Please Help, Issue with iTunes Library
Hello All,
I've tried searching this problem and have not had much luck finding a solution. So I'm asking you super smart people!
Here's my problem (this problem will sound familiar, many people have had it):
I moved my iTunes Library to my external Hard drive (500GB MyBook) using the "Change" button under the advanced tab in iTunes Preferences. Once my Media was copied over I checked the "Keep iTunes Music Folder organized" box and "Copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to library. Once iTunes had finished it's thing I deleted the music folder from my iMac. It worked fine for a while but once I ejected the external drive and re-opened iTunes it no longer listed my external drive as the iTunes Music folder location.
It seems like the external drive needs to be mounted before iTunes will find it. I have to manually "touch" the hard drive through Finder before I open iTunes. Is this correct? I was kind of hoping that iTunes would know where to look once I told it to go to the external hard drive. If not that's too bad. If anyone knows of another way to go about this please let me know. What confuses me is that even before the external hard drive is "mounted" iTunes will play every song in my library just fine. But the preferences pane still says that my library is on my internal hard drive. I looked at the "get info" thing and it showed that the songs are on the external drive.
Here's my set up. My external hard drive is connected to my AirPort Extreme. This is where my iMac "knows" where to look for the iTunes Library. Eventually I'd also like to connect my MacBook to this Library as well.
Thanks for all your help.
Tony
I've tried searching this problem and have not had much luck finding a solution. So I'm asking you super smart people!
Here's my problem (this problem will sound familiar, many people have had it):
I moved my iTunes Library to my external Hard drive (500GB MyBook) using the "Change" button under the advanced tab in iTunes Preferences. Once my Media was copied over I checked the "Keep iTunes Music Folder organized" box and "Copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to library. Once iTunes had finished it's thing I deleted the music folder from my iMac. It worked fine for a while but once I ejected the external drive and re-opened iTunes it no longer listed my external drive as the iTunes Music folder location.
It seems like the external drive needs to be mounted before iTunes will find it. I have to manually "touch" the hard drive through Finder before I open iTunes. Is this correct? I was kind of hoping that iTunes would know where to look once I told it to go to the external hard drive. If not that's too bad. If anyone knows of another way to go about this please let me know. What confuses me is that even before the external hard drive is "mounted" iTunes will play every song in my library just fine. But the preferences pane still says that my library is on my internal hard drive. I looked at the "get info" thing and it showed that the songs are on the external drive.
Here's my set up. My external hard drive is connected to my AirPort Extreme. This is where my iMac "knows" where to look for the iTunes Library. Eventually I'd also like to connect my MacBook to this Library as well.
Thanks for all your help.
Tony
Comments
It seems like the external drive needs to be mounted before iTunes will find it. I have to manually "touch" the hard drive through Finder before I open iTunes. Is this correct? I was kind of hoping that iTunes would know where to look once I told it to go to the external hard drive. If not that's too bad. If anyone knows of another way to go about this please let me know. What confuses me is that even before the external hard drive is "mounted" iTunes will play every song in my library just fine. But the preferences pane still says that my library is on my internal hard drive. I looked at the "get info" thing and it showed that the songs are on the external drive.
Here's my set up. My external hard drive is connected to my AirPort Extreme. This is where my iMac "knows" where to look for the iTunes Library. Eventually I'd also like to connect my MacBook to this Library as well.
Yes, the drives need to be mounted before iTunes can use them. I don't believe that iTunes was designed to expect networked drives so I don't think the capability to auto mount networked drives was built in. You can either move the external drive to your Mac or you can set your account login to mount the networked drive at login.
When it was working, had you emptied the trash? You might have been accessing the old iTunes folder.
Yes, the drives need to be mounted before iTunes can use them. I don't believe that iTunes was designed to expect networked drives so I don't think the capability to auto mount networked drives was built in. You can either move the external drive to your Mac or you can set your account login to mount the networked drive at login.
When it was working, had you emptied the trash? You might have been accessing the old iTunes folder.
Yes I had emptied the Trash. I have been going through my iMac to make more room. I have a ton of photography, and emptied the trash often to see how much room I really had. How do I set up my Mac to mount the networked drive at login? That would be so helpful. Thanks for the respone
How do I set up my Mac to mount the networked drive at login? That would be so helpful.
Go to System Preferences >> Accounts >> Log In Items
Click on the Plus sign and locate your drive in the drop down menu. Click on ADD to add the drive to your Log In Items.
Go to System Preferences >> Accounts >> Log In Items
Click on the Plus sign and locate your drive in the drop down menu. Click on ADD to add the drive to your Log In Items.
Nice, This worked. Here's another question. When I add something to my iTunes on the MacBook it does not show up in the library on the iMac. Why is this. Do I have to do something manually to add it iTunes on the iMac. I was hoping that once I Downloaded something (podcasts, TV shows) they would automatically add them selves to all iTunes programs that point to the Media server. Do you know how I can get this done?
Nice, This worked. Here's another question. When I add something to my iTunes on the MacBook it does not show up in the library on the iMac. Why is this. Do I have to do something manually to add it iTunes on the iMac. I was hoping that once I Downloaded something (podcasts, TV shows) they would automatically add them selves to all iTunes programs that point to the Media server. Do you know how I can get this done?
Where to begin with this?
iTunes is not really set up to support multiple users. It will only support one user at a time and then only when special preparations are made. You have already done the first item, moving the library onto an external drive. Second is to disable permissions on that drive so that multiple accounts can access and change the files. Then after mounting the drive in your MacBook you will need to select its iTunes library at iTunes startup. (Hold down the option key.)
Unfortunately this will not help you in keeping your MacBook and iMac iTunes libraries in sync. That's why we keep on asking for a iTunes Home Server.