itunes external drive? about Manual Migration from IMAC5,1 to new 21' i7

[hikerak]

Hello,

I have the imac 2.16 intel core2 dou with a bad Video Card and i am upgrading to the new 21.5" i7 model. I am planning on doing a manual migration and everything looks great until I get to itunes because I have my music on an external 1tb drive. I think this might make things easier, but I would like to maintain my multiple ipod/pad settings, playlists and such.

Is there a preferences library that I have to replace in the new imac in order to do this? is there a certian process I need to follow when pointing the new itunes to the music folder on the external drive? Do you need more info?

In the olden days (pre OSX, of course there wasn't itunes or aperture)I would know, but since OSX I've lost track of the system folder and don't understand it anymore.

I am buying the new David Pogue Lion Book and hope to understand it again.

Any help is appreciated.... The New mac is coming on Saturday I hope.... I would like to be all ready for the transfer....

 

[Darth.Titan]

• Plug your external drive drive containing your iTunes Library into your new Mac.
• Hold down the option key when starting iTunes.
• iTunes will ask you to select your library. Browse to the external and select your library.

That's all there is to it. iTunes should now launch with all your media, settings, and playlists intact.

 

[hikerak]

OK, I was looking at how I have things set up again. The external drive that holds my music holds only the music files, not the "Itunes" folder that I assume has the "Library" file that you are speaking of.

Before I update should I move the "Itunes folder" to the external and put the "music" folder in it? then start up itunes on the new mac holding down options of course.

Or will that screw up the "Library" file as to the path of where the music is stored? Does this make sense?

I looked in the music folder on the external and there is not an Itunes Folder in it,

There is also no Itunes Folder on the external drive not in the music folder..... No Itunes folder on the external at all only a "music" folder with my music in it. There is also not a music folder in the Itunes folder on the imac either..... So my guess is that the Library on the computer points to the external for the actual music but stores the artwork, apps for the ipods and such on the computer it's self.... That's what I was trying to do when I did it anyway.....

I had a hard time moving my Music to the external as you can probably tell. Lots of Deleting and searching. Infact , itunes regularly tells me that it can't find some of my music which I manually find for a while and then stop out of monotony. I am just too scared to mess with it for fear that I will duplicate everything again.

Too much info? Not enough? Let me know.... The new one is scheduled to arrive Saturday.

Thanks in advance...

Matt