Workflow, creating new library on an External Hard Drive

Hi, Hopefully I'm really dumb and this will be easy for someone to answer. I'm struggling a bit with workflow in aperture 2. I have several external hard drives (one I'd like to use as a vault, and another I'd like to store most of my images on- and be able to work on them from my MBP). I also have time machine with a 500gb drive that does backups like every hour if that helps. . .
So heres my question. . . How do I make this all work together??? So far I've been exporting projects to the hard drive (time consuming and once they are exported I have to reimport them to work with the images- I'm sure there has to be a better way). Basic problem number 1-I can't figure out how to "create" another library on the external HD.
HD space on my MBP is limited so I'm trying to keep the storage to a minimum of current projects loading everything elas onto the external drive.
Thanks for your patience. . .
dr

Yes...
First, you need to move your iTunes songs onto the external hard drive. You can do this by going to (your home folder)->Music->iTunes->iTunes Music and then move each artist or song onto the external drive.
Second, if you want to play the songs directly from the external hard drive without importing them back onto your computer:
Open iTunes. Go to the iTunes menu->Preferences. Then go to the "Advanced" tab. There's a checkbox (most likely checked) next to "Copy files to the iTunes Music folder when adding to library". Uncheck that.
I would do the same for any other computer that you want to play music from the external drive with.
You're all set! Tell me if this works...
-Joe

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Can't create new folder on an external hard drive, and how to transfer files?

Hello everyone,
the non-English speaking videographer I translate for is having problems operating his Premiere CS5 for Mac from an external hard drive. He cannot create new folder on the external hard drive (the "New Folder" button is grayed-out when tries to export media onto the external hard drive) and when he simply tries to create new folder, the "new folder" option isn't available.
He suspects it's because the hard drive was formatted for PC.
Questions:
- should PC-formatting cause that problem?
- what's the proper way to transfer media files from PC-formatted external hard drive to the internal hard drive on Mac?
Would appreciate your advice.
Dimitri Vorontzov

He is right on the money
Now, for the sad or FAT part. You need to format the drive as FAT32 to make it work both on PC and MAC but, and that is a big BUT, the max file size of any given file will be 4GB. I haven't treid other formats yet, like the journaled MAC OS extended, but I don't think that would work. We transfer our files through or own gigabit network so I never had to try it, other than FAT32 formatted SDHC cards.

Creating iTunes Library on an external hard drive

I have an iBook G4 with a 60Gb hard drive which is filling up rapidly (I have about 5Gb of open space left). I would like to keep some of the music on my internal hard drive, as I use it at work, and the bulk of my libary on the external that I use at home. Is there a way to do this?
iBook G4 Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Yes...
First, you need to move your iTunes songs onto the external hard drive. You can do this by going to (your home folder)->Music->iTunes->iTunes Music and then move each artist or song onto the external drive.
Second, if you want to play the songs directly from the external hard drive without importing them back onto your computer:
Open iTunes. Go to the iTunes menu->Preferences. Then go to the "Advanced" tab. There's a checkbox (most likely checked) next to "Copy files to the iTunes Music folder when adding to library". Uncheck that.
I would do the same for any other computer that you want to play music from the external drive with.
You're all set! Tell me if this works...
-Joe

I do not seem to be able to move a project to a new library on an external hard drive

I have selected the project, according to the help advice, and when I try to drag and drop - nothing happens

How's your extHDD formatted?

I just saved my iphoto original library to my external hard drive, now how do i create new space on my hard drive and create a new iphoto library

i just saved my iphoto original library to my external hard drive, now how do i create new space on my hard drive and create a new iphoto library

Trash the copy of the library you just moved. Then Hold down the option (or alt) key key and launch iPhoto. From the resulting menu select 'Create Library'
But do you want to have two iPhoto Libraries? Why not just use the one on the External?

Can I create a "new" iTunes library on an external hard drive and transfer my iTune library to save space on my laptop

Can I create a "new" iTunes library on an external hard drive and transfer my iTune library to save space on my laptop hard drive

Yes. Just copy all your music to a folder on your external. Then delete the music on your computers hard drive.
It is not quite that simple. If you do that you will end up with many broken links and will have to re-create your library from scratch . iTunes does not like it when you move or rename files or folders and doing so between drives is guaranteed to result in exclamation marks indicating you have broken the links to all your media files.
If you are content with moving the whole library to an external drive (usually the best thing for most people), try:
iTunes: How to move [or copy] your music to a new computer [or another drive] - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4527
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 library.

How do I create an iTunes library on an external hard drive?

