Where has my iTunes library gone..??

ziggy47

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Jul 9, 2010
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Hi, as explained before I'm pretty PC dumb......
So I filled up my Vaio laptop hard drive with my ripped CDs to my iTunes library, so I looked for an alternative and having an external HD, looked on internet for solutions. I found a video on Cnet, explaining how to transfer the library contents to my external HD.
This I did and checked the music was in the new media folder, deleted the original files from the laptop.
However now I can't find any music in iTunes.....HELP...what have I done..??
Please be gentle with me, as explained I really am PC dumb......
Cheers for any constructive help/advice...Richard.
 

John Duncan

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Doesn't sound like it. As long as the files are on the NAS, point iTunes at them again by doing File/Add To Library, and navigating to the external drive. If you had made lots of changes to the metadata, playlists etc, you might be a bit stuffed, because it sounds like the advice you got on moving to an external drive was somewhat flawed...
 

ziggy47

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Thanks for your replies........I've managed to drag & drop the files back onto my laptop. However the same problem exists, I need to free up the HD on the laptop and access the library on the external HD.
As previously mentioned I am not good on computers, more luck than judgement.....so if anyone can either give simple step-by-step instructions or direct to a video etc that explains it, I would be grateful....cheers Richard...... :help:
 
A

Anonymous

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So do you now have the itunes files in 2 places...both on your laptop hard drive, and on the external hard drive?

There's an option somewhere, to copy files that you add to your itunes library, to your "central" hard drive location, you want to uncheck that. Then when you add your external hard drive folder to the library, it will add the files to the library without making copies of those files to your local drive.

Or another way would be to look where your iTunes library is set, and change that to be your external hard drive where the music files are stored.
 

sc1

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John Duncan is correct iTunes just can't find the files because your library has them as being on the c: drive. If you move the files iTunes will still look in the old directory for the files unless you tell it otherwise. Either, delete the library (without deleting the files, choose to keep them) then use the add folder to library option to add the new files from their folder on the external hdd. Or check you have the files on the hdd, then check again. Delete the files on the laptop. When you press play the library will say it can't find the file and you'll get the exclamation mark next to it. You can then find the file on the hdd and iTunes will ask you if you want to use that location to find e rest. This should work. For gods sake just make sure the files are on the hdd. I myself have made mistakes in the past. To be honest you should probably have 2 copies of the music files anyway, even if both on hdd. An external hdd might have a low failure rate but it only needs to fail once and that is it.
 

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