Use a library on external hard drive

I have a macbook pro that i have been using for the past two years.  All of my itunes files (almost 500gb, i have bought alot of tv shows) are saved on an external hard drive.  I recently purchased a new iMac,and i want to sync my external with this computer, however i prefer to keep everything on the external hard drive.  What do i need to do to set this up?

The whole library or just music on the external?
If the whole library, hold down the option key while starting iTunes and guide it to the external.

Similar Messages

  • Need help using music library on external hard drive

    Here is my scenario. I am hoping some one can help me as I have been having a heck of time trying to figure this out. I am what you would call newbie to Mac(I just purchased macBook) so bear with me).
    I have a iTunes library on an external hard drive that was created using Windows PC machine. I now would like to use the same library on my Mac. How can I get the Mac to connect to the iTunes Music on the external hard drive?
    This is what I have done so far. I have been able to network the Mac with my current network so it does see the external hard drive.
    BTW, I would like to achieve this without having iTunes open on Windows machine. I know about the sharing option in iTunes but I have discovered that it only works if I have iTunes open on the Windows machine. This may not always be the case so this is why i am hoping their is an alternative to get the mac to connect to the library on the external hard drive.
    I look forward to help on this one.
    ...Bruce

    Maybe I did not explain myself clearly. All I want to do is be able to listen to the music in my itunes library on external hard drive on my new MacBook. I am thinking all I will have to do is create the itunes database file on my Mac using the music in my library(on external HD).

  • HT1198 Using iPhoto library on external hard drive

    I read the article on sharing an iPhoto library among multiple users. Just so I understand this: If I want to edit (or view) the library, I have to remove the external hard drive containing my iPhoto library from my wife's Mac and plug it into mine. Is that correct?

    Presumably you mean 'can't' and not can there?
    And, of course, you can. Just share the photos via Photostream. But you don't want to do that, you want to have access to an entire library.

  • Trying to copy iPhoto Library to external hard drive for backup.  Error message:  The Finder can't complete the operation because some data in "iPhoto Library" can't be read or written (Error code -36).

    Trying to copy iPhoto Library to external hard drive for backup.  Error message:  The Finder can't complete the operation because some data in "iPhoto Library" can't be read or written (Error code -36).

    That code is
    -36
    ioErr
    I/O error (bummers)
    Make sure the EHD is formatted OS X Extended (journaled) and run Disk Utilty on the EHD and repair the disk.  If that fails to help I'd try the following:
    Using iPhoto Library Manager  to Rebuild Your iPhoto Library
    Download iPhoto Library Manager and launch.
    Click on the Add Library button,                         
    navigate to your Home/Pictures folder and select your iPhoto Library folder.
    Now that the library is listed in the left hand pane of iPLM, click on your library and go to the Library ➙ Rebuild Library menu option
    In the next  window name the new library and select the external HD as the location of the newly rebild library.
    Click on the Create button.
    Note 1: This creates a new library based on the LIbraryData.xml file in the library and will recover Events, Albums, keywords, titles and comments. However, books, calendars, cards and slideshows will be lost.
    Note 2:  Your current library will be left untouched for further attempts at a fix if so desired.
    OT

  • ITunes won't show library on external hard drive

    I have just bought a MacBook Pro but I don't know how to get library on external hard drive to show in iTunes...  Any suggestions please?

    This is relevant portion of the support document with a bit of editing for clarity.
    If iTunes is running, quit iTunes.
    Using a Mac click the icon to open iTunes and immediately press and continue to hold down the Option key.
    You should see the following screen:
    If iTunes opens normally, close it and try again.
    Once you've got that dialog you have two options. If your previous iTunes library database is stored on the external drive use Choose Library to browse to it and open it. If you only have the media folder on the drive then use the Create Library option to create a new iTunes library at /iTunes on the external, move the media folder to /iTunes/iTunes Media and then add it to your new empty library.
    tt2

  • Iphoto library on external hard drive now does not show all the photos when i access it from macbook

    i backed up iphoto library to an external hard drive.  Deleted photo library on the macbook.  After transferring some new photos to macbook from a camera, when i access the iphoto library on external hard drive only the new photos show up.  Originals are still in files, but don't appear when opening iphoto library on external hard drive.

