Moving the iTunes Folder
Hi All:
iTunes stores its XML library in the following folder on my C:\ Drive:
\Documents And Settings\Administrator\My Documents\My Music
I have copied the iTunes folder and all its XML library documents to my E: drive. Does anyone know how to get iTunes to look at the folder on my E: drive rather than in the default location?
1) See: What are the iTunes Library files?
2) See my answer in your other post: Buegie, "Moving the iTunes Library / Databases" #1, 12:16pm Nov 9, 2005 CDT
Similar Messages
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HT1449 I'm new to the MAC. Before reading the above post on moving the iTunes folder, I ...
... I copied the iTunes folder from the original /Music folder onto the root directory of an external USB drive. Afterward, I followed the above instructions pointing iTunes to the new iTunes folder, now on the USB drive. Since the iTunes Advanced Preferences showed the correct path to my "/iTunes Media" folder, I thought that I was good to go. Instead, when I opened iTunes it created a new iTunes folder structure under my original Music folder.
In addition to this empty structure folder, I also have in my /Music folder a renamed, original iTunes folder I named, "iTunes-B4". I also have a complete copy of my original iTunes folder on my USB drive, MYDATA/iTunes.
Every time that I fire up iTunes 10 the Library has no music in it, even though I have over 3,000 tracks. The iTunes Preference path reads "/Volume/MYDATA/iTunes/iTunes Media".
Thanks in advance for your help.H iTom,
tomout wrote:
According to the intro paragraph of the original instructions, this is "a way to make the move while retaining all your playlists, ratings, and play history."
Thoughts?
I don't see that in the article linked to above.
If you still have the original iTunes folder (as it seems you do), let's try again.
Quit iTunes.
Copy the entire /Music/Tunes-B4/ folder to the external. No need to rename it or do anything else.
Hold Shift and launch iTunes.
Select Choose library... and select the /Tunes-B4/ folder on the external.
Everything should be there.
If not, post back before you mess with anything.
If iTunes is fine (all music and playlist), you can delete MYDATA/iTunes/ folder on the external. -
iTunes will not update my podcasts. When I click refresh, I get the circling arrows but after an hour it hasn't updated the available podcasts on those I'm subscribed to. I don't know if this is related to the issue I'm having with iTunes store and Besecure, guessing it may be. All the workarounds I've seen on these communities for fixing the Bsecure and iTunes issue are far too complicated for me, a computer simpleton. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Yes, provided all the media is inside the iTunes Media folder, which is in turn inside the main iTunes folder (which is the standard arrangement) you should be able to move the iTunes folder from <User's Music> to any other path and shift-start-Tunes (option-start-iTunes on a Mac) to reconnect to it.
If the media folder has split out to another drive in the past, or media is stored outside of the iTunes Media folder, then things get a bit more complicated. I can go into details should it be necessary.
tt2 -
Our computer is REALLY low on memory...we will get a new one at some point but can't at the moment.
Upgraded to the new iphone 4s and bought an external hardrive so I could move my Itunes library to that, so I could update iphone/itunes (isn't enough memeory on PC to do this)
I read that I need to consolidate my itunes first but again when I tried to do this it said not enough computer memory.
Anyway I tried to move the itunes folder over to hardrive and then it looked like it had worked. Clicked on itunes via the external and it opened ituens up..brilliant I thought!Backed my old iphone up and then clicked update...then a m,essage came up saying not enough memeory on comouter to update.
Is this because i need to delete itunes off the computer?
Am worried in case it isn't on the hard drive correctly and will lose everything!You would be better off to go through and uninstall programs you no longer need or use and move your data over to the external drive, at least temporarily. The iOS update file will be somewhere around 700MB. If your system has less than 20% free disk space, you're pushing the limits even without trying to download something that large and back up your phone so the update can process. If you're running less than 10% disk space you've entered dangerous waters no matter what you're doing.
This really isn't iPhone related and we can't advise you as to what data and applications you can move or delete. You will have to make that determination yourself or get a friend or family member to help.
If you do not have a current backup of your computer system, you need to make one. NOW! -
How do I get reinstalled itunes to reload my music in the itunes folder on drive D?
I previously moved my itunes folder to D. I had to reinstall itunes and now I don't know how to get it to see my music and my old playlists. Thank you in advance for any help.
If depends on which method you used. If you moved your entire iTunes folder out to D: then you may need to hold down SHIFT as you start iTunes, click Choose and then browse to the folder containing the library database. If you only moved the media folder then your library will normally be in <User's Music>\iTunes.
Is this the same machine you previously used iTunes on or have have moved the drive. Uninstalling/reinstalling iTunes should have any effect on the contents of your library. Perhaps this is the advice you need...
