New desktop, new iTunes library

I have recently changed my desktop and my iPhone sync to my old desktop. Seeking help if there is any way to keep the contacts, songs, videos, pictures in my iPhone while registering to my new desktop?
Thanks in advance!

See this excellent user tip from another forum member turingtest2 outlining the different methods and software available to help you copy content from your iPod back to your PC and into iTunes.
Recovering your iTunes library from your iPod or iOS device
B-rock

Similar Messages

Can music already on an ipod be added to a new iTunes library ?

Hi Everyone - I recently purchased a laptop but have a dilemma with my iTunes libraries and iPods. My Nano was synched to my iTunes library on desktop PC, then I synched new classic iPod to same library, therefore both iPods had same music on them. I then set up iTunes on laptop and added some new music into the new library but then tried to merge Classic iPod (with old music) with new music in new library, but all it would allow was to synch them. This caused the problem I need help with as when synching, old music is erased and replaced with new music.
Is there any way of adding old music on an iPod to a second (new) iTunes library on a different computer ??
If there is, can you tell me step by step how to, as I'm still a novice with these things !!
Many thanks,
SC

This is copied from another thread. I think it is pretty clear. Here is the link to the thread as well. You will need to do this for each device if they all have different content on them.
https://discussions.apple.com/message/11527071#11527071
1) Without connecting your iPad to your laptop, start iTunes. Click on Edit. Click on Preferences. Click on Devices. Check the box next to "Prevent your iPod etc. from automatically syncing." Click OK.
2) Now connect your iPad to your laptop and start iTunes.
3) When iTunes starts, right click on your iPad under Devices in the left column. Select Transfer purchases etc.
4) After it finishes transferring all your apps to your new laptop, right click on your iPad and select Backup your iPad.
5) After it finishes backing up your iPad, right click on your iPad and select Restore etc.
6) After it finishes restoring, left click on your iPad , then click on the Apps tab on top, and check the box next to Sync Apps, then click on Apply below.
If everything on your iPad looks good after the sync, go back and click on Edit / Preferences / Devices and UN-check the box next to Prevent your iPod etc. The only other thing you may want to check is if your contacts, bookmarks, etc. are syncing correctly now. If not, go to the Info tab after connecting and make sure you indicate which features you want to sync with what sources.
If you have more questions, post back.

System Restore to previous iTunes version caused "New iTunes Library" error

So like others I upgraded to 11; tried to keep an open mind but the thing keeps hanging up on me, running slowly, and wow I hate not being able to see my playlists next to my library. Even little things like deleting a song from a playlist and iTunes not automatically playing the next song bother me to no end.
SO, I decided to try a System Restore to my previous iTunes version but now I can't open iTunes due to a "New iTunes Library" error. /facepalm
I'm assuming it has something to do with 11 changing my Library file format and the file not reverting during the restore? Or something?
Is there anything I can do at this point? Any easy fix I'm not aware of?
Or will I have no choice but to uninstall/re-install the previous iTunes? (If this truly is the only solution could you please point me in the direction of the easiest way to go about it, I'm somewhat computer-literate but I've heard that it can be a pain in the butt)
I'm sure my songs themselves are fine, right? So my main thing is that I REALLY don't want to lose my playlists, I have dozens of them, that's what I'm the most worried about. I do keep all my music/playlists fairly up to date on my iPod as well, if that would help me restore my library. Any help is greatly appreciated!
Thanks!

Quit iTunes.
Download and install the latest version of iTunes. (Substitute iTunes 10.7)
Use the Finder (Mac) or Windows Explorer (Windows) to go to the iTunes folder that contains the iTunes library files:
Mac OS X
/Users/username/Music/iTunes/
Microsoft Windows Windows XP and Windows 2000
\Documents and Settings\username\My Documents\My Music\iTunes\
Microsoft Windows Windows Vista and Windows 7
\Users\username\Music\iTunes\
Drag the iTunes Library file from the above location to the Desktop.
Open the Previous iTunes Libraries folder in the iTunes folder.
Locate the file named iTunes Library YYYY-MM-DD where YYYY-MM-DD is the date you upgraded iTunes (Year-Month-Day).
Drag this file to the iTunes folder (the enclosing folder).
Rename this file to iTunes Library.
Open iTunes.

Please help - how do I import music from my ipod into a new itunes library?

