iTunes Media Folder Location keeps resetting

The library folder will revert back to default if the location it points to is unavailable, I have the same problem when my NAS goes to sleep and iTunes tries to access it, the NAS takes a few seconds to wake up and iTunes sees this as the drive not existing and resets the folder location.

What I do is manually manage all my media, I leave the media folder location as the default and uncheck the "Copy files to iTunes Media folder when adding to library" option, this way I can store all my media on my NAS, or any other location, and drag it into my iTunes library and the file will stay on the NAS regardless of where the iTunes media folder location is pointing. This is the best way to control where your media is stored because it allows you to have your media stored across multiple drives and still add it to your library.

It is most likely because when iTunes opens, the shared volume hasn't been 'mounted'. iTunes goes crazy because it can't find it's library and it decides you need to look in the default location.

Direct attached external drives are easier to deal with than network attached storage for iTunes. This is especially true if you have set iTunes to auto Start.

Here's something that might help, although I think it is still possible that iTunes will try to auto start before the share is mounted...

Make sure your share is mounted - in Finder, click the time capsule under Shared. It may show you the shared folders (in which case they are already mounted and you can move on), or it may show "Connecting" for a few seconds before showing the shares.

After you have verified that you can see the shares...
Open System Preferences
Go to Accounts
Select the account that you normally login with (I guess that you can actually do this same thing for all accounts if you use more than one).
Click "Login Items"
Click the + button to add a new item - this will open a Finder like window.
Browse to Shared - Time Capsule and select the shared folder that you want iTunes to use. Click "Open"
A new Login Item has just been created that will go out and mount your share whenever you login.

As long as the mount is active when iTunes opens, it should retain your setting.

Note that I said "should" there...

There is some more advanced stuff that you can do with something called "symlinks", but I don't think you want to go there as a new Mac user.

Really, I would suggest getting a Direct Attached external drive (Firewire is better than USB) to store your iTunes media. The NAS thing sounds cool, but it's not just plug & play simple. Also, I personally don't think the Time Capsule is a very good NAS. It is great for Back Up through Time Machine, but that is a very specific use. Don't think that your iTunes library is backed up because it is on your Time Capsule - you are using it as Primary storage, not a Back-Up.

I'm hoping Apple will give us an option to fix this behaviour when the new iTunes is released. Many people have tiny SSDs these days and need to store their iTunes libraries on larger external HDs (mine is on a Time Capsule). Every time the Time Capsule gets unmounted I have to manually point iTunes in the right direction again and wait several minutes while it gets everything sorted. First world problems, I know.

roidy said:

What I do is manually manage all my media, I leave the media folder location as the default and uncheck the "Copy files to iTunes Media folder when adding to library" option, this way I can store all my media on my NAS, or any other location, and drag it into my iTunes library and the file will stay on the NAS regardless of where the iTunes media folder location is pointing. This is the best way to control where your media is stored because it allows you to have your media stored across multiple drives and still add it to your library.

Click to expand...

I'm interested in moving my music to an NAS also so it is available to both my PC desktop and my MB Pro. Under this arrangement, how do you import your CD tracks? Do you insert the CD then drag and drop them into your NAS folder manually or do you still use the import feature in iTunes? If the former, do you then drag and drop the CD tracks onto iTunes to add them to your library, without moving them to the Media Folder?

If I move my music files to the NAS, can you please explain to me how I would create 'separate' libraries on each of my computers? Would I have to delete the .itl files then have each copy of iTunes (PC and MB) scan for media on my NAS?

Here's my ultimate goal, if you can speak to it. I currently have iTunes and all the associated files on my desktop PC upstairs. I have an AppleTV downstairs connected to my audio system. Sometimes homesharing quits on my PC or my wife may close iTunes accidentally, so if I want to play iTunes on my AppleTV downstairs, I have to run upstairs, restart home sharing or iTunes then come back down to start my music. I wish to control iTunes from my MB instead of the desktop. i.e. I want the MB to be the main iTunes computer, if that makes sense. Will the arrangement that you descirbe do this for me?