Preventing the stupid itunes folder!

I love everything about itunes, except the fact the it duplicates your music and puts the duplicates in an own itunes folder in my music. I don't want this, so how can I prevent it?

- Edit==>Preferences==>'Advanced/General' tab
- Make sure that the 'Copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to library' box is unchecked

Similar Messages

How can I copy mp3 files which are already located by itunes to the actual itunes folder?

Dear all,
I would like to transfer my whole itunes library to a new computer. I know that this can be done by copying the whole itunes folder on the old computer (if you want to keep all the data of the itunes files). However, I have a little problem. Since I had a long period in which I did not download music from itunes or I got music from others, most files are not in the itunes library folder. I kept them in many different folders all over my hard disk, because it is a quite big collection from the past decade orso. In that time, I just dragged the files to itunes, so itunes can now locate them. They are not in the actual itunes library folder though. Is there a possible way to let itunes locate the files (it already has the locations) and put/copy them in the itunes library folder?
Thanks in advance!!

With these options selected in Edit > Preferences > Advanced:
select File > Library > Organize Library... When you get this prompt:
check the Consolidate files box and - if not greyed out - the Reorganize files ... box, and click OK. iTunes will then copy any media files that are not stored in the iTunes Media folder structure into it, so that you can then copy the complete iTunes folder to your new computer.

I have Windows 7, 64 bit, and I am using iTunes 11.0.1.12. I have been all through the threads and internet..how do I delete songs from my iTunes and hard drive at the same time? I have my music in the correct iTunes folder. Nothing works.

Windows 7 64 bit
iTunes 11.0.1.12
I have my music in the correct iTunes folder
In iTunes, I select songs, click "delete", then "move to recycle bin", finally, empty my recycle bin that shows the file is there
File is still on my hard drive.
I just want to be able to delete files out of my library and off of my hard drive at the same time. I have tried everything I have read, and there really seems to be no real answer. Somebody please help!

Tarantulaman wrote:
i do, but like i said it fell once and since then it hasn't been able to connect to my laptop. it acts like nothing's connected. i believe if i call the company the HDD is from they'll be able to transfer it to a new one but who knows how much they'd charge. looks like i have no choice now.
If it were truly a backup, then the media would play on the laptop as it would be on the laptop.
Sounds like you actually do not have a backup, instead you chose to keep your media on an external drive.
Regardless of where the media is stored, it's always a good idea to have a backup for instances like this.

HT1449 Why can't I just move the entire iTunes folder?

In reference to the linked article above, why can't I just move the entire iTunes folder and create an alias where it used to be ~/Music/iTunes instead of that tedious process?

You can do that. You can copy the entire Music folder and create an alias for where it normally belongs. However, OS X will not allow you to delete the entire Music folder without a little extra work:
Copy the /Home/Music/ folder to the desired new location. Create an alias to the new location and put the alias in the /Home/ folder. You will now have a "Music" and a "Music alias" in your /Home/ folder. Open the Terminal in the Utilities folder. At the prompt enter:
sudo rm -rf ~/Music
Press RETURN. Enter your admin password when prompted (it will not be echoed) then press RETURN again. The old Music folder should disappear. Now rename the "Music alias" folder to "Music".

What is the default iTune Folder Structure for iTunes 10?

What is the default iTune Folder Structure for iTunes 10? As far as I can tell in windows 7 it goes something like.
My Music\iTunes\iTunes Media\Music
Other folders for downloads, pod casts, mobile applications are all in the iTunes Media folder, however the iTunes library database files are located in the iTunes Folder.
The reason I ask is that I am re-doing my music collection and I set up the folder structure mentioned above, but iTunes re-arranded everything and copied all of my music into the iTunes Media folder.
Anyone have any idea how iTunes does it by default?

