iTunes

[rjcchan]

Originally Posted by Josieb1

I've consolidated my iTunes to an external drive and everything seemed fine until I disconnected my drive to check it on another PC. Now I can't see my library in either PC even though I point both PCs to the library.itl file on the external hard drive.

Both PCs have a fixed drive letter for the drive.

Can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong? I've googled the problem and everything I've found says I'm doing it correctly but iTunes is just empty.

Is the fixed drive letter the same as when you first moved the library to the drive?

Where does iTunes say that the library is? It may be using a library file on the PC instead of the one on the external drive.

[David Munch]

Check iTunes' preferences to verify you are pointed at the library. If you start iTunes without having your regular library available (Ie. the external harddrive attached to the computer), iTunes will just create a new and empty library instead.

[Josieb1]

It's all gone horribly wrong now.

Initially I connected the external hard drive to my PC and pointed iTunes to the .itl file and it open up as empty. I did that on two PCs that was at 6.30am today. I tried again at 11am and it worked. It was perfect, or it seemed anyway. I then wanted to add some new files to iTunes so I went to Prefernces and for some reason the

Keep iTunes Media Folder Organised
Copy files to ITunes Media Folder when adding to library

Folders were unticked, so I stupidly, without taking a back up of the hard drive first,ticked them and pressed okay. iTunes then ran a green move line for a few minutes and opened up with everything !

I have spent 75minutes on the phone with apple support and we moved all the sub folders back into iTunes Media and now I am 8502 items missing out of over 17000.

Not sure what to do now but obviously keeping iTunes on the external hard drive is a no no so currently moving it all back to the C drive. Debating what to do next. I have a 1st November back up from Cucusoft iTunes transfer (which no longer works for backups) which might import into hubbys PC, then I just need to redo all the changes I've made since then (which is a lot) or try and manually repoint 8502 items.

Oh an since this morning the iTunes folder on the hard drive 'lost' 22GB of items! I took a note of he properties figures at 6am and just now and it's 22Gb smaller now.

What a mess.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Josieb1

Not sure what to do now but obviously keeping iTunes on the external hard drive is a no no

It's what I've done for years with no problems whatsoever. There's certainly no inherent problem with having your iTunes library on an external drive. It sounds as if something's gone awry during the process of moving it from the C drive to the external drive.

[Josieb1]

Originally Posted by HarryT

It's what I've done for years with no problems whatsoever. There's certainly no inherent problem with having your iTunes library on an external drive. It sounds as if something's gone awry during the process of moving it from the C drive to the external drive.

If and when I ever get my iTunes back up and running I'll have to pay for third party back up software which is what I did do using Cucusoft, it just doesn't work anymore. I was hoping I could do what you do but something has gone badly wrong (and I'm not stupid) and I can't trust the program with the amount of stuff we have in it.

What with this and my recent fiasco with Windows 10 I'm beginning to despair of any company creating software that actually works properly.

[rjcchan]

Originally Posted by Josieb1

It's all gone horribly wrong now.


we moved all the sub folders back into iTunes Media and now I am 8502 items missing out of over 17000.

Not sure what to do now but obviously keeping iTunes on the external hard drive is a no no

What a mess.

I have kept it on an external drive for years as well.

If you moved the folders without using iTunes then it lost track of them.

[Josieb1]

Originally Posted by rjcchan

I have kept it on an external drive for years as well.

If you moved the folders without using iTunes then it lost track of them.

Everything that's happened has been done by iTunes. I didn't move anything without using iTunes. I have no idea what happened, or why.

If i get iTunes back up straight and wanted to keep it on a external hard drive going forwards how do I

a) make sure that anything add to it is loaded in the hard drive
b) ensure that every time I connect the hard drive iTunes shows the library

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Josieb1

a) make sure that anything add to it is loaded in the hard drive

Go to "Edit/Preferences/Advanced" and make sure that:

1. The "iTunes Media folder location" is correctly shown as the external hard disk (eg mine says "M:\iTunes Library").
2. On that same page, the "Copy files to iTunes Media folder when adding to library" check box is checked.

b) ensure that every time I connect the hard drive iTunes shows the library

Make sure that the external drive is plugged in to your PC before you start iTunes. That's all that should be necessary.

