~ How do you back up your music playlist without creating duplicates?

You're doing something wrong. Reinstalling iTunes should have no effect on your library. You should backup the library database (iTunes Library.itl), supporting files and the media folders on a regular basis. If your library is damaged for whatever reason just restore the backup...

See this user tip for backup suggestions.

See my DeDuper script for removing duplicates and this thread for more background on it, including tips on how to dedupe manually.

tt2

You can build your entire library out on the external drive. For a fresh library simply hold down shift and click the icon to launch iTunes. Keep holding shift until asked to choose or create a library. Create a new library at X:\iTunes where X: is your external drive.

If you'd like to preserve your existing library then it can be done but there are a few steps involved. I've written a generic set out elsewhere on these pages but I can be succinct if I know exactly which folder your media is in now. That is under Edit > Preferences > Advanced what does it say the location of the iTunes Media folder is?

tt2

I guess I don't understand what you mean by a playlist folder. A playlist is simply an ordered selection of tracks from the library. In iTunes playlists are stored within the database and don't need to be exported. iTunes can export .m3u files to record the contents of a playlist such that it could be rebuilt later, but if you backup the iTunes database then there is no real need to backup individual playlists as well.

tt2

You should be making playlists within the iTunes interface, not Windows Explorer. If you use iTunes the same tune can appear in many playlists without any duplication.

If you ensure your iTunes database file is out on the external drive, or at least backed up to it, then you can rebuild Windows without having to rebuild the library. You just restore/create the connection to the database. All the vital information about your library is stored in the iTunes Library.itl file. As long as you have this and the media your library should be able to survive a Windows rebuild.

tt2

As above, you can create a new library or open an alternate one by holding down shift as you start iTunes. See this support article for more. Once the library is on the external drive connecting it to a rebuilt OS or a new computer is simply a matter of holding down shift.

Ideally you want the library at X:\iTunes with the media folder at X:\iTunes\iTunes Media where X is the current letter of your external drive. That way, if it has to change for some reason, e.g. what was G: is now forced down to H: then you just shift-start-iTunes again, connect to H:\iTunes\iTunes Library.itl and, in those famous words, "it just works".

If you want to tell me where your media folder is now, and the location of your library file, I can give you step-by-step instructions for making your library fully portable for the future, or you can attempt to make sense of my generic set of instructions below.

If your external media folder is called \iTunes\iTunes Media then process is relatively easy. Copy the contents of the iTunes folder on your internal disk into \iTunes on the external, then hold down shift as you start iTunes and choose the iTunes library on your external drive.

If you external media folder has a different path or name then a few more steps are involved.

1. Consolidate your library before you start just in case the are any files outside of the designated iTunes Media folder.
2. Copy the contents of the iTunes folder into the parent folder of the media folder.
3. Connect iTunes to the library on the external with the shift-start-iTunes method.
4. Close iTunes and rename the media folder as iTunes Media, then start iTunes, check a track or two, then close it again. (Skip this stage if the folder already has the correct name)
5. Rename/move the parent folder as \iTunes (or create a new folder at \iTunes and move the iTunes library files, Album Artwork & iTunes Media folders into it) then reconnect iTunes to the library with the shift-start-iTunes method.

If you should now start iTunes without the external drive connected, iTunes will warn you that it cannot find the library and prompt you to choose or create one. Simply cancel, connect the drive, and restart.

tt2

Yep, you've done something wrong. There should be only one iTunes Media folder, not two, and the steps I gave would have left your library intact if carreid out properly. And yes, it was supposed to be a do it once solution. Did you click Create or Choose at step 3?

Note that at the outset I say:

If your external media folder is called \iTunes\iTunes Media then process is relatively easy....

That's not an invitation to rename it other than by using the numbered steps as given below.

If you moved/renamed the media folder in some other sequence of steps then you should be able to set things back to where you started by reversing the steps and using shift-start iTunes to open the original library file. You can then try again, if you fancy.

tt2

there are a couple of independent programs/software that do actually work / create seperate itunes libs-and select between them.