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bigsmoke07 · Jan 28, 2003, 07:47 PM

I'm having trouble having itunes recognize it. I bought it to dump all of my songs on it...I successfully did that by just copying my itunes music folder to the new drive. Then I changed the prefs to use that as the import drive.

the issue is that itunes now whenever i click on a song, doesn't know where to find the songs! It asks me to locate them. ...now when I do that, everything is fine...but do I have to do that for every song?

Is there a script or a workaround? I have 2500 songs...

I know this is a newbie question, but I would appreciate the help.

Agasthya · Jan 28, 2003, 08:02 PM

Originally posted by bigsmoke07:
I'm having trouble having itunes recognize it. I bought it to dump all of my songs on it...I successfully did that by just copying my itunes music folder to the new drive. Then I changed the prefs to use that as the import drive.

the issue is that itunes now whenever i click on a song, doesn't know where to find the songs! It asks me to locate them. ...now when I do that, everything is fine...but do I have to do that for every song?

Is there a script or a workaround? I have 2500 songs...

I know this is a newbie question, but I would appreciate the help.

Good times. I had a similar problem and the suggestion that I am going to give you has not been tested by me (I got it too late, I had already simply deleted all the MP3s from the library and reimported).

I assume that the path of all the MP3s is the same, except for the fact that they are on a new HD. If so, go into your iTunes folder and find the file called "iTunes Music Library.xml." Duplicate it and open the duplicate with your favorite text editor (I'd recommend BBEdit or Lite). Do a find/replace all and change the path of the files. The path of the new music will be "file://localhost/Volumes/etc etc".

After you do the replace all, save the file and open iTunes. Goto the file menu, import, and choose the modified XML file. I think this should do it, if not, just delete all the songs and readd them.

MPC · Jan 28, 2003, 08:07 PM

in your itunes folder delete

iTunes music library
iTunes mucic library.xml

empty your trash

then drag your itunes music folder onto the iTunes icon in your dock. Make sure in the advanced section of your iTunes preferences you have it pionting to the right folder.

hope that helps.

bigsmoke07 · Jan 29, 2003, 05:54 AM

That I don't want to do! How can I keep my playlists...I know I have the songs, and I know there still organized in my library. I just need itunes to know that they are now in a different place.

OwlBoy · Jan 29, 2003, 06:48 AM

I know its not the most solid way to do it, but can't you copy your iTunes music folder to the new drive (assumeing you let iTunes organize it for you) and then make an alias from it in the spot that you moved it out of?

I know iTunes follows aliases cuz I did so when I was still someone who switched back and forth between 9 and X, I had my playlist "linked" between the 2 spots the programs used.

-Owl

DeathMan · Jan 29, 2003, 07:32 PM

Originally posted by OwlBoy:
I know its not the most solid way to do it, but can't you copy your iTunes music folder to the new drive (assumeing you let iTunes organize it for you) and then make an alias from it in the spot that you moved it out of?

I know iTunes follows aliases cuz I did so when I was still someone who switched back and forth between 9 and X, I had my playlist "linked" between the 2 spots the programs used.

-Owl

solid or no, thats the way i would do it.

kcmac · Jan 29, 2003, 07:43 PM

Did you try
File>AddtoLibrary>nameofyourharddrive>iTunes?
(or something like that?)

SMacTech · Jan 29, 2003, 07:47 PM

Originally posted by bigsmoke07:
That I don't want to do! How can I keep my playlists...I know I have the songs, and I know there still organized in my library. I just need itunes to know that they are now in a different place.

Select your playlist, then Export Song List. Then import them again. There may be a quicker way, but that works.
My wife makes a new playlist for every CD she wants me to burn on my Mac. I export the song list, and import on my iTunes. As long as the songs are in my library, it will create the new playlist.

scottiB · 08:42 PM

I followed OwlBoy's suggestion, and it worked like a dream.

Thanks.