Hello
I would very much appreciate it if someone could tell me how to get the music from my old ipod mini into the new itunes library on my new laptop.
The mini was previously sync'd with my old PC which died so my files are only present on the ipod. Upon loading itunes, the software is only letting my sync the ipod providing I wipe it (obviously not desirable...)
Thanks for any support, Andy

Connect your iPod to your computer. When you get the message that it is linked to a different library and asking if you want to link to this one and replace all your songs etc, press "Cancel". Pressing "Erase and Sync" as you already know will irretrievably remove all the songs from your iPod. Your iPod should appear in the iTunes source list from where you can change the update setting to manual and use your iPod without the risk of accidentally erasing it. Also when using most of the utilities listed below your iPod needs to be enabled for disc use, changing to manual update will do this by default. Check the "manually manage music and videos" box in Summary then press the Apply button: Managing content manually on iPod
Once you are safely connected there are a few things you can do to restore your iTunes from the iPod. If you have any iTunes Music Store purchases the transfer of purchased content from the iPod to authorised computers was introduced with iTunes 7. You'll find details in this article: Copying iTunes Store purchases from your iPod to a computer
The transfer of content from other sources such as songs imported from CD is designed by default to be one way from iTunes to iPod. However there are a number of third party utilities that you can use to retrieve the music files and playlists from your iPod. You'll find that they have varying degrees of functionality and some will transfer movies, videos, photos, podcasts and games as well. Have a look at the web pages and documentation, this is just a small selection of what's available, they are generally quite straightforward. You can read reviews of some of them here: Wired News - Rescue Your Stranded Tunes
TuneJack Windows Only
iPod2PC Windows Only
iGadget Windows Only
iDump Windows Only
SharePod Windows Only
iRepo Mac and Windows
iPodRip Mac & Windows
YamiPod Mac and Windows
Music Rescue Mac & Windows
iPodCopy Mac and Windows
There is also a manual method of accessing the iPod's hard drive and copying songs back to iTunes on Windows or a Mac. The procedure is a bit involved and won't recover playlists but if you're interested it's available at this link: Two-way Street: Moving Music Off the iPod
Whichever of these retrieval methods you choose, keep your iPod in manual mode until you have reloaded your iTunes and you are happy with your playlists etc then it will be safe to return it auto-sync. I would also advise that you get yourself an external hard drive and back your stuff up, relying on an iPod as your sole backup is not a good idea and external drives are comparatively inexpensive these days, you can get loads of storage for a reasonable outlay.

Syncing to new iTunes library without losing app folder organization?

I reinstalled the OS on my PC and after installing iTunes and pointing it at the iTunes folder on my second drive, it nevertheless lost my iTunes library. I was able to re-add all my content by adding the My Music folder to iTunes, but I lost my playlists. I was okay with recreating those, but...
When I chose to sync apps, iTunes said it would replace the apps on the phone with the ones from the libray. And all my folder organization work will be lost.
Is there any way to associate my iPhone 4 with the "new" library but maintain the folder organization I have?

A manual backup will help. Disable autosync in iTunes, connect your phone and right click on it in the device list and choose backup. This will save all settings, data, photos and much more to your computer. More info here: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1766
After that, transfer our purchases the same way, choosing transfer purchases this time. All apps and purchased media fro the Store will be copied to the new iTunes library.
Don't forget to set up at least one contact and event on your PC to be able to merge calendars and contacts after the first sync, which will wipe your phone. But you can restore from the manual backup you made before.

How do I transfer my data from damaged computer to my new itunes library on my current functioning computer. My data plan has a very limited band width cap ( I live in rural Alberta

Hello: following computer malfunction,I purchased a new computer and downloaded itunes. when I try to sync my purchased data on my ipad I am asked to delete data from previous library. The first library has all of my stored data. How do I transfer this data to my new itunes library? . I cannot use the cloud as my data plan has a limited band width cap ( I live in rural Alberta , northern).My library may be on my tera drive, but then how do i delete this library once I transfer the files, that is if i am able to locate them ? this is a question for all itunes lovers, I love it when i know how to use it, so far not computer literate to loving it! thanks so very much for considering this problem.

pervoskia wrote:
Hello: following computer malfunction,I purchased a new computer and downloaded itunes. when I try to sync my purchased data on my ipad I am asked to delete data from previous library. The first library has all of my stored data. How do I transfer this data to my new itunes library?
Copy the entire /Music/iTunes/ folder from old computer to new computer.

I have all my music on a external HD. How can I run iTunes on my laptop with out my EHD connected? when I open iTunes I get: Afolder containing "iTunes Library" cannot be found, and is required. Please chose or create a new iTunes library.

