New computer

[doodah12]

Hi,
I just built a new computer with a SSD boot drive, that I don't want to clog up with all my itunes files. I've added my old hard drive with my original itunes on it, as a 2nd storage drive. Now, I've read the best method to 'move' itunes to a new drive is this:
1) First, go to iTunes --> Edit --> Preferences. Choose the "Advanced Tab."

2) Turn ON "Keep my iTunes Music Library Organized" AND "Copy New files to the iTunes Music Library Folder."

3) Choose a new Music folder, and enter it into the appropriate box in the Advanced Tab of Preferences. (For me, a folder on the new internal drive. For you, on the external drive.)

4) Click OK, and exit Preferences.

** THE KEY STEP ** -- First, an intro:

This next step will *copy* (Not Move) all your music into the new music folder, which is what you want. All ratings, playcounts, etc will remain unchanged.

5) In the "Advanced" menu (I believe), choose "Consolidate Library." Sit back while iTunes copies all your files.


When you are finished, delete the MUSIC FILES from your old Music Library folder (Manually). Stay away from the "iTunes" folder-- it needs to stay, for reasons discussed in the next 'paragraph.'

My problem is this: I want to use my boot drive (new SSD) to install a new copy of itunes on, but keep the music in it's original place on the old 2nd storage drive. From what I'm reading I have to copy all the files, and then delete the original. The problem is, my old storage drive is full, not enough room to house a 2nd temporary copy of my library until i delete the 1st one.
I do have room on my new SSD, to use temporarily.
So what would be the best way, in order to do this?
Thanks

[cjmnews]

You need to modify the location of My Music so that it is on your secondary drive.
I did this and found that I did not need to Consolidate my music or ever put it onto my SSD.
I am assuming you have a backup of your iTunes music directory, iTunes is installed, your storage drive is permanent, not an external USB drive, and that it is already installed in the system. I also assume that you have taken Ownership of the folders on the drive with your new login.

1. Locate your Command Prompt shortcut (usually Start->Programs->Accessories->Command Prompt) and right click it and click on Run as Administrator. Click Yes or OK to get authorize the command.
2. Open your task manager (right click on the Task Bar, click on Task Manager) and find the process named Explorer.exe, right click it and choose End Task. If you have more than one, then repeat until they are all gone. Yes it is normal for your Start button and Task Bar to disappear. Close the Task Manager.
3. In the Command Prompt type Explorer.exe and your Start Button and Task Bar will appear.
4. Open a Windows Explorer, locate the My Music folder, right click it and choose Properties.
5. Click on the Location tab, click on the Move button, navigate to the storage drive, and to your Music folder where the iTunes folder is located (not the iTunes folder, the one above it) and click Select Folder. In the Move Documents window click No to leave your iTunes folder intact.

If you open iTunes, you should see your music and playlists.

[doodah12]

Hi,
I think I need to clarify some things. Originally itunes resided on my boot drive of my Windows XP computer. I built a new computer with an SSD and did a new install of Windows 7. I then added back my original boot drive from the old computer with same itunes on it (it's now the 2nd drive/storage drive, the SSD is the new boot drive). I plan on doing a new install of itunes on the SSD drive, but want to keep and access the music/videos etc from the itunes library on the storage drive, so I don't clog up the smaller SSD drive. Does that change things? Thanks.

[cjmnews]

Nope.

That is what I assumed you meant.
So your iTunes will be located on D:\Documents and Settings\<login>\My Documents\My Music\iTunes

Or what ever your storage drive letter is...

You will need to set the ownership permissions on the D:\Documents and Settings\<login>\My Documents folder for your Windows 7 login so you can have write access to that folder.

You can clear space on your storage drive by deleting the D:\Windows folder...

[doodah12]

Thanks. When do I set ownership, after I've installed the new itunes onto the boot drive, and I try to set the path, or should I do it before the install? Also, will it just prompt me for my password, or do i have to go into administrative tools or something like that. And finally, I've read about authorizing/deauthorizing itunes, will i need to do it in this scenario?

