Hello Gordon, I wrote out instructions for how to move your iTunes library content to an external drive, with a link to the ilounge guide for how to do this. Take a read through my list post at the Mail Archives: • Moving iTunes library to an external drive [was Re: Itunes question] http://www.mail-archive.com/mac-access@mac-access.net/msg07714.html
The actual "moving", as Sarah described, is done by the "Organize library…" menu option under the File menu on the iTunes menu bar which you find under the "Library" sub-menu. This is what used to be called "Consolidate library". It's a two-step process: first, you bring up your iTunes preferences with Command-comma, and navigate to the "Advanced" pane in the toolbar and select it with VO-Space. There you change the iTunes Media folder location. to point to a folder on your external hard drive. Then you close preferences and navigate to the "File" menu of the iTunes menu bar, arrow down, press "l" to move to "LIbrary", and right arrow to the "Organize library…" option under the Library sub-menu and press return. This action will move files from your iTunes Media folder (and any other locations outside of the iTunes Media folder where you may have added tracks to your library) to your new, designated location on the external drive. It will also update your iTunes database files (the "iTunes Library.itl" and "iTunes Music Library.xml" files) to use paths to the new location, but I think it will not move these files out of the iTunes Media folder on your main hard drive. (Of course, if you first manually move try to move the whole iTunes Media Folder including these files without using the "Organize library…" option it may recreate them.) Please read through the linked post, and the ilounge guide on this subject. HTH. Cheers, Esther On Sep 12, 2012, at 4:16 PM, Sarah Alawami wrote: > I don't know if you have to move your itl file over. I kept mine on the > internal drive and it has not hurt me except when my drive I"m using for my > media becomes disconnected. I posted an article about how to fix this but I > have not had the time or energy to even do this as of yet. The article link > is in the archives though. > > Tc and be blessed. > On Sep 12, 2012, at 11:11 AM, Gordon Smith <gor...@mac-access.net> wrote: > >> Hi Sarah >> >> OK, thanks. I will give this a go tomorrow. >> >> Gordon >> >> On 12 Sep 2012, at 18:04, Sarah Alawami <marri...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >> Not necessarily. After you move the iTunes media folder then consolidate >> the items in your library by going to file, library organize and check the >> box that says consolidate. If it appears dimmed try and check it anyways. >> That worked for me. it might take a few minutes to a few hours to complete >> but it will be done. >> >> Tc all and be blessed. >> On Sep 12, 2012, at 9:47 AM, Gordon Smith <gor...@mac-access.net> wrote: >> >>> Hi all >>> >>> We need to re-locate our iTunes Media folder because it's simply getting >>> too large for comfort on the 160GB hard drive of our MacBook Pro. So, >>> here's the question. I know how to enter a new location for the folder in >>> the Advanced menu of iTunes. However, this is probably going to mean that >>> we have to re-do our libraries from scratch. So, what about the purchases >>> we've made? How would one go about making items previously purchases show >>> up as purchase in the library once one destroys the purchases playlist, in >>> effect? >>> >>> Is this going to be as simple as just moving the folder, deleting >>> everything in the library and then restarting from scratch? Or, is there a >>> better way of managing this which I haven't thought of? >>> >>> Thanks. >>> >>> <--- Gordon Smith ---> >>> <gor...@mac-access.net> >>> <--- Mac Access At Mac Access Dot Net ---> To reply to this post, please address your message to mac-access@mac-access.net You can find an archive of all messages posted to the Mac-Access forum at either the list's own dedicated web archive: <http://mail.tft-bbs.co.uk/pipermail/mac-access/index.html> or at the public Mail Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/mac-access@mac-access.net/>. Subscribe to the list's RSS feed from: <http://www.mail-archive.com/mac-access@mac-access.net/maillist.xml> The Mac-Access mailing list is guaranteed malware, spyware, Trojan, virus and worm-free! Please remember to update your membership options periodically by visiting the list website at: <http://mail.tft-bbs.co.uk/mailman/listinfo/mac-access/options/>
