How to prevent a user from deleting iTunes content

I use an older system. I don't know what newer Macs offer in terms of Parental Controls in iTunes Preferences.

I don't know if you relocated the media folder to a different user account on the computer then gave it read only access for the visitor account if this would permit playing but not editing or deletion of media files. The library files would remain in the visitor account.

What are the iTunes library files? - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1660

More on iTunes library files and what they do - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ITunes#Media_management

What are all those iTunes files? - http://www.macworld.com/article/139974/2009/04/itunes_files.html

Where are my iTunes files located? - http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1391

Basically set up two libraries, one for the admin and one for the user, but share media in order to save space. Normally shared media would be in a special shared user folder but that may be too loose in terms of deleting the files.

Check music sharing in this link. I remember about 10 years ago I saw other libraries from my computer but now we're just a single computer on this network.

iTunes: How to share music and video - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2688 - about Music Sharing and Home Sharing

Brunner21 wrote:

Hello,

This may seem like a generally basic question but I am not having much luck here.

I recently bought a Mac Mini as a Media Center hub for my vacation house, for all to enjoy with my movie content.

So I've created a automatic login acount for visitors with extremely limited access and locked the system down.

Now, before I add the content to iTunes, I want to know if there is a way to enable a management/admin account as an overlord of iTunes to prevent a user from deleting any content (movies, music, ect. Similar to what an iPad/iPhone offers, the prevention of deleting apps.)

No.

Anyone using iTunes needs to have read & write access to the iTunes folder (specifically the iTunes library.itl file).

You could change the iTunes Media folder to read only. That should prevent deleting the media files.

They will still be able to deleted items in iTunes but the media files could no be deleted.

Hopefully you do have a complete backup of the computer and all drives that you can simply retore.

You could lock the computer away and get an AppleTV.

This way they can access everything in iTunes but no delete anything.

ChrisCA basically reiterates what I suggested about locking media, but if you make a second library for the other users any deletions will be from that library, not the master copy. If they do make a mess of that library you can copy the library file from the master copy over the visitor copy and restore it. Again, read up on how iTunes operates. You have your library file (+ some others) then you have all the media files. Your media files will be shared but locked to others, and there will be two library files, one you control and the others the visitors can use.