I have a MacBook Pro running OS10.6.8 and iTunes 10.3.1.
I have simply run out of hard drive space on my laptop.
I want to create a secondary iTune library on an external hard drive.
(I know how to create a new iTune Library - it ends up in my Music folder on my laptop hard drive).
So how do I:
a) create or move this folder to an external hard drive, and
b) once done, how do I move my video files (television programs and movies) from my laptop iTune folder to the external hard drive?
Thank you for any assistance.

no need to create a secondary library - too troublesome, IMHO. you can spread your library over as many drives you can connect to your Mac (wired or wirelessly):
iTunes > preferences > advanced.
point iTunes media folder location to the external
on the same tab, ensure the copy files ... when adding option is checkmarked
okay out of preferences
highlight the content to be moved in iTunes and right-click
select consolidate files from the pop-up menu
wait for the process to finish
when done, you may delete the original files from your boot drive.
alternatively, you could move the whole shabang to the external HD:
copy the entire iTunes folder (not just the iTunes music or media folder) from <MacintoshHD>/users/<yourname>/music to the external, launch iTunes while holding the option(⌥) key, click on choose library when prompted, and select the iTunes folder you copied to the external.
when done, be sure to point iTunes media folder location to the external so that new additions to your library will be put there. also, you need to make sure the external is mounted on your desktop before you fire up iTunes.

I am trying to transfer my photos from old mac to new mac. I copied the iPhoto library to an external hard drive, then imported it to the new iPhoto. It turned my 2000 photos into 12,000!! What happened?

And how do I turn off FACES?

I copied the iPhoto library to an external hard drive, then imported it to the new iPhoto. It turned my 2000 photos into 12,000!!
According to you youo did not do what I instructed - you said you imported the old library into th enew library which can easily take a 2000 photo library and turn it into 12,000 including two ro three versions of each photo pus all the face thumbnails
The correct procedure has NO importing involved
drag the iPhoto library intact as a single entity from the old Mac to the pictures folder of the new Mac - launch iPhoto on the new mac
That is it
LN

I had an HP laptop with Itunes on it and kept my library on an external hard drive. I had a 160gb classic Ipod. My computer died and i am buying a new one (mac is out of budget) When I get my new computer, obviously I will download Itunes. My Ipod s

I had an HP laptop with Itunes on it and kept my library on an external hard drive. I had a 160gb classic Ipod.
My computer died and i am buying a new one (mac is out of budget)
When I get my new computer, obviously I will download Itunes. My Ipod still has all the music on it and the external hard drive is ok.
I don't want to "erase" or lose any information when I sync with a new itunes that is "empty"
What are the steps? After I download Itunes and set the folder location to my external harddrive what is next? Will Itunes recognize my IPOD? Will it load the music/list from my ipd or external into itunes?
Thanks in advance

The following user tip is worth checking through:
Recovering your iTunes library from your iPod or iOS device

HT1151 I have my iTunes library on an external hard drive that was connected to a PC, now I want to connect to my new iMac and load the iTunes library onto that computer, can I do that?

I have my iTunes library on an external hard drive that was connected to a PC, now I would like to connect that hard drive my new iMac and load the iTunes library onto that computer, can I do that? Looking for a solution that keeps me from re-ripping my CD collection.

Here are the official Apple Support instructions:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4527
Ciao.

How do I move my old iPhoto library from my external hard drive to my new Mac?

Hi guys!
I recently bought a new MacBook Air as my MacBook Pro was on its last legs... I have my backup for my old MacBook Pro on an external hard drive and I'm trying to put a selection of albums from my old iPhoto onto my new MacBook Air iPhoto. I can't simply click and drag it over as I get an error message "The iPhoto library is a Time Machine backup, and so cannot be used as the main library...". I've tried to reopen iPhoto while holding option and selecting my old iPhoto library from my external hard drive to open... AND I get the same message.
If anyone could help me out that would be amazing!
FYI: The hard drive I am using is a G|Drive mobile with Thunderbolt 1 TB.
Thank you very much in advance!
Cheers,
Kendall

I may sound like a real rookie here, but on my new MacBook Air there isn't a "Pictures" folder under "Users/kendallwilson" like there used to be on my old MacBook Pro (Early 2011). I'm still working out the new software on my MB Air, so where exactly should I open this new window to start following the steps you just provided me.
Thanks again!

How do I authorize my MacBook Pro to add new files to my iTunes library on an external hard drive?

Recently I switched from a PC running Windows XP to a MacBook Pro running OS X 10.5.8. I successfully imported my iTunes library from my external hard drive. The existing files play without a problem, but the computer is preventing me from loading any new music or podcasts onto the external drive. This includes podcasts through iTunes as well as outside sources such as Amazon. I get a message which reads that I am not authorized to make changes. I am the administrator on this computer. What should I do now? Thanks for your help.

