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Q: Move iTunes library to external hard drive?

I want to free space on my hard drive by moving my iTunes library to an external harddrive any suggestions? Warnings?  I have bought a Lacie 1TB  portable for this.

MacBook Pro, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2)

Posted on Dec 11, 2012 8:57 AM

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Q: Move iTunes library to external hard drive?

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  • by thegreendahlia,

    thegreendahlia thegreendahlia Jan 22, 2014 2:52 PM in response to turingtest2
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    Jan 22, 2014 2:52 PM in response to turingtest2

    It says:

     

    ITL Location: E:\iTunes\iTunes Library.itl

    XML Location:  E:\iTunes\iTunes Library.xml

    Media Folder Location: E:\iTunes\iTunes Media

    iTunes Media Folder Organisation: True

  • by turingtest2,

    turingtest2 turingtest2 Jan 22, 2014 4:16 PM in response to thegreendahlia
    Level 10 (87,068 points)
    Apple TV
    Jan 22, 2014 4:16 PM in response to thegreendahlia

    Looking good, but I forgot to repeat the request for the media folder as listed under Edit > Preferences > Advanced. With that extra bit of information I can give you the right advice...

     

    tt2

  • by Ken Jancef,

    Ken Jancef Ken Jancef Jan 23, 2014 6:18 AM in response to Limnos
    Level 1 (109 points)
    iPhone
    Jan 23, 2014 6:18 AM in response to Limnos

    Before I found this discussion, I was in the same dilema, moving my itunes library to an external drive. So I followed the Apple support document and moved the library, but not the other stuff. So the .xml files and such are on the boot drive of my Mini, and the music, movies and such are on my external drive. iTunes is running great at this point, but is it too late to move the .xml stuff from the boot drive to the external drive? It would be nice to have everything in one place, and I wish I knew to just move the whole folder.

     

     

    So am I too late? Is it too much work at this point?

     

     

    Thanks....

     

     

    Ken

  • by turingtest2,

    turingtest2 turingtest2 Jan 23, 2014 6:21 AM in response to Ken Jancef
    Level 10 (87,068 points)
    Apple TV
    Jan 23, 2014 6:21 AM in response to Ken Jancef

    My make a split library portable post should expalin how to put a working split library back into a portable form.

     

    tt2

  • by Ken Jancef,

    Ken Jancef Ken Jancef Jan 23, 2014 6:47 AM in response to turingtest2
    Level 1 (109 points)
    iPhone
    Jan 23, 2014 6:47 AM in response to turingtest2

    Read the post, seems easy enough, but wanted to run it by you...

     

    My setup now is that on my external drive, I have a folder in the root of it called "iTunes". In there I have "Downloads", "Movies", etc...

     

    So would I just copy the library files into that root "iTunes" folder, then do the Option (alt) key thing when starting iTunes? Is it that simple?

     

    Thanks for the help!!

     

    Ken

  • by turingtest2,

    turingtest2 turingtest2 Jan 23, 2014 7:46 AM in response to Ken Jancef
    Level 10 (87,068 points)
    Apple TV
    Jan 23, 2014 7:46 AM in response to Ken Jancef

    Not quite. See this bit.

     

    iTunes uses the name of the folder holding the library files as the window title. (Not any more) Having made a library "portable" you may need to take a final step of renaming the library folder to iTunes or, if the library files have ended up at the root of a drive, moving all of the library files and content folders into a new folder called iTunes.

     

    It would seem your "media folder" is <Root>/iTunes and the library is in the "new" layout so the process (briefly) is:

    1. Move/copy library files (inc. Album Artwork) to <Root> and connect to them there, test.
    2. Close iTunes, rename iTunes to iTunes Media, start iTunes, test.
    3. Close iTunes, create a folder called <Root>/iTunes, move library files (inc. Album Artwork) and media folder inside <Root>/iTunes and reconnect to the moved library, test.

     

    tt2

  • by Ken Jancef,

    Ken Jancef Ken Jancef Jan 23, 2014 8:09 AM in response to turingtest2
    Level 1 (109 points)
    iPhone
    Jan 23, 2014 8:09 AM in response to turingtest2

    Yea, it's in the "new" layout. I have had iTunes since version 7 or so, and even with 11, and having the file locations never change, it was still in the "old" format. But when I moved the media to the external drive it got updated.

     

    So the library files should start in the root of the external drive, and not in the iTunes folder?

     

    When I initially move the library files I should use the "Option" key command to locate the moved library files , and also do that at each step you outlined?

     

    I back up regularly, so I'm not worried about data loss, I just want to make sure I do it right.

     

    These are the folders currently in <Root>/iTunes on External drive:

     

    Automatically Add to iTunes

    Downloads

    Mobile Applications

    Movies

    Music

    TV Shows

    Voice Memos

     

    And in my iTunes folder in my User folder:

     

    Album Artwork

     

    And all of the library files:

     

    iTunes Library Extras.itdb

    iTunes Library Genius.itdb

    iTunes Library.itl

    iTunes Music Library.xml

     

     

    Thanks again for the help!!!

  • by turingtest2,

    turingtest2 turingtest2 Jan 23, 2014 8:25 AM in response to Ken Jancef
    Level 10 (87,068 points)
    Apple TV
    Jan 23, 2014 8:25 AM in response to Ken Jancef

    Yes, the library files need to make a temporary stop in the root folder to get the "portable" shape of "a library folder containing the library files and a direct subfolder of the library folder designated as the media folder containing all the media". From there we use an undocumented "self-updating" feature to give the media folder its now-standard name of iTunes Media, and then use the portableness to move the library from the root folder where it may be mixed up with other stuff down into a self-contained iTunes folder.

