Q: Almost finished moving iTunes to external drive -- now I'm not sure!

Thanks for your quick reply.  Essentially, I just want to make sure that I'm following the correct final details (see steps 14 and 15, copied way below) as I move my iTunes files from my overcrowded desktop computer to a new external hard drive.  It's taken about 36 hours, I think it's gone OK and I don't want to mess up the final stages.

To answer your first question: my new iTunes Media folder now appears to be on that external drive, as intended.  And from what I can tell, it appears to have copies of all of my movies, music and mobile applications. Now I before I delete the copies that are on my desktop computer, I want to make sure that I don't delete anything that I shouldn't delete.  Below are the the final two steps in the procedure I found on this website.  The "IMPORTANT: Don't remove the iTunes Library files ... " part is what gave me reason to pause. I think that means the files ending in .itl, .xml and perhaps .itdb ... which are INSIDE the iTunes folder.  (It's not labeled "I Tunes "Media" Folder.)  Do I keep that ITunes folder on my desktop and remove everything but those .itl, .xml and .itdb files?  Or does it not even matter whether they're inside a foldier?  Thanks for any information or perspective you can give; I might be worrying about nothing, and just being extra careful (based on a year-old and possibly outdated or now automatic procedure).

"14. After the folder has been copied, locate your original iTunes Media folder, and drag it to the Trash. Important: Don't remove the iTunes Library files that may be in the same location as the iTunes Media folder. For more information about the iTunes Library files, see this article.

15. Quit iTunes and then open iTunes once more.

• If you receive the alert "The folder containing "iTunes Library" cannot be found, and is required. Please choose or create a new iTunes library," you most likely moved the iTunes Library files. If this is the case, move them out of the Trash and back to where they were.
• If you can open and close iTunes without encountering the above alert, empty the Trash."

Thanks very much -- for your quick responses and the link!  This is the kind of clarification (and reassurance) that I need, including the parts about the possibly different names for certain folders (iTunes Media/iTunes Music).

iTunes is still trying to quit, and it's been about 12 hours.  This might be normal -- it took 30 hours or so to copy my iTunes files to the new external HD this week -- so should I just wait it out?

I could "force quit" but that usually comes with the warning "you will lose any unsaved changes."

I could restart (but might have to "force quit" first).

So far I'm taking a conservative approach, as you suggested.  The only thing I dragged to the trash last night was the iTunes Music folder, and of course I do NOT plan to empty the trash until I know things have proceeded normally.

Should I drag anything else to the trash?  My layout (on this circa 2006 iMac) is a bit different from the chart you provided, and there might be some redundancies such as "Mobile Applications" and "iPod games" folders that I should still drag to the trash.

Or should I move the iTunes Music folder back from the trash to where it was last night?

Thanks for your guidance; any further suggestions would be most welcome.