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Best way to retain iTunes library after clean Snow Leopard install?

Nikos

Nikos

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Nov 20, 2008
1,652
323
New York
I want to do a clean/fresh install of Snow Leopard tomorrow. I can deal with reinstalling apps, etc. but I really don't want to lose my iTunes library, mainly my play count. Crazy, I know, but hey lol.

What's the best way of doing a fresh install without losing it? File->Library->Back Up To Disk? Will simply saving my iTunes folder to an external, then copying it to the fresh install work?

Any and all help would be much appreciated!
 
Just keeping the iTunes Folder in ~/Music and moving it back afterward is enough.

Time Machine takes care of that manually of via Migration Assistant.
 
Doesn't using Time Machine to restore a backup defeat the purpose of the format/clean install? Wouldn't it be the same to just update, or can you set Time Machine to only backup certain folders rather than the entire OS?
 
Nikos said:
Doesn't using Time Machine to restore a backup defeat the purpose of the format/clean install? Wouldn't it be the same to just update, or can you set Time Machine to only backup certain folders rather than the entire OS?
Click to expand...
You can restore certain folders or you can just migrate only your user account back.

Even if you're doing a full system backup you can choose what you want to restore. You can just skip the user migration and only restore the iTunes Music folder.
 
Before doing the clean install, just make sure the "iTunes" folder (in your Music folder) is backed up. Just grab the whole folder (which contains all your music and info for the Library).

Then, after the clean install, just put the iTunes folder back into your Music folder. Run any updates to the machine, and open iTunes. Everything will be right as you left it.
 
Eidorian said:
You can restore certain folders or you can just migrate only your user account back.

Even if you're doing a full system backup you can choose what you want to restore. You can just skip the user migration and only restore the iTunes Music folder.
Click to expand...

Thanks! I'm sure an upgrade would work fine but I will feel better mentally if I do a clean install. lol

I really appreciate the help :)
 
I do clean installations and migrate my user back. I don't see any ill from user accounts.

Same thing on the Windows side.
 
I just copy the folders I want to keep to my external .. then after I do an erase and install I copy them back .... you won't lose any info in your iTunes that way.
 
1: am i right in saying if you restore a user account, you restore all the crap that comes with it?

2: can you restore mail accounts? I have 5 of them in my mail app

scary stuff, never done this before! thank you!
 
You can always do an upgrade, see how things run, then if your satisfied... fine. If not you can just do a clean install like normal.

snverhallen
 
musio said:
1: am i right in saying if you restore a user account, you restore all the crap that comes with it?
Click to expand...
Yes

2: can you restore mail accounts? I have 5 of them in my mail app
Click to expand...
Yes
Go to your backup and navigate to ~/Library folder there should be a folder or two for mail also be sure to copy back the preferences as well
 
Im also thinking of doing an erase and install for Snow Leopard....

After the erase and install, I currently have a time machine backup to my time capsule, when setting up snow leopard it will ask to transfer information via time machine, will this mess up any user account's/names ?

Providing I do the time machine restore during the setup utility it should all flow through fine hopefully ?
 
I understand for your music in iTunes, you backup the /music folder. But is there a way to backup everything? Like iPhone apps and ringtones and everything else? Even your settings? Something like being able to export everything to a backup file, the import everything later would be nice.
 
jjk454ss said:
I understand for your music in iTunes, you backup the /music folder. But is there a way to backup everything? Like iPhone apps and ringtones and everything else? Even your settings? Something like being able to export everything to a backup file, the import everything later would be nice.
Click to expand...

If you just backup your /Music/iTunes folder, everything should be backed up. Maybe not the preferences but your music, movies, TV shows, podcasts, ringtones, apps etc is all in the iTunes folder. Once you do a clean install, run Software Update (just in case) and put the iTunes folder back in your Music folder. When you start iTunes, it should automatically look in that folder and restore your library.
 
I have the music folder on my TC, I just did a clean install, now I point iTunes to that music folder and nothing happens. I try to sync my iPhone, and it tells me everything on the phone will be replaced. I would like to be able to keep my music and podcasts, but especially my apps. Is there anything I can do? I was told to point itunes to a library file, but that is not in the music folder on my TC.
 
Note that after your clean install, copy everything back into your music folder before you launch iTunes for the first time, makes life a little easier when you don't have scary overwrite messages.
 
Well, I copied the itunes folder from my old hdd to my new ssd and everything is back to the way it was. But, it seems like a lot of stuff was on my hdd that I wanted on my TC. How do I keep everything in iTunes in my TC? The library file, the apps, musuc, everything? It seems like the media files were there, but the library file and the apps were still on my mac, not the TC.
 
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