Tried to transfer iTunes library to an external harddrive--messed it all up

I have a large collection of music--some of it in mp3/wav files (pre-iTunes), and the rest of it was downloaded directly from either the iTunes store or Amazon.com.
I had my iTunes library edited and perfected exactly the way I wanted it, but after downloading some television series from iTunes, I was running out of space on my harddrive. Things were moving pretty slow on old C:, and I thought I could help things out by moving my music files (including all iTunes music and television files), video files, and eBook files to an external harddrive.
I tried to follow some online directions, but the instructions were written for an earlier version of iTunes, so I improvised a few steps. I really screwed it up. I tried to combine all of the content from "My Music" and "iTunes Music" into a massive file on my external drive called "G:/MUSIC". I thought if I changed the library location in iTunes that it would recognize the new location, and everything would be fine. Unfortunately, when I reopened iTunes, the entire library was blank.
I tried File-->Add Folder to Library-->G:/MUSIC, and it imported some of the music, but not all of it. The music it did import had a lot of the old typos and category errors that I had previously fixed when my iTunes library was on my C: drive. It did not import any of the subfolders containing music from the previously existing “iTunes Music” folder. When I tried to add one of the folders that contained music I recently purchased from iTunes, it was not visible to me via the “Add Folder” option. When I open my G: drive in Windows Explorer, all of my iTunes music folders are visible.
I still have old library files, but I don’t know enough about iTunes to know how to fix this mess I’ve created. I haven’t deleted anything--if something isn’t on my G: drive, it is probably in my Recycle Bin, which has not been emptied.
Can anyone help me? I feel like a complete idiot for making this mess. Clearly, I had no idea what I was doing.
Thanks in advance,
Carrie

Yes, check this link, https://discussions.apple.com/message/1531620#1531620

Similar Messages

Am trying to transfer iTunes library to an external disk for back-up purposes. have followed normal protocol i.e. locating iTunes file in Music folder and dragging across to external disk icon. However, nothing seems to happen. Any advice please?

Am trying to transfer an iTunes library to an external disk for back up. Have followed normal instructions by locating iTunes folder in Music file and dragging across the iTunes folder to the external disk icon. Nothing happens. No notifications. Just a very pregnant pause. Any advice gratefully appreciated.
Michael L J

Welcome to Apple Support Communities
The external drive must be formatted in "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)", exFAT or FAT32, because OS X can't write in NTFS partitions by default.
As you just want the library on the external drive to make a backup of your library, you can format it in "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)" by using Disk Utility > http://pondini.org/OSX/DU1.html (Note that you won't be able to use the external drive with PCs unless you install a special application in them).
Finally, drag your iTunes folder to your external drive

How to transfer iTunes library to an external drive (thats easy!) but keeping the playlists musics on the computer?

How to transfer iTunes library to an external drive (thats easy!) but keeping the playlists musics on the computer?
Many thanks!

Select a single song with a broken link, press CTRL+I to Get Info, cancel when asked to locate the track and take a look at the Summary tab. Post back where iTunes is looking for the file. It begins file://localhost
Where is it really?
Please post back both paths so that I can make suggestions. Full paths please, exact spellings, you can replace your user name with <User> if needed.
tt2

Just got an imac and am trying to transfer itunes library from Dell pc via home share method. All goes well but directions say to click the import button. I don't see an import button anywhere. If I close itunes on pc it also disappears from imac.

Just got an imac and am trying to transfer itunes library from dell pc using home share method. All goes well until the end when directions say to click import button. I don't see one anywhere. If I shut down itunes in the pc the library also disappears from the imac. Am I doing something wrong?

ronaldfromoaklyn wrote:
All goes well until the end when directions say to click import button. I don't see one anywhere.
check the lower right corner of the iTunes window
if you don't see this while the homeshared library is loaded, home sharing hasn't been set up properly.
If I shut down itunes in the pc the library also disappears from the imac. Am I doing something wrong?
no.
that's expected behavior.

Migrating my Itunes Library from An External Harddrive to a NAS

I have a 20" IMAC and currently store my 350 GB Itunes library with roughly 6400 tracks on a 1 TB external Harddrive. I just purchased a 5 TB Network Attached Server that is attached to my wireless network. What is the best and fastest way to migrate my Itunes library from my external harddrive to my NAS? I am concerned that if I do it over my wireless connection it will take forever. I am also concerned that Itunes will get confused in trying to locate the files on the NAS. I have successfully used the consolidate library function in the past but am worried that it will not work with a NAS over a wireless connection. Should I try using a direct ethernet connection with the NAS hooked directly into my IMAC and then re-connect the NAS to my router? I would appreciate any advice. Thanks.

