Use existing external hard-drive music library with new laptop.

I moved my I-tunes library to an external hard-drive on my previous laptop. That worked fine. After a hard disk crash I am now configuring a new laptop (installing I-tunes) and I would like to keep my music on the external hard drive: How do I proceed?

Depends on whether you had your complete library (including the iTunes database) on the external drive, or just your media files and folders. If the former, you can just hold down shift as you start iTunes, and when you get this is prompt:
click on Choose Library... then navigate to and select the iTunes Library.itl file on the external drive.
In the other case - and assuming that you can't copy or retrieve the database file from your old machine or a backup of it, create a new library in X:\iTunes (where "X" is the drive letter of your external drive, make sure the settings in Edit > Preferences > Advanced are as follows:
and then use File > Add Folder to Library... to add your existing media folders.

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HT1386 how do i authorise my apple id to use my external hard drive as well as my laptop to use the music library?

how do i authorise my apple id to use my external hard drive as well as my laptop to transfer my music from the library to my ipod?

Assuming that your library is presently on your laptop, you have to import the music from the external drive to the laptop. The location of of your iTunes Media folder is identified in iTunes>Preferences>Advanced.

How do i use an external hard drive in conjunction with my itunes account?

I'm having so much trouble locating music from my itunes account that i previously transferred onto an external hard drive. I regularly get messages with each sync i try to do telling me that songs could not be located. Also when i try to play certain songs they have a circled in front of them which prevents me from playing them even on my computer. I've tried everything in my knowledge to rectify this problem but i just cannot find a solution. Please help.

Hello ryanbenson,
With this issue its best to start from scrach.
-Create a folder on your external, call it itunes music.
-Find all of your music on your computer and cut and paste it all into that folder.
-In itunes click music under library on the left and delete all of your music.
From here you want to add everything back into itunes from the itunes music folder on your external.
-At the top of itunes click edit, prefrences, then advanced.
-Make sure keep itunes folder organized is checked.
-Make sure copy files when adding to library is un checked.
-At the top it shows iTunes media folder location, to the right of that you can change the location to the external hard drive, to the itunes music folder. You will have to keep the external connected to play songs in itunes and sync but this is how my itunes is set up.
-Click ok on the bottom right of the prefrences window
After all that,
-Click file at the top, then add FOLDER to library
-Navigate to your external and click the folder that has all the music.
-Click ok or add folder or choose folder
From here all music will start importing back into the library. iTunes will stay organized. You will be able to sync and play your music again.
Hope this helps.
~Julian

WD External Hard drive not working with new Macbook Pro

I have recently upgraded to a new Macbook Pro and when connecting a WD 1 TB Passport external hard drive, it doesn't appear on the MBP, but when I connect it to my old Macbook running 10.5.8, it appears normally. Is this a problem with formatting or an issue because it is USB 2.0...
Any help appreciated as I have a lot of data on the hard drive and would like to be able to use it with my new MBP.

I'm on Lion, with similar issues with two WD external HD. But what I found fixed the problem was to:
1. go to the manufacturer's website (in this case Western Digital),
2. locate my external HD, download the download.
For instance, I downloaded the WD Drive Utilities for Mac (for My Passport for Mac USB 3.0):
http://support.wdc.com/product/download.asp?groupid=219&sid=157&lang=en
Install the downloaded app.
3. Plug in external (this part, I think is important) directly into your tower or laptop (as opposed to through a USB multi-plug extender). Possibly this is because you access more power?
[I'm trying to remember in which order everything happened. But I think at this point the external hard drive mounted]
4. Install the software that is found on the external HD (in my case, it was a brand new device, so that had never been installed).
5. Run "WD Drive Utilities" and run diagnostics.
6. Test to see if it holds. Unmount the External HD. Unplug. Replug in and see if it mounts.
Note: I have not yet tested to see if plugging in the external somewhere other than directly into the tower also works. But I think the main problem is getting it to mount the first time and installing the software. That's what I think.

How do I use an external hard drive to back up my laptop? I bought a G Drive Slim from Apple.

I have a G Drive Slim external hard drive that was purchased from an Apple store. I need to back up my laptop. I've forgotten the procedure. It's not as easy as "plug it in and follow the instructions." Can anyone help?

