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Requesting more information: iTunes library on external hard drive

I was reading a post concerning the double and triple repetitions of songs in iTunes. A person with the title of "turingtest2" was giving some good advice concerning how to make iTunes always look for the iTunes library on the external hard drive without having to worry about the letter of the drive changing. I get that you press "shift" while iTunes is coming on to create library on the hard drive (did that). But how do I get the music in that folder? Copy and paste all the music files in my "music" folder on my hard drive into the newly created iTunes folder? And in which file? iTunes Media? It seems I need more steps. Could anyone help? Could turingtest2 maybe further discuss the steps involved?

iPod nano (6th generation), Windows 8

Posted on Dec 22, 2015 8:53 PM

27 replies

turingtest2

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Nov 5, 2016 4:29 PM in response to Yellowstoner

No, let it install the application in the default location on the C: drive. At the end of the installation it will suggest launching iTunes. Uncheck that option. Then once the installer has closed use the shift-start-iTunes method and create a new iTunes library in X:\. It will suggest the name iTunes which is fine. Once that is done move the content you want to add to iTunes inside X:\iTunes\iTunes Media, then use File > Add Folder to Library and select the folder X:\iTunes\iTunes Media to import.

You can then look at tidying the library.

tt2

Yellowstoner Author

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Nov 5, 2016 5:26 PM in response to turingtest2

Will X be the name of my external hard drive (from now on?)?

Once that is done move the content you want to add to iTunes inside X:\iTunes\iTunes Media,

The content I want to add to iTunes is on my external hard drive, currently indicated as F. Where is X? (Again, I apologize if it is frustrating to talk to someone like me who has a hard time wrapping my head around all this. Thank you.)

turingtest2

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Nov 5, 2016 5:37 PM in response to Yellowstoner

Don't worry, you mentioned X and I was answering in a bit of a hurry. The current drive letter will be fine. Read F: where I wrote X: As long as you set up the library in the way described then if the drive letter needs to change later for some reason, or you want to test a backup made on a different drive, you can shift-start-iTunes and choose the iTunes Library.itl file in the iTunes folder in the root of the drive.

tt2

turingtest2

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Nov 5, 2016 5:39 PM in response to Yellowstoner

Yellowstoner wrote:

Respond at your leisure. I asked that last question before delving into the article concerning troubleshooting issues w iTunes and Windows updates. Perhaps my answers lay there. Thank you again.

If iTunes installs without error, as it usually does, you won't need that article.

tt2

Yellowstoner Author

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Nov 5, 2016 6:27 PM in response to turingtest2

if the drive letter needs to change later for some reason

Like if I want to change the drive letter to something more permanent (per your tips on how to change the drive letter so it stays the same)?

or you want to test a backup made on a different drive, you can shift-start-iTunes and choose the iTunes Library.itl file in the iTunes folder in the root of the drive.

I'm sorry. I do not know what this means.

turingtest2

Level 10

278,263 points

Nov 5, 2016 6:49 PM in response to Yellowstoner

Yellowstoner wrote:

if the drive letter needs to change later for some reason

Like if I want to change the drive letter to something more permanent (per your tips on how to change the drive letter so it stays the same)?

Yes, if you have multiple external drives connected then occasionally Windows might assign the drive letters in a different order when it starts up.

or you want to test a backup made on a different drive, you can shift-start-iTunes and choose the iTunes Library.itl file in the iTunes folder in the root of the drive.

I'm sorry. I do not know what this means.

I suspect I've mentioned it already but I recommend that you use the method here to keep and update a backup clone of your library. Backup your iTunes for Windows library with SyncToy. Should the primary copy fail you can switch to the backup, and then backup that in the same manner.

tt2

Yellowstoner Author

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Nov 5, 2016 7:08 PM in response to turingtest2

Really good information, thank you.

The clone being made with sync toy: that should go on yet another external hard drive?

You are great. Thank you for all the help.

turingtest2

Level 10

278,263 points

Nov 5, 2016 7:43 PM in response to Yellowstoner

Yes the clone should go on a different drive. Internal and external work if you have capacity, otherwise both on externals will work fine. The same tool is also great for taking mirror copies of other valuable data.

tt2

Yellowstoner Author

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Nov 5, 2016 8:46 PM in response to turingtest2

Again, great information.

From a previous post of yours in this/our conversation (and the first time you mentioned SyncToy):

Backup the entire library to another drive using Backup your iTunes for Windows library with SyncToy.

Here is an article on assigning a more permanent drive letter to your external: http://www.howtogeek.com/96298/assign-a-static-drive-letter-to-a-usb-drive-in-wi ndows-7/. If you've succeeded in making the library portable then after changing the drive letter when you start iTunes it will prompt you to choose or create a library. Click choose and browse to the file X:\iTunes\iTunes Library.itl where X:\ is the new drive letter. The backup tip I mention above will work best when both source and target drives maintain their respective drive letters.

Could you please elaborate on "will work best when both source and target drives maintain their respective drive letters"? I should assign static drive letters for both the source drive (that from which I clone) and the target drive (the clone I create internally or externally) so that they will always be recognizable?

turingtest2

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Nov 6, 2016 3:46 AM in response to Yellowstoner

SyncToy should be able to recognize when a drive letter has changed, thus changing the path to one of the two synced folders, and update itself accordingly, but it creates an additional complication which is better avoided if possible. It isn't so much that you need to change any drive letters now, but it is worth knowing how to change things back if they get changed inadvertently in the future.

If you have room for your library on an internal drive then it would be better for reasons of performance if that were the primary copy, with the one on the external being the backup.

I have probably mentioned more potential pitfalls and remedies than was necessary. It is all too easy to be either too brief or too verbose.

tt2

Yellowstoner Author

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Nov 6, 2016 5:24 PM in response to turingtest2

I grok what you say. You seem to understand how to rephrase for understanding. Sign of a good teacher.

I have now downloaded iTunes, and it is ready to go. It is reading my library from my external hard drive (F).

If I take your advice about having my music library files on my computer/internal drive (I certainly have the memory available for it, as far as I can tell), how should I change that up? Copy the "iTunes" files on my external hard drive and paste it into my C drive, in "music" or something like that? Then shift start again, and tell it to find my library on my C drive?

If I put my music library on my computer, sounds like maybe I don't really need to do the SyncDrive thing (don't have a smart phone, or tablet or anything needing syncing; I like to populate my iPod manually). ???

Also, what about my original question about duplicates? I have to do some housecleaning due to dupes already there. But when it is all fixed up... Will having my library be on my computer (as opposed to the external hard drive) eliminate the possibility of creating duplicates, or maybe lessen it? In truth, I have always kept my music library on my ext hard drive (seemed like a good way to free up memory then, but now doesn't seem really necessary - newer computer, more memory).

Again, you are being of monstrous help to me. Thank you.

turingtest2

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278,263 points

Nov 7, 2016 5:56 PM in response to Yellowstoner

Yes. you can copy the entire iTunes folder from one drive to the other and shift-start-iTunes to connect to it.

The SyncToy utility I recommend can be used to keep your primary library and its backup in sync. It scans the two parallel sets of folders and can mirror new and updated files or deletions without you having to manually search for changes. You can also review the list of proposed updates so that, in the event of an error (e.g. album deleted or updated my mistake) you can cancel the sync and recover the affected media from the backup.

Duplicates are best avoided by taking care over what you add to the library. I've gone into much more detail here.

tt2

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Requesting more information: iTunes library on external hard drive