music on external drive has 'cloud' icon beside them

Hi tt2

I've plugged the ext HD in & done the atl/option/choose library thing. I first looked at the iTunes library in beverley/music/itunes & can see previous music library, mobile applications, iTunes music, itunes.library.itl and album work. when i look into the ex HD its completely different! the iTunes.library.itl file is black there are iTunes media folder and album artwork… nothing like the one on my mac. Im not even going to bother trying to open the library here, i know it will not work because of the .itl file thingy… am i right?😝😕

So...

I think this comes back to me not copying the original library properly, remember I said I went into music/itunes & then into that before clicking and dragging? i think i dragged the wrong parts of it (?) Do I need to delete all stuff on ext HD and just copy the ENTIRE library over to it again? or is there another way ?

Or am i completely on the wrong track here?

just realised I didn't answer your question 😮

Yes, selecting iTunes folder inside my user profile. alt/option and connecting to library shows ALL my content and it plays too. It is still playing now that I have plugged in my ext HD too

😁

Hi tt2

Yes I feel its progress too, in that I understand what is happening (not necessarily the why :s)

Late last night I copied the entire iTunes library - which i did not do before - onto the ext HD hoping that this would be all that was needed. Unfortunately its not 😟 The library would not load and when i looked at the .itl file I noticed that the copied version of the ext hd was black as opposed to white (which is obviously is on my mac hard drive).

So, this leads me to believe that my library isn't portable. I don't think it has been split either - if only because the entire library is on my mac HD & plays perfectly. So this surely brings me back to your original response of it being created on an older version of iTunes?

Either way, copying it over does not work. Am I right in thinking thats its not split tt2. Ok I've got a copy or something like a copy on my ext hd but still its all intact on my mac hd.

Do I need to look now at making it portable? also is there a way i can send you a screen shot of my screen? (it just might make things simpler?)

many thanks tt2

B

Hi tt2, its me again 🙂

the above picture shows how my library looks on my ext HD. its all there and it plays but as you can see it is not in the iTunes folder/format that i want.

I shall send another picture of whats in the 'iTunes 1' folder.

I'm hoping that by showing you pictures of whats going on, that it will help you to direct me in the right way.

Many thanks

Beverley

Hi tt2, not sure this really helps but Ive taken another picture of my other iTunes 1 file. Not really sure why there are two such files, think I got a bit confused somewhere.

Anyway, I think I may need to redefine whats happened… my library has copied onto the hd but - going from your earlier comment (I think!) its not in the standard layout in that the library files are not inside the folder iTunes. Also I don't understand if the media files are all inside iTunes/itunes media either 😕😐

''If your library on your internal drive is working properly, and in the standard layout such that the library files are inside the folder iTunes and the media files are all inside iTunes/iTunes Media then the library is portable''

I hope you can still help me. Now, when I open up my library on my mac I get a dialogue box telling me that my library cannot be saved anymore because of a lack of space. Arrgghh 😟

all the best & ever hopeful

Beverley

ps. tt2 i have a copy of my library on another hd too.

Good morning tt2

Last night after taking the screen shots I opened up the iTunes music folder. I can play and access all my music, apps etc., from this folder - but its not in the 'iTunes' format so to speak. I then opened up my iTunes 1 folder; nothing can play from there at all, perhaps this is obvious but I for me I can't even remember why I named this bloody folder iTunes 1 in the first place (I think possibly to differentiate it from the iTunes music folder (?) Anyways, this morning - looking at them both again - the .itl file in iTunes 1 now reads last nights date.

Im not really sure how the iTunes file is actually using this 'black' folder as i thought it was corrupted ? and not working but i take your point. Maybe this is why the iTunes music on my ext hd does not open up into the usual iTunes format?

I have a brand new 1 TB hard drive btw so plenty of room.

Kind regards

Beverley

Gosh I wish I could go back & edit my posts. Its like I type something and then go off learn something and realise that my previous post is pointless (I'm earning backwards!) It may not seem like tt2 but I've learnt more about iTunes since I started this discussion then I have in the entire 8(?) years I've been using the **** thing. And you've taught me how to take a bloody screen shot t'boot! Actually makes like a bit easier thats for sure.

tia

Hi tt2 heres a screen shot of the path to my library that has been accessed and updated. I think this is what you mean? You're right it is just called iTunes

OH MY GOD!

It's working! I've followed your steps exactly and now it's 'copying files' which looks like it's gonna take some time.

To be on the safe side, before I delete itunes on my iMac HD I'm going to make another copy of it on my other HD ( there is already a copy on it but I did that about a year ago & who knows if I did that right!?) By following your steps above i know that I will have copied correctly and have a 2nd back up, right?)

TT2 How do I actually delete my library from my iMac? I've assumed that I would just delete itunes but on reflection that's not right is it? I mean I still need the itunes app on my iMac don't I?

Ever hopeful

beverley