It should be plug and play and if it isn't it is probably because your new drive isn't formatted for the Mac. Plug in the drive and run Disk Utility - it is in the Utilities folder inside the Applications folder. You should see the drive in the DU window. Click on the drive and look at the bottom of the DU program. You'll see a Drive Description and other information. The last item in the second column is Partition Map Scheme. If it says GUID Partition Table you are good to go. If it doesn't the drive needs to be partitioned to be GUID.
Partition the drive:
Select the drive device in the list of devices. For each physical drive you'll see a drive device and then indented under that you'll see a drive name. For example looking at DU on my computer I see two devices: Macintosh HD at the top and indented beneath it "Yosemite" then 2TB OWC Elite and indented beneath it "TM". I'd select 2TB OWC Elite
Choose the "Partition" tab that appears.
Select "1 Partition" from the drop-down menu (or more, if you have specific need for more than one volume). When you select a new partition layout from the drop-down menu, each new partition will be formatted to Mac OS Extended (Journaled) by default, but be sure to double-check this by selecting each in the partition diagram and then choosing the format for it.
Click the Options button and ensure "GUID" is selected as the partition scheme.
Click Apply to save the changes.
Open Time Machine Preferences and click on Select Disk. Choose your newly partitioned and formatted drive. Make sure TM is turned on. That's it.

How do I copy my songs from an external hard drive backup to my new laptop

Because my old laptop was . . . well, old . . I had to store my iTunes songs and iTunes onto an external hard drive where I backed up all my documents. I now want to copy my library of songs on to my new Windows 8 laptop. But I'm not finding it easy to figure out how to do this. On another note (maybe related. . maybe not) I keep getting an error when I try to download the latest and greatest iTunes on to that external hard drive.
Thanks for any an all help before I'm tempted to climb out on the ledge (luckily I live on the first floor).

If the entire library (database & media) is already on the external drive (in the right layout) then you should be able to connect to it by holding down shift as you start iTunes and then choosing the library. If you only have the media folder on the drive then you need to do some preparation for the move first. See this migrate iTunes library post for details.
tt2

What external hard drives are compatable with new Ipad 4

What external hardrives are compatable with the new Ipad 4 connector

Not entirely sure what you are asking. According to this review (I haven't got one so I don't know for sure) then the wifi-enabled GoFlex Satellite drives can :
The device can stream basically all content supported by the iPad including videos (H.264 video, MPEG-4, and Motion-JPEG), audio (AAC, MP3, Audible (formats 2, 3, 4), Apple Lossless, A IFF, WAV), documents (Microsoft Office, iWork, Adobe) and photos.
But non-wifi drives, i.e. those that require a cable connection, won't work with the iPad.

I have just started using WD external hard drives, I use it to save my movies and music on. On more than one occasion, when I connect to my MacBook it erases everything on had on there. Can someone please help with this problem?

I have just started using WD external hard drives, I use it to save my movies and music on. On more than one occasion, when I connect it to my MacBook it erases everything I had save on the hard drive. Can someone please help me with this problem? I am super tired of having to put all of my movies and music on the hard drive just to have it erased again. The products I am using are WD 4TB My Book and 2 TB My Passport external hard drives. When it happens, there is always an icon that reads, EFI, along with the My Book icon. Thank you for your assisstance.

dwgar1322 wrote:
I have just started using WD external hard drives, I use it to save my movies and music on. On more than one occasion, when I connect it to my MacBook it erases everything I had save on the hard drive. Can someone please help me with this problem? I am super tired of having to put all of my movies and music on the hard drive just to have it erased again. The products I am using are WD 4TB My Book and 2 TB My Passport external hard drives. When it happens, there is always an icon that reads, EFI, along with the My Book icon. Thank you for your assisstance.
Yes, you have WD software installed REMOVE IT !!
WD has warned its customers about their huge mistake that their software doesnt work on Mavericks and causes data loss.
(also dont use WD drives anymore)
Read all about it here:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5475136?start=255&tstart=0
See their website on removing the destructive WD software here:
http://community.wd.com/t5/External-Drives-for-Mac/External-Drives-for-Mac-Exper iencing-Data-Loss-with-Maverick-OS/td-p/613775
Western Digital External Hard Drives Experiencing Data Loss On OS X Mavericks
http://www.cultofmac.com/252826/western-digital-external-hard-drives-experiencin g-data-loss-on-os-x-mavericks/

When I installed iTunes 11 on a windows 8 system I get the music, but the screen dosn't have te library on the left. The left side of iTunes is the name. I got the songs by using a external hard drive. What have I done wrong?

When I installed iTunes 11 on a Windows 8 system the installation did not seem to work correctly. There is no sidebar and no ribbon w/ File, Edit, etc. I tried to use an external hard drive to move from an older computer using XP to the new one w/ Wdw 8. I thought if I deleted iTunes from the Wdw 8, I could reload it. Apparently I did not delete the music files because they appeared in the format I complained about, no side bar or ribbon. Can anyone walk me through the process of deleting everything and reinstalling? I am not very computer savy so a step by step would really be appreciated.
Thank you,

ctrl B - Show menus
ctrl S - Show sidebar

Will using an external hard drive cause me to have duplicate files on my itunes library?

