Save library & i-tunes files to external drive?

How can i set up everything from the i-tunes set up files through to the library onto my external drive. I want to do this on my laptop as it's not a new system and soon fills up when I start putting my cd collection into the library to upload onto my ipod. I've tried a couple of times unsuccessfully.
Please help

Just do it like I said. Copy your iTunes folder (the entire upper level folder with the database files inside it and also the iTunes music folder inside it) to your external drive. No need to rename it. Now hold down the SHIFT key and open iTunes. Navigate to the library on the external drive. You should now see everything there just like when you used the internal drive.
Now, until you change the location again, everytime you open iTunes, it should default to the external drive location. To check, go to the iTunes preferences and see if the location of the iTunes Music folder is specified as your external drive location. If so, then you are done and all new stuff added will go on the external drive location.
At this point you can either delete your library from the internal drive completely. Leave the one there as is. Use the internal library but delete a lot of stuff out of it to give you a reduced version for travel, start a new one on the internal, etc.
Patrick

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