Tansferring Library from PC to laptop

I just bought a Dell Laptop and want to transfer my iTunes library from my current Dell PC to my new laptop.
Does anyone know how to do that? Do I copy onto a disk? Zip drive? Please inform if you know.
Thanks!

Here are some more options (if you don't want to use your iPod as Bryan suggested, although that is one of the easier options)...
Buegie: How to Copy and Move your Music Files from One Computer to Another
hudgie: Migrating iTunes for Windows to a new PC
iTunes: How to copy music between authorized computers
btabz

Similar Messages

HT3819 how do i get my iTunes library from my old laptop to my new mac (my purchases have moved across but not my own music files)

How do I get my itunes library from my old laptop to my new imac? My purchases are showing on the new imac but not my own music files.

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

HT4927 I have just downloaded iPhoto from the app store. The photo library from my old laptop was backed up on an external hard drive and I retrieved the photos from there. Now when I open the photos on my new Mac Book Pro, they are small - am I missing

I have just downloaded iPhoto from the app store. The photo library from my old laptop was backed up on an external hard drive and I retrieved the photos from there. Now when I open the photos on my new Mac Book Pro, they are small - am I missing something?
I am using 10.8.2 Mountain Lion btw

I dragged the Photo library icon from the backup drive on to iPhoto on the laptop
That means you imported one Library to another.
Never import one Library to another. Every version and thumbnail is imported like a distinct photo, you lose all your Albums, Keywords etc., the link between Original and Previews is destroyed, the non-destructive editing feature is ruined and so on. In summary: it's mess.
So the reason you're seeing small photos is because you're seeing the iPhoto thumbnails from the back up library.
So, what to do?
Do you still have the back up? If so, trash this bunged up library and restore from the back up again. HOw to restore will depend entirely on how you made the back up, but no version of restoring includes importing the library.
Regards
TD

HT201272 how do i transfer my music library from an old laptop to a new laptop BTW - i dont have the old laptop

Hi - how do i transfer my music library from an old laptop to a new laptop?? BTW - i dont have the OLD laptop anymore - am i screwed??

You cannot transfer anything from a device which you do not have, because you do not have it.
It has always been very basic to always maintain a backup copy of your computer. Use your backup copy to put everything on the new computer.
If for some reason you have failed to maintain a backup, not good, then you can redownload some itunes purchases in some countries:
Downloading past purchases from the App Store, iBookstore, and iTunes Store

I am attempting to transfer my library from one old laptop to a new one.

Hi there. I am attempting to transfer my library from one old laptop to a new one. I have followed the advice about exporting and importing the xml file but all the playlists are empty?
All my data is stored on an external hard drive which I had hoped would make the process easier. Just thought I wouldn't have to re-build all my playlists in the new library...

These are two possible approaches that will normally work to move an existing library to a new computer.
Method 1
Backup the library with this User Tip.
Deauthorize the old computer if you no longer want to access protected content on it.
Restore the backup to your new computer using the same tool used to back it up.
Keep your backup up-to-date in future.
Method 2
Connect the two computers to the same network. Share your <User's Music> folder from the old computer and copy the entire iTunes library folder into the <User's Music> folder on the new one. Again, deauthorize the old computer if no longer required.
Both methods should give the new computer a working clone of the library that was on the old one. As far as iTunes is concerned this is still the "home" library for your devices so you shouldn't have any issues with iTunes wanting to erase and reload.
I'd recommend method 1 since it establishes an ongoing backup for your library.
Note if you have iOS devices and haven't moved your contacts and calendar items across then you should create one dummy entry of each in your new profile and iTunes should merge the existing data from the device.
If your media folder has been split out from the main iTunes folder you may need to do some preparatory work to make it easier to move. See make a split library portable.
Should you be in the unfortunate position where you are no longer able to access your original library or a backup then then see Recover your iTunes library from your iPod or iOS device for advice on how to set up your devices with a new library with the maximum preservation of data.
tt2

Why can't I sync my iTunes Library from my second laptop to my iPod?

