Confusing question about iTunes with multiple hard drives

[Slvgx]

Here's the setup. To keep things easy to understand:

HDD 1 - Stock MacBook internal 60GB 2.5" drive.
HDD 2 - External Firewire 200GB 3.5" drive.
HDD 3 - New internal 160GB 2.5" drive

When I first got my MacBook I hooked up HDD 2 to hold all my music and not take up room on the small stock internal drive (HDD 1). Everything worked fine and dandy.

Now I have a new drive (HDD 3) and I want things condensed, I no longer need to use an external drive (HDD 2) for the music so I'd like it on my new internal drive (HDD 3).

My "new" itunes is completely blank and I would like to take all the music from HDD 2 and put it on HDD 3 but I'd like to keep all the ratings and playlists intact. I thought all I had to do was do the "change" option and then consolidate. I now have the nicely organized itunes music folders sitting on the proper drive, but when I open itunes it shows 0 songs. I did an add and import, but it does not have the proper metadata with it.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[D0ct0rteeth]

Ok. You may not be able to do this and keep all of your ratings, but lets try this.

First backup a copy of the itunes Library file. That stores all your ratings and playlists. Just duplicate it incase this doesnt work.

Take your existing iTunes MP3 files and put them on the 3rd hard drive.

The key is that you have to keep the current iTunes Library file intact, and not delete anything. Dont reimport them, or anything like that. iTunes needs to just think you are moving the existing files.

Since you are moving all of the files, you will get errors next to all your files when you try and play them. iTunes will prompt you to find the files on your harddrive and you will have to navigate to the new file.

That should do it! Good luck!

 

[theBB]

You can also try this:

1) Keep your external HDD2 connected and create a new folder on HDD3, name it let's say, My_Media.

2) Start iTunes, open Preferences -> Advanced. Change the location to be "My_Media", make sure the options to "Keep iTunes folder organized" and "Copy files to iTunes folder whan adding to library". Hit OK.

3) iTunes should ask you whether you want your files to be moved to the new location. Say yes.

This should be less risky for keeping your ratings and playlists intact.

 

[D0ct0rteeth]

oooh. good idea.

You can also try this:

1) Keep your external HDD2 connected and create a new folder on HDD3, name it let's say, My_Media.

2) Start iTunes, open Preferences -> Advanced. Change the location to be "My_Media", make sure the options to "Keep iTunes folder organized" and "Copy files to iTunes folder whan adding to library". Hit OK.

3) iTunes should ask you whether you want your files to be moved to the new location. Say yes.

This should be less risky for keeping your ratings and playlists intact.

 

[Slvgx]

Everything seems to be okay. I'm missing weird random bits of stuff but it's working. Thanks all.