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How to move iTunes from my laptop unto a portable hard drive??

  • 31-12-2008 12:54pm
    #1
    musicfan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 146 ✭✭


    Currently have a laptop that is almost full with no storage space left. I want to move my iTunes / music unto a Portable Hard Drive?

    What is the right way to do this and not lose anything? How does it work then when I want to sync my ipod to itunes that is on the portable hard drive?

    Any suggestions - simple suggestions please - nothing to technical?

    Thanks


Comments

  • #2
    daftdave
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,082 ✭✭✭daftdave


    musicfan wrote: »
    Currently have a laptop that is almost full with no storage space left. I want to move my iTunes / music unto a Portable Hard Drive?

    What is the right way to do this and not lose anything? How does it work then when I want to sync my ipod to itunes that is on the portable hard drive?

    Any suggestions - simple suggestions please - nothing to technical?

    Thanks

    right click a track in itunes and "get info" , that should give you the location of your itunes music folder, copy that folder to your external drive, delete if from your laptop, then open itunes and clear your list of music from there and then hit "file" - add folder and navigate to the new folder destination on your external drive and that should be pretty much it, also it makes sense to have your music backed up to more than 1 destination .


  • #3
    Axwell
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 10,462 Mod ✭✭✭✭Axwell


    That alone wont work, thats just adding that folder of songs to itunes, you need to set a new default itunes folder also. Do the above ie move your music to the external drive then you need to go into itunes and click on edit-preferences and the advanced tab.

    Change the value of the folder to the location of the folder of the new one on your external hard drive or it wont sync and work properly. Once you do that this folder is used as your new itunes folder for any downloads,podcasts etc


  • #4
    musicfan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 146 ✭✭musicfan


    Thanks for the replies,

    the current location is c/users/username/music/itunes/itunes music...... Do I copy the music folder over or the itunes music folder? If I copy, that won't make room on my c-drive will it?


  • #5
    Axwell
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 10,462 Mod ✭✭✭✭Axwell


    musicfan wrote: »
    Thanks for the replies,

    the current location is c/users/username/music/itunes/itunes music...... Do I copy the music folder over or the itunes music folder? If I copy, that won't make room on my c-drive will it?

    Your copying the itunes folder to your external hard drive.

    You copy it first so you get all the files on to the external drive, then you delete the folder from your cdrive when you are done. Then go to itunes and make the new folder the new itunes folder and add all its contents which reloads all your music back into itunes. By deleting it off the c drive after you copy it to the external you are freeing up space. You could just cut and past it but its safer to copy it the delete it afterwards.


  • #6
    musicfan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 146 ✭✭musicfan


    Did all this, checked that my itunes was now on the F drive (the external hard drived) burned CD's and synced with with my ipod. All working fine. Went into C drive to delete (as above) and now when I go into the itunes on the F drive its is blank? I'm now afraid to plug in my ipod to my laptop incase it syncs and i'm left with nothing on my ipod. What do I do now? have I lost all my music?


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  • #7
    Axwell
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 10,462 Mod ✭✭✭✭Axwell


    Not sure what you did to be honest, if you followed all the steps it should be fine. Is the music still on your c drive, is there any folder for itunes on your f drive that you created? Did you change the folder in peferences for your itunes folder like i suggested?


  • #8
    daftdave
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,082 ✭✭✭daftdave


    you can retrieve all your music back from your ipod using a program called idump ,


  • #9
    Axwell
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 10,462 Mod ✭✭✭✭Axwell


    daftdave wrote: »
    you can retrieve all your music back from your ipod using a program called idump ,


    One step at a time, he doesnt know if his music is gone yet.


  • #10
    musicfan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 146 ✭✭musicfan


    There is no music on my C drive - I deleted this when it was all working fine on my F drive.

    When I go into my F drive now, my itunes appears to be there and my itunes library, compliations etc. But when I go into the itunes, there is nothing coming up......


  • #11
    Axwell
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 10,462 Mod ✭✭✭✭Axwell


    musicfan wrote: »
    There is no music on my C drive - I deleted this when it was all working fine on my F drive.

    When I go into my F drive now, my itunes appears to be there and my itunes library, compliations etc. But when I go into the itunes, there is nothing coming up......

    Yes did you change the preferences folder like i said above twice, then go to file add folder and re-add in the itunes folder from your f drive. This will import all your music from there back into itunes


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  • #12
    musicfan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 146 ✭✭musicfan


    Axwell, changed preferences folder but forgot to add the folder!!! Have done that now so fingers crossed everything works OK now!!

    Thanks a million for your help!!


  • #13
    Axwell
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 10,462 Mod ✭✭✭✭Axwell


    No worries. Just make sure that the letter on your external drive is always F cos if you plug another one in and it takes the letter F then you plug that one in it wont find your music.


  • #14
    musicfan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 146 ✭✭musicfan


    Will do, one more question, if I plug in my ipod now, will my itunes automatically recognise it or will I have to register it again? Basically even though my itunes is showing up my music, its not showing up any of the recently played etc or the top most 25 played - its saying that all my songs are the most recently added. Just want to double check - before I plug in my ipod - that nothing else will go wrong??


  • #15
    Richard
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,439 ✭✭✭Richard


    musicfan wrote: »
    Will do, one more question, if I plug in my ipod now, will my itunes automatically recognise it or will I have to register it again? Basically even though my itunes is showing up my music, its not showing up any of the recently played etc or the top most 25 played - its saying that all my songs are the most recently added. Just want to double check - before I plug in my ipod - that nothing else will go wrong??

    You shouldn't need to register it again, but you may need to copy over the music again.


  • #16
    Axwell
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 10,462 Mod ✭✭✭✭Axwell


    musicfan wrote: »
    Will do, one more question, if I plug in my ipod now, will my itunes automatically recognise it or will I have to register it again? Basically even though my itunes is showing up my music, its not showing up any of the recently played etc or the top most 25 played - its saying that all my songs are the most recently added. Just want to double check - before I plug in my ipod - that nothing else will go wrong??


    It will recognise your ipod.

    Those recently played etc are just playlists saved by itunes based on what music you have been playing. If its showing whatever amount of Gb of music is there or whatever amount of songs you should know if all your music is there or not. It should be all fine though if you have added all the music and when you plug in your ipod it will recognise it, if will probably try sync it also if you have it set to do so.


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