Apple Event: May 7th at 7 am PT
I started the process of moving our itunes to an external drive. I (think) I followed directions I got on here. I checked the external and I see the music listed by artist in alphabetical order. But it does not look like it did before when it was listed in itunes. Just looks like a "list." Did I screw this up?
Ok I just did that and I got a start up looking iTunes message that is titled Music. "Download music" "import your CDs" not my iTunes library?
Axeman. There is an itl
The folder that itl is in is the folder you choose when you launch iTunes holding the option key
Yes it's in the iTunes folder. Along with some others like media, album artwork, library.xml
Perfect! Hold the option key while launching iTunes > Choose library > Navigate to the iTunes folder on the external drive
I think I did that too..see my post @142. Maybe I'm "there" but the opening screen described in that post confuses me too
So now when you open iTunes your whole library is intact, correct?
Yes. I clicked the option to find my music and it took a while but it downloaded all music and movies. I restarted the computer and it came up again so I'm sure library is now on external. I have since ejected the external to make sure I don't screw up the next step. To get the old library off the Mac, do I drag it to the trash? I desperately need the disk space. 1gig left.
Yes, if you are sure it is working, move bit to the trash then empty it.
Do you use Time Machine? If you do don't forget to remove that external drive from your exclusion:
System Preferences > Time Machine > options > remove the drive with your iTunes folder
Time Machine excludes external drives by default.
Don't forget that the drive needs to be connected when Time Machine is running.
Well crap. Another example for me that I can't do it yourself on my computers. Last night made sure all was on external. Ejected it. Unhooked it. Moved I tunes from Mac to trash. Emptied it. Hooked external back up. Relaunched iTunes chose folder...8 songs. Rest gone. 110gig gone
Do you have a backup? Time Machine?
Are all the songs you lost iTunes purchases?
If so, you can redownload them all. Open iTunes > Go to Store > Purchase (in the Quick Links section on the right) > Music > All Songs > Download All (on the bottom right)
No. She doesn't use time machine that I know of..(she doesn't know either) some music from iTunes Store but most downloaded audio books (checked out from library over the years) and our home cd collection. Just extremely frustrated. I do appreciate your efforts to help me..
If the folder you deleted is the same folder you moved the your content should still be in it even if it isn't in the iTunes library. You can manually look for it and re-add it to itunes. If it is in a different folder that it must still be on your local drive. In that case just add them to iTunes.
My guess would be they are somewhere on the external drive and just need to be added to iTunes.
You can try to use the option key while launching iTunes again and navigate to Music/iTunes on your external drive just to make sure iTunes is looking in the right place for your library.
Either way I don't think your content is gone. If you only deleted what you copied then it is on the external drive. Otherwise it must still be on your local drive. You just have to find it. You can use Spotlight for that.
Sorry I was offline a few days. I found the files on the external. On external I see iTunes folder. I open that and there are several files. One of them (blue) called iTunes media. Open that and there are four more blue folders. Automatic, downloads, movies, and music. My previous movies and music are in the last two folders. So can you walk me thru from where I'd relaunch and re choose?
When you choose your library choose the same iTunes folder that has the iTunes Media folder you mentioned.
Moved iTunes to external drive, did I do it right?
