iTunes / External Question

[Fourbin]

I've searched through the threads about using iTunes with music on an external hard drive but I still haven't found an answer to my question. I primarily want to keep my music on my Powerbook hard drive but there are some folders I have of music I'd prefer to keep on my external. Is there a way I can add this music from the external to itunes and use it only when the external is on? I have it in iTunes now but when the external is on and I go to play the track it dissapears from iTunes for some reason.

Thanks in advance!

 

[aricher]

iTunes will only let you have your files in one place. Go to "preferences -> advanced ->iTunes Music Folder Location." This by default is the "iTunes Music" folder in your "User->Music->iTunes" Folder. This advance panel is where you would change the iTunes Music Folder location to one on an external disk.

I have nearly 200 GB of music on an external hard drive - none on my laptop. I have found a way to "sync" all my Macs to this hard drive by copying the "iTunes Library," data file from the iTunes folder (in Users->Music) to the same folder on every computer. That way every time I have my external drive plugged in and boot up iTunes it sees the drive and all the music. Every time I add music though I have to remember to copy that "iTunes Library" file to the external drive so I can re-sync my other Macs.

In short, there is no way to have iTunes accessing more than one music folder location at the same time. You could, theoretically create 2 different "iTunes Library" data files - one for what's on your laptop and one for what's on the hard drive. Pain in the @$$ though.

I wish someone would write a hack to take care of this issue. Let us know if you have any other questions.