Q: Transfer itunes playlists to new computer
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Mar 23, 2015 2:34 PMby jicaro,I've downloaded SyncToy 2.1 to the old computer. The first step says to synchronize folders before starting. I located my "Music" file on the external drive, which contains music folders, and a copy of".iTunes Preferences.plist". Should that be in there? This is a separate folder from iTunes.
When I went to synchronize this Music folder, it wants me to add a "folder 2". I'm not sure what folder to include here. ??
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Mar 23, 2015 2:42 PMby jicaro,Okay, I realized I want to synchronize the external drive Music folder with the iTunes Music folder, which is in iTunes media, on the hardrive. Correct? Should the iTunes Music folder on the hardrive be folder 2 when synchronizing? Or the other way around?
By the way, I have the "new layout" when it comes to a portable library.
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Mar 23, 2015 5:48 PMby turingtest2,Hi, been a busy day.
.iTunes Preferences.plist stores the layout of the library. Once a library is in the modern layout there should be no need for the file to be updated again. The file is stored in the media folder. The iTunes Library.itl file is the core of the library as it holds the database of the content that it is comprised of. The folder containing this file is the library folder. As long as the library folder contains the media folder, which in turn contains all the media, then the library should be portable. A clone of the library folder and all of its subfolders should work when copied to any other computer running the same build of iTunes.
Ideally the library folder is called iTunes and the media folder is called iTunes Media. The make a split library portable tip has suggestions for rearranging things if required.
tt2
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Jan 14, 2016 2:00 PMby Moonbilly,In 2016, it's unbelievable that Playlists and Library don't auto-update on your other devices when you log into your Apple account.
The trial and error method users face trying to make that happen is ridiculous.
I know this post may not help individual users now, but maybe Apple reads these sometimes and does something - like replace iTunes altogether.
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Jan 14, 2016 4:32 PMby turingtest2,Moonbilly wrote:
In 2016, it's unbelievable that Playlists and Library don't auto-update on your other devices when you log into your Apple account.
They do, nearly, if you want to pay for an iTunes Match subscription, and you're not worried about explicit songs being replaced with clean versions, or audiobooks, podcasts, iTunes U material, non iTunes store video, etc. all disappearing. None of your other data magically moves from one computer to another, why should iTunes be any different? I guess if all you do on a computer is surf the web, use web-based apps, and web-based email then I guess you're used to having everything wherever you choose to sign in, but for anything else you should be making an effort to back it up, and learn how to move it from one computer to another or restore it when the need arises.
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Jan 14, 2016 5:49 PMby Moonbilly,Actually yes, most my data does "magically" move and populate among all my devices - using Microsoft Exchange for example. Also, Chrome updates all settings across all devices.
When you say i should learn to back back up and move data around, that's what modern computers and clouds are for - to save me work, not to make it. I used to work on all my cars in the olden days, when they were ****** too.
Apple can certainly do a **** of a lot better iTunes in any case.
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Jan 15, 2016 7:12 AMby turingtest2,Exchange is great, but there are plenty of people still using POP3 mail who can't or won't learn how to move their mailbox to a new computer. Chrome's syncing of settings and updates is great, until you also turn on iCloud syncing on two different machines and the whole thing goes haywire. iTunes Match is OK, but by no means perfect, and not free. If you want to make sure that you will always have access to your personally ripped media, as well any iTunes content that is either excluded from repeat download or has been removed from the store since you purchased it, see Backup your iTunes for Windows library with SyncToy.
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