I just synced my iPod to my iTunes library on my OLD laptop and then used Home Sharing to import that content to my new laptop.
Then, I tried syncing my iTunes Library from my new laptop to my iPod and it said " This will delete all old music, videos & movies from your iPod and replace it with your iTunes Library" wich is exactly what I wanna do! So I clicked continue and it started syncing...
During the middle of the process a pop up appears and says " Your iTunes LIbrary cannot be synced to your iPod because there is not enough room on your iPod (additionaly 2.33GB required) "
But I thought it would erase my songs from my ipod ( approximately 2.40GBs) and replace it with the new ones from my library (2.33GB) ???? Why didn't it? What can I do to have my iTunes Library from my new laptop to my iPod Touch?
( I want my iPod to be able to sync anytime to my new computer because I'm getting rid of the old one.)
Please help, thanks.

So I copied everything in the iTunes folder from my old computer
and sent it to an 8GB USB,
which I'll insert into my new computer and paste the files on to /Music/
Will that work?

I have consolidated files from my library from an old laptop onto an external. How do I move them from my external to my library on my new laptop?

I have consolidated files from my library from an old laptop onto an external. How do I move them from my external to my library on my new laptop?

Glad that helped. Yes, I agree it's not self-evident if you've never seen it before.
Enjoy your Apple gear!

How do I transfer my iTunes library from a Windows laptop to a Mac?

Help, How do I transfer my itunes library froma windows laptop to a Mac?
I'm not the most technically gifted!

Type "move itunes library from mac to pc" into the google search bar.
Please turn off your caps lock. All caps indicates shouting, is considered rude and is difficult to read. Many will not read such posts.

Transfer Library from Ipad to Laptop

My old laptop that has crashed and cannot be rebooted holds my Itunes library. The library is on my Ipad mini and i want to transfer it to my new laptop. is this possible

See Recover your iTunes library from your iPod or iOS device.
tt2

Moving library from desktop to laptop

I have i-Tunes 7 on both my desktop and laptop; but my main library is on my desktop. I want to be able to move my library from the desktop pc to the laptop, INCLUDING playlists etc. I don't mind replacing the laptop library with the desktop library, as I can then re-import the tunes that were on the laptop library into it. Can you tell me how best to do this? I have a Lacie external hard drive with which to carry out the move (no DVD burner).
Thanks in advance to anyone that can help.

How to use your iPod to move your music to a new computer
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=300173
iPod: Frequently Asked Questions
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=60920
Patrick

Move library from desktop to laptop

Trying to move iTunes library from desktop to new laptop so I can sync to my new ITouch

Probably the most straightforward way to get iTunes onto your second computer is to network it with the first one and copy your iTunes folder across. Start by consolidating your library. When you consolidate, any songs in the iTunes Library that are not in the iTunes Music Folder are copied to the Music Folder and the Library is updated to point to those new files. Files already in the iTunes Music Folder have no changes made to them: Copying all your iTunes files to one location - Windows
Copying the whole folder brings with it the iTunes Music folder and also the iTunes Library (iTunes Library.itl in Windows) database file which holds all the information about your songs (Playlists, Ratings, Play Counts, Last Played, Date Added, etc). You'll get more information including the Folder/File structure in this article: What are the iTunes library files?
When you copy the iTunes folder make sure you put it into the same location on the new computer. This has to be the exact same place, on a PC this is \Documents and Settings\Username\My Documents\My Music\. Everything has to be exactly the same on the new computer including the Windows user account name. When you open iTunes on the new computer it will be the same as on the original one Songs, Playlists, Play Counts, Ratings etc. You should also use the same version of iTunes on both computers.
You can also use this method with an external hard drive, you drag the folder from the first computer to the external drive and then from the drive to the second computer.
If you have any iTunes purchases in your library don't forget that you'll need to authorise your new computer to play them. Also if you are disposing of the old one remember to deauthorise it so you don't use up one of your allowances: About iTunes Music Store Authorisation and Deauthorisation

HT3819 How do I move library from PC to laptop?

I have authorized Home Sharing on my PC (where my entire library exists) and my laptop but I can only see my library on my Laptop when my PC is open to iTunes. How do I move my entire library to my laptop which is where I want everything as I am going to stop using my PC soon? Help!