     

    At some point you should find that the most recently updated .xml file is called iTunes Library.xml, at which time delete iTunes Music Library.xml as it is no longer required.

     

    tt2

  • by Ken Jancef,

    Ken Jancef Ken Jancef Jan 23, 2014 8:36 AM in response to turingtest2
    Level 1 (109 points)
    iPhone
    Jan 23, 2014 8:36 AM in response to turingtest2

    And then the resulting structure of my external drive should be:

     

    <Root>/iTunes/iTunes Media

     

    Makes sense. Thanks for the help!!!

  • by turingtest2,

    turingtest2 turingtest2 Jan 23, 2014 8:53 AM in response to Ken Jancef
    Level 10 (87,068 points)
    Apple TV
    Jan 23, 2014 8:53 AM in response to Ken Jancef

    Yep, library files in iTunes, media in iTunes/iTunes Media. The steps along the way are needed to stop things breaking. If you jump to the end point in one go it generally doesn't work. I have repair tools for Windows, and iTunes may sometimes manage if everything is "just right", but the steps I've given should work without a hitch.

     

    tt2

  • by thegreendahlia,

    thegreendahlia thegreendahlia Jan 23, 2014 1:07 PM in response to turingtest2
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 23, 2014 1:07 PM in response to turingtest2

    Sorry for the delay, it's E:\iTunes\iTunes Media

  • by turingtest2,

    turingtest2 turingtest2 Jan 23, 2014 1:22 PM in response to thegreendahlia
    Level 10 (87,068 points)
    Apple TV
    Jan 23, 2014 1:22 PM in response to thegreendahlia

    What was the question again?

     

    Thanks for the quick reply! I've read the split library post and the replies to Ben. I seem to be in a similar situation, but the difference is I managed to delete the iTunes library file and Media folder on the internal harddrive, but in doing so, created two lots of files and library files on the external hard drive.

     

    My file path is: F:/ iTunes/

     

    And within that folder there is:

    Album Artwork

    Automatically Add to iTunes

    Books

    Home Videos

    iTunes Media

    Movies

    Music

    Previous iTunes libraries.

    And the library and xml files.

     

    Then within the Music folder mentioned above, there's lots of music and a library and xml file.

     

    Then within the iTunes Media folder, there's also:

    Automatically Add to iTunes

    Downloads

    Home Videos

    Movies

    Music

    But no books, and no library file.

     

    I double checked and the Movies and Videos had copied so I deleted the duplicates in the main folder.

     

    I consolidated my library, and tried checking the edit>preferences as you described. It keeps letting me consolidate the library. It won't ever copy the books. And I can't check the dupes as it's literally thousands of files so it seems I'm stuck with them. My main question is how can I be sure all the files copied over when I consolidated (and it's therefore ok to delete the duplicate Music folder)?

     

    And my main problem is I can't even figure out which of the two libraries mentioned above is the right one and when I have figured it out, then what do I do with it?

     

    Thanks for your help!

     

    Ok, assuming the F:/iTunes up there was an abberation and we're discussing E:\iTunes then all the evidence says that within E:/ iTunes/ the following folders ought to be redundant:

     

    Automatically Add to iTunes

    Books

    Home Videos

    Movies

    Music

     

    However you mentioned that Books have not moved into iTunes Media. Use File > Library > Organize Library... and, if possible tick both boxes, else tick the one you can, then click OK.

     

    After that go to Edit > Preferences > Advanced, turn off Keep..., click OK, then go back and turn it on again.

     

    Have the Books moved or copied yet?

     

    Might be worth double-checking with my script Unconsolidated pointed at E:\iTunes\iTunes Media to make sure it doesn't find anything it sees as outside the media folder.

     

    tt2

  • by thegreendahlia,

    thegreendahlia thegreendahlia Jan 23, 2014 2:03 PM in response to turingtest2
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 23, 2014 2:03 PM in response to turingtest2

    Excellent, thanks for all the help!

    I'll run that script and check for files outside.

  • by Ken Jancef,

    Ken Jancef Ken Jancef Jan 24, 2014 7:59 AM in response to turingtest2
    Level 1 (109 points)
    iPhone
    Jan 24, 2014 7:59 AM in response to turingtest2

    turingtest2 wrote:

     

    Not quite. See this bit.

     

     

    iTunes uses the name of the folder holding the library files as the window title. (Not any more) Having made a library "portable" you may need to take a final step of renaming the library folder to iTunes or, if the library files have ended up at the root of a drive, moving all of the library files and content folders into a new folder called iTunes.

     

     

    It would seem your "media folder" is <Root>/iTunes and the library is in the "new" layout so the process (briefly) is:

    1. Move/copy library files (inc. Album Artwork) to <Root> and connect to them there, test.
    2. Close iTunes, rename iTunes to iTunes Media, start iTunes, test.
    3. Close iTunes, create a folder called <Root>/iTunes, move library files (inc. Album Artwork) and media folder inside <Root>/iTunes and reconnect to the moved library, test.

     

    tt2

     

    Just wanted to make sure that I need to do the "Option" key thing each time I open iTunes so I can point to the library files... I assume I do but wanted to check.

     

    Thanks!!

  • by turingtest2,

    turingtest2 turingtest2 Jan 24, 2014 8:04 AM in response to Ken Jancef
    Level 10 (87,068 points)
    Apple TV
    Jan 24, 2014 8:04 AM in response to Ken Jancef

    Needed for steps 1 and 3, the library database doesn't move in step 2. Once you've completed step 3 iTunes remembers where to go each time.

     

    tt2

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