Why can't I change my ITunes library location?

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jimsocal

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Okay, I went to Preferences and I chose a new folder for my Music Library.
I clicked OKAY and then it asked me if I wanted it to re-name and move my files and I said No, because I don't want it to rename anything or move anything, I just want to make that folder (on an external drive) my Music Library.

So then it did nothing.

I closed the program and tried again.
Nothing.

I RESET the Music Library folder and it reverted to the ITunes folder and then I closed the program, opened it back up, and tried to change it once again to my chosen folder on my external drive.

Nothing.

What is going on?
Any ideas would be appreciated?

(Is the folder I have too big? Is there a limit to how many files Itunes can handle?
Does Itunes not work with an external drive? What's the deal...?)
 

pianomanss87

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Hi. I just clicked and dragged my Itunes file into my Ex HD. Try that. But first you might want to consolidate your music. That is in Itunes some where. Some one else might have more info for you than I do.

Piano Man
 

S2_Mac

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Do any prefs changes stick? If they do, then make sure the external drive is writeable (for instance, maybe a Mac iTunes is smart enough to know that it can't write to a PC (NTFS formatted) external drive; or maybe access permissions on the drive need to be tweaked. You're not aiming for a hidden folder, are you?)

If you can't any pref change to stick, then the iTunes prefs file is either weirdly corrupt or has gotten bad permissions. (In Macs it's at ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.iTunes.plist; in PCs it's at C:\Documents and Settings\<userName>\Application Data\Apple Computer\iTunes\iTunesPrefs)
 

jimsocal

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pianomanss87 said:
Hi. I just clicked and dragged my Itunes file into my Ex HD. Try that. But first you might want to consolidate your music. That is in Itunes some where. Some one else might have more info for you than I do.

Piano Man
Which Itunes file?
What do you mean by "consolidate" my music?

I have no problem with using my external hard drive with Media Monkey, so I would think it should work with ITunes just as easily, that is, the permissions issue would be the same, no? How would I check this "permissions" thing?
I really want my Itunes library to be this folder on my external drive.
Can someone help?
 

S2_Mac

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Hmm, don't think consolidating is going to solve anything....

What I'm asking is whether no prefs changes "stick" or whether only the "iTunes Music folder location" pref doesn't stick. How you would check it is to change some other pref, OK the change, quit iTunes, launch it again, and see if that pref has remained where you set it. (re: permissions -- I'm talking about the perms of the preferences file, not a folder on the external; see the previous post about where preferences file is located.)
 

jimsocal

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S2_Mac said:
Hmm, don't think consolidating is going to solve anything....

What I'm asking is whether no prefs changes "stick" or whether only the "iTunes Music folder location" pref doesn't stick. How you would check it is to change some other pref, OK the change, quit iTunes, launch it again, and see if that pref has remained where you set it. (re: permissions -- I'm talking about the perms of the preferences file, not a folder on the external; see the previous post about where preferences file is located.)
Yes, *ALL* preferences are sticking but it won't recognize the folder in the external hard drive as its music library.

Okay, here's the deal. I just did some experimenting and found the following:
If I change the location of the music library under Advanced it sticks in the Preferences window but does not change anything. In fact, my library was empty and if I changed it back to the default location (My Documents/My Music/ITunes/ITunes Music), it still would not update it and show any files.

So I deleted the Prefs file and re-started ITunes.

It then takes me through the Wizard but of course gives no option for changing the location of my Library during that Wizard set up.

So it reverts to my old Itunes/Itunes Music library and now shows that. But why doesn't the Wizard allow you to set your default Library location?

So I go back to Prefs within the program and change the Advanced location to where I want it on my external drive, and re-started the program. Nothing happens, still. Nor will it allow me to make a folder on my C drive as the default library location. Seems that it will ONLY recognize My Documents/My Music/Itunes/Itunes Music as the location! ??

I can't believe I'm the only one having this issue. Does or does not ITunes normally allow you to change the folder and location in which you want your Library to be?

I'm guessing at this point I should re-install the program?

But please tell me that I'm not the only one who wants my Itunes library to be on an external drive, and that this can be done!
 
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S2_Mac

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If I change the location of the music library under Advanced it sticks in the Preferences window but does not change anything.

Maybe you have the wrong idea of what this pref does.... Setting a new "iTunes Music folder location" doesn't cause anything to actually happen, other than telling iTunes to use that folder as its default location for CD imports and purchased music. (And, it's where added files will wind up if the "Copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to library" pref is set.) In particular, files that iTunes already knows about will not be moved to that folder; the pref only affects newly added content.

So, just to make sure everything's running normally for you, set that pref to a folder on your external; while you're at it also set the pref for "Copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to library". Now import a CD -- its files should wind up on the external.

If you want iTunes music files that exist on C: to move to the external, you'll have to use the Consolidate command (with apologies to pianoman ;-)
 

breathingtree

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You are not alone.

No you are not the only one with this problem. I have always had my music on an external file and have had no problems until recently and I am completely confused.

I recently got a new computer at work and thought I would listen to some music. So I connected my hard drive and set the preferences for Itunes to look to my external drive for all files. It would not find them the way my home computer found them (I have intentionally not updated Itunes on my home computer because I have heard the new Itunes is bad), I believe I consolidated the files and I got i to work on the new computer (which has the new Itunes) and now when I go home to my old computer at home (with the old Itunes), it will not find my music on my external HD! And no amount of reseting preferences will work! This is driving me nuts!

None of your advise above works, by the way. And I am developing a real hatred for Itunes and Apple products with these lack of options individual set up and control (my Iphone as well). I used to think Apple developed things of quality that were user friendly...
 
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