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iTunes 9 how do I consolidate like I did in iTunes8?

I have my iTunes library on an external hard drive.
With iTunes8 if I downloaded a podcast/song without the external hard drive connected it would put the download in the iTunes music folder.
I would then select Advanced>Consolidate Library and iTunes would copy my new downloads to the external hard drive.
I would then delete the download from the iTunes music folder.

Can I do the same thing with iTunes9?

The Advanced>Consolidate Library option is gone.

All I can find is File>Library>Organise Library>Consolidate Library but that tells me it will import everything into my iTunes music folder which is not what I want to do.

Why would Apple have changed this?

MacBook & MacBook Air, Mac OS X (10.5.8)

Posted on Nov 13, 2009 7:46 PM

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7 replies

Nov 13, 2009 10:12 PM in response to jackeatonv

You seem to be a bit confused over what you did in the past.
The Advanced>Consolidate Library option is gone

This was never an option with iTunes.
You had to go to iTunes prefs -> Advanced, set the iTunes Music flder location back to teh external after you plugged it in, then iTunes menu File -> Library -> Consolidate.
All I can find is File>Library>Organise Library>Consolidate Library but that tells me it will import everything into my iTunes music folder which is not what I want to do.

That is exactly what it is suppsed to do and exactly what it has always done.
Consolidate copies everything in iTunes to the iTunes music folder specified in iTunes prefs -> Advanced.

Nov 13, 2009 11:02 PM in response to Chris CA

Chris,

No I'm not confused about what I did in the past.

The Advanced>Consolidate Library certainly was an option in iTunes.
How do I know this? Because I used it all the time.

When I moved my library to the external drive I went to Prefs>Advanced and set the music folder to the external hard drive.
Then, if I downloaded a podcast or song without the hard drive connected all I had to do was connect the hard drive and go Advanced>Consolidate Library and my new downloads would be copied to the external library.
I didn't have to go to Prefs and select the external drive every time I plugged it in.

What I found now with iTunes9 is as you said, when I plugged in my external hard drive iTunes didn't recognise the external library and reverted to the normal music folder location.
Once I changed the library back to the external drive File>Library>Organise Library>Consolidate Library worked fine.
I hope on iTunes9 I don't have to tell iTunes where the library is every time I plug it in.

Thanks for your response.

Nov 14, 2009 1:46 AM in response to Lyssa

Here is a link to the tutorial I followed to set my iTunes to an external library.

http://www.tuaw.com/2006/09/19/how-to-keep-your-itunes-library-on-an-external-ha rd-drive/

It was for iTunes7, perhaps the Advanced>Consolidate Library disappeared in iTunes8?

Anyway, I think the new method will work for me but I still have an issue with iTunes not finding my external library.

In the past I changed the library location in prefs and iTunes remembered that setting.
If I downloaded something without the external library connected itTunes stored the downloads in the default library location and I just consolidated later when the drive was connected.

Now if I connect the drive and open iTunes the library has reverted back to the default and I have to change the location in prefs to the external library location every time.

Is there a way I can make iTunes remember where I have set the library too without it reverting back to the default if the external library is not available.

Cheers, Jack

Nov 14, 2009 9:02 AM in response to jackeatonv

The Advanced>Consolidate Library certainly was an option in iTunes

Wow. I stand corrected. My apologies. I have no recollection of that at all.
Though now that I think about it, I do remember the "uproar" when it was moved and everyone complained Apple removed it completely because it was not readily visible.

User uploaded file

I didn't have to go to Prefs and select the external drive every time I plugged it in.
...
I hope on iTunes9 I don't have to tell iTunes where the library is every time I plug it in.

This seems to have been a hit/miss in the past. Some people it would work all the time, others some times and others never.
It does seem much more common now that the location needs to be reset.
I believe you will have to reset it.

iTunes 8.1.1 - If you launch without the external connected, iTunes will tell you the library cannot be found. You need to Choose or *Create a new library*.
This seems to have been the "fix" so iTunes would not simply default to the internal not notify the user.

iTunes 9 how do I consolidate like I did in iTunes8?

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