    Make a temporary, backup copy of your library if you don't already have one (Control-click on the library and select Duplicate from the contextual menu) and  apply the two fixes below in order as needed:
    Fix #1
    Launch iPhoto with the Command+Option keys held down and rebuild the library.
    Select the options identified in the screenshot. 
    Fix #2
    Using iPhoto Library Manager  to Rebuild Your iPhoto Library
    Download iPhoto Library Manager and launch.
    Click on the Add Library button, navigate to your Home/Pictures folder and select your iPhoto Library folder.
    Now that the library is listed in the left hand pane of iPLM, click on your library and go to the File ➙ Rebuild Library menu option
    In the next  window name the new library and select the location you want it to be placed.
    Click on the Create button.
    Note: This creates a new library based on the LIbraryData.xml file in the library and will recover Events, Albums, keywords, titles and comments but not books, calendars or slideshows. The original library will be left untouched for further attempts at fixing the problem or in case the rebuilt library is not satisfactory.
    OT

  • Backup and restoring itunes library from external hard drive?

    is there a way to backup and restore my itunes library to external hard drive and not through the internal itunes backup utility cos i have over 20gbs of music and i want to keep my album art and renamed songs etc. because i will be reformating my pc and dont want to go through painful task of manually adding stuff again.

    Try this...
    *Fast backup for iTunes library (Windows Only)*
    Grab SyncToy 2.0, a free tool from MS. Use it to create a backup copy of your iTunes library & any other media folders onto another hard drive or network share. After making the initial backup copy use SyncToy to periodically synchronise the backup copy with your library and only the changed files will be copied saving lots of time.
    When the time comes to reformat your PC, do a final sync, then open iTunes & deauthorise the PC, reformat & rebuild Windows, copy the backup folders back to the same location as they were previously, install iTunes and it should all work perfectly.
    tt2

  • Can i use applications from an external hard drive?

    Can i use applications from an external hard drive?

    Photoshop itself needs to reside inside of it's Applications folder so that it has access to it's Libraries and plugins. So if you are going to attempt to store and run it from an external drive you need to copy the whole Application folder or install it directly to the external drive. Even still I am not 100% positive it will work as I know it still needs to access your Library/Application Support for additional files and licensing.
    Why do you want to run Photoshop from an external drive?
    George

  • Problems backing up I-tunes library to external hard drive.

    Help - I'm having problems backing up I-tunes library to external hard drive. The drive appears on the desktop but when I try to drag in my i-tunes music folder I just get the circle with a line through it symbol. I can drag items from my mac to a different 4 gig memory stick with no problems. I put some music onto the hard drive from a windows p.c. and that dragged into my i-tunes fine. Any help would be much appreciated.

    i'm guessing the external HD is NTFS formatted, which your Mac cannot write to (read only).
    you will either have to reformat it (FAT32 or, better yet, for Mac) or install the _*NTFS 3G*_ driver.
    JGG

  • Trying to use a new, larger external hard drive for my Time Machine backup.  However, every time I start the backup, it gets started then fails.  And, I can't delete the few files that did save on the external.  Sort of a catch 22.  Any ideas?

    Trying to use a new, larger external hard drive for my Time Machine backup.  However, every time I start the backup, it gets started then fails.  And, I can't delete the few files that did save on the external.  Sort of a catch 22.  Any ideas?

    Is it a USB hard drive?  USB hard drives have the problem of not giving full speed if they are hooked up on the same bus as keyboards and mice.  Double check your profiler to make sure that is not a problem.  If it is Firewire, make sure there aren't other firewire devices in use at the same time.  I recommend not only keeping a Time Machine backup, but also a clone, and if you do use Time Machine, to make sure the Time Machine drive or partition is at least twice the size of the original drive.

  • I am not much of a computer technician. I bought a time capsule thinking I could use this for an external hard drive and keep my MAC hard drive free. Was I mistaken? One I back everthing up on the TC, can I delete everything off of my MAC?

    I am not much of a computer technician. I bought a time capsule thinking I could use this for an external hard drive and keep my MAC hard drive free. Was I mistaken? Once I back everything up on the TC, can I delete everything off of my MAC and then use my TC as my hard drive??

