Hi,
I have installed iTunes on my Windows 10 PC.
Now i would like to point iTunes to my already organised Media Folder located here: G:My Media\iTunes Media
I have tried to change the iTunes Media folder to this location in the "edit" "preferences" "advanced".
But the library is still empty. How can i add my library so that iTunes can play the music?
MacBook Pro, Windows 10
See Make a split library portable and/or Move your iTunes library to a new computer. The iTunes library has two main components, the database and the media. You cannot change the media folder preference and expect iTunes to show you what is in it.
If you have a previous machine with the database for this library then connect the drive back to it and prepare for the move by copying your library files into the My Media folder and accessing the new copy of the iTunes Library.itl file with the shift-start-iTunes method. Once you have fixed that you can (optionally, but I would) close iTunes, rename My Media as iTunes then shift-start-iTunes to access the library again. Then you can move the drive to the new machine and shift-start-iTunes to connect to the library once more.
If you only have the collection of media and no .itl files to draw on use the shift-start-iTunes method to make a new library at G:\iTunes, move your iTunes Media folder from G:\My Media into G:\iTunes and use File > Add Folder to Library to add the contents of the media folder to the library.
See also Backup your iTunes for Windows library with SyncToy.
tt2
KaosiKosmos wrote:
So after making a clean install i will then move the iTunes folder from the default location to the G:\My Media\iTunes location and also change the iTunes Media folder location i preferences, right?
Reinstalling won't reset any of the relevant preference files. Don't bother.
tt2
Sorry, its already been done. Is it the right approach as described:
"So after making a clean install i will then move the iTunes folder from the default location to the G:\My Media\iTunes location and also change the iTunes Media folder location i preferences, right?"
I will look for the plist file, but right now i have nothing in my library because i reinstalled iTunes on both machines.
So at the moment my priority is to set it up so i wont mess it up again. And just take one step at a time.
After install on laptop the iTunes parent folder is at the default location: C:\Users\Username\Music\iTunes
I would like to have this parent iTunes folder in this location instead C:\Users\Username\Music\My Media\iTunes
Do i move the folder manually to the preferred location and then edit the preferences in iTunes or?
I understand that, but i also deleted the iTunes folder, so im kind of starting from scratch.
Thats why i ask what are the first steps i should take considering i need to move the default location of the iTunes main folder. Something like this:
Step 1 - Get the iTunes parent folders in the correct locations on both machines, and configure the preferences correct.
Step 2 - Add the (already organised music) to both Itunes Media folders
Step 3 - Try to sync the folders
So at the moment im at Step 1 trying to properly move the iTunes folder to my preferred location on both machines.
Thats why i ask if i should move the iTunes folder manually to the preferred location and then change the iTunes Media folder location in the preferences or is there another way i should go about?
Thanks. Ill try that. But what about the Itunes Media Folder Location option in advanced preferences. Should i reset this to default or keep the changes i have done?
So your saying i should move the parent iTunes folder to the G drive? I thought it was only the iTunes Media folder that could be moved?
Yes. Both the iTunes Media folder and the iTunes folder containing it are movable; the iTunes program file isn't.
(158278)
So after making a clean install i will then move the iTunes folder from the default location to the G:\My Media\iTunes location and also change the iTunes Media folder location i preferences, right?
I got it working now. I am able to sync both ways.
Thanks for helping out 🙂
You're welcome. 🙂
tt2
KaosiKosmos wrote:
The reason i chose the \iTunes Media\Music folder instead of iTunes Media\ is because when using the iTunes Media folder it started to move songs thats already in the \iTunes Media\Music folder to the iTunes Media folder.
That is because it has the wrong version of the layout preference. You can use File > Library > Organize Library > Rearrange Files to switch from the older layout to the new one, but then iTunes will get busy moving files around again. You can avoid that by editing the .plist file while iTunes is closed, then opening it and changing the media folder path.
tt2
Reinstalling iTunes doesn't affect the library or any of the current preferences. Unless perhaps you've also used some unnecessary third party clean up tool, and those generally focus on the registry whereas iTunes stores its preferences in the AppData folders.
Each time you run iTunes it will attempt to open the last .itl file that it accessed. To change which library is opened you need to press and hold down shift as you click the icon that launches iTunes, and keep holding until asked to choose or create a library. Once iTunes is running changing the media folder preference tells iTunes which media folder to use for that library for any new tracks that are ripped, downloaded, imported, or converted. It may offer to consolidate content to a new folder after you change the value, but it doesn't look for or add any content that might already be there.
tt2
Adding the iTunes Media Folder
