Sharing Library Stored on External Drive
I have an iTunes library stored on a firewire 800 drive attached to a new Mac Mini. The Mac Mini sees and plays all songs.
I can select the Mini as a shared library on another Mac and all of the metadata appears, but none of the songs play when clicked. After I've clicked on one song that doesn't play and then select another, I get an exclamation point next to the first track, but no exclamation points next to any tracks until I've tried to play them.
I've deleted all songs from my library and added them back, I've consolidated several times and I've tried holding option down while starting iTunes to select the library file located on the external disk. None of this has helped at all.
Both machines are running 10.5.6 and iTunes 8.1.
Any thoughts?
Thanks.
Brad
I'm having a similar problem.
I've set up two different user accounts on my iMac to separate my iTunes libraries, one ripped in AAC that I use for my iPod (stored on a partition on my internal HD) and one ripped in ALAC (stored on an external HD) that I use to wirelessly stream music to my main music system. Both are set up to share the library.
When I access them from my MacBook, both show some exclamation marks, but the are almost exclusively not the same songs. Go figure.
I have a SqueezeBox linked to my Lossless library, and it plays everything fine.
I've also installed Simplify Media (http://www.simplifymedia.com/) which restores the sharing iTunes over the internet feature that Apple dropped from iTunes a few versions ago. This too plays all the songs in my Lossless library just fine.
This seems to be iTunes sharing specific, and I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one to have this problem.
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You mean the *iTunes media folder* was kept on the external.
Yes, I believe you are correct, and that I used the wrong terminology. By "library," I was referring only to the directory on External where the actual .mp4 music files are stored.
The iTunes library consists of the iTunes folder (default in \Music\iTunes\
and all contents as well as everything in iTunes.
So, in my case above, it seems you are saying that "library" ought to refer to the following:
1. The c\my music\iTunes directory and all its component files on the Alpha hard drive, AND
2. the iTunesmusicfiles directory on External
Is that correct?
If yes, then I am left scratching my head about something:
Before Alpha died, I went to Edit/Preferences/Advanced and, in the window where iTunes asks me to specify the location of my iTunes LIBRARY, I specified External\iTunesmusicfiles.
And it worked. Thus, I am left with the impression that "library" is a term referring only to the directory where the actual .mp4 files are stored. (Thus, iTunes itself provided a very good reason for me to think of the "library" in this limited, incorrect, way).
If I understand you correctly, the reason why that maneuver worked is because of the presence of the library.itl file that was located in Alpha\c\my music\iTunes, and because the .itl file was populated with some kind of data specific to the contents of External\iTunesmusicfiles, and because the contents of the .itl file pre-dated the transfer of the iTunesmusicfiles directory to External. And that every time a subsequent change occurred in External\iTunesmusicfiles such as the addition of a new music file via iTunes purchase/download, a concomitant change occurred in the .itl file on Alpha, thereby keeping the iTunes player on Alpha synced up with the warehouse of music over there on External.
Do I have it right so far?
Now, with Bravo, I am trying to establish the same setup I had on Alpha. And because Alpha is dead, I need to attempt this using a fresh installation of iTunes on Bravo. And a fresh installation of iTunes on Bravo means a virgin .itl file on Bravo.
Again, if I understand you correctly, you're saying that if iTunes on Bravo is going to work just like iTunes on Alpha did, then the .itl file on Bravo must contain the same data that the .itl file on Alpha did.
To accomplish this, I have two options:
1. Obtain a copy of the .itl file from Alpha and transfer it to the same directory location on Bravo
2. Build the .itl file on Bravo manually.
Again, am I getting this right?
If so, I don't think No. 1 above is an option. I'm left with No. 2.
If I have to click individually on all the files in External\iTunesMusicFiles, I guess I can deal with that. Not a huge problem. But what I want to prevent is transferring the .mp4 files to the Bravo hard drive. I want only one copy of each .mp4, and I want each of those .mp4s to reside on External, not on Bravo.
Doable?
Thanks to all who have taken time to respond to my issue. I do appreciate it.
Message was edited by: 2muchcoffeeman -
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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 -
I have exported earlier Projects [which were created in Aperture 3.4.5] to an external hard drive. Now I wish to reimport them into Aperture 3.5.1 - which I use after having upgraded to Mavericks - but am given an error message saying I can’t reimport because the external drive is storing a Library created by an earlier version of Aperture than I’m using now. It tells me to upgrade that externally stored Library.
