How do I make this location the default?

iTunes will always open using the most recent active library, unless that location is unavailable (e.g., on a removable drive that has been disconnected or had its drive letter changed since the last time iTunes was run). In other words, once you've used SHIFT-start to select a specific library that becomes the "default" library until you change it (or it is not available).

You can also go into iTunes and check the setting. Go to Edit>Preferences>Advanced, and that lists the iTunes library location.

"Go to Edit>Preferences>Advanced, and that lists the iTunes library location."

Nope - that setting is for the iTunes Media folder, not the library database, and in any case is not (even though counter-intuitive) used by iTunes locate any existing media files. The only thing that this setting does is determine where iTunes will place new additions to the library, in conjunction with other configuration options, as follows:

I'm sorry, but the information that I provided is for the Windows version of iTunes, since the OP's profile said Windows 8.

Hi Chris,

hhgttg27 is right, changing the media folder location in preferences is a different operation from telling iTunes which .itl file to open. For some background see Make a split library portable. As given, shift-starting-iTunes and choosing or creating a new library makes that the library that iTunes will open every time until you use the same process to choose another. Setting the media folder tells iTunes where to put new media from this moment forward. In a split library scenario where the media folder is placed on an external drive iTunes may silently reset the media folder if the external drive isn't ready when iTunes starts up, but if the whole library is there you get a cannot load library error which is easier to recover from and doesn't have unwanted side effects.

tt2

Thank you. Sorry for the confusion. I guess I had not dealt with the issue, since I have mine set to consolidate.

No worries. 🙂

tt2