iTunes Move

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TroyE

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Hi,

I'll be getting a new PC soon and wondered on the best way to move my iTunes library. Currently using 12.7.x iTunes. The folder location drive and path will match my current iTunes. Plan is to file copy My Music onto there, installed iTunes, and somehow get the two to "talk" so I don't lose my playcounts, etc.. I do not want iTunes to manage this process.

Any help please?
 

cjmnews

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Your best bet is to do what you are planning.

Assuming all your music is in the My Music folder, and the iTunes folder is there as well, then this will get everything you need.

This will copy the iTunes library file (usually named iTunes Library.itl) from the old system to the new system, and that will make the new system get your existing play counts.

The only other step is to deauthorize the old system and authorize the new system with Apple ID.
 

TroyE

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OK, all is copied including most playlists. However I still need to copy some custom playlists I have though their is no option to export these unlike the smart playlists which can. So how can I move the custom playlists please? If I select one the option to export is greyed out. Help me please
 

cjmnews

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There is no need to export playlists (I am surprised someone found that command)

If you copy the iTunes Library.itl file with your copy of the iTunes folder (default names and locations) then when you open iTunes on the new system, all of your playlists will appear in the new system.
 

TroyE

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Found out reason why playlists were missing is because I used the wrong iTunes (had used an old backup) folder! Anyway, now got the correct version in, complete with playlists, but on a fair amount of songs have the ! mark by them. I can manually add them back (music files exist) but this will take ages, is their a quicker way to add them back please? BTW I don't allow Apple to "manage" my music.

Thanks,

Troy
 

cjmnews

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You can add the folder where they live. That could speed up the process. If there is a common upper level folder the process goes through sub-folders.
 

TroyE

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Was going try that tonight but iTunes has removed all of the entries with the ! next to them. Had a look in preferences but couldn't see anything in their to prevent iTunes doing this as can use backup again. So is their a way to stop iTunes removing the entries with !?
 

cjmnews

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iTunes does not automatically delete anything. It would hold onto the ! entries just like actual songs.
 

TroyE

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After trying a few times I have approx 3000 items which aren't located (out of 30k songs). If I re-add the albums then I assume i'll lose stuff like play counts, etc..? All I've done is move the iTunes & library from one PC to another, it found 27K songs OK. Have no idea it can't find these 3k ones as all music is under one fold (with sub folders for bands, etc..

So, do i need to edit these 3k songs manually, groan, or is there an easier way to re-add them without losing playcounts, etc..., please?
 

cjmnews

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It really depends on the state of your library. I am assuming it still has the ! songs in it. As it should.

If you have the ! entries, then you should know the name of the song.
- If you search your computer using Windows Explorer or Finder for that song name, you should find it if it is there.
- Then you right click the ! entry song and choose Song Info.
- iTunes will prompt you to locate the file.
- Navigate to where you found it in the search.
- Select the file
- Usually iTunes will ask if you want to update the other ! tracks based on this path, you answer Yes. Which should find and reattach the majority of the songs if they are located in a similar area. At a minimum it should get the rest of the album.

You can find all the ! songs with playlists.
1. Make a normal playlist and name it Good.
2. Click on the Music section, Songs view.
3. Select all the tracks (Ctrl-A, Command-A)
4. Drag the tracks and drop onto playlist Good
5. Create a new smart playlist, the rules are
a. Playlist is Music
b. Playlist is not Good
6. Name this playlist Bad

You can now see how many actual ! entries you have here. Hopefully the first re-link you did reduced this to a few tracks.

If you can't find the files, then re-importing is the only option.
You should be able to keep the play counts if:
1. Re-import the album, note where you imported it to.
2. Find the new album and delete it from iTunes,
3. When iTunes asks if you want to send the files to the recycle bin answer NO
4. Find a ! track for that album, perform the relink steps at the top of this message.
5. You will have all the information re-linked. Maybe even date added, though that may get updated to today.

Hopefully that is not too much work.

If you don't have the ! entries, there is no data to keep. So just import and move on.
 

TroyE

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Right clicked on song foir song info, comes up with Locate (if I quit and relaunch iTunes it will open the locate song in the folder where the song is!) and I select the song but no option to update the album. I know it's crazy that by relaunching iTunes it will open the actual folder where the song is when I select Locate. Either way, is their an easier way to add these 3000 songs?
 

cjmnews

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I don't know why you are quitting iTunes and relaunching.

You should be using the Locate button to open a file selection window and select the file. Click OK. Usually iTunes will ask if you want to reconnect the rest of the files based on the current file location. You answer YES to that. Then most of the other tracks should get updated with the correct location.

Of course Apple could have removed that dialog, and just reconnect automatically.

Try relocating the one file and see if that fixes the rest.
 

TroyE

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I don't know why you are quitting iTunes and relaunching.

You should be using the Locate button to open a file selection window and select the file. Click OK. Usually iTunes will ask if you want to reconnect the rest of the files based on the current file location. You answer YES to that. Then most of the other tracks should get updated with the correct location.

Of course Apple could have removed that dialog, and just reconnect automatically.

Try relocating the one file and see if that fixes the rest.
When I click on Locate it opens up a folder for me to select the file. I select the relevant song and it's recognised, and re-added to the library. I do not get the option to add the album. My folders are listed by artist with each album as a subfolder. If I start iTunes and select Locate it goes to the correct sub folder. Once I've added the complete album and decide to add another artists album for each track that I locate I have to go to the artists and then the song as my iTunes open dialogue box will only open the first subfolder that I used when launched. A way around this is to relaunch iTunes for each album. As you can see either way it's going to take me a long time to add them. I wish the option to locate rest of songs for album was there but it isn't for me.
 

cjmnews

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You don't need to relaunch iTunes between albums. Just navigate to where the album is.

As for the prompt, probably not enough songs are not linked to get you the prompt.

Yes it will take a while to get them all linked again. Once it is done, you should not have any problems unless you move the song files with Windows Explorer.
 
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