Transferring iTunes Library (Music + Library Data) from Old XP PC to New VISTA PC

[nykman]

I'm sorry to create a new thread, but after a LOT of searching...I couldn't find a solution to my exact problem....thanks for the help in advance! So here is my situation:

My Situation:
Old PC running XP
New PC running Vista
My entire library is located in one folder(C:\Documents and Settings\Adam\Desktop\Adam's Folder\Music) which is now currently duplicated on my external hard drive(E:\Music)

My Goal:
I want to transfer my iTunes Library to my new PC(running vista) from my PC(running XP). I want to maintain the library data(Playcounts, Ratings, and most importantly Date Added). I also want to continue to manage my own library(not have iTunes do it), and keep all my Music in one folder like I have on my old PC.

My Problem:
When I transfer my music to the folder I want on my new PC(C:\Users\Adam\Desktop\Adam's Folder\Music), and I then add it to iTunes, I lose all of the library data. When I copy the "iTunes Library.itl"(or for that matter, the entire iTunes folder) from (C:\Documents and Settings\Adam\My Documents\My Music\iTunes) to (C:\Users\Adam\Music\iTunes) I get all of the Library Data, but all of my songs have an ! next to it, since the directory it's looking in on the new PC is different from what is was on the old PC, since VISTA and XP use different directories. So I can either the songs with no library data, or the library data with songs that can't be located.

My library is entirely way to big for me to individually double-click each song and update it's location. I've tried moving the different iTunes folders located across the old PC(in Application Data, in Local Settings), all give me the same problem. I've also tried loading iTunes while holding the Shift Key, and re-assigning the default library location, and I still end up with the same problem. It's also my understanding that if I "Consolidate" my library it will result in iTunes managing my music, which I do not want.

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Am I asking too much? Is it possible to transfer Music and Library Data from an XP PC to a Vista PC while not having iTunes manage my music?

Thanks a lot for reading my post, and for any help you can provide. I hope this thread will help others who are facing the same problem.

[S2_Mac]

Is it possible to transfer Music and Library Data from an XP PC to a Vista PC while not having iTunes manage my music?

In a word, no. iTunes must have valid paths in order to "know" where your files are, and the XP paths you're using now -- C:\Documents and Settings\Adam\Desktop\Adam's Folder\Music -- simply don't/can't exist on Vista. To transfer your XP iTunes to Vista -- to retain playcounts, ratings, playlists, etc. -- you must have the XP's iTunes set up to take advantage of a little trick that's built in to iTunes.....

You see, the iTunes library doesn't solely rely on absolute paths for content files. It can also use "relative" paths based on the location of the "iTunes Library.itl" file; but for this to work the library file's enclosing folder must be upstream of the folder containing the content files. It's this little bit of magic that allows an XP-to-Vista transfer to work --
XP: C:\Documents and Settings\Adam\My Documents\My Music\iTunes (cont. iTunes Library.itl)\iTunes Music\Adam Ant\Friend or Foe\Goody Two Shoes.mp3
Vista: C:\Users\Adam\Music\iTunes (cont. iTunes Library.itl)\iTunes Music\Adam Ant\Friend or Foe\Goody Two Shoes.mp3

Starting from the location of the "iTunes Library.itl" file (in the "iTunes" folder), the path to "Goody Two Shoes.mp3" is the same on both systems -- iTunes\iTunes Music\Adam Ant\Friend or Foe\Goody Two Shoes.mp3. Transferring is only possible when the relative paths align like that.

If you can live with iTunes organizing your files -- which isn't really a huge deal -- simply do this:
1) Fire up iTunes on XP; open Edit menu -> Preferences -> Advanced, and click the "Reset" button, then click OK button to save prefs

2) iTunes File menu -> Library -> Consolidate Library; wait for files to copy; copy the entire "iTunes" folder to external drive

3) Launch iTunes on Vista machine at least once, opening Preferences and clicking the Reset button and OK button; quit iTunes

4) Replace Vista's "iTunes' folder with the copy on the external drive; done.

After using iTunes with this transferred library, you can make further consolidations -- say, to relocate the content files to an external drive, or into a Desktop folder, or whatever.

[nykman]

Thanks for your help!

I didn't follow your instructions exactly(again...I don't want iTunes to manage my Library)...but I found a solution using the info you gave me:


1. I copied my "Adam's Folder\Music" folder into "iTunes\iTunes Music" on my XP PC, and then I changed the library location to that location under prefrences>advanced.

2. I then copied the entire "My Music\iTunes"(including the Music folder I just added to it) folder from my XP PC over the "Music\iTunes" folder on my Vista PC. Then I changed the library location to "Music\iTunes\iTunes Music\Music" location under preferences>advanced.

3. I then copied the "iTunes Music\Music" folder to "Adam's Folder\Music", and changed the library location to that under preferences>advanced.

done!

iTunes found them like you said...and all the Library Data(Date Added, Playcounts, etc.) is there as well! All while not having iTunes manage my music, and keeping music on the same relative folder on my new vista PC(Desktop\Adam's Folder\Music).

Exactly what I wanted!

Thanks a lot for your help!!!!

Specifically...your advice on putting my own Music folder within the iTunes Music folder is what really helped...I may have misread this advice somewhere else...because I think I had tried this, but just putting my personal music in the iTunes folder, not the iTunes Music folder.

once again...thanks!...I hope this thread can help other people too...I'm sure I'm not the only person going from an XP to Vista PC, while wanting to transfer my library, keep my library Data the same, and also not have iTunes manage my music...........right??.....haha...