Moving iTunes to External Drive NOT Working?

(1) Always use iTunes to add or remove content from the iTunes library rather than working in Finder.

(3) Everything that is listed in your library should have been consolidated into the iTunes Media folder. You don't have to keep purchases in your library as these can be streamed on demand, although only locally stored content can be synced to a device, and there is always a risk that the right holders may remove an item from the store. When this happens you can no longer stream or download. Disney in particular do this from time to time.

iTunes only knows about what is connected to and listed in the library. The Automatically Add to iTunes folder can be used to add content to the library, letting iTunes move it to the correct location within the media folder. If you don't already have it selected I recommend you go to iTunes > Preferences > Advanced and tick the Copy files to.... option. That way if you ever drag in media from a memory stick or download something from the web you know it will be consolidated into the media folder, and can be backed up and restored with the rest of the library.

As given imported video generally ends up classified as Home Video and audio as Music, but you can change the media kind via Get Info after import if appropriate. If you have movies or TV shows that aren't compatible with iTunes you can manually add those into the movies or TV shows folders so that everything is in one place for backing up, and view them with other software such as Plex.

tt2

Select one of the problem files, press Cmd+I to Get Info, say no when asked to locate the file, then look on the summary tab for where iTunes "thinks" the file should be. The path will begin file://localhost/. Where is it really? If you can post both paths I might be able to suggest a remedy.

If you no longer have the item then you can delete the broken reference from the library with the delete key.

tt2

OK, I'm sure Mac used to use the file://localhost/ bit for lost tracks before but I've just tried moving something to break it and I see file:/// same as you. The mystery remains is there a copy at:

Users/username/Music/iTunes/TV Shows/Friday Night Lights/Season 5/101 Pre-Game_ The Cast Looks Back (HD) 3.m4v

or did you mean that it was at:

Users/username/Music/iTunes/TV Shows/101 Pre-Game_ The Cast Looks Back (HD) 3.m4v

or perhaps it at:

Users/username/Music/iTunes/TV Shows/Friday Night Lights/101 Pre-Game_ The Cast Looks Back (HD) 3.m4v

If there is a copy at the first of three paths I've suggested then it isn't missing, so why doesn't iTunes see it? 😕

If is at one of the others, or somewhere else, then can it be moved to the right place? Do that and restart iTunes, and it will be able to consolidate the file to the external drive.

You don't want broken links in your library. You don't have to keep local copies of your TV shows and movies, although you need to remember that the rights holders can, and occasionally do, remove content from the iTunes Store without warning. When they do your ability to stream or redownload vanishes. If you're going to keep local copies you're better off having them in a well organized library that is backed up than having them stashed away somewhere that you might be able to find later if only you can remember.

tt2

So looking from here it seems that iTunes is expecting to find that particular file at:

Users/username/Music/iTunes/TV Shows/Friday Night Lights/Season 5/101 Pre-Game_ The Cast Looks Back (HD) 3.m4v

but it is really at:

Users/username/Music/iTunes/TV Shows/Friday Night Lights/Season 5/101 Pre-Game_ The Cast Looks Back (HD).m4v

The trailing digits in file names are usually a result of redownloading or consolidating a file that already exists in the target folder. In this case perhaps you've cleaned some duplicates from the library and then at some point one of the libraries that you attempted to organize has tidied up the filename. You can add the extra character or you can use the Get Info > Locate method to reconnect that particular track. You'd need to look at some more to see if there is some other common pattern.

You could certainly afford to move/delete the Music folder from inside Users/username/Music/iTunes since (if I understand correctly) that content is already working from the external drive. Might be too early to move the folder above.

The other option is to copy any content that hasn't made it into the external drive into <External>/iTunes/iTunes Media/Automatically Add to iTunes to add the tracks, and delete any broken links that remain in the library. You lose any ratings or play counts, but this is probably the easier approach right now.

tt2

donhoos66 wrote:

Thanks. Does using the Get Info/Locate method pull it into my iTunes on the external drive?

Probably not. It might do if Copy files... is active, not a scenario I've tested, but consolidating after reconnecting any files should certainly do it.

When I look at some of the other TV Show files, it says that the file is located at on iCloud. These are files that also are still on my internal hard drive. What should I do with these? When it says it is on iCloud, is that taking up my iCloud storage allotment? Should I somehow point the link to my external drive?

If iTunes thinks something is in the cloud than you cannot actively point it to a local copy, however if you import the locally held files it should be able to match them up with your purchase history so that you end up with just one copy shown. In some cases you may need to close iTunes and reopen for it to refresh the list. If you know particular items show as cloud links and you have the files then drop them into the Automatically Add to iTunes folder to let iTunes sort them out for you.

tt2

This is adapted from a process I'd normally use for music. Select the TV shows section of the library first.

Lost & Found Playlists

Create a playlist called Found, select everything in TV Shows > Episodes and drag it into the Found playlist. Create a smart playlist called Lost matching only TV Shows and the rule Playlist is not Found. Your lost videos will be in this playlist.

You might find that if you manually repair a few more that one repair will fix a bunch of others.

tt2