Export iTunes settings

[Andy Grange]

Hi I'm having a great deal of difficulty trying to export the settings I have in iTunes, so that I can import them and install them on another PC. If I explain my current situation: I'm currently using Computer A with iTunes to update my iPhone 4. All my music is on an external hard drive, as I do not have enough space for all my music on Computer A. I now have a new PC (Computer B) which I want to be able to move all my music from my external hard drive onto the local drive, and use in the same manner as I currently do with Computer A. I've moved all the music across no problem using windows explorer, but I want to be able to take all the settings I have for iTunes on Computer A, and move them onto Computer B. Ideally the only thing I would have to do is change the 'pointing' of the file locations from the external hard drive to the local drive. Could someone shed some light on this please? I'm a PC user at heart and find iTunes to be the most irritating piece of software I've come across, which isn't helping matters! Thanks

 

[Xanderzdad]

You need to look for the iTunes folder where all the settings AND crucially your library index is held. This stores nearly all your settings. Use the search option in Windows.

Search for iTunes Library.xml and it should then show you where it is all stored (it may even be an iTunes subdirectory buried in amongst all your music files!) You will then need to copy this block of subdirectories and files to a new location on the 2nd PC.

Then - start iTunes whilst HOLDING down the SHIFT key and choose 'existing library' and point it to the iTunes library file in it's new location.

It should then load and you will magically find it already knows all your tracks and you do not need to re-import them.

I am always rebuilding my PC's and using this trick.

 

[Andy Grange]

Thanks for this. I've managed to now add all my music into iTunes, but the issue now is that the location of the files is still looking at the external hard drive rather than the local drive.

Do I need to change the media folder location in iTunes, and then consolidate the files? From reading up this seems to be the next step, although from what I can understand using the consolidate will write a second 'iTunes compatible' version of all my music to my local drive.

 

[Xanderzdad]

Hi Andy

Yes, change the folder location but I have never needed to consolidate. Change the folder and then shut down iTunes after it has done its stuff. Then reopen and all 'should' be fine.

 

[Andy Grange]

Many thanks for your help, this has been puzzling me for the past couple of weeks!

 

[Anonymous]

Just seen this thread! lol

Ive got a similar problem, but i dont think mine is that simple. My old itunes was 32b version, and the new itunes (on my new pc is the 64b version).

I stored my Itunes lib folder on my external hardrive, also where my music was stored. When i open it up it has 5 folders...

Automatically Add to iTunes....

Mobile Applications...

Movies...

Music...

Podcasts.

There is no xml file in this folder attal for some reason. Also on the new 64b version if you look in its program files its folders and setup are completely different. I dont know what im going to do now because all my Iphone apps,music,vids and podcasts are in these files, but i have no idea why the xml lib file isnt in there somewhere...

mmm iphones worried!!! lol

 

[Anonymous]

My only chance is to reconnect up old pc tommorow and try and export lib,to save a new xml file, then hope i can import it into the newer 64b version of itunes....

 

[Xanderzdad]

Try a windows search for the xml file as it could be located in your user directory.