oe11

Q: After iTunes Transfer To External Hard Drive It Shows Less In External Hard Drive

Hello,

I transffered my iTunes library to a new My Passport Portable 2 TB external hard drive. My iTunes Library is 349.94 GB and on External Hard Drive it shows 204.81 GB after transfer.

Why does it not match up, does it automatically delete duplicates. I want to make sure I have my complete library before deleting it from my computer, thanks .

Couldn't find another category for some reason, hope this will be ok.

 

Best regards

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.7.5)

Posted on May 3, 2014 12:35 PM

Close

Q: After iTunes Transfer To External Hard Drive It Shows Less In External Hard Drive

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by Limnos,

    Limnos Limnos May 3, 2014 8:28 PM in response to oe11
    Level 9 (54,543 points)
    Mac OS X
    May 3, 2014 8:28 PM in response to oe11

    How did you transfer?  Most instructions on the web are wrong, even if they say "How to move your iTunes library".  For most people, simply copying their whole iTunes folder to the other drive, then starting iTunes with the option/alt key depressed and guiding iTunes to the library.itl file in the iTunes folder on the new drive works well.

  • by oe11,

    oe11 oe11 May 3, 2014 11:04 PM in response to Limnos
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 3, 2014 11:04 PM in response to Limnos

    I followed the library .itl directions. I made a folder in my new external hard drive called iTunes Music, and directed it to that, it transffered to hard drive but at first it would not open up in itunes using the alt depress. The folder "itunes Music" in my original iTunes folder I found had the library .itl file in it. So I took that out and just put it in my iTunes folder which holds everything, I then tried again and it opened up in my iTunes. I put the original iTunes Music folder in the trash to test and it still played all my songs. does that mean it is using my hard drive and nor my computer? so the file it shows directs to: /Volumes/My Passport for Mac/iTunes Music.itl

     

    If so then the main issue is with the difference showing on my external hard drive vs what my iTunes Music folder shows, I am confused, I thought I completed it the right way.

     

    Best regards

  • by Mike Johnson12,

    Mike Johnson12 Mike Johnson12 May 4, 2014 2:28 AM in response to oe11
    Level 5 (6,536 points)
    May 4, 2014 2:28 AM in response to oe11

    The easiest way it to drag the iTunes folder to the new ext HD.

     

    iTunes will not automatically transfer the files. You need to do that usng the Finder. Once all the media is on the new ext HD then launch iTunes with the 'option' key down and follw the dialogs to open the library from the .itl file on the ext HD.

     

    MJ

  • by Limnos,

    Limnos Limnos May 4, 2014 5:48 AM in response to oe11
    Level 9 (54,543 points)
    Mac OS X
    May 4, 2014 5:48 AM in response to oe11

    You have to copy/drag the whole iTunes folder to the external drive.  Do not "make" a new folder and only put the .itl file in it.  You library is everything in the original iTunes folder.

  • by oe11,

    oe11 oe11 May 4, 2014 12:23 PM in response to Limnos
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 4, 2014 12:23 PM in response to Limnos

    Ok, so when I click music, find the folder that says itunes (it has all the folders in it, (iTunes Media, iTunes Music and any other folder I have in there). Take out any weird files except the .itl, should that be in a certain folder within, or just by itself in the original itunes folder with everything.

     

    I will delete the first files I transffered on my External Hard Drive and just drag the complete itunes folder to it, then once transffered do I use the alt. press down method to set up, should I do  a find and pick the exact folder on my Hard Drive, what should the pathway say. Will all files be complete in order just like it was. What is the best way to check if I am using the External Hard Drive and not the computer. Thanks for all your help.

     

    Best regards

  • by oe11,

    oe11 oe11 May 4, 2014 12:29 PM in response to Limnos
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 4, 2014 12:29 PM in response to Limnos

    The files that are in my itunes folder now are:

    iTunes Library Extras.itdb

    iTunes Library Genius.itdb

    iTunes Library

    iTunes Library

  • by oe11,

    oe11 oe11 May 4, 2014 12:31 PM in response to Limnos
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 4, 2014 12:31 PM in response to Limnos

    I copied the two library files wrong they are:

    iTunes Library.itl

    iTunes Library.xml

  • by Mike Johnson12,

    Mike Johnson12 Mike Johnson12 May 4, 2014 7:09 PM in response to oe11
    Level 5 (6,536 points)
    May 4, 2014 7:09 PM in response to oe11

    Don't take out anything from the iTunes folder - drag the ENTIRE iTunes folder and ALL the items (folders and files) to the ext HD.