Here are typical layouts for the iTunes folders:
If you have upgraded from version 8 (or earlier) to iTunes 9 (or later) at some point, then your media folder (everything inside the red outline) may still be called iTunes Music instead of iTunes Media. The extra Music folder inside the media folder is used if you have allowed iTunes to Upgrade to iTunes Media Organization (iTunes 9) or used File > Library > Organize Library > Reorganize files in the folder "<Media Folder>" (iTunes 10). Depending on your choices for Keep iTunes Media folder organized and Copy files to iTunes Media folder when adding to library plus a little bug in which one build changed the name of the file storing the choice of layout it is quite easy for some of your files to be organized according to one layout and some the other.
Assuming you're happy letting iTunes organize your files the following steps should tidy things up (should it be necessary):
1. Select File > Library > Organize Library... > Tick Reorganize files in the folder "<Media Folder>" and click OK. Skip if this option is greyed out (already upgraded) or you prefer the older layout.
2. Select File > Library > Organize Library... > Tick Consolidate files and click OK. This will bring any files currently organised outside the designated media folder into it. NB This will create duplicate copies of any file that needs to be consolidated, and you will need to manually clean up afterwards. If space is at a premium try my scripts Unconsolidated to find out what would need moving and ConsolidatebyMoving to move rather than copy it.
3. Select Edit > Preferences > Advanced tab, uncheck Keep iTunes Media folder organized and click OK.
4. Select Edit > Preferences > Advanced tab, check Keep iTunes Media folder organized and click OK. This triggers iTunes into reorganizing everything according to your preferences.
5. (Optional) Close iTunes, rename the folder iTunes Music as iTunes Media then restart iTunes. Check under Edit > Preferences > Advanced tab that the location has automatically updated. If you can't access the media for any reason just undo the folder rename.
6. (Optional - Windows only) If Windows Media Player has ever had access to your files it may have liberally scattered folder artwork files about which iTunes won't tidy up when it reorganizes things, thus leaving behind a heap of folders with artwork and no media. I've written a script for cleaning this mess up called CleanDeadArt.
PS If you really prefer the older layout, but it is already in the new one then edit the file called .iTunes Preferences.plist in your media folder and change the integer from 1 to 0 before doing step 3.
tt2

I just changed the OS from Vista to Windows7. I have a folder on the same computer with the old iTunes library. I installed a new version of iTunes from scratch. How do I move my music library, etc from that backed up folder into the new iTunes folder.

I need help with moving my music library.
I recently upgraded the OS on my computer from Vista to Windows7.
During the process it copied my iTunes library to a folder on this same computer (marked it Windows.old)
Once the OS was done, I installed a new copy of iTunes on the Windows7 but it now has a blank library (folder)
How do I move my music from its current folder location (on this same computer) into the new iTunes library folder ???
There don't seem to be specific instructions on how to do this.

Skydiver119 wrote:
My situation may be different from yours since all mu music is ripped from cd's not bought from iTunes, but I would think the premise is the same.
Doesn't matter what is in your library.
When I moved computers I literally dragged and dropped the music where I wanted it to be. THen when I opened iTunes I imported the files back into iTUnes
This creates a new library with all the same items but you lose a lot of info: Ratings, comments, date added, custom EQ, playlists, etc.
If you simply copy the entire /Music/iTunes/ folder, it is the exact same library, not a new library. No info is lost.

Is there a way for me to prevent the entire iTunes list automatically moving up when I've changed a podcast title?

I have a problem with the entire iTunes list being dragged upwards after I've changed the names of the podcasts. It's really annoying, so I was wondering whether anyone knows how to stop that. For some reason, I think I had a similar issue with iTunes 10 and somehow resolved it, but I can't recall how at the moment. Thanks!

You can't avoid that if you drag a link.<br />
If you drag a link to a folder then Firefox doesn't check if the link already exists as this is a way to have multiple copies of a bookmark in addition on to a copy/paste.<br />
To avoid having multiple bookmarks of the same link you would have to click the star on the location bar twice to bookmark the link and subsequently open the Edit This Bookmark dialog.