If home sharing isn't working for you, there's a few other ways of doing the move.
The following document is worth checking through:
iTunes: How to move your music to a new computer

Tried to import iTunes library from desktop to laptop via Homesharing but everything didn't import. How do I get missing content?

The whole story: I tried to transfer my iTunes library via Homeshare from my desktop to my laptop but not all of my library imported. Both computers are authorized and almost all of the 99GB of music was imported from my own cds. I couldn't tell what was missing and I figured a computer person would have an easy way to figure this out. In the meantime, I added about 20-25 more cds to the library on the laptop. I had a computer guy come out because I wanted to merge the two libraries so I can get rid of the desktop. He dragged and dropped several folders onto the external hard drive and then dragged and dropped those into my music folder on the laptop. Now I have a big mess! I have tons of duplicates, but the entire library didn't duplicate so I am still not sure if all of my music made it over. He wants to delete all of the duplicates but I explained that I don't want to break up albums and I had already gone through the process of finding "exact duplicates" and deleting those on the desktop before I started all of this. I talked to a Geek Squad guy at Best Buy who suggested I delete everthing from the laptop and start over. He wants me to open iTunes on my desktop and select all, then drag that to a new folder on the external hard drive. Then reinstall iTunes on the laptop and drag and drop that folder into it. I have no idea what to do at this point. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Please know that I am not very computer literate so please type slowly so that I will understand ;-) Thanks
Sidenote: I did sign up for IMatch and had Apple scan both libraries. Not all of my music showed up there either. I am missing entire albums, etc. and I have not reached the maximum limit, 25,0000 songs. Should I purchase TuneUp Media to fix any metadata once I get my complete library onto my laptop? I just want my entire library together, in one place so that I can move forward and back it up properly. Thanks for any help.

Delete whatever was imported to the new computer via HomeSharing.
Stop using HomeSharing to move content.
Copy the ENTIRE iTunes folder from the old computer to the new computer.
Launch iTunes.
Everything in iTunes on the new computer will be exactly as it was on the old computer.

Transfering Library from PC to Laptop not working..help

I received a new laptop for Christmas. It is running Windows 7. My old PC is running XP. I downloaded Itunes9 on laptop and upgraded to itunes 9 on PC. I enabled ipod as disk. Copied Itunes folder onto ipod. Pasted folder in "My Music" on new computer. When I open up itunes, it is not able to play "cannot find file". I have tried "add folder to file" and it will play from "music" but not playlists and will copy 3 copies of each song into the library. With 3 coies of each song, it will not fit on the ipod. If I erase duplicates, It loses the file again.
I have done this procedure 3 times already (it takes forever with over 6000 songs) as well as tried just transfering it over the network and not even using the ipod. Please help!

Hi Halfpin7
There have been quite a few posts about this. I think you are getting the "not found" because iTunes ( fresh install of v9 on a new PC) uses a different folder setup than an upgraded v9.
The old setup previous to v9:
...\Music\iTunes\iTunes Music
The new setup in v9:
...\Music\iTunes\iTunes Media
as explained here
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3847
So I think you have 2 choices
#1 Update to the new v9 scheme on the old PC, THEN copy/paste things over to the new laptop
#2 Change the new laptop to the old scheme by renaming the iTunes Media folder

Problem transferring my iTunes library from my old laptop to new one

I got a new iPad for Xmas to replace an old laptop not realising I would still have to have a laptop or PC for my main iTunes library. I have got round ths by creating my own area on my partner's laptop & have installed my iTunes library on there. However, it has only installed my purchased music & not my wider collection such as all my CD's that I burned then got rid of to go digital. I have my complete library on my iPad & iPhone but need it on my laptop too in case I lose or break a device & need to install my iTunes library to a new device.
I have followed the support detailing how to move your iTunes to a new computer but am not getting very far. I don't have an iPod to use as an external hard drive. I read that you can drag your iTunes library to a CD or DVD but my library is 16GB & I don't have any disc big enough!
Does anyone have an idea of a simple way I can do this? Is it not possible to do it directly from my iPad or iPhone seeing as my complete library is on both of these devices?

So you no longer have access to the source files? (the cd's or the old laptop).
I do not know of a way to move music from device to computer.

Tansferring Library from PC to laptop

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for