iCloud and iTunes Match Query.

You say that your iTunes media folder is on an external drive - I assume that means all your songs are there? Assuming I'm correct, it sounds as if iTunes thinks your music is on the internal drive and since there's nothing there, it downloads the songs from the cloud. Again, if I am correct, the solution is to let iTunes know where your music really is.

1) start iTunes and select Preferences under the iTunes menu

2) click on the Change button and navigate to the folder on your external drive that has your music. (This tells iTunes where to find your music from now on)

3) Click off the checkmarks on Keep iTunes Organized and Copy files to iTunes (after the next step you'll want to return to the Preferences and click the checkmarks back on

4) Click on the OK button.

5) Go up to the File menu, select Add to Library, navigate to the external hard drive again and click ok. iTunes is now finding all the music on your drive and adding it to the library.

6) When it is finished return to the Preferences and click on the two checkmarks mentioned in step 3.

Just changing the library's location in the preferences isn't enough. That just tells iTunes where to put the new songs, it doesn't tell iTunes where are the old songs are. Yes what I told you to do will restore the link to the songs on the external drive. I told you to unchec the option of copyying songs when adding to the library. That will prevent duplicates.

dwb wrote:

Just changing the library's location in the preferences isn't enough. That just tells iTunes where to put the new songs, it doesn't tell iTunes where are the old songs are. Yes what I told you to do will restore the link to the songs on the external drive. I told you to unchec the option of copyying songs when adding to the library. That will prevent duplicates.

A) I too, have many files and wouldn't want to duplicate so many files, but I did NOT see where dwb wrote to uncheck the option of copying songs when adding to the library, that will prevent duplicates. I read the instruction very carefully over and over as to not make the same mistake:

dwb wrote:

1) start iTunes and select Preferences under the iTunes menu

2) click on the Change button and navigate to the folder on your external drive that has your music. (This tells iTunes where to find your music from now on)

3) Click off the checkmarks on Keep iTunes Organized and Copy files to iTunes (after the next step you'll want to return to the Preferences and click the checkmarks back on

4) Click on the OK button.

5) Go up to the File menu, select Add to Library, navigate to the external hard drive again and click ok. iTunes is now finding all the music on your drive and adding it to the library.

6) When it is finished return to the Preferences and click on the two checkmarks mentioned in step 3.

B) if i'm reading this correctly... I see where the confusion might be? I do understand what dwb really means, however, Technically the instructions actually state to leave a check mark on Keep iTunes Organized and Copy files to iTunes before completing step 5).

If I read this carefully, after step 1 & 2)

Then read step 3)Click off the checkmarks... (and after next step...return to Preferences...)

The next step is 4) Click the Ok button...

So, after step 4) Go back to instructions in parenthesis from step 3)...

(you'll want to return to Preferences and click the checkmarks back on...)? UH?

Meaning do this before step 5)?

Then do step 5),

Then step 6) Returning to Preferences and click the two... in step 3).

Technically checking them back off at this point does seem confusing to me?

Am I reading incorrectly?

C) It seems as though it would explain the cause for his duplications, if he left a check mark in the box for Copy files to iTunes, while iTunes finds all the music on his external hard drive and adds it to the library, the new songs are the same as his old songs, creating the multiples? Or am I misunderstanding? Can you undo the action through Time Machine or iTunes? Or can you delete the iTunes folder in one step and follow the directions again, except this time disregard the instructions in parenthesis in step 3) until step 6) and only leave a check in the 2 boxes in iTunes Preferences after step 5) instead of step 4) is complete, like step 6) intended so to start copying files to iTunes from that point on?

I'm only asking because I need clarification, like I mentioned in A) above. I mean no offense, just incase I do?

I'm about to upgrade from Snow Leopard to Mac OS X Lion (10.7.4)

Thanks,

Jenn

I have 3 1/2 days left to upgrade to Mac OS X Lion. How do I prevent what just happened to you with the duplicates? The instructions from dwb weren't clear to me. If you checked the boxes how you were advised, then you would've left checks in the two boxes before itunes searched the drive for all your files. this would most likely cause duplication. The instructions in parenthesis at the end of step 3 are misleading, if you go back and read. Just saying.

Good Luck,

DJ Jenn

If you unchecked the Copy files to iTunes Media Folder before you performed Add to Library there shouldn't be any duplicate. Going back to the instructions I gave you I see that there is room for confusion. At the end of step 3 I say you'll click the checkmarks back on after the next step but what I really meant was after step 5 is completed. So maybe you followed my instructions to the letter leading me to mess you up. If so, I'm really sorry.

The good news is that if you use TimeMachine you should have a recent backup of your iTunes library and even if you don't use TimeMachine if you recently downloaded the newest version of iTunes you'll find a folder inside iTunes where iTunes puts a copy of the library while the update is being installed. Make sure iTunes isn't running and then open the iTunes folder which is inside your Music folder. If you use TimeMachine enter TimeMachine and then find the file called iTunes Library.itl select it and restore it. Now you are back to the original. If you don't use TimeMachine look for the folder called Previous iTunes Libraries and open it. Each library inside has a date appended. Find the newest one, erase the date so it is properly named, and move it to the iTunes folder. (Of course if the newest one is really old this may not be an option.)

Ack! My face is red. I woke up this morning and for whatever reason suddenly realized I had given you the wrong information and the worst part of it is I don't know how I managed to be so stupid about it. I knew you had the songs where you wanted them but despite that I gave you the instructions for how to move them to where you wanted them. Dumb! And the worst part of it is it isn't as if I haven't done what you want to do. I did it a couple years ago when I moved from a G5 tower to an iMac.

There are two solutions. The easy one is to delete your iTunes library (while iTunes isn't running) and then to repeat the instructions I gave you. The problem is you'll lose all your playlists, play counts, etc. The harder way will require some work and a text editor - if you want the instructions let me know. You can even start with the library that has the duplicates - the first step would be to delete the dupes.

Again - I'm sorry.

dbw,

This is good info to know, It helps me for the future. i just upgraded to Lion and I'm happy so far. The only thing I don't know how to do is mark that your answer helped me? Maybe I should start another dicussion on whether or not I can mark on another's question to give points? I've been unclear on that too.

Thanks for your help, I agree about TM backups, also if he didn't have it checked, then it stands to reason that it may not be duplicated in the real music library in the home folder, if thats the case then erase itunes and repopulate a new one.

good thinking

Jenn

DJ Jenn wrote:

dbw,

This is good info to know, It helps me for the future. i just upgraded to Lion and I'm happy so far. The only thing I don't know how to do is mark that your answer helped me?

Only the original poster can mark posts as This helped me or This answered my question.