Will enabling the 'Keep iTunes Folder Organized' option alter my folders?

If I select "Keep iTunes Folder Organized" in iTunes, will it alter the way my folders are curretnly organied on that drive? I already have my music organized by artist and album in folders on my harddrive. Though, some of the track names are messed up in iTunes. If i select this option, what happens? will it fix the track names issue, or must i fix those manually? would it copy or reogranize my folders that are already there?

It shouldn't alter your folders unless they are in the place that iTunes wants to put its folders - It will rearrange the music into new folders so that iTunes can find them. They will be located in your Music folder > iTunes > iTunes Music > then usually folders by Artist.
For the ones that are not named correctly - when you edit the ID3 tracks in iTunes they will be moved to the correct place.
I think you should be able to verify this by using the iTunes > File > Add to Library... option on a small sample of your music that is currently arranged manually.
Regards,
Colin R.

HT4527 My computer crashed and did a system restore. All files & programs were wiped out. The music I had on itunes is also on ipad & ipod. How can I restore my music back to the computer itunes folder?

My computer crashed and I did a sytem restore. All my files and programs were wiped out except for Windows. How can I restore my music back to the itunes folder on my computer from either the ipad 2 or ipod nano?

Read turingtest2's User Tip:
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3991

Can two Macbook Pro's share the same Itunes folder(all media in Ituens) on an external drive (like Time Capsule)? How and what issues may arise?

Hey, I have two macbook pros (250 gb). They are both running out of space. My first thought was to share an iphoto library off of Dropbox or our Time Capsule. But, I heard that if one file gets corrupted (interenet cuts out, for example) then the whole library gets corrupted. Well, we're full again and now I am wondering if I could move our Itunes folders to our Time Capsule, sync/sort them both so there won't be any duplicates and then use this as a shared itunes library. So first, is this possible? Both computers share the same itunes account.
Second, if I do, and I purchase a song, show, whatever, does it automatically be added to the itunes library on our Time Capsule and then it is available for both computers to access? Or do I need to "import" it on both?
Third, does the "file corruption" issue listed above pertain to itunes?
I saw a discussion about this but it was form 2008. I am sure things have changed a bit since then.
Thanks for the help!
jbh

No.

Can I use the same iTunes folder on multiple pcs?

Hello,
I am using a hp laptop and desktop pc to stream (home sharing) to my Apple TV 3. My laptop is running windows 8 and the desktop is running XP Pro.
Firstly, can I organise my iTunesw (video and audio) library to a western digital 'elements' external drive?
Then, when I organise my desktop's iTunes library on the hard dive , can I plug the same hdd on my laptop then play my iTunes movies on this.

Hi there abjolm,
You may find the information in the article below helpful.
iTunes for Windows: Moving your iTunes Media folder
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1364
-Griff W.

Does iTunes delete the entire iTunes folder...

Basically I did a reinstall (complete uninstall first) of iTunes because it was playing up, I assumed that iTunes wasn't going to delete anything just like any other media player wouldn't if uninstalled...
I read some rather disconcerting posts that it does, and also many which said it didn't. I am not so worried about my music as I actually deleted the iTunes copies of that anyway, but am concerned about other users on my computer who used iTunes as I don't know if they kept the originals handy...

Hey there,
Deleting the iTunes application will not delete the music that is stored elsewhere on your computer. You should have no worries and feel confident that your music is still safely stored. If you don't feel convinced, go ahead and make sure of all it is backed up somewhere where you know it will be. Hope this helps.
B-rock

ITunes folder will not delete. When I moved my iTunes folder from my old computer to new, I placed the iTunes folder temporarily in my Dropbox folder so I could cut and paste it into the new computer's music folder. Now I can't delete that folder.

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

ITunes Consolidation: Will it create duplicates of media files if they already exist in the new itunes destination folder but arent being referenced by the itunes library?

