need step by step instructions on replicating itunes music and settings on new PC

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idreos

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Can someone please advize how I could replicate my itunes setup on a new pc or point me to a detailed tutorial

I want to transfer/copy my music files settings and playlists from a laptop to a desktop pc.
Im using W10 on both pc's

Thanks for your help
 

cjmnews

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Where is your music located? Is it under the iTunes folder Music\iTunes\iTunes Media\Music? What drive letter?
Or is it located somewhere else? External drive? Desktop?

Do you have a large storage device? Thumb drive bigger than your library? External drive with more space than your library?

What version of iTunes are you running?

I have done the actual move several times on my own PCs (5 times) as well as my parent's PCs (3 times) and documented it here several times.

Here is an old article, that mostly applies: http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/articles/comments/moving-your-itunes-library-to-a-new-hard-drive/

I'll document new steps if you want.
 

idreos

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Where is your music located? Is it under the iTunes folder Music\iTunes\iTunes Media\Music? What drive letter?
Or is it located somewhere else? External drive? Desktop?

It is on my c (OS) drive

Do you have a large storage device? Thumb drive bigger than your library? External drive with more space than your library?

yes to both

What version of iTunes are you running?
A version I dowloaded this past June

I have done the actual move several times on my own PCs (5 times) as well as my parent's PCs (3 times) and documented it here several times.

Here is an old article, that mostly applies: Transferring your iTunes Library | iLounge Article

I'll document new steps if you want.
I remember doing it several years ago and I copied some files and pasted them in my new itunes folder. Does this sound correct?
 

cjmnews

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Yes. If your music is in C:\Users\<yourlogin>\Music\iTunes\iTunes Media\Music then all you copy is the iTunes folder from the Music folder to your backup device. So a specific location is needed. On your C drive could be on your desktop or in the iTunes folder or in a strange location. Does your location look like the path above? <yourlogin> would be the user name you use to log into windows with. You can hide that if you want.

In iTunes, Help->About iTunes will show you the version number.
 

idreos

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Thanks for your help
it appears that my pc's path to itunes is

C>ProgramData>Microsoft>Windows>Start Menu>Programs>iTunes

My itunes ver no is 12.5.5
 

cjmnews

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Where are your music files located? You can right click any track in iTunes choose Get Info and then click on the File section to see the path.
 

cjmnews

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Since you are on iTunes 12.5.5, and I assume you don't want to upgrade to 12.7 you'll need to either copy your iTunes 12.5.5 installer from the Downloads folder from your old computer to the new computer, or if you used the Apple Software Update tool, then you won't have it, so you'll need to download iTunes 12.5.5 from an archive site onto the new computer.

Will the new computer have 2 drives in it as well?

Your current computer has a C Drive that has the installation and a D drive with your personal files or at least the iTunes Music. Is the new computer going to have this set up OR will it just have a big C drive?

Backup the iTunes folder from D:\Jim\Music to an external drive (USB drive or thumb drive)

I need to know the drive answer before we can continue.

Either we have to map your Music folder to the D drive again, or we just restore the iTunes folder to the C drive.
 

idreos

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Thank you very much for your continued efforts!!!

Since you are on iTunes 12.5.5, and I assume you don't want to upgrade to 12.7 you'll need to either copy your iTunes 12.5.5 installer from the Downloads folder from your old computer to the new computer, or if you used the Apple Software Update tool, then you won't have it, so you'll need to download iTunes 12.5.5 from an archive site onto the new computer.

I can update itunes if that would benefit me

Will the new computer have 2 drives in it as well?
No the new computer has one hdd

Your current computer has a C Drive that has the installation and a D drive with your personal files or at least the iTunes Music. Is the new computer going to have this set up OR will it just have a big C drive?
Only one hdd

Backup the iTunes folder from D:\Jim\Music to an external drive (USB drive or thumb drive)

I need to know the drive answer before we can continue.

Either we have to map your Music folder to the D drive again, or we just restore the iTunes folder to the C drive.
 

cjmnews

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OK, then we can skip the mapping.

Since you installed iTunes if you open your Music folder C:\Users\Jim\Music (I assumed you used Jim on the new system as well as the old) on the new computer you will see the iTunes folder. You would delete that folder.

Then put the iTunes folder from your USB drive int the Music folder.
Once that copy is complete, open iTunes.
You should see your library of music. If you do not, then stop and verify that the copy from the USB drive was performed and the target location you put the copy is correct. Close iTunes, delete the bad copy, copy the iTunes folder to the correct location.

If you do see your music library, then you'll need to play a track. iTunes will complain that it can't find your song. Click on the locate button, use Windows Explorer to navigate to the C:\Users\Jim\Music\iTunes\iTunes Media\Music\<Artist>\<Album> folder and select <song name>.<ext>

Everything in the <> change to what you selected. If you picked an MP3 of Back in Black by AC/DC then the path would be C:\Users\Jim\Music\iTunes\iTunes Media\Music\ACDC\Back in Black\Back in Black.mp3

When iTunes asks if you want it to fix all the tracks with the selected path, say Yes and it should reconnect all your music.

Select a few tracks to test and they should all play.
 

idreos

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THANKS FOR YOUR HELP! It worked like a charm.

I'm trying to organize/consolidate some old playlists and have been unable copy songs from one to add to another one.

How is this done??

Thanks again for your time and patience in helping me
Jim
 

cjmnews

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If they are standard playlists you can drag and drop the songs between playlists. If the target playlist is a smart playlist this will not work.

There is also a right click Context Menu called Add to Playlist. It will offer standard playlists that you can add the song to.

The delete key will remove it from the standard playlist, same with the right click Context Menu called Remove from Playlist.
 
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