    Once I back everything up on the TC, can I delete everything off of my MAC and then use my TC as my hard drive??
    TC was designed to backup your Mac. The TC literature is pretty clear about this:
    If your Mac's hard drive has a problem....it will sooner or later....you can use your backup on the TC to rebuild your Mac.
    But.....if you move all of your data to the TC from your Mac....you only have one version of that data now, and it is on the TC.
    Have you thought about what will happen when....not if....the TC has a problem?  Since the only version of your important data was on the TC, and the TC has failed......you lose all of your data.....because you have no backup.
    A much better plan would be to add a USB or FireWire hard drive and connect it directly to your Mac. Move the data on your Mac over to the hard drive.
    Then, the TC will backup both your Mac and the hard drive.  So, you have original data on on one drive and backups on another drive.
    That would be a minimum backup plan. Most of us have more than one set of backups.

  • I need to back up my imac running Tiger (no time machine) so that we can upgrade OS. It is set up for multiple accounts.  How do I capture all files in each account using newly purchased USB external hard drive?

    I need to back up my imac running Tiger (no time machine) so that we can upgrade OS. It is set up for multiple accounts.  How do I capture all files in each account using newly purchased USB external hard drive?  Thanks!

    Backup Software Recommendations
    Carbon Copy Cloner
    Data Backup
    Deja Vu
    SuperDuper!
    Synk Pro
    Tri-Backup
    Others may be found at VersionTracker or MacUpdate.
    Visit The XLab FAQs and read the FAQ on backup and restore.  Also read How to Back Up and Restore Your Files.
    Or you can simply use the Restore option of Disk Utility to clone the drive to the backup:
    Clone using Restore Option of Disk Utility
    Open Disk Utility from the Utilities folder.
    Select the destination volume from the left side list.
    Click on the Restore tab in the DU main window.
    Check the box labeled Erase destination.
    Select the destination volume from the left side list and drag it to the Destination entry field.
    Select the source volume from the left side list and drag it to the Source entry field.
    Double-check you got it right, then click on the Restore button.
    Destination means the external backup drive. Source means the internal startup drive.

  • Can anyone help me figure out how to use my new LaCie external hard drive to import movies from my camcorder into imovie '09? I ran into so many problems last night!! Was up way past my bedtime!

    Can anyone help me figure out how to use my new LaCie external hard drive to import movies from my camcorder into imovie '09? I ran into so many problems last night!! Was up way past my bedtime!

    I'll stay in this chat ... I answered in the other one ... I have a Sony digital Handycam ... from years ago.  I just got the LaCie and I think I formatted it for only to be used on my Mac ... how should I go about reformatting it to be HFS Extended like you said?

  • I have an 2tb time capsule 802.11n Wi-Fi base station can I use this as an external hard drive and use a new airport extreme  802.11ac Wi-Fi for my wifi?

    I have an 2tb time capsule 802.11n Wi-Fi base station can I use this as an external hard drive and use a new airport extreme  802.11ac Wi-Fi for my wifi?

    You can use the 2 TB Time Capsule as a network drive. That means that it must connect to one of the Ethernet LAN <--> ports on the new AirPort Extreme, or connect to the network using wireless.

  • Retrieving data from hard-drive - using it as an external hard-drive

    Hi, first post here. Really hope you guys can help me out
    My mac died over the christmas holidays (the motherboard fried from a water accident) and consequently I cannot get access to all my music and pictures on its hard-drive. I know the hard-drive is still functionable because an employee from a mac reseller store managed to retrieve as essay I desperately needed for it.
    What I want to know is how I can remove the hard-drive from the mac and how i can use it as an external hard-drive so I can retrieve all of the information from it into my new laptop - which is a windows I'm ashamed to say (money is tight!). Also, would the fact my new laptop is windows affect whether i can move the data from the mac hard-drive to it?
    Hope you can help, I need those pictures!
    Chris

    Hey Robot and sorry for your lose -
    Here's a video to get your drive out: [Video to get Drive out|http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuyi-NWLLz4]. You'll need to go through the the point of removing the EMI shield with the T8. Then put the drive in a a 2.5" SATA enclosure and hook it up to your new notebook.
    Good luck to you -GDF

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