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General discussion

iTunes - external drive

Sep 19, 2006 4:34PM PDT

I have a laptop (running Windows XP). Since there is limited memory, I purchased an external hard drive to store my music files. Unfortunately, it seems that the iTunes music file actually needs to reside in the C: drive (hard drive). Does anyone know how I can open iTunes and have it use the files from my external drive?

Thanks

Discussion is locked

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iTunes music location
Sep 19, 2006 9:54PM PDT

Hi,
You can certainly do this. Go to the iTunes preferences and you will find a section that indicates where your iTunes library is located. (There is a Browse Button there)

First though, RIGHT click and COPY your iTunes music folder from its current location, (My Documents/My Music, I think) over to the new drive. You are doing a copy, instead of a MOVE, in case anything goes wrong. Do NOT move the application, which should be in your program directory.

Now go to the preferences of iTunes and find that section of the preferences that indicate where you have your music. Click on the Browse button and make your way to the new external HD and the copy of the iTunes music folder that you have just moved there. Choose it and close off preferences. Close iTunes and relaunch. It should now be looking at your new location.

Hope this helps

P

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ITunes from external drive
Jan 11, 2008 2:52AM PST

lady151 - did you ever get this to work? I have my music on an external drive and pointed it to the F:/ drive in Preferences but the songs never appear in iTunes? What am I doing wrong?

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Possibly this.
Jan 11, 2008 8:48AM PST

Your statement "I have my music on an external drive" could be a clue. You can have music wherever you like but what we are talking about here is the iTunes Music Library.
Make sure ALL your music is inside the iTunes library and then follow the instructions that were given to lady151.

iTunes will NOT see music that it has no knowledge of and when you point to the F: drive, it is expecting to see an iTunes library folder/directory.

Go back and read the instructions to lady151 again and let us know how you got on

P

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Possibly This part 2
Jan 12, 2008 1:06AM PST

I am missing something somewhere. I think I followed the steps correctly but I am still not getting the music to show up. I will continue to play with it. Thanks for your help. The one thing is when I do the browse the iTunes library will not show up as it is a file and only the folders are being displayed via the browse.

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The iTunes Library
Jan 12, 2008 9:48AM PST

is a file but it depends on other things too.

It is located inside the iTunes folder.

Once you have launched with the option key down, browse to the drive of your choice and open the iTunes folder on the external drive. You will see the file then.

Let us know

P

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iTunes external drive
Jan 13, 2008 12:40AM PST

I held down the Shift key while launching iTunes and got to a dialog box where I could select the iTunes library I needed to use. Then I went to iTunes preferences and changed it to the new location of iTunes Music. Working. Thanks again for your help. I will probably be back when I try to add new music.

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I believe that was the option key but
Jan 13, 2008 3:27AM PST

it does not matter now that you have it working.

Adding music is easy.

BTW, did you know that this is a Mac Software Forum?

You seem to be running Windows, albeit with a piece of Apple software.

P

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iTunes
Jan 13, 2008 6:05AM PST

Yes, i knew it was a Mac site. ladyq51 was also running windows. Knowing the Shift key is the option key is a new term to me. Learned something new.. thanks again.

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Shift is not Option on a Mac
Jan 13, 2008 7:17AM PST

Maybe the iTunes software for Windows uses the Shift key to achieve the same result as pressing the Option key on a Mac.
I just looked at a PC keyboard and did not see an Option key, although there is an Alt key.

The Option key on a Mac has a secondary function of Alt.

Mere details, enjoy your music

P