[Josieb1]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Go to "Edit/Preferences/Advanced" and make sure that:

1. The "iTunes Media folder location" is correctly shown as the external hard disk (eg mine says "M:\iTunes Library").
2. On that same page, the "Copy files to iTunes Media folder when adding to library" check box is checked.



Make sure that the external drive is plugged in to your PC before you start iTunes. That's all that should be necessary.

Thanks, what about this box 'Keep iTunes Media Folder Organised' ?

It was ticking that and the 'Copy Files' box today that seemed to have corrupted everything, even though everything was already in the correct place. iTunes moved media sub folders out of the media folder and that's where the broken links have been created. it was Apple Support that told me to move them back inside the Media Folder which added some links but not all.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Josieb1

Thanks, what about this box 'Keep iTunes Media Folder Organised' ?

I have that one checked as well, but it's the other one that's the vital one.

I really don't know what's happened in your case. Sounds as if you've done everything right. I know it's no comfort to you, but I've moved my iTunes library many times and never had a problem with doing so.

[Josieb1]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I have that one checked as well, but it's the other one that's the vital one.

I really don't know what's happened in your case. Sounds as if you've done everything right. I know it's no comfort to you, but I've moved my iTunes library many times and never had a problem with doing so.

Thanks Harry, I'm just very depressed now, it's going to take a lot of work to get my iTunes back the way it should be and I don't actually know how to even start it now. What with this and my Surface last week I'm now petrified of software updates and ever having to change my W7 laptop.

I used to buy TV shows and films from iTunes but I don't anymore as they just add to the size of my library. I think it's time I started removing stuff.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Josieb1

Thanks Harry, I'm just very depressed now, it's going to take a lot of work to get my iTunes back the way it should be and I don't actually know how to even start it now. What with this and my Surface last week I'm now petrified of software updates and ever having to change my W7 laptop.

I used to buy TV shows and films from iTunes but I don't anymore as they just add to the size of my library. I think it's time I started removing stuff.

The fact that you say that it moved files off your external drive when you checked the "Copy files to iTunes Media Folder" box very much suggests that it thought that the library was somewhere else at the time.

[Josieb1]

Originally Posted by HarryT

The fact that you say that it moved files off your external drive when you checked the "Copy files to iTunes Media Folder" box very much suggests that it thought that the library was somewhere else at the time.

I have no idea what it did. I know it moved sub folders, like Audiobooks, Books, TV shows etc out of the Media Folder but what happen to the missing 22GB I have no idea, nothing was put in the recycle bin.

Even Apple Support and baffled. Which is of no comfort to me.

[rjcchan]

Originally Posted by Josieb1

Everything that's happened has been done by iTunes. I didn't move anything without using iTunes. I have no idea what happened, or why.

If i get iTunes back up straight and wanted to keep it on a external hard drive going forwards how do I

a) make sure that anything add to it is loaded in the hard drive
b) ensure that every time I connect the hard drive iTunes shows the library

if the "Copy files to iTunes Media Folder...." box is checked then a copy of new stuff will go in that folder on the hard drive if the hard drive is connected and the file on the hard drive is identified in preferences. The copy on the hard drive is what iTunes will use. The letter of the hard drive has to remain constant. If you consolidate your library on "D:\josiesstuff" then the next time you connect the hard drive it must be assigned letter "D". I think HarryT described how to do that. iTunes will not treat "E:\josiesstuff" as equal to "D:josiesstuff".

It is important to have the hard drive connected before you launch iTunes if you have the moved the XML file to the hard drive. Otherwise iTunes will create a new library on the PC and ignore the hard drive. If all you did was consolidate using iTunes then you did not move the XML...but connecting the had drive first is still best.

When connecting the hard drive to another PC you will want to be sure a permanent letter is assigned to the drive on that PC so that iTunes can find it. When you launch iTunes it will create an XML file on that PC. You then go to preferences ...Advanced and designate the hard drive file say..."D:josiesstuff"...as the library. You then have to do an import so that this new version of iTunes can see what is already in the folder.

NOTE: You have to be careful when accessing the media from different PCs because changes made by one can screw up the other. Putting the XML file on the hard drive is another approach that would avoid this.

[rjcchan]

Originally Posted by HarryT

The fact that you say that it moved files off your external drive when you checked the "Copy files to iTunes Media Folder" box very much suggests that it thought that the library was somewhere else at the time.

Shouldn't it have left the original in place in any event?