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Helpful answers
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Sep 27, 2016 1:35 PM in response to Ayziakby Limnos,A mobile device is designed to only permit limited copying of media from the device to a computer (only iTunes Store purchases). You need to transfer your library to the Mac or else it will always want to erase your phone.
Apple's 6 page, exhaustively meticulous step-by-step instructions: How to move your iTunes library to a new computer - https://support.apple.com/HT204318 It is handy if you suspect any of your media are not in the standard location.
My one-sentence summary if you use iTunes' default preferences settings: Copy the entire iTunes folder (and in doing so all its sub-folders and files) intact to the other drive, hold down the option/alt key (shift on Windows) while starting iTunes, and when requested to select a library select the iTunes Library.itl file in the copied folder (Open a different iTunes Library file or create a new one - https://support.apple.com/HT201596).
When this is to a new drive/computer put the copied iTunes folder in the default location of Macintosh HD > Users > *User Name* > Music (or Home > Music) then you don't even need to start with the option key held down, iTunes will automatically look for it there. (Make sure there isn't anything already in the iTunes folder there that you want to keep since you will be replacing it with the one you are moving.) Remember to authorize the computer in iTunes to your Apple ID if you use this to sync to Apple mobile devices or play DRM protected media (e.g., movies).
Certain items used in iTunes related activities are not stored in the iTunes library folder but in special folders. If you are moving a library to a different computer you may wish to copy these too:
- Apple Music cache files: http://dougscripts.com/itunes/2015/09/new-flush-apple-music-cache-files/ - ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.iTunes/SubscriptionPlayCache/ folder, which is sort of like an “iTunes Media” folder for Apple Music
- iOS device backups, various preferences files: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3285925
Windows users see tip at: https://discussions.apple.com/message/18879381#18879381
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Sep 27, 2016 1:41 PM in response to Limnosby Ayziak,Thanks for your quick response, but i've already tried this. iTunes jut wont recognize the new folder. any other ideas or ways to fix this?
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Sep 27, 2016 2:22 PM in response to Ayziakby Limnos,★HelpfulYou're probably not following the process in all the details. This method has worked for hundreds of others I have posted this to over the past decade. A phone will only sync to one library at a time and that library is recognized by its specific .itl file. And no, don't copy just that file because the file itself points directly to each specific media track in its media folder so copying the .itl alone will just result in a ton of broken links. Oh, I guess you can try using third party software to extract the media files, but you will be rebuilding your library from scratch, losing playlists, ratings, play counts, date added, maybe a bunch of other stuff and doing it correctly by transferring the entire library takes about 3 minutes effort on your part (+ some waiting).
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Sep 27, 2016 1:53 PM in response to Limnosby Ayziak,Really, I've spent all day doing this. It's not that my phone doesn't recognize the new(old?) library but that iTunes won't recognize the new pasted-in folder. Even when I do hold option and do it manually, it just comes up empty.
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Sep 27, 2016 2:21 PM in response to Ayziakby Limnos,★HelpfulGo to your PC with a drive that can hold the library on it.
Copy and paste the entire iTunes folder to the flash drive.
Go to your Mac.
Drag the iTunes folder from the flash drive to your user folder or wherever on the Mac.
Put your finger on the option/alt key (not the command key, not the shift key, not the control key), push down your finger and keep it down. Double click on iTunes.
A prompt will come up asking you to select a library.
Navigate to the iTunes Library.itl file in the folder on the Mac. The folder you just copied there.
This is presuming you are using default settings. if you have not been using default settings on the other computer you will need to follow all the detailed steps in the linked article which will make sure all your files are in the correct place first.