It also tells me Choose iTunes Library
iTunes needs a library to continue, you may choose an existing library or create a new one.
I have all my music on an external hard drive (ehd) but would like to run itunes with out conecting my ehd. How can i do this? I'm

You need the entire libary on the external, not just media.
What are the iTunes library files? - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1660
More on iTunes library files and what they do - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ITunes#Media_management
What are all those iTunes files? - http://www.macworld.com/article/139974/2009/04/itunes_files.html
Where are my iTunes files located? - http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1391
iTunes 9 [and later]: Understanding iTunes Media Organization - http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3847
Image of folder structure and explanation of different iTunes versions (turingtest2 post) - https://discussions.apple.com/message/13025536 and https://discussions.apple.com/message/17457605
Once you get a complete iTunes folder on the external drive, start iTunes with the option/alt key held down and select the iTunes Library.itl file on the external drive. You will also need to do this with your main computer or the libraries will become unsynchronized.
Alternatively you can make a separate library using the same media on the second computer. Start as you have been doing, let iTunes create a new, blank library file which will be on hte internal drive, set the media folder location in preferences to be the one on the external drive, then add the files to the new iTunes library. Unless you are a super-organized individual, or you don't care if your libraries do not have the same content, you are better off using a single library file that is on the external, not setting up separate library files.

TS1717 new itunes library error

My itunes wont open and displays the error message new itunes library

I have Windows 7. I went into control panel and selected 'programs' and then 'programs and features'. Then I highlighted the iTunes program in the list and then selected 'repair'. It then configured iTunes. I then restarted my computer and it was okay.

ITunes failing to open - error message reads "New iTunes Library"

My computer turned itself off last night after overheating.. this has happened before. I went to turn it on this morning and it went through a start up process to ensure now problems occurred. It is now back up and running yet my iTunes will not open and it comes up with an Error message and a Red Cross to say "new iTunes library" when I haven't done anything. I can't open my music or even sync my phone! I have an Acer 5733 laptop and its running in windows 7. it's only a year old... help!!!

are you running any anti virus software on your machine ?

I have set up a new itunes library and am trying to sync this with my iphone. My iphone is asking for an 'exchange' password. I don't know what this is or where to find it.

I am trying to sync my iphone with a new itunes library. The iphone is askin for an 'exchange' password. I don't know what this is or where to find it.

Sounds like you do have an Exchange account setup on your phone. Have a Gmail or Hotmail account? They can both be setup as Exchange accounts. Have a work email account?

HT1329 How can I get the songs on my iPod onto my new iTunes library?

I have an iPod that was synced to another iTunes library on another PC. The PC died and I replaced it with a MacBook Pro but it keeps saying the iPod is synced w/ another iTunes library. How can I get the songs on my iPod on the new iTunes library?

Some of the information below has subsequently appeared in a document by turingtest2: Recovering your iTunes library from your iPod or iOS device - https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3991
Your i-device was not designed for unique storage of your media. It is not a backup device and media transfer was planned with you maintaining a master copy of your media on a computer which is itself properly backed up against loss. Syncing is one way, computer to device, updating the device content to the content on the computer, not updating or restoring content on a computer. The exception is iTunes Store purchases which can be transferred to a computer.
iTunes Store: Transferring purchases from your iOS device or iPod to a computer - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1848 - only purchases from iTunes Store
For transferring other items from an i-device to a computer you will have to use third party commercial software. Examples (check the web for others; this is not an exhaustive listing, nor do I have any idea if they are any good):
- Expod (free) - http://www.headlightsoft.com/expod/ - Mac, universal for 104.+ (newer machines try de-Tune)
- deTune (free) - http://www.headlightsoft.com/detune/ - Mac, 10.5+
- Senuti - http://www.fadingred.com/senuti/
- Phoneview - http://www.ecamm.com/mac/phoneview/
- MusicRescue - http://www.kennettnet.co.uk/products/musicrescue/
- Sharepod (free) - http://download.cnet.com/SharePod/3000-2141_4-10794489.html?tag=mncol;2 - Windows
- Snowfox/iMedia - http://www.mac-videoconverter.com/imedia-transfer-mac.html - Mac & PC
- iexplorer (free) - http://www.macroplant.com/iexplorer/ - Mac&PC
- Yamipod (free) - http://www.yamipod.com/main/modules/downloads/ - PC, Linux, Mac [Still updated for use on newer devices? No edits to site since 2010.]
- 2010 Post by Zevoneer: iPod media recovery options - https://discussions.apple.com/message/11624224 - this is an older post and many of the links are also for old posts, so bear this in mind when reading them.
Syncing to a "New" Computer or replacing a "crashed" Hard Drive - https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3141 - dates from 2008 and some outdated information now.
Copying Content from your iPod to your Computer - The Definitive Guide - http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/articles/comments/copying-music-from-ipod-to-co mputer/ - Information about use in disk mode pertains only to older model iPods.
Get Your Music Off of Your iPod - http://howto.wired.com/wiki/Get_Your_Music_Off_of_Your_iPod - I am not sure but this may only work with some models and not newer Touch, iPhone, or iPad.
Additional information here https://discussions.apple.com/message/18324797