Empty/corrupt library after upgrade/crash
Hopefully it's not been too long since you last upgraded iTunes, in fact if you get an empty/incomplete library immediately after upgrading then with the following steps youshouldn't lose a thing or need to do any further housekeeping. In the Previous iTunes Libraries folder should be a number of dated iTunes Library files. Take the most recent of these and copy it into the iTunes folder. Rename iTunes Library.itl as iTunes Library (Corrupt).itl and then rename the restored file as iTunes Library.itl. Start iTunes. Should all be good, bar any recent additions to or deletions from your library.
See iTunes Folder Watch for a tool to catch up with any changes since the backup file was created.
When you get it all working make a backup!
tt2 -
If I copy the Itunes folder from my old pc onto my new one in the music folder will I be able to sync just as if it were the old one? This is from a Widows Vista machine to Windows 7.
I suspect design rather than a bug, it's too useful. The behaviour seems to have been consistent for quite a long time on both Windows and Mac machines...
Here are the typical layouts for the iTunes folders:
In the layout above right, with the media folder (everything in the red box) inside the library folder, the library will be portable. A portable library can be moved from one path to another, or even between Windows & Mac computers, without breaking the links between the library and the media, and being self-contained is much easier to backup (You do backup, don't you?). Anything that isn't stored inside the media folder must stay put or be restored to precisely the same path on a new machine or iTunes won't know where to find it. Within the media folder the relative paths from the library to the media remain unchanged and iTunes can cope even when the absolute paths are updated.
Should your library not be in the usual layout I've written some general posts on how to make a split library portable or I can give specific instructions on request.
tt2 -
Having moved my Itunes folder to a new external hardrive and resetting where it is in preferences Itunes can't find them and I have to direct it to every song- a little ! pops up next to the song and a dialogue box says Itunes can't find it so thn i have to manually search for it - I have a months worth of songs on there so this will take avery long time - any ideas on what's up?
nellydee wrote:
Having moved my Itunes folder to a new external hardrive and resetting where it is in preferences
That's not how to do it. You don't move stuff then set the iTunes prefs > Advanced.
Once you move the /iTunes/ folder, hold Option, launch iTunes and select Choose library... and select the ITunes folder on the external.
This will use the iTunes library file in the iTunes folder you moved.
Don't change iTunes prefs > Advanced. -
I copied my whole itunes folder to an external drive as id run out of space on my PC. I then changed the location of the folder on iTunes through preferances, but it gave me a warning which i just pressed no/cancel to without reading it, but i didnt realise that then it had not saved the new folder location. When i deleted the original folder, everything dissapeared from itunes meaning i had to reload everything from the new, moved, itunes folder. This wasnt a problem, except it had lost all memory of playlists and play counts etc. But now, when i try and sync my phone, it tells me there is not enough space on the phone as it must be trying to add all of the music from itunes to the phone as well as what is already on the phone.
Is there a way to upload everything from the phone to itunes, including play counts and playlists?
if not....
How do i just sync my phone to itunes without having to reset the phone and losing photographs, and without itunes trying to add everything twice?
Last question, why do Apple want to make this so difficult for me? What is wrong with plane old 'click and drag'??
Help me would be greatly apprerciated!! Thanks.Close iTunes. Click the icon to start it, then press and hold down the left shift key. Keep holding until asked to choose or create a library. Choose the iTunes folder on your external drive. That should bring back all your playlists, ratings, play counts etc. You may have to settle for removing and reloading the media onto the device again. That's not too bad, but what you don't want to have happen is your apps being removed and reloaded as then you can lose settings and data. If that looks likely backup and then restore the device rather than sync it.
If for some reason rebuilding the library the way you did has moved files around then the restored library may have trouble finding things. If so post back and I'll explain what to do...
tt2 -
ITunes does not find the iTunes folder though it is there
Hi all,
I moved my Music folder on a separate HDD for space issues, and now my iTunes would not start saying that it cannot find the iTunes folder and it cannot create it.
I put the iTunes in several places, not just in My Music, so that it will find it, however it does not and refuses to start.
I am using Vista.
I tried deinstalling/reinstalling iTunes and it does the same thing.
I hate deinstalling it and going through the whole registry in order to delete all entries that contain "iTunes".
Thank youHold Shift then launch iTunes.
Select *Choose existing library* then select the _iTunes library.itl_ file in \My Music\iTunes\ folder you moved. -
tried to move the itune folder to an external hdd, (precisely as written above) but after "consolidating, happens nothing
That's because too many people confuse moving media folder with moving the library properly.
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.
Quick answer 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), then guide it to the new location of the iTunes Library.itl file in the moved iTunes folder.
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 -
How can I view the iTunes folder under iPod in My Computer? (transfering)
I selected "Manually manage music" in iTunes under the iPod summery but still can't see the iTunes folder when I select my iPod in My Computer. Can anyone help please!
Manually manage means you can drag stuff into or delete stuff out of the iPod from WITHIN iTunes.
