder from your internal hd - located in ~/Music folder - to your external hd. DO NOT delete the original one from your internal hd... yet!
3. When the transfer is complete, press and hold the Option(alt) key and fire up iTunes.
4. A "Choose iTunes Library" window will come up. Click on the "Choose Library" button.
5. Navigate to where the iTunes folder is located in the external hd.
6. Within the iTunes folder, select the iTunes Library file and click Choose...
That's it. iTunes will now display all your playlists, songs, movies, podcasts etc. At this point, should you wish, you can delete the iTunes folder from the internal hd to free up space.
More info:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1751
Or if you prefer a more complicated explanation:
http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/articles/comments/moving-your-itunes-library-to -a-new-hard-drive

Can i use 2 ipad's on the same itunes account with different apple accounts?

Both me and partner have an ipad 4. Though we only have one computer, can we use the same itunes but with different apple acount without any issues? We use some of the same apps, but my partner plays fx Baldus Gate and is worries that save files will be corrupted.

Each iPad should be linked to its owner's personal, private and nonshared AppleID. In the Mac, each one should have a different login account so each has their own iTunes Library containing your iPad's details. When you use iTunes on the Mac, since each logs in with a different login and corresponding Home directory, iTunes picks up the correct AppleID.

Moving iTunes to a different PC

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