What exactly is the message you are seeing?
I successfully imported my iTunes library from my external hard drive. The existing files play without a problem, but the computer is preventing me from loading any new music or podcasts onto the external drive.
This is confusing. If you "import" the library it is on your internal drive, but you say it is on the external. Anyway, I think the drive's the problem. Highlight the drive in Finder and get info on it. If it says it is NTFS format that is a format commonly used with Windows but Macs can only read NTFS format, not write to it. You will either need to reformat the drive (ideally to Mac extended) or buy software which will ket you use NTFS drives with a Mac computer.
NTFS drivers for Macs (there may be others):
Paragon NTFS - http://www.paragon-software.com/home/ntfs-mac/ - recommendation: https://discussions.apple.com/message/18708633
Tuxera NTFS 2012.3.2 - http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/33122/tuxera-ntfs
NTFS for Mac OS X 9.5.3 - http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/26288/ntfs-for-mac-os-x
http://macntfs-3g.blogspot.com/ and http://i.vishalagarwal.com/post/30387627819/ntfs-write-on-lion-or-mountain-lion

HT5085 I bought a new computer. I backed up my old computer and put my itunes library on an external hard drive, that I then uploaded to the new computer. However, how do I access my Itunes account and use the $25.00 or so credit that Ihave and purchase

I bought a new computer, I backed up my itunes library on an external hard drive from the old computer. I then uploaded the external hardrive to my new comupeter Windows 8 - How do I access my apple store account to purchase additional music and use the $25 or so dollars I have in credit. ?
Thanks - Patti

You should be able to log into your account via the Store > Sign In menu option - if the drop-down menus aren't showing the control-B should them to show.
Your balance should be accessible wherever you are signed into the account. My account's balance shows at the top left of the store's page on my computer's iTunes, and by logging in to view my account via the Store > View Account menu option (that option will only show after you've signed in).

Using my iTunes library from an external hard drive to a brand new Macbook.

This seems to be such a simple thing to be able to do but I'm fearing it's not. Basically I've had an iMac for 3 years and during that time have built up around 165gb in my iTunes folder. So I learnt off the net how to move my library onto an external hard drive so that I can free up the space on my iMac and play my iTunes library from the external drive. So far so good. My iPhone 4 is obviously connected to my iMac and thats how I get my media on and off the phone. Here's where my problems begin.
I've just bought a Macbook Pro. Its obviously empty and has no media on it. I have paired my iPhone 4 with the new Macbook but obviously the iTunes library on my new Macbook is empty. I downloaded a couple of podcasts onto my new machine and tried to put them onto my phone but got a message saying that the podcasts I currently have on my phone (that are on there from my iMac iTunes library) were going to be deleted and the new ones would be put on. Still with me? So, if I could get my original 165gb library thats now on my external hard drive to be seen on my new Macbook that would possibly solve my problems. But I cant see a simple way of doing this. I've pointed the iTunes Media Location folder in the preferences on my new Macbook to the same folder on my external hard drive as is on my iMac but iTunes on my Macbook is not showing up my library. Do I really have to open every album into iTunes on my Macbook seperately? It seems such a stupid, laborious way of doing it. As if you cant have two Apple computers and run one iTunes library off an external hard drive so that its the same on both machines.
Help!
Message was edited by: Eels290776

Eels290776 wrote:
if my external hard drive is not connected to either of my machines, and I download something onto my iMac and then something different onto my Macbook, where are my machines going to be storing the new downloaded media
when the drive is not connected, +iTunes media folder location+ will default back to <MacintoshHD>/users/<yourname>/music/iTunes/iTunes music (or media)
and when I next connect the external hard drive how will I easily get the newly downloaded media onto the external HD
you'd have to point +iTunes media folder location+ back to the external via preferences > advanced > iTunes media folder location, then file > library, organize library > consolidate files
and essentially, to have it easily readable on both machines?
in that case it might be best to copy the entire iTunes folder to the external. then, on each machine, launch iTunes while pressing option on your keyboard. when prompted, click on +choose library+ and navigate to the iTunes folder on the external.
note only one iTunes can access the iTunes library @ a time !
also, make sure the external is mounted on either machine before launching iTunes.
JGG

How can I back up my I Tunes library to an external hard drive? Also how do I add my new content to the back up?

How can I back up my I Tunes library to an external hard drive? Also how do I add my new content to the back up?

See this User Tip.
tt2

Workflow, creating new library on an External Hard Drive

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