structure of .itms data base to multiple song file HD volumes?

[Greenjeens]

Sorry for repeating myself but I don't quite understand the problem and have been repeating errors when trying to back up as my structure stands. Basically I think I have seperated the 2 hard drives of song files from the iTunes Library data base and I don't know how to put them back together in the right order. I think each .itmes folder needs to be updated to match each group of song files first as well. I know how to backup song files but not the DATA folder(s). Or even if I should have 2?

Any help or pointers would be appreciated.



I need to figure out the correct structure to keep two independant Hard drive volumes with the same itunes song files in each (in case one fails) and how to easily backup using Super Duper to duplicate new song files.
And figure out how to associate either one or two .itms data bases to read from those libraries.
I'm not sure how to create and then join the .itms files and then how to keep the backup .itms with the backup song files.


I know the answer is simple, but I'm gun shy of experimenting any more on 2 200GB volumes of itunes files. Pressing the wrong script button makes for a lot of clean up! I also bought itunes Library Manager. I'm having trouble with some of the terms and structures.

Can someone help me with the correct stucture here?


I accidently scrambled my itunes library but I really just lost the .itms file (containig.plist and itunes library data bases).

When I opened itunes from the iTunes Music.itmf folder/data base, all my playlists and ratings came back.

What's happened now is every time I select a either separate HD volume containing a regular and backup itunes song files to load my library it is taking a long time rebuilding the data base, about 15 seconds or so. I think it's reading from the volume of song files and not the data base. Each time I swap libraries Itunes can't find a dozen songs or so, each time. So I find them and reassociate them with the song file manually.

Each time I close itunes it spends time remembering the library changes.

This is the current structure.

ITUNES Backup volume A> itunes folder> albums> song files
computer>
itunes backup volume B > itunes folder> albums song files

{I've been selecting between these two volumes in the itunes advanced preferences for "itunes music folder location" even though I now see there is no library here just the song files}


if I eject either volume the other loads into my itunes application and plays, mostly.

Is the "itunes music folder location" where the .itms folder is, which is
located on my main HD below?

user> music> itunes> iTunes Music.itmf com.apple.iTunes.plist
iTunes Library

I think I need to update the .itmf folder from the song files and then associate that in the correct structure with both hard drives of song files.

Hope that was clear. I've been strugging a few days and ran out of knowledge. I'm basically a newb at this. Not only did I get a new SATA and controller and mounted a New 500 GB HD internally, but there was a new version of itunes and an update and I lost my .itms library when Tech Tools stopped on 2 HD's in the middle of a defragmentaion. I just found that.
So there have been lots of other inputs of errors and new equipment configurations going on. I had used 2 FW drives for main and backup, but i believe I had just one .itms file that did not become disconnected from the song files.

Thanks, a frazzled Dave.