Moving Backed Up iTunes Library Back To Newly Formatted Laptop Question.

How do I move everything back so it will be like it was before I moved it?

If you copied your entire \iTunes\ folder to the external, copy it back.
If you moved only the iTunes music folder and files to the external, in iTunes File -> Add folder to iTunes and select the top level music foldcer on the external.
Note that you will not have any of your previous playlists, ratings, playcounts, artwork, etc. as these are comntained in teh iTunes library.itl file in the iTunes folder.

Seems like this is the same question just more detailed... (or I'd start a parallel thread)

Lets just say... That you moved your library to a new HDD, and then needed to 'add folder' to get it back into your new itunes data base (on a PC)... I copied all the play lists separately, but they do infact come up blank... when looking at my new pool of music.. (Same files as before, just re-imported). Any way to 'fix' the old play lists to accept the new files as the same as the old ones it was based on??? I have two full ipods that have playlists synced.... and as it sits my ipods will be cleaned out if I just sync them.

Lets just say... That you moved your library to a new HDD,

What "library" exactly did you move? What files?

I copied all the play lists separately, but they do infact come up blank

How did you move them separately?
The songs need to need to be in iTunes before you import the playlist. If the songs are not in iTunes when you import the playlist, nothing will be in the playlist.

You can copy the iTunes directory back to the internal.
Or you can leave it on the external and use it.
Hold Shift, launch iTunes then select *Choose library* andd select the *iTunes library.itl* file in the iTunes folder on the external.

I have the same problem. Seems like APPLE needs to address this issue on its next update, if that's possible.
I got a new, bigger HD and transferred all itunes music files to the new HD. I did a copy paste of all the folders that represented individual CDs. For some reason, I was unable to transfer the entire "iTunes Music folder" that contained all of these "individual CD" folders.

Itunes cannot locate the files on its own. I've already made sure the letter drive is the same. I can locate the files but Itunes cannot.
BUT, Itunes CAN locate files that are MPEG-1 Layer 3 Audio! Itunes cannot locate MPEG-4 Audio Files, many of which are bought CDs that I imported into itunes.

A solution would be super!

Thanks

Seems like APPLE needs to address this issue on its next update

Nothing to address.
You need to transfer your files correctly.
-> iTunes for Windows: Moving your iTunes Music folder

Hi! Thanks for telling me how to do it correctly. Unfortunately I already messed up! Do you think this will work?: 1) transfer back all files from extHD2 back to extHD1 (the HD that originally held all my itunes songs). 2) add the itunes folder in the extHD1 to itunes library and 3) follow the original instructions you sent me on how to correctly transfer itunes library from extHD1 to extHD2. do you think this will work?
thanks!

If you are not worried about the current last played date, ratings, date added, etc. easiest way is to do this... (all the info (artist, album, song, track #, etc.) will stay with the songs

iTunes prefs -> Advanced.
Set the *iTunes music folder location* where you want (external #2).
iTunes will creaete music folder there.
Tick *Copy files to iTunes music folder when adding to library*.
Tiick *Keep iTunes music folder organized*.

Put all your music in that folder on the external. Don't worry about keeipng it in any specific folder/order.
Now File - Add folder to library and select the iTunes music folder on external # 2.

Thanks for your help. It seems now at least all my music files are back in HD#1. Now I will try to do the complete transfer procedure the RIGHT way to HD#2.

I now have several songs listed in duplicity, one which Itunes cannot find and the other which plays fine. Do you know how I can "clean out" the non-playable (or findable) files without having to delete one by one?

Thanks again.