     

    MJ

  • by oe11,

    oe11 oe11 May 5, 2014 1:15 AM in response to Mike Johnson12
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 5, 2014 1:15 AM in response to Mike Johnson12

    Hi Mike,

    Thanks for the reply, the library ,itl files didn't work in the one big itunes folder with everything. It took some time but I wound up using this pathway with the files in it: Volumes/My Passport for Mac/iTunes/iTunes Music/iTunes Media and so far it is working, I put the original itunes files on my Macbook in the trash but did not delete it and itunes still works. When would it be safe to delete the original hard drive files, I believe that the Apples Time Machine has backups also and it must definattley be on the hard drive even if there is syncing issues, all the files should be there on the external hard drive right?. I will wait for your reply before deleting, thanks for your help.

     

    Best regards

  • by Limnos,

    Limnos Limnos May 5, 2014 4:57 AM in response to oe11
    Level 9 (54,543 points)
    Mac OS X
    May 5, 2014 4:57 AM in response to oe11

    What are the iTunes library files? - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1660

     

    More on iTunes library files and what they do - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ITunes#Media_management

     

    What are all those iTunes files? - http://www.macworld.com/article/139974/2009/04/itunes_files.html

     

    Where are my iTunes files located? - http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1391

     

    iTunes 9 [and later]: Understanding iTunes Media Organization - http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3847

  • by Mike Johnson12,

    Mike Johnson12 Mike Johnson12 May 5, 2014 12:10 PM in response to oe11
    Level 5 (6,536 points)
    May 5, 2014 12:10 PM in response to oe11

    Read what Limnos has provided via the links.

     

    Launch iTunes with the 'option' key held down and follow the dialogs - open the iTunes library on the ext HD. Select a tune from the main iTunes window - then from the 'File' dropdown menu select 'Show in Finder'. If you are taken to your ext HD then you are playing tunes from the ext HD.

     

    One thing that was never asked - on your original iTunes before transfer - in iTunes prefs>Advanced - are the 'keep' and 'copy' options enabled? The reason for the question is that if they are doing the work then all you files are in the iTunes folder and not elsewhere on your internal HD.

     

    Hopefully you have not emptied the trash. Don't empty until you are sure all the tunes are in the right place. You should also be backing up your iTunes to an extra ext HD.

     

    MJ

  • by oe11,

    oe11 oe11 May 5, 2014 2:33 PM in response to Mike Johnson12
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 5, 2014 2:33 PM in response to Mike Johnson12

    Hi Mike,

    Thanks for you and Limnos's help, I took the plunge and deleted my files from my hard drive and so far everything is working, there were some files it couldn't find but I let itunes relocate them, and found most of them, the rest I can do manually when I decide to listen to them.

     

    I copied the most impotrant music files to my computer since now I have over 300 GB and made an extra copy on my hard drive in a new folder. hopefully all will be good.

     

    Best regards

  • by Limnos,

    Limnos Limnos May 5, 2014 2:47 PM in response to oe11
    Level 9 (54,543 points)
    Mac OS X
    May 5, 2014 2:47 PM in response to oe11

    Those "I'm not sure this is going to work and I'm scared of trying" situations are easy to handle. Get a backup drive.  Make a complete bootable (one that will start your computer as if you were still using the original drive) backup.  Do your thing.  If all works, good, if not, restore from backup and figure out what went wrong before trying again with modifications.  Me, I would have copied that 300 GB to a spare space on one of my drives, put it back in a box, then gone ahead.  If something was missing after the attempt the files would still be on the other drive.  If all worked okay then I make a note to wipe them from my scratch drive.

  • by oe11,

    oe11 oe11 May 5, 2014 4:41 PM in response to Limnos
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 5, 2014 4:41 PM in response to Limnos

    Thanks again for all your help. When I can aford to purchase another External Hard Drive besides the one I just purchased, that's what I will do, back it all up on that just for storage in case problems arise.

     

    Best regards