Please don't repost the same thread
http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=7786712#7786712

I've tried moving my iTunes library to an external hard drive but it is still on my local C drive?

Hi there,
I am working on PC equipment here, not Apple. I have tried consolidating my my iTunes library and changing the "iTunes Media folder location" to my external hard drive as described on some discussions on this website and at first it seemed to work. But when I disconnect my external hard drive (E: drive) and click my iTunes icon on my desktop, iTunes still comes from my local C: drive, so iTunes is still there taking up all my memory space on C:drive. What I want to do is set up my iTunes to be entirely on my my external E: drive and not on my C:drive at all (it is taking up WAY too much memory on my c:drive). So here are my questions:
1. If I have correctly copied all my iTunes library onto my E:drive - is it just a copy and all the original information is still in C;drive as well? If so, how do I go about clearing my library in C:drive?
2. Do I have to 'unistall' iTunes from my C:drive to get rid of all my memory robbing iTune files. If so, how can I make sure that all my information has been copied onto my external E:drive before I get rid of all my music? I don't want to lose everything?
I just want to clear up my local C:drive on my laptop to get my memory back, what can I do?
Thanks.

Thanks so much for your tip!! I did that, but it says there's no files in the library.
Originaly in Itunes > preferences>advanced>under folder location I put in new path pointing to the Ex HD. made a new folder for my son's library "Nick's Itunes Library". (Keep itunes media folder organized is checked).
Clicked on change.
Then i was prompted ot move the exisiting files over which I did. Went to File>Library>Organize Library>consolidate files>OK
I did all that. I closed itunes, went to the external HD to verify all the files were there. They were. Went back into itunes on the mac mini HD and deleted the files one at a time. I realize that this whole thing is not a deal breaker as it is all in iCloud. And can be downloaded again if necessary. But I want to know how to do this manually.
I just checked the external HD again. The files are there, Itunes isn't recognizing them is my guess.

Trying to move iTunes library to new external hard drive

I'm trying to move my iTunes library to a new, second, external hard drive and I'm not having much luck. I have two G-Tech 500 GB external drives. One is my Time Capsule and the other one I plan to use to house my iTunes and iPhoto libraries -- I want to free up space on my internal drive.
The iPhoto library moved over to the new disk with no problems. iTunes, on the other hand, keeps hanging up, with the "beach ball of death" and a lot of file error messages. I began moving my iTunes library onto the external drive by following these steps:
• Open iTunes
• Go to Itunes Preferences
• Click the Advanced Tab
• Note where the Music Library's located under iTunes Media folder location
• Navigate to the folder and drag the library onto the external HD.
The plan was to then go back over to iTunes and input the folder location in the iTunes Preferences so iTunes can find the library again. However, the simple drag-and-drop just isn't working. My iTunes library is about 10,000 songs and videos; if I have to do this album by album (which seems to be working, but I'm still having the occasional hang-up and freeze) it will take weeks! Has anyone had this problem before, and if so, did you find a fix?
Any advice is greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance for taking the time to look -- Tom

the support article Dennis pointed you to would consolidate your media files to the external but keep the iTunes folder on your startup disk.
another approach would be to copy the entire iTunes folder to the external and run your library from there (this assumes that all your media files are currently in <MacintoshHD>/users/<yourname>/music/iTunes/iTunes music).
so, if you're willing, start over yet again. before you proceed, erase the external using disk utility and make sure it is formatted for Mac (make sure the partition map scheme of the drive is GUID and the volume is Mac OS extended (journaled)).
now copy the entire iTunes folder (not just the iTunes music folder) to the external using the finder. when the copying has finished, launch iTunes while holding the option key, click on +choose library+ when prompted, and select the iTunes folder on the external.
once you're satisfied everything worked as expected, you can delete the contents of your local iTunes music folder.
JGG

How to transfer Itunes Library (PC) to external hard drive for backup purposes?

I need to save my Itunes library from my current PC to an external hard drive just in case my computer were to crash/die. Two questions:
Question #1: How do I do this?
Question #2: Should my computer crash and I need to get a new PC, how would I transfer my Itunes library from the external hard drive to the new PC?

iTunes- Back up your iTunes library by copying to an external hard drive

How do I move my iTunes library to an external harddrive?

