Backing up an iTunes library

Amtmann

Running iTunes 10.6.1 and have a few hundred purchases. Previously iTunes occasionally prompted me to back these purchases up, which I did by burning them to a CD.

However, it's been a year since I last saw that prompt, and I'm unable to locate a command on the user interface that would initiate a back-up.

Any suggestions?

Sad Professor

Backing up iTunes music purchases isn't necessary anymore. Thanks to iTunes in the Cloud, you can re-download all your music whenever you wish at no extra charge.

Amtmann

Thanks SP - but where do I go to see my details and purchases in the Cloud?

Sad Professor

Go to the iTunes Store and click on Puchased in the sidebar on the right.

Amtmann

Ok - but suppose my laptop crashed. My iPhone and iPod are synched to that laptop. On a new laptop, would I be able to open iTunes, log in using my Apple username and password, and access everything I had previously bought, on the cloud?

Also, would my iPod and iPhone work on a new laptop?

Sad Professor

Amtmann wrote: »

Ok - but suppose my laptop crashed. My iPhone and iPod are synched to that laptop. On a new laptop, would I be able to open iTunes, log in using my Apple username and password, and access everything I had previously bought, on the cloud?

Yes.

Also, would my iPod and iPhone work on a new laptop?

It would work, yes. But you would lose content. How much depends on whether you are currently using iCloud to back your iDevices and how much non-iTunes content you have.

TBi

Buy an external hard drive and make a TimeMachine backup of your laptop. Then if you lose it or the harddrive dies you can use the backup to restore.

EDIT: Sorry i assumed you had a Mac. You can always just copy your whole itunes folder onto another drive. When you reinstall you place the backed up folder where it originally was. When you install itunes it will find the files and use them as if nothing ever happened.