Can I put my iTunes music onto an external hard drive?

[MerryCouthyMows]

And if so, how?

I have an externalhard drive. My iTunes music is all on my laptop. I don't have a desktop computer, and my laptop is groaning under the weight of all my music. And I have another 50 hours worth waiting to be put on there!

So, I need my itunes music to somehow get moved from my laptop to the external hard drive.

How do I do it?

(In very short words for the technologically incapable please!!)

[GwendolineMaryLacey]

Go into iTunes and open up preferences under the iTunes menu. In the preferences box, click Advanced on the far right and change the destination folder. Make sure you have your external drive plugged in though or you won't be able to select it :)

[2cats222]

With itunes open, find out where your itunes library is - In itunes click edit, then click preferences. Click advanced. At the top will be the itunes media folder location. Take note of this.
Close itunes.
Move the folder you saw in the itunes media folder location to your external hide drive. (This will potentially take a long time)
When finished open itunes. It will advise you it can't find the media folder, show it where you have moved the folder to and voila.

[MerryCouthyMows]

Right. Will give this a try. (Thank you both)

I will be back if I fuck things up Can't do it, or get into a state!

[MerryCouthyMows]

I've got as far as taking a note of the iTunes Media folder location and closing iTunes.

Now, How do I FIND this folder? (I really am technologically incapable)

[MerryCouthyMows]

I go to the place that iTunes said my folder was - C: was the start bit.

The only stuff I can find in the C: bit of my folders is set up stuff for the laptop. (I am assuming, it keeps saying that I don't have permission to view this folder or that folder, and the ones that don't say that seem to bring up a new web tab of code - HTML?)

But I can't find the bloody iTunes folder!

[MerryCouthyMows]

Hold that thought - I have found one called iTunes.

Next step.

[MerryCouthyMows]

I seem to have managed to COPY the folder to my external hard drive, rather than MOVE it. There wasnt a bit in any menu I could find, so the only option I could see was to drag and drop the folder into the external hard drive bit, which is what I did, and it's now busy copying it.

What would I do next?

[MerryCouthyMows]

(I have a while, it's apparently going to take 25 mins!)

[2cats222]

Copy is not a bad thing, once it has finished look to see if it it in both locations (the original one and the new one on the external drive). If so delete the original one before moving to the next step.
You are doing well!

[2cats222]

And feel free to advise if my directions/instructions are terrible and I will try to be clearer but may fall asleep first as in bed in which case will be more helpful in the morning!

[MerryCouthyMows]

They actually are reasonably easy to follow, even for a numpty like me!

[MerryCouthyMows]

When I opened up iTunes after deleting the folder in it's original location, it DIDN'T ask me where the media folder was - it just automatically opened with all my choons in. Does that mean that all my music is now safely ensconsed in my external hard drive? because it's NOT where it was before!

And if I put a CD in to load to iTunes, will it automatically load it to the OLD folder, or to the external hard drive?

[MerryCouthyMows]

NOW I've found what you mean. I tried to 'check' a song in iTunes, and it said 'This file could not be located. Would you like to locate it?'

I ticked yes, have opened up the 'music' folder on my external hard drive. Now. How do I get ALL the songs to open?

[MerryCouthyMows]

I've given up, and will try again in the morning. I'm too technologically incompetent to do this!

It was all going soooo well until iTunes decided that no matter what I do, it refuses to find the file that is sitting PERFECTLY HAPPILY in my E: drive...

[babyboo1and2]

hi, could I also ask an iTunes related question please?

I am convinced my very old laptop is going to bite the bullet some time soon. I have just been given a work laptop and so would like to transfer the iTunes library (well everything iTunes related) onto the new laptop before something happens to the old laptop. Would I do as recommended to OP and transfer it to an external drive and then copy it to my new laptop? Or is there an easier/better way? Also do I need to do anything to my old laptop to stop it being connected to the iTunes account (I seem to recall a distant memory about only being able to have a certain number of devices connected to an iTunes account?)

Thanks

[2cats222]

Merry - try (in iTunes) to go to preferences then advanced and change the location of the iTunes folder there to the new location

[2cats222]

Baby, yes similar steps. But I would check first that you can run iTunes on the work laptop, sometimes this is not permitted (ie iTunes won't install).
You have have up to 5 devices authorised to play your songs so shouldn't be a problem,
Otherwise you can 'deauthorise this computer' from one of the menus within iTunes

[RustyBear]

Just a warning - if you do run out of authorisations over the years because computers die you can only deauthorise an individual computer that is still working - otherwise you have to deauthorise them all and then reauthorise the ones that still work.

[babyboo1and2]

Thanks for the advice. I know iTunes works on the new laptop as a colleague has installed it on hers, she is just much more techy than me.

Think I will attempt to install it on new laptop and then deauthorise the old laptop.

Thanks again