I have a macbook pro from fall 2010. I have been using my external HD as my primary itunes folder for the past 7 yrs ( i.e it is organized by itunes default categorization, etc). However, there is some overlap between my external HD itunes folder and my comps original itunes folder (probably 20-30% of my current library's media files were already duplicated there from when i first bought the HD and transferred files to the external, however they are mostly referenced from the external now). Also there are files in the comp's itunes folder that are not on my external (probably due to organizational mishaps and podcast downloads when not connected to the external, etc). I do not know how many files this is the case for.
Recently, i decided that i wanted to consolidate all of my itunes music into one concise folder on my macbook's HD to avoid these issues going forward. I also just bought a new external which i will use to back up my comp's itunes folder once i consolidate everything to the comp. But i plan on using the itunes folder on the comp going forward or at least using the consolidate fcn to avoid these issues.
Here is my dilemma. Prior to learning of the consolidate feature today, I changed the default itunes folder in settings to the original itunes folder on the macbook and then manually dragged all of the media files from my external itunes folder to the macbook's itunes folder. There were a ton of duplicates or overlapping folders with similar artist names, so i opted to have them merge all folders where possible. After doing this, i realized the itunes library still references these files that i dragged and dropped from the external since that is where my default itunes folder used to be. At that point i then read and learned of the consolidate itunes feature which seems like the best way to do this. But i am afraid that if i consolidate my library to my macbook's itunes folder now, will it create duplicates of the 4000 + media files i just dragged to the macbook's itunes folder which are already in the itunes library but being referenced from the old external??
Question: Is there a way that i can make these files i just dragged to the macbook's itunes folder become the ones referenced by the itunes library through the consolidate feature without creating duplicates of these 4000+ files? I want to avoid having three copies of these files (two duplicates in the itunes and the originals on the external). Furthermore, is there a best way to find out which files in the macbook's itunes folder are not being included in the library after consolidating everything to the computer's HD? Then after that, what is the best way to start backing this all up to my new external, so that this overlapping issue doesnt happen again? Im assuming i just need to make sure to consolidate first when changing itunes folders going forward. Thank you. I know that was a lot to read but hopefully someone can help with this issue.

In general:
- The best way to check if files are in a library is to drag the whole media folder to the library. If something was missed it will be added. If it is in the library is won't be added a second time.
- If you have a second copy of a file and iTunes does not currently list that specific file in its database then even if it is identical to one already in the database it will add it a second time. So if you have file xyz on the internal drive and the external drive and add them to iTunes you will end up with two entries for the same thing in iTunes because you really do have to copies of the files. While this can happen with two copies on a single drive, it will almost definitely be the case when you have a copy of a file on two drives because iTunes really sees them as two different things.
-Unless you know how iTunes works, avoid moving files yourself. Let the consolidate feature do all the file moving. Manually moving files can really mess up iTunes unless you know what you are doing and have iTunes set to not try to do it itself.
- There's no clean and easy way to delete duplicates. The best thing is to change practice so you don't create them. Here are references:
How to find and remove duplicate items in your iTunes library - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2905
http://dougscripts.com/itunes/itinfo/dupin.php (commercial)
Posts by turingtest2 about different types of duplicates and techniques- https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3555601 and https://discussions.apple.com/message/16042406 (Note: The DeDuper script is for Windows)
http://www.hardcoded.net/dupeguru_me/

Moving a Folder from the iTunes Folder to My Own File Structure

I'm trying to move a folder from the default iTunes folder to a folder on another drive where I am managing the file structure. This allows me to file music as I would like to on the disk an makes things much easier to find when I need to.
Recently I've noticed that when I do this I lose some of the song meta data such as the image and rating which is kind of annoying. Is there any way to do this and not lose meta data?

If the external drive is in NTFS format (which is how most new drives are shipped), the Mac can't write to it. Reformat it with Disk Utility, putting it into Mac OS Extended format.

Preventing the stupid itunes folder!

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