I put all my ITUNES MEDIA folder on my external hard drive from my older computer.. I recently bought a new computer and installed Itunes. I synced some of my Itunes purchased songs back on by using my Ipod.. however the songs I ripped from my cds are still not reinstalled in my library.. I will have to use my external hard drive or re rip those.. and there are a lot of them.. since I have already replaced some of the ones I purchased back on using my Ipod will it duplicate them if I use the prefrences method and return them all from my external hard drive? If i delete my files that I have already returned on my new computer before using my external will Itunes remember which are Itunes purchased music and which arent as well>??? also how exactly do you move music from an external? just plug it in and click the prefrences box about syncing files and keeping Itunes library organized?? any other thing to click?

An iTunes library consists of both the media and the database that knows which files are in the library and hold details of ratings, playcounts, playlist membership and other details not stored in each file's metadata.
Depending on how you have moved content to your external drive you may find you are only moved the media, but not the database. If you import this media into a new library it will work, but your library will be seen as "new" with respect to any devices that you have and iTunes will want to erase and reload them, losing you current selections, settings and data on the device.
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.
If you have an iOS device that syncs with contact & calendar data on your computer you should migrate this information too. If that isn't possible create a dummy entry of each type in your new profile and iTunes should offer to merge the existing data from the device into the computer, otherwise the danger is that it will wipe the information 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. Alternatively you could copy over the iTunes folder and make sure your external drive has the same drive letter on the new system as the old, however moving the library into a portable form will make every subsequent move that much easier.
Should you be in the unfortunate position where you are no longer able to access your original library, or a backup of it, 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

I have tried and failed to copy my iTunes library and playlists from my Windows 8 desktop to my Windows 7 laptop using an external hard drive. Can it be done? Help would be appreciated.

I have tried and failed to copy my iTunes library and playlists from my Windows 8 desktop to my Windows 7 laptop using an external hard drive. Can it be done? Help would be appreciated. I have followed instructions found online but the library of music doesn't pull in. Thanks!
Nate

Migrate an iTunes library from one computer to another
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 entireiTunes 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, with ratings, play counts, playlists etc. preserved. 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 normally recommend method 1 since it establishes an ongoing backup for your library and unlike copying with Windows Explorer the process can be resumed if it is interrupted and it will continue to the next item if there are any read/access errors.
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 seeRecover 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

Using old external hard drive as iTunes library on new macbook pro

Recently purchased new macbook pro with 256 GB of memory. I have an older external Passport for Mac hardrive with close to 1 TB of music. I would like to use this external hard drive as my itunes folder. I opened itunes on new computer, went to preferences - advanced and chose new location /Volumes/JP KAF/Itunes Media/Music and select OK but no music is available. How do I connect my external hard drive and direct my new computer to use it as my music library. I tried the starting itunes and holding Left shift key but that does not open an option of creating a library - Again, this is the newest macbook pro with retina screen. Please help.

No not do it changing preferences. That does as it says; it just relocates media, not the whole library which is more than media.
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.

Can I use an external hard drive to download and store my iTunes library?

Can I use an external hard drive to download and store my iTunes library?

Yes - in most cases you can just copy your entire library (by default C:\Users\username\Music\iTunes) to your external drive, with the result being a iTunes folder in the root of that drive with a structure like this:
Then hold down SHIFT when you start iTunes, and when you see this prompt:
click on Choose Library..., navigate to the iTunes folder on your external drive, and click Open. See turingtest2's user tip on Make a split library portable for more information, including steps you may need to take to align your library structure before moving it to an external drive - this applies if you currently have some/all of the media in your library stored outside the standard iTunes Media folders.

Kernel panic when using external hard drive for library

I have been using an external hard drive to manage my iTunes library for over a year. As of today, I have had three kernel panics when trying to use iTunes. I was downloading a purchase from the music store and the first panic occurred. Subsequent panics occurred immediately on startup of iTunes. Using the guest account (with default internal drive library settings), everything works fine. Both drives have been verified by Disk Utility and all software is up-to-date. No clue how to proceed.

Yes, but you need to have the external drive on and mounted when starting iTunes. You can add the external HD to your log in items list in System Preferences -> Accounts to handle this.
This explains how to move your files: iTunes for Mac-Moving your iTunes music folder: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1449

Using an external hard drive with a Mac and a PC?

I have an external hard drive that I've used with my Windows PC/ itunes / music that I've copied to the PC. Can I use the external hard drive that I use with my Windows PC on my Mac/ itunes / music I've downloaded to my Mac?

wendybird wrote:
I also have a lot of pictures stored on the external hard drive that I can't lose.
(1) Any hard drive may fail at any moment. If you don't have a backup for this external hard drive, your pictures are half-gone already.
(2) If you're trying to make this drive a repository for your music and pics, then its best to format it as FAT32. That's the file system with the widest compatibility, and you'll be able to use the drive with Mac, Win, media players, even TVs with built-in media players. For practicality, it's probably best to keep it attached to a desktop machine and share it on your home LAN for all other devices.

Use existing external hard-drive music library with new laptop.

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