Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Backing Up iTunes for Restore: No Time Machine

S

Saladsamurai

macrumors regular
Original poster
Dec 8, 2009
152
0
I have searched this, but I am not sure which answer is the best for this. I would like erase my hard drive and restore OSX. I then want to restore my iTunes library with as little headache as possible. I do not want to use Time Machine. I just want to make sure my iTunes will retain all of my music and still sync with my iPhone properly.

Any help is appreciated.
 
Along with the iTunes folder, you may also want to copy your iTunes preferences (~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.iTunes.plist) file to have everything set up the same.

If you have created custom equalizer settings in iTunes then also grab (~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.iTunes.eq.plist).
 
Hi thanks guys! What about my iPhone? Will it still synch with iTunes when I erase and reinstall? Or do I need to do something to prepare for that as well?
 
Saladsamurai said:
I have searched this, but I am not sure which answer is the best for this. I would like erase my hard drive and restore OSX. I then want to restore my iTunes library with as little headache as possible. I do not want to use Time Machine.
Click to expand...

Why don't you want to use Time Machine :eek:
 
gnasher729 said:
Why don't you want to use Time Machine :eek:
Click to expand...

Whenever I use TM, I have always had problems. I have never tried it by selecting the "data only" option (or whatever it is called). Have you? I would assume that my iTunes library is considered "Data" but I could also see Apple considering it part of an "Application" so I am not sure if by selecting "data only" I would actually recover my music, videos, apps,etc.
 
Saladsamurai said:
Hi thanks guys! What about my iPhone? Will it still synch with iTunes when I erase and reinstall? Or do I need to do something to prepare for that as well?
Click to expand...

Sorry I do not have definite info about how seamless it would be on the iPhone. But one thing to make sure is to authorize the computer (in iTunes) after the new install and everything is restored (before plugging in the iPhone). This may (or may not) make it keep everything as it was.

To be on the safe side you should do a backup of the phone in iTunes just before starting the process. Copy the backup from the (~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup) folder. Then you can restore from that if needed.

Hope that helps some.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back