Itunes won't open 'error: new itunes library'

My itunes was playing up.
Not recognising my iphone 4s.
It then told me I had to install the new itunes to make m iphone compatible with the computer.
I did so and now the itunes will not open saying "Error: New Itunes Library' WHY?!? This is really frustrating me!!
Thanks.

georgiamomma -
There are a few things you could try,but what worked for me was to download a fresh installation file from apple.
Your update got corrupted somehow. Doing the usual of going to control panel, clicking on Programs and Features, clicking on iTunes in the list and selecting REPAIR probably won't fix this issue, as sometimes repair reverts the installation to its previous version and then your iTunes Library.itl file can't open because it's from a newer version than the one REPAIR reinstalled. You can try that process, but I doubt it will work.
Do not change any files and/or their existing locations. Also, do not uninstall iTunes from your machine. Simply go to Apple's web site and download their latest version suitable for your particular computer. Once downloaded, double click the installer and follow the prompts. You should be able to launch itunes afterward, and your library will magically re-appear.
Again, DO NOT uninstall the old version, and do not rename, remove and/or replace any of the original files prior to installing the latest version over what's already on your machine. Good luck!

How do I sync my old ipod to my "new" iTunes library without losing the music I already have loaded onto my iPod?

Hi, so I got my new computer loaded up with iTunes and I want to be able to move my music from my old iPod to my new iTunes library without losing any of the music I already have placed on the iPod. How would I do this? And please I'm not too savvy with the new iTunes layout and such so if you could make this easy in layman's terms that would be great.

Welcome to Apple Support Communities
If you purchased all songs in the iTunes Store, plug your iPod to your Mac or PC and iTunes will ask you to transfer purchases.
If you didn't purchase any song or you have non-purchased songs from the iTunes Store, you have to use an application to transfer the songs to iTunes. Here is a list of applications you can use for that > https://discussions.apple.com/message/11319208#11319208

Can I transfer songs FROM my iPod to a new iTunes library with no music yet in my iTunes library, without losing my songs on my ipod

Can I transfer my songs FROM my iPod TO a new iTunes library with no songs in the library, without losing
my song ON my iPod? Hope this isn't confusing.

Make sure all contents are transferred and device is backed:
Transfer purchases
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1848
How to backup
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1766

How can i connect my iphone to a new itunes library without losing my contacts and photos ?

how can i connect my iphone to a new itunes library without losing my contacts and photos ?

Is the new iTunes library on a different computer, or the same computer?
Are you concerned about photos that you have taken with the iPhone in the Camera Roll, or photos you have synced to the iPhone from your computer?
Contacts should be configured to sync with an app on your computer. You set this up in iTunes on the Info tab with the iPhone connected. You will not lose any contacts if the app on your computer has at least one contact.

ITunes keeps creating a new iTunes Library instead of going to my actual iTunes Library on my external drive.

My old computer died.
Luckily, my iTunes library is stored on an external drive.
My new machine is Windows 8 and my old machine was Vista, but I don't think that should cause any problem.
When I run iTunes, it comes up like a fresh install on a new machine... every time. By default, it creates an iTunes folder in my local drive and as such, has no music in and is a 100% blank slate.
When I point it to my external drive, and then import the library, it does it. All my music shows up -- after a long time, but it all shows up.
If I shut down iTunes or reboot, everything goes back to zero again.
The most disturbing thing about this is that I can't back up properly, because -- although in Preferences it's pointed at my external drive -- it's backing up my iPhone 5 to the local drive in Windows.
Any idea what's going on here?
I've gone through this process 5 times already and it's always the same.

There are two main components to the iTunes library. The media folder which you can adjust via Edit > Preferences > Advanced, and the database file iTunes Library.itl which is normally found in <User's Music>\iTunes. You can choose or create a new iTunes library by holding down shift as you launch iTunes.
In some cases third party software can interfere with the way iTunes updates its files meaning that either iTunes forgets the previously chosen location, or that the active database is deleted. AVG anti-virus and Sony VIAO Entertainment Platform typically interfere with the database. McAfee has been implicated in the corruption of iTunesPrefs.plist.
See Empty/corrupt iTunes library after upgrade/crash for more details on how you might recover after the library vanishes.
You may get some improvment by hosting your entire library on the external drive not just the media. E.g. Create a library at X:\iTunes where X: is the drive letter, then move the media into X:\iTunes\iTunes Media before adding it to the library. This will make it easier to backup the library to a second drive and move it between computers when the time comes.
tt2

New desktop, new iTunes library

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for