[yongfook]

since I am gradually running out of HD space I want to eliminate any used space that isn't totally essential. I don't use iTunes much these days as I tend to run my iPod through my stereo if I want music, so I was thinking about moving my iTunes archive to an external drive.

Is this possible? I mean, I can of course simply copy it across and then delete it from my home folder, but what happens when I start iTunes next time...?

cheers for help in advance,
y

[Spheric Harlot]

iTunes will not find any of your songs.

You will probably need to do three things:

1. Change the location of your designated iTunes music folder to whatever the new location is (in iTunes preferences)

2. Delete all your songs from the library (from within iTunes)

3. re-import all your songs into iTunes (by dragging the music folder to the iTunes window.

This will lose all ratings and "last played" dates, play counters, etc. AFAIK, there is no way to avoid this.

-s*

[car1son]

I believe you can do this without loosing the ratings or playlist associations if you are willing to let iTunes organize your library. Proceed as follows:

- iTunes Preferences / Advanced.
-- Change the location of your music library to an appropriate folder on the new HD.
-- Check both "Copy to music folder" and "Keep music folder organized" options.
(Close preferences ad let it think a bit. It's not moving anything right now, just changing paths in the library file.)

- iTunes>File menu>Add to Library. Point this at your old music library.

I believe this will copy your files, retaining the original associations. You can try it on a subset of your old files first. I don't think it delete s the old files as it proceeds, so you need to drag the old MP3 library folder to the trash (don't delete the "iTunes 4 Music Library" file itself, though.

(iTunes will (re-)organize your files into Artist and Album sub-folders, according to their ID3 tags.)

I keep my 95% of my Powerbook's library on an external firewire HD. Once the iPod is sync's, you can even reSync it with the external HD disconnected (unmounted), and iTunes won't change the iPod's copy of those files that are currently inaccessible (as long as they are still listed in iTunes itself.) Useful for adding a few things while away from the HD.

[yongfook]

that works great up to a point - I keep getting the -50 errors during transfer.

I think this is due to my files containing symbols that the FW drive doesnt like (/\; etc).

Anything I can do to remedy this? Short of changing all the offending filenames manually, is there a wa of changing them all at the same time?

[geekwagon]

Originally posted by yongfook:
that works great up to a point - I keep getting the -50 errors during transfer.

I think this is due to my files containing symbols that the FW drive doesnt like (/\; etc).

Anything I can do to remedy this? Short of changing all the offending filenames manually, is there a wa of changing them all at the same time?

Format your external drive as HFS+ instead of FAT32 or whatever it is now.. That is the easiest solution.

[car1son]

In OS X's /Library/Scripts/Finder Scripts folder you'll find an Applescript "Replace text in item names".

This script works on the topmost open Finder window. Change the offending character to something inoffensive or nothing at all.

[Mediaman_12]

If you hadn't started moving the files there is an easer way, that keeps ALL the setings.
Make sure iTunes isn't running, then find and back up the iTunes music library XML file.
Create the new folder that you want to use as new library.
Open iTunes and use the options to select this as the new location of the iTunes library.
Quit iTunes. Move the old Music library to the new folder.
This is the clever bit.
Open both the backup of the previous backedup iTunes music library XML file and the new one.
In the new XML file there will be the path to the new folder. Coppy this and do a find and replace to replace the old path in the backup version.
save and replace the newer iTunes XML file with the updated backup.
This should of updated all the locations of the tracks in iTunes to the new location.