Adding another external drive with FireWire

Discussion in 'Apple TV and Home Theater' started by Dan DRC, Apr 7, 2013.

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  1. Dan DRC, Apr 7, 2013

    Dan DRC macrumors member

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    Nov 15, 2011
    #1
    I currently have a 2tb external drive for iTunes content. Everything works great but now I am looking to expand storage and figured I would just buy a 3Tb drive. Then I started thinking since I use FireWire for my connection I could just buy another 2tb and daisy chain them. This would be more economical and would give me even more storage. My question was since iTunes is pointed towards the first drive how does it see the 2nd one that is daisy chained which would have a different name? For example I would name the first one D1 and the second one D2 or would I name them both the same name (that would seem incorrect) sorry if this seems simplistic but I have not daisy chained before.
     
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  2. mike457, Apr 7, 2013

    mike457 macrumors 6502

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    #2
    Let's start with the last part: if you connect two drives with the same name, OSX will modify the name so that they are different by adding a number to the name of the drive. You should give the drives different names.
    The trickiest bit will come from how you want to store the files. iTunes generally wants you to have all your files on one drive. You can change this by going to preferences/advanced preferences and deselecting "Keep iTunes Media folder organised" and "Copy files to iTunes Media folder." After that, when you add files, you put them first in a folder on the firewire drive you wish to use and then drop them onto iTunes. The files will stay on that hard drive only, and iTunes will know where they are stored.

    Hope that helps
     
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  3. Dan DRC, Apr 7, 2013

    Dan DRC thread starter macrumors member

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    #3
    Thanks Mike I am pretty sure that covers it. When I added the original external drive I had deselected the 2 preference items that you mentioned. So when I add a movie it really does not matter what drive I put it on iTunes will find it.
    I just was unsure what effect if any daisy chaining would have. Sounds like I will just name the two drives D1 and D2, daisy chain with Fire Wire and just add my movies to the hard drives as I always have. When D1 becomes full I will start adding to D2 and it won't matter to iTunes it will just find it.
     
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