[doodah12]

And just one more question, I have 3 other user accts on my new windows 7 computer, (my kids) they all have they're iTunes accts on the old drive, just log in on their accts and do the same procedure for each one?

[doodah12]

Also, just said you assumed I have a backup of the iTunes directory, I only have what is on the storage drive, my original iTunes install, do I need to do a backup, and how should I go about it? And finally, when I modify the location of C:/MyMusic, it won't be in C anymore, only on the D drive?
Sorry for all the questions, hopefully I can do this after your response with no more questions, thx

[cjmnews]

Wow! You have a complicated support life...

Ownership is a Windows thing, not an iTunes thing. So you can do it before or after the boot drive install of iTunes. To set ownership, you right click a folder, choose properties, click on Advanced, click on the Ownership tab, and set the owner to the user you want.

With 4 Windows accounts you will have to repeat this for each account and their respective folder.

iTunes authorization should be removed from the XP system, by logging into the store through iTunes and deauthorizing each account.

Assuming you have 4 separate iTunes accounts for your 4 separate logins. If you have not deauthorized your iTunes from XP, you can authorize the Win7 Tunes once you get your iTunes confirmed that it loads the music and playlists, and several songs play. Then you login then you authorize it.

If they are all under 1 iTunes account, then you will need to get the first Win7 iTunes confirmed that it loads the music and playlists, and several songs play. Then you login then and deauthorize ALL, then authorize each iTunes as you get it set up.

Backups are important. We should never rely on the iPod as a backup for our PC iTunes, nor should you assume the 5 year old drive in your PC will never die. There should be a copy of each of your iTunes folders on a different drive, or a CD, or online. I use an external hard drive to backup to, and keep it in a fire resistant box, because I am paranoid of a house fire wiping out all my pictures and music. I am considering using an online backup service, but only ones where I own the cryptographic key and the service does not have it, carbonite might be such a service, but I am still researching.

In your case, you should at least copy the iTunes folder to a different place than where it is now for each account. You could delete files from the XP's Program Files directory to free up space and copy each account's iTunes folder into an account folder there. This will protect it against any change or failure of the migration process. You could burn each one to a CD or DVD. That would be even better. This gives you a safety net in case something goes wrong like if you accidentally click YES in the Move Music window and put the empty iTunes library on top of your populated one. You can copy the backup onto the messed up one and recover.

Yes when you modify the location the real location will be on D (or E or F) but windows will hide that complexity from iTunes. iTunes is looking for My Music\iTunes and windows will tell it to use the new location automatically.

[doodah12]

Hi,
Thanks for all the instructions. So I downloaded the same version of my original itunes, 10.5.063, so everything would match, but when I went to open up the new install, I get a message "The file 'itunes Library.itl cannot be read' because it was created by a newer version of itunes. I didn't want to install the new version of itunes, because it uses the itunes media folder, and my version didn't use that. I still haven't tried to move anything yet.
???

[cjmnews]

Apparently you were on a newer version.

It does not matter the version, I have the latest and it still uses iTunes Music folder.
Once you point the 4 My Music directories (logging in as each user) the iTunes will the the iTunes Music folder you already have.

[doodah12]

Hi,
OK, the my music folder is not on 'c', and the ipod locates the library on my storage drive, great!!, the only problem is, every file has the dreaded exclamation point next to it. If I click on a single file it asks if I'd like to locate it, but when i select all and right click, that option doesn't come up, how can I fix all of them at once?

[cjmnews]

Did you remap the My Music folder to point to the non-C drive My Music folder?

You have to do that for each login.

[doodah12]

I thought I did, when I plug in my iPod, it does bring up the library on the non c drive, but everything has exclamation points
I still do have a 'c' my music folder, but it's empty

[cjmnews]

Is your music under the iTunes directory in the iTunes Music folder?

If so, the exclamation points should not be there.
What is the path it thinks the files should be in? (Get Info window if you say No to the find file)

If your music is all over the place, then you will need to do the Consolidate.

[doodah12]

Hi,
All the files are showing this path:
file://localhost/C:/Documents and Settings/My Music/itunes/itunes music/etc.

The correct path should be E:/Documents and Settings/My Music/itunes, etc.