Since my internal hdd isn't big enough to hold my songs, I've set my iTunes library to an external drive and I've set preferences to copy all imported songs to that iTunes library. But if that external hdd gets filled up and I want to add more songs what can I do? Short of importing all my songs to my iPod and ripping them with Senuti to a newer and bigger drive, could I have err... have 1 long continuous iTunes library spanning across 2 drives?
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Running out of space for iTunes library. What to do?
- Thread starter superspiffy
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I'd suggest that you just get a large external hard drive that you don't think that you'll outgrow any time soon and just transfer your iTunes library over to that drive.
I think the only way to span a single iTunes library across two hard drive would be to RAID the drives together so they act as a single unit. Otherwise you would need to get a bigger hard drive.
If you need to transfer the iTunes library to another drive, you don't need to use an iPod as a go-between. Just plug both drives into the computer and drag the library folder from the old HD to the new one, and then switch the library in iTunes.
How big is your HD now? Do you think you'll fill it up pretty quickly?
If you need to transfer the iTunes library to another drive, you don't need to use an iPod as a go-between. Just plug both drives into the computer and drag the library folder from the old HD to the new one, and then switch the library in iTunes.
How big is your HD now? Do you think you'll fill it up pretty quickly?
Well, then. I'd probably start looking for at least a larger drive.
Newegg is a good place to look. If you want to just get an HD and swap drives from your external, Newegg has several Seagate drives with 5 year warranties for decent prices.
I think they also have some RAID enclosures as well, if you want to take that route. However, it is a little more expensive compared to just getting a regular external.
Newegg is a good place to look. If you want to just get an HD and swap drives from your external, Newegg has several Seagate drives with 5 year warranties for decent prices.
I think they also have some RAID enclosures as well, if you want to take that route. However, it is a little more expensive compared to just getting a regular external.
I want to daisy chain my drives so I'll be looking for one that has FireWire 800 like my current drive. So up to how many drives can I daisy chain? and do all of them have to be turned on for any to work?
I've never tried it myself, but I'm pretty sure that you can daisy-chain a fair number (63 I think) of drives. However, one of the enclosures would need at least a firewire 400 and a firewire 800 connection in order to do it.
I'm pretty sure that the linking drive (the one bridging the computer and the second drive) would need to be turned on as well.
Mind you, the computer would still read both as separate drives. You'd still need a RAID setup for both drives to be seen as one.
OWC has several dual firewire enclosure options as well as RAID enclosures as well if you want to explore that route.
This enclosure might be what you're looking for
I'm pretty sure that the linking drive (the one bridging the computer and the second drive) would need to be turned on as well.
Mind you, the computer would still read both as separate drives. You'd still need a RAID setup for both drives to be seen as one.
OWC has several dual firewire enclosure options as well as RAID enclosures as well if you want to explore that route.
This enclosure might be what you're looking for
http://www.dabs.com/ProductView.asp...ode=1&NavigationKey=11157,410070000&InMerch=1
Two terabyte, with network access. Connect to a wireless router, and you can access it from anywhere in your home.
All your music does not need to be in one folder, or on one drive. As long as you don't have the "Keep iTunes Music Folder Organized" and the "Copy files to iTunes Music Folder when adding to Library" checkboxes checked, you can keep the files anywhere you want.
Here is another option. While at first it may seem cost prohibitive, there are at least two major benefits to using this system.
1) You can add more storage space at any time without any down-time, re-formatting or copying files.
2) Your data is protected automatically in the event of a drive failure. Parity on the system (transparent to the user) ensures your data is safe in the case of a bad drive.
If I had the $500 to spend, I would get one.
1) You can add more storage space at any time without any down-time, re-formatting or copying files.
2) Your data is protected automatically in the event of a drive failure. Parity on the system (transparent to the user) ensures your data is safe in the case of a bad drive.
If I had the $500 to spend, I would get one.
I'd prefer a real SAN like http://www.infrant.com/products/products_details.php?name=ReadyNAS%20NVPlus
It plugs into your network, not USB so is way faster and flexible. I find USB drives unreliable. That Buffalo was nice, but this one is definitely more professional with enterprise-grade drives and hardware. And what is cost to a MacUser anyway
It plugs into your network, not USB so is way faster and flexible. I find USB drives unreliable. That Buffalo was nice, but this one is definitely more professional with enterprise-grade drives and hardware. And what is cost to a MacUser anyway
Won't that mess up the file structure of the songs and iTunes won't be able to find them anymore?