The Question - one can only upgrade a Library on one’s computer, not on the external drive. How can I upgrade it if I can’t get it back into Aperture [3.5.1] on my MacBookPro in the first place ?
Thank you
BobThe Question - one can only upgrade a Library on one’s computer, not on the external drive. How can I upgrade it if I can’t get it back into Aperture [3.5.1] on my MacBookPro in the first place ?
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After that you should be able to merge the library into your main library using File > Import. -
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I use match and also store everything in the cloud-but that isn't showing up eitherOkay, found the reason in another tread...
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and
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Suddenly, after a year of good operation, my itunes seems to be looking for my library on my computer C drive, rather than the external drive it had been set up to as default How do I get it to search for the stored library on the external drive again ?
Quit iTunes.
On the external drive;
1 - Create new folder called iTunes (or whatever you want).
2 - Move your music folder into this.
3 - Go to the the C: drive iTunes folder.
4 - Copy the iTunes library.itl file into the iTunes folder on the external drive.
5 - Start iTunes holding the Shift key.
6 - Select Choose existing library and select the iTunes library.itl file you just copied to the external. -
Music stored on external drive but doesnt appear on new computer
I store my music on an external drive and in a folder E:\ Hugo's Tunes because my laptop drive is too small. Recently laptop died and I have installed itunes on another laptop also with a small drive. I cannot see my content on the new itunes. I have set location in preferences to E:\Hugo's Tunes without any benefit. Clearly I'm doing something silly but don't know what. Help please
Hi Hugo. If the content was stored on the external drive but the library files were stored on the internal then you have lost all your original library information such as date added, ratings and play counts. Having pointed iTunes to the external drive already you still need to import the content into your new empty library. If, on the other hand, you had successfully put your library files on the external then you need to hold down shift when starting iTunes and browse to the library on the external drive.
Assuming my first guess was correct I'd actually recommend that you use the hold-down-shift-when-starting-iTunes method to create a new empty library at <External>iTunes, then move the existing media files into *<External>\iTunes\iTunes Media* and finally import *<External>\iTunes\iTunes Media* into the library. This will make moving the library between machines much easier in future.
tt2 -
So, I have just about had it. For nine days now, I have valiantly tried to move my library to an external drive. At first, I attempted to move it to my 2TB Time capsule. iTunes didn't like its new home though and moved home without telling me. So then there were two libraries. I meshed them back together reluctantly and iTunes in a silent revolt, absolutely refused to use its own 'Keep Library Organized' criteria and may as well have thrown my music against the wall. Seriously, my 5 year old nephew has his computer files better managed. Then I bought a 3TB Time Capsule and you may ask yourself why??? Well, iTunes doubled in size- although when I ran apps that are designed to find duplicate iTunes files, it deleted the music I actually bought from iTunes. So then I watched as iTunes got it back. How you ask; I run a MacBook Air, iMac and Mac mini in my house - as soon as one powered up it hit the net like a sailor on leave and re-downloaded it all without abandon. I tried to keep the libraries separate, no success there. I tried to keep them unified; iTunes response was to ask me if I wanted to join iTunes Match every time I logged on to my computer and on any computer - my iTunes match song number has been as high as 24,367 and as low as 11,112. And I can't simply refuse iTunes. No one refuses iTunes. Refusal to allow iTunes Match to run through all 24000 songs again was to revoke my rights to the songs that were once part of my library. If I took a long time to decide or was visibly impatient while iTunes did its little 3 hour scan it would arbitrarily decide that music I bought from iTunes was ineligible for iTunes Match. How could that possibly be??? I am missing music, or at least iTunes tells me so by showing me that lovely exclamation point. I have tried backing up my computer to do a full system restore and start all over. Time Capsule claims I have 979 GB of data and takes its sweet time to even back up one gig (about 18 minutes) even though I can transfer files to my Time Capsule at about 1 GB every 40 seconds. I guess though performing back-ups are somewhat like government jobs; it will get done, when it gets done. The back up requirement of 979 GB is surprising though, my Mac claims that I currently occupy just about 25% of my 2TB drive. The discrepancy, who knows, but I think the solution lies somewhere in iTunes. But maybe iPhoto. But that is for another time.
After admittedly only a quick read the one thing you don't say is how you are trying to make this move. Most people with moving library issues do it the wrong way. Plenty of web sites tell you how to do it the wrong way.
If the iTunes application is started before the drive with the library is fully mounted and awake iTunes will revert back to the internal drive.
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