I recently purchased a new MacBook Pro and want to reload by CD collection into iTunes on an external drive. In the past, I had been using iTunes for PC and the library became corrupted. I would prefer to save the music to an external harddrive to save space on my MacBook's harddrive. Once I load the music onto the harddrive, I want to be sure that my MacBook recognizes the library in the future.

Creating a new library on the external drive will add to confusion because now you will have multiple iTunes libraries. For simplicity it would be best to move your entire iTunes library to the external drive, unless you have a very good reason for wanting to split media storage locations. To move a library 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) so you get a prompt to select a library, then guide it to the 'iTunes Library.itl' file in the moved iTunes folder.

How do I restore my itunes library on my external harddrive after old harddrive died?

I used to have my entire iTunes library on an external drive. It started to fail so I subscribed to iTunes match and matched/uploaded around 13,000 songs before the drive finally died.
I have a new external drive now and would like to download all songs to it.
The problem I have is that iTunes thinks my whole library is still on the old hard drive and every time I want to listen to an album at home it says it can't find it. I then have to delete the album and download each song individually from the cloud. Once it is downloaded, it is then on my new drive and I can play it from then on.
So basically, I was to delete and download my entire library fresh so it is on my new drive but I really don't want to sit here and click on the cloud icon next to 13,000 individual songs.
Is there an easier way?
I hope there is something simple I am overlooking. Any help will be appreciated.
Thanks.

I couldn't edit my original post so I replied to myself.
I think I solved my problem! I moved my itunes folder to destop and then moved my backed up one to the same folder/ I made a wrong assumption that I had to also move back my source music files (I bought nothing from itunes store they are just CD rips etc.) .

How move my itunes library from old external harddrive to a new bigger external harddrive

i have my itunes library on an external hard drive but now i want to move the itunes library over to a new bigger external hard drive . i just got a new imac and I want to keep my music and movies content on off my imac. I finally just got my imac itunes to recognize the old external hard drive but now I want to move to the new 2tb harddrive. Any help would be appreciated

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1449?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

Importing iTunes Library from an external harddrive

Recently, I had to delete the operating system on my computer because I accidentally deleted a software application that could not be reinstalled individually. So before I reinstalled my operating system, I had to backup all the data on my computer. In particular, I put my whole iTunes Library on an external hard drive and I imported the folder into my Applications file. I have not figured out how to import the folder to my new iTunes library. When I want to listen to a song, I usually just go to the folder and click on the song and then it plays in my iTunes. Since I have like 1500 songs, I do not have the time to click on each song to import it into my library. How do I import the whole music folder into my iTunes library?

Hey mate,
Try this:
Close iTunes, then copy your backup iTunes Music folder to ~/Music, where '~' represents your home folder. Open the iTunes Library file within that folder, that should reopen iTunes, and your library should appear.
Hope this helps!
Brendan

Trying to transfer iTunes library on Windows to new Mac

I looked at the tutorial on how to transfer my Windows iTunes library onto a Mac and I'm having several problems. When I tried to consolidate my iPod my computer told me I don't have a enough room on my C Drive. If I can't have my whole library, that's okay, I at least want to get some of it onto the Mac because I'm leaving for five months for Europe. Second, the tutorial tells you to copy the iTunes library onto the iPod, but doesn't tell you how to do that beyond locating the folder. Once I have accomplished this (if someone will tell me) how do I transfer the music on the Mac without losing all of my music from my iPod?

Welcome to Apple Discussions.
I believe the best and simplest way is to use a network cable to connect the computers, if possible. Can you do this?
Copy songs over a network

Can I backup my entire ITunes library on an external harddrive and then transfer it to my new PC?

Can I backup entire ITunes library to external harddrive and then transfer to new PC?

Yes, check this link, https://discussions.apple.com/message/1531620#1531620

Trying to transfer Itunes Library from Windows to OSX.

I'm trying to move my library from my old Windows PC to a new MacBook Air. I've seen the information on "just transfer the itunes folder" which sounds fantastic... But will that work as simply for a cross OS transfer. Especially, since the directory structures are radically different.
Any thoughts on how to make the transfer? I can always import things and hopefully save and import playlists... but that will take AGES...
Any help would be appreciated.

These pages may be of some help:
How to move an iTunes library from a PC to Mac
Networking with a Windows PC
Don't forget by the way if you have purchased any tracks from the iTunes Music Store to deauthorise your old PC if you are disposing of it so you don't use up your 5 allowances: About iTunes Music Store Authorisation and Deauthorisation

Tried to transfer iTunes library to an external harddrive--messed it all up

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for