iTunes - From PC to Mac

[Internaut]

Because I travel quite a lot for business, currently my iTunes library is stored on my work laptop. This is the third in a recent series of unreliable Dells (I recommend avoiding the D620) which also takes me up to my maximum number of authorised accounts. I also have a new iPhone which replaces an iPod touch. So, I'm thinking of rationalizing things a bit as follows:

1. De-authorize all systems currently on my iTunes account.
2. Moving my iTunes library to my MacBook at home (and also back up approx 5GB of purchased music to my iDrive.
3. Also keeping a copy of my iTunes