The area where that stuff is stored on the iPod is hidden from normal view if you look at the iPod in My Computer.
If you want to see those hidden files and folders, see this older post by MacMuse...
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=797432󂫸
Otherwise stick with iTunes for moving stuff in and out of the iPod.
Patrick -
Using the iTunes folder within Music on PC; difference between "managed" and "referenced"
On my PC, I currently have all of my music within the Music folder (C:\Users\Stephen\Music) all split by artist into relevant folders.
There is also an iTunes folder within this Music folder, however only a small amount of music is within this folder (after doing some research, any album I ripped from my own CDs went into this folder directly).
I have since noted that there's a difference with how iTunes refers to the music within my Music folder as opposed to the iTunes folder within the Music folder ("referenced" as opposed to "managed").
Previously whenever I wanted to add any music to iTunes I would simply click "add folder to Library" under File. I haven't had the "Copy files to iTunes Media folder when adding to library" option ticked.
My questions are:
Should I have everything in the iTunes folder as listed above? Is there any benefit in arranging it this way?
If I make this change, should I also make sure I have the "copy files to iTunes Media folder" option ticked?
If there is a benefit in having my music "managed" by iTunes as opposed to just being "referenced", is it possible for me to just dump all of my music from \Stephen\Music\variousbands to Stephen\Music\iTunes\variousbands, without it screwing anything up within iTunes?
If I now want to move all my music to an external hard drive, will this effect anything? i.e. could I just move the whole \Stephen\Music folder to the external HDD and would this be fine? Or would I need to have it in the iTunes folder first and then move that folder across?
Many thanks in advance for any assistance. I just want to make sure I have the correct set up and not run into any problems when moving to my external HDD!Yes, there is a benefit in having your iTunes library organized inside the iTunes Media folder.
If you place new content inside the iTunes Media folder before adding it to the library then the setting of the "Copy files..." option isn't important. Letting iTunes make copies of files added from outside the media folder leaves you with having to manage them later, or possibly leads to a situation where you end up importing them again leading to duplicates.
You can't (in general) move your files around without iTunes losing track of them. A special case exists when the files are inside the designated iTunes Media folder, which in turn is inside the iTunes folder that contains the library files. When the library is in this shape the entire iTunes folder and its subfolders can be moved as a unit between drives, or even computers, and iTunes won't lose track of the media. Having the library organized in this portable state, and backed up, should ensure you can migrate or restore your library when the need arises.
If you want to reorganize the library properly do the following:
Use the option File > Library > Organize Library... > Rearrange files in the folder "<Media Folder">, if not greyed out, then press OK.
Close iTunes.
Copy the entire iTunes folder to the root of your chosen drive, e.g. to X:\iTunes, then delete the file X:\iTunes\iTunes Music Library.xml as this file will be redundant in the new layout.
Press down and hold shift as you click the icon to start iTunes. Keep holding until asked to choose or create a library.
If iTunes opens normally, close it and go back to step 4.
Click Choose and browse to the new copy of the library file, e.g. X:\iTunes\iTunes Library.itl.
Use the option File > Library > Organize Library... > Consolidate files and click OK. When the process is complete the iTunes folder and media files that were connected to iTunes on your original drive can be deleted. Though ideally not before you backup your library to another disk.
tt2 -
When i double click itunes it doesn't open it just comes up with an error saying " The itunes library.itl file cannot be found or created. The default location for this file is in the 'itunes' folder in the 'music' folder. How can i fix this problem?
Anyone can help to advice how to solve this issue ?
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My laptop was updating itunes and turned off and every since when i try to load itunes it brings up a window that says
The itunes library.itl fie cannot be found or created. The default location for this fie is in the itunes folder in the Music folder.
an I cant figure out what to do to get itunes to load so I can't use itunes at all which ***** since it also means I right now I can't add music to my ipod or apps or anything. So hopefully someone can tell me what happened and how to fix it or solve itHi pgarard1,
If you are having issues with launching iTunes after an update, you may want to take a look at the troubleshooting in the following article:
iTunes for Windows: Doesn't open after upgrading in Windows Vista or Windows 7
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2363
Regards,
- Brenden -
I am trying to delete songs from itune 11 library and i want it to delete the song from my hard drive as well. All my songs are in the music folder but not in the itunes folder. itunes did not prompt me to move file to trash nor is there an option to remove file to trash bin. How can i delete songs from both the itunes and hard drive at the same time?
aespinoza2210 wrote:
could it be in the itunes folder or does it have to be in the itunes media folder, which is within the itunes folder??
A Espinoza,
The iTunes Media folder is set in Preferences > Advanced, and is the key to most iTunes folder organizational activities. So I doubt that the automatic deletion will work for files that are somewhere else within the folder structure.
However, I have not experimented with that issue in quite a while, so you are welcome to give it a try in iTunes 11.
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