Another sync 2 computers/1 library thread, avoid portable HD

[PDSF]

Hello all, my first time posting in quite a while as iTunes 10.7 has been working perfectly for me. I have an HTPC with the iTunes installation itself on the default C: drive and the music files on a portable HD (I have about 130GB).

I just got a fast new laptop with a big enough HD to store the entire library and would like to run identical libraries without having to swap the portable drive. I installed iTunes 10.7 on the new laptop C: drive and copied the library over. iTunes is running fine on both computers, but I know the libraries will quickly get out of sync, so I'd like to devise a solution for syncing them. I'm hoping that I can do this by:

• assigning a permanent drive letter to the portable--I use T:
• uninstalling iTunes from C: and reinstalling it on the portable drive, including the music files
• creating a partition, maybe 200GB, on the laptop HD and also calling it T:
• reinstalling iTunes in this laptop partition
• using sync software (I use Allway Sync) to manually sync the entire folder whenever I make changes.

Has anyone tried this and can confirm it will work? If it won't for any reason, obviously I'd like to avoid the hassle and possible data loss. Also, with this setup, could I sync my phone to either computer? I'd use the laptop most often, but it would be convenient to be able to use the HTPC too. Thanks in advance for any help.

[cjmnews]

Maybe it is due to lack of sleep, but I don't see how this keeps stuff in sync.
- Your drive letter for the external is T: so you can't use T: for the laptop drive letter.
- I don't see why you would want iTunes on the T: drive. You could migrate (consolidate) your library to the T: drive that would make more sense.

If you have a sync mechanism, you could just sync the C:\users\<login>\Music\iTunes folder on the laptop with the same one on the computer over your network. Just share the drive out on the PC and mount it from the laptop or the other way around if you choose. The one that mounts the remote drive should run the sync app.

I would choose to make the changes on one computer and have them replicated to the other computer.

You could sync to either computer in this fashion, though you would have to ensure the changes have been replicated to the PC before syncing there (assuming you use laptop for your changes).

Your playcounts would always come from the laptop. There would be no way to sync playcounts from the PC, unless you did the following:
1. Sync laptop to PC
2. Use PC for playback (updating playcounts)
3. Sync PC to laptop

It sounds interesting. I wonder if SyncToy could be used for this?

[PDSF]

Hello cjmnews,

- It seems like I could use T: for the drive letter, as long as I never had to connect the portable drive to the laptop. Or are you saying there will be a conflict reading the two T: drives over the network?

- The reason for having iTunes on the T: drive on both computers is so I don't have to sync two folders, the iTunes installation directory plus the music files directory. But I suppose if the two T: drives won't work, I may have to.

- I thought about using the shared drive to run iTunes on the laptop, but then the HTPC has to be running anytime I want to use iTunes on the laptop. Currently the HTPC is asleep 95% of the time I'm home. Part of the reason I want to do this is so I can work in iTunes (adding music, editing database) while my GF is watching TV.

- Obviously I'd like to have changes on either computer propagated to the other one. Allway Sync will automatically transfer the newer file.

[cjmnews]

There is no problem with 2 T: drives on the network, just on the same system.

You don't want to replicate the installation/executable directory. That could be difficult when you try and replace a DLL that is in use etc.

I think the replication to the PC is a good idea. As long as it is one way from the laptop to the PC.

The syncing of the newest file will become problematic when you are playing songs on the PC and buying songs on the laptop. When you close iTunes, the library file is updated. So if you close the laptop iTunes first, then the copy to the PC fails because the library is in use, and when the iTunes on the PC is closed, the playcounts are copied to the laptop and the library entry for your new music is lost because the PC didn't have it.

[PDSF]

Hello cjmnews,

Yes, I mis-wrote the previous post. I would never replicate or sync the actual installation in Program Files, just the iTunes folder that contains the library .itl and the music itself. I got a bit confused by what I'm doing now (the iTunes folder and .itl are on C: but the music files are on T: ) And yes, I would never have iTunes open at the same time on both computers. But I can see that I'd have to be diligent about syncing after making any substantial changes to either computer, or syncing the phone (i.e. updating playcounts). I'm guessing I'll lose some playcount updates but I'm ok with that. I've had this library going for six or seven years now, so a little inaccuracy in playcounts won't hurt anything. Thanks for all the feedback, I really appreciate it.