iTunes Music Folder Location keeps reverting back to the default location.

If by setting the location you mean choosing it under the option in iTunes Prefs, that only designates where imported music files go to. If you need to ID your library from a new location, launch iTunes while holding down the option key and then choose the location of your library. After that, when launched, iTunes should see it the library at that location.

iTunes does the same thing with any wireless drive used for the library. It'd be nice if it at least gave an error message instead of reverting to the default location.

I have the same problem, but based on these responses, I don't consider this question answered. Here's my situation:

Windows Home Server (HP MediaSmart). iTunes features of the HP MediaSmart turned off since I am only trying to store all of my audio/video/picture data on the WHS and not trying to consolidate multiple iTunes libraries onto the WHS.

Brand new Mac Mini (2GHZ, 2GB RAM, 320GB HD).

Running latest version of iTunes on the Mac. I have gone into the iTunes preferences and changed the iTunes library location to: \\hpserver\audio\iTunes. This shows up as Audio:iTunes: on the Mac. My intention is to leave the Mac Mini running 24/7 (just like my WHS) downloading all my podcasts and being available to my AppleTV. The problem that I've run into is that iTunes on the Mac is constantly forgetting where the iTunes library is and is always defaulting back to Macintosh HD:Users:lylewaters:Music:iTunes.

I have given my Mac Mini a static IP address on my home network and have even connected it via a wired ethernet connection. I made sure that I am connecting to the share on the WHS as a user and not as a guest. When I do experience this problem, I can browse all of the directories on the WHS without any problems. I just can't figure out why iTunes keeps reverting back. It's not like this is an external hard drive that is going to sleep, this is a fileserver that is running 24/7.

I bought this Mac Mini specifically for the purpose of having it run iTunes 24/7 so that my AppleTV could access it all the time and also so that I could have it download my podcasts.

If anyone can help me figure this out it would be greatly appreciated.

Technically, it's not up to you to consider this question answered or not. That is at the discretion of the original poster, who has marked it answered. Once a question has been marked answered, fewer people will look at it. And if threads stick to the original issue, it makes it easier for folks to search the forums later for help. If you want assistance with your issue, I suggest that you post your own question.

Message was edited by: Diane Wordsmith

Well, it seems like you're a bit touchy. The original person who posted the message did mark it as solved, even though it appears they solved it themselves with the discovery that their time capsule drive wasn't powered on and that was causing the problem. My comment about it not being a solution was meant only to state that there wasn't a solution for the PROBLEM of iTunes just randomly changing the music folder location. Of course, in this person's case, the location wasn't changing randomly, it was changing because the location wasn't available.

I should have stated that this solution didn't fix MY problem. Searching on Google, I found several other people who have had the same problem and I haven't once seen a solution yet.

I noticed something in your original response that I missed the first time. You stated that the preferences for the iTunes Music Folder location is only used for where imported music files are put. However, I think that this is also where the podcasts get stored as well. In my case, it's these podcasts that are wanting me to move my library. Maybe I'm not using the correct Apple terminology since I am primarily a PC user. I bought the Mac because I have several iPods and an AppleTV. I have a lot of content and it's not possible for it all to fit on the local hard drive.

I simply want to have all of the content located up on the file server (music, photos, videos, podcasts, etc). I don't really care where the iTunes library files go, I just want ALL of the content up on the server. Maybe I'm barking up the wrong tree by trying to change the iTunes Music folder, but I know that changing that location also does change where the podcasts go.

You're not barking up the wrong tree in my opinion. This should be a no brainer and it's not.

In your case it doesn't appear you're doing anything wrong. With your server and your Mac always on the connection should not be lost.

Podcasts do live in your iTunes Music folder. If you look inside that folder there amongst the albums when you get to the "p" section you'll see "Podcasts".

The switching iTunes does if it looses track of an external drive, for whatever reason, is absolutely infuriating. There also doesn't seem to be a **** thing you can do about it at this point. Apple needs to fix this.

I gave up on trying to use a drive connected to my AEBS. Went back to USB direct connected to the Mac. Then the cat went under the desk and jiggled the drive's power cord loose. It reverted back to the internal. I figured out the issue and yet again redirected iTunes to my content.

Guess what Time Machine saw? All new content and it backed it all up again.

Why give us a way to manually set our library location, and then over ride it.

Whether it's user error, or the cat under the desk, or anything else, iTunes should pop up an error, not redirect itself.

I've tried everything I can think of: physical copper ethernet connection, static IP address, added the server share to the automatic login preference, but nothing has helped.

Stupid iTunes keeps forgetting the external location for the iTunes Music folder that I've set via the advanced preferences. I don't know why it can't be like a normal program and if it can't find the location for it's files then it should pop up some kind of message to indicate a problem. But NO! Apple thinks they are so smart and that their users are so dumb that they wouldn't understand a problem like this. So what do they do? They hide this problem from the user and default back to what Apple thinks is the best location for the iTunes Music folder. The user is never notified of this problem. The end result is that there are multiple iTunes Music folders and even if you consolidate them, the location will change again for who knows what reason.

Apple wants to think that they are so smart and have the easiest to use software, but they can't even get something so basic as a program remembering the location for a folder that a user specifies. PC's has been able to do this for DECADES.

I understand that this problem could be something local to my home network, but none of my other PC's have any problems connecting to or staying connected to the fileserver. If iTunes would simply return an error to me when it can't find the location then that would be a big improvement. What a piece of crap!