Problems trying to store iTunes on external hard drive and back up iPhone to internal hard drive?

Hi vribbons!

If you desire to have your iTunes files located on your external hard drive, then I would strongly suggest that you only store the iTunes Media folder to the external drive. We have an article here that can explain to you the exact procedure for doing that and setting it up to work correctly, and that article can be found right here:

iTunes for Windows: Moving your iTunes Media folder

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1364

Take care, and thanks for visiting the Apple Support Communities.

-Braden

Relocate iTunes library

Regardless of the support document referenced above the preferred option of experienced users is to relocate the entire iTunes folder to the external drive rather than just the media folder. (It is a different matter for network storage however.) This prevents unwanted side effects if iTunes is launched when the drive isn't connected and the library can be easily backed up and/or migrated to a new computer. The normal proceedure when the media folder is still a subfolder of the main iTunes folder is to move the entire iTunes folder to a new path, e.g. to X:\iTunes where X:\ is the external drive, then hold down the shift key as you launch iTunes, keep holding shift until prompted to choose or create a library and choose the library in its new location.

Given that things are now not so simple see my post make a split library portable. Feel free to post back details and I will try to provide specific steps to tidy up.

Relocate iOS device backups

Assuming you're running Windows Vista or later you can use the following steps:

1. Open a command prompt by hitting the start button and typing CMD<Enter> in the search box that opens up.
   
2. To move the current backup folder from C: to X: type in this command and press <Enter>
   Move "C:\Users\<User>\AppData\Local\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup" "X:\Backup"
   Where <User> is your Windows user name.
   
3. To make iTunes look for the data in the new location type in this command and press <Enter>
   MkLink /J "C:\Users\<User>\AppData\Local\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup" "X:\Backup"
   

If your external drive has a different letter or you already have a folder called "Backup" then edit "X:\Backup" accordingly in both commands.

If you're still running Windows XP you can use Junction (cmd line tool) or NTFSLink (shell ext). In both cases you move the existing folder to a new location, create an empty folder where the old one used to be, then use the tools to get the operating system to link the two together and silently redirect any file operation on the old location through to the new one.

Note that while this method works for iOS device backups it cannot be used to redirect sections of the media library.

tt2

Hmm, seems I'd mistakenly got Local instead of Roaming, in that path... Apologies.

Corrected version...

Relocate iOS device backups

Assuming you're running Windows Vista or later you can use the following steps:

1. Open a command prompt by hitting the start button and typing CMD<Enter> in the search box that opens up.
   
2. To move the current backup folder from C: to X: type in this command and press <Enter>
   Move "C:\Users\<User>\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup" "X:\Backup"
   Where <User> is your Windows user name.
   
3. To make iTunes look for the data in the new location type in this command and press <Enter>
   MkLink /J "C:\Users\<User>\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup" "X:\Backup"
   

If your external drive has a different letter or you already have a folder called "Backup" then edit "X:\Backup" accordingly in both commands.

If you're still running Windows XP you can use Junction (cmd line tool) or NTFSLink (shell ext). In both cases you move the existing folder to a new location, create an emptyfolder where the old one used to be, then use the tools to get the operating system to link the two together and silently redirect any file operation on the old location through to the new one.

Note that while this method works for iOS device backups it cannot be used to redirect sections of the media library.

tt2

I use a tool called iTunes Folder Watch with its option to "Check for dead tracks on startup" to compare the contents of the media folder with that of the library. I also have a script called FindTracks that may be able to locate files that aren't quite where iTunes expects to find them. In general avoid moving things around by hand as apart from the special case of a moving a portable library to a new path iTunes won't find things that you've moved yourself.

tt2

Hmm. 😕😊

I'm sure I'd successfully tested the command line version of the move instructions at one point, but I'm getting the same "access denied" error when I try. Maybe "Move" doesn't like working with folders when the path contains sections with hidden or system flags. Anyway herewith version 3 which I've just tested works as described...

Relocate iOS device backups

Assuming you're running Windows Vista or later you can use the following steps:

1. Using Windows Explorer move the current Mobile Sync Backup folder from C:\Users\<User>\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup to your chosen location, e.g. as X:\Backup where <User> is your Windows user name and X: is your preferred drive.
   
2. To make iTunes look for the data in the new location open a command prompt by hitting the start button and typing CMD<Enter> in the search box that opens up, then type in this command and press <Enter>MkLink /J "C:\Users\<User>\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup" "X:\Backup"

If your external drive has a different letter or you already have a folder called "Backup" then edit "X:\Backup" accordingly.

If you're still running Windows XP you can use Junction (cmd line tool) or NTFSLink (shell ext). In both cases you move the existing folder to a new location, create an empty folder where the old one used to be, then use the tools to get the operating system to link the two together and silently redirect any file operation on the old location through to the new one.

Note that while this method works for iOS device backups it cannot be used to redirect sections of the media library. iTunes will break the connection the first time it tries to write a file to the target folder.

What happens when you want to sync the device? If you're getting a warning about erasing and reloading the device with media from the current library then something is wrong. If you moved the library files correctly and then reconnected them to iTunes this should still be the "home" library of the device and it should sync as if nothing had changed. If not then revist the make a split library portable post for advice. See also Recover your iTunes library from your iPod or iOS device if for some reason you accidentally erased the original library files and all backups thereof.

tt2

Try this support document - TS1567: How to restart the Apple Mobile Device Service (AMDS) on Windows.

tt2

I assume you've checked the device works with the same cable when plugged into another computer?

tt2