Move iTunes library to external hard drive?

similar dilema: got Mac Mini 500GB to load CD collection in AIFF for best qual. Probably gonna go over 500GB I'm about 1/4 way thru and at 90GB. I wanna keep my collection intact on this mini for convienence sake. I do have a 1TB and a 2TB external.

Question: Should I fill up the mini then switch over to external? Or should I change my iTunes destination to an external now, move whats on the mini and keep filling up the mini then when its full go over to one of the externals, have part of library on the mini then the rest on an external?

Do I risk scattering/fragmenting my library by moving it? Should I just do it now since it's early in the process? Thanks for any input

this might sound stupid but that is only copying files to external drive right ? do i then delete the files from my computer to free up the space ?

Just tried @Limnos' suggestion and it worked beautifully on my Windows machine. Thank you!!!

I have more or less the same question. I have a HD connected to my airport extreme and i have my iTunes folder there. The problem is that every time i reset the Mac i have to go to iTunes preferences and set it up again.

I would like not having to do that every single time but it keeps happening.

Any idea?

Yes I have the same problem with my library on my Synology NAS.

The Nas goes to sleep, then ITunes says it can't find the library.

I have just changed the NAS settings to stay running for 4 hours before going to Idle mode when not in use, that at least should reduce how often this occurs.

I also have the NAS music folder in my Login Items in System Preferences.

I am even cosidering scheduling the NAS to be Up from 08:00 to 24:00!

Why cant iTunes take account of it being offline and wake it up!

It is definitely a shortcoming, when so many of us now wish to offload music and photos etc., to external drives.

I had the same problem with iPhoto.

Don't forget the comment from Limnos in an earlier post:

"There's a difference between moving your iTunes media to a different drive (reference in another post) and moving your whole iTunes library".

Your 'iTunes\iTunes Media' folder is where all your songs are held - iTunes\iTunes Media\Music.

This is shown as the 'iTunes Media file location' under iTunes Preferences\Advanced.

The iTunes 'Library' is the 'iTunes Library .itl' file in the iTunes Folder, this is what you can change by holding down the Options key when startin iTunes.

By the way does anyone know a way of seeing the library iTunes is currently using just to check?

So, i downsized the iTunes library with the hope that the problem will solve itself.

Now i will try each one of the following steps and check if it happens again:

- Disconnect the guest wifi network and see if it happens again. If failure repeats.

- Unplug one of the USB HDs connected to the Airport. If failure repeats.

- Disconnect the Airpport router and smash it against a wall...

The last thing i will try is to move my itunes library back to the laptop and put the films, music, etc in the external one.

Will be posting the results of this "tests" 😟

OppositeDays wrote:

By the way does anyone know a way of seeing the library iTunes is currently using just to check?

The easiest way is option-start iTunes and check which folder it displays for the current library. Note iTunes always reopens the last active library unless it cannot be found. In the case of a library on a dormant drive, cancel, wake the drive and start up iTunes again. Easy.

For split libraries where the media folder is on a sleeping/disconnected drive iTunes will "reset" the media folder to a subfolder of the library folder. This needs to be manually corrected after waking/reconnecting the drive.

tt2

Hi,

So, after a lot of trying and error i disconnected the secondary HD and left just one of the HDs directly connected to the Airport Extreme. It seems to have solved the problem but i'm still running some tests...

Might this be because the HUB i was using is not an apple supported one?

Somebody had found that problem too? How did you solved it?

Thanks a lot. Your simple explanation is much easier to understand and do than the complicated sh*t in apple's kb.

Ok, this suxs.

After few days the router had stopped working again. I cannot disconnect any USB anymore because i only have one connected.

This is what I've done so far:

- Router working. After some time router not working anymore.

- Cleaned up my iTunes folder to reduce the data needed to be transmitted.

- Disconnected the USB HUB connected to the router and left only one.

Nothing of this worked.

I have a guest WIFI which i will be disconnecting today and check if its finally working.

Will be posting my results soon.

Seriously nobody have found the same issue? Am i the only person in the whole world with this problem?

Feel so lonely... 😝

Hi guys,

Next chapter in my airport drama book 🙂

I think i found the issue. the guest wifi. I disconnected it and now it seems to be working without flaws for around a week now.

Next week will start connecting back stuff to check if it crash down or not.

Strange a Guest user causing your problem,

Is the Airport Extreme also your Router?

Does the connected HDD go into idle mode?

Hi,

The guest wifi is the one i think it was giving me issues.

Yes, the AE is also my router.

I don't think it goes into idle mode. The one i removed (WD My Passport) does go to idle mode but with the HUB that was not happening. This is a separate issue which I'm also checking.

hi limnos when copying the itunes library and subfolders etc, do I need to move my itunes media folder seperately? the itunes library sits in program files and the itunes media folder sits in documents/music. i'm using windows. thanks.

I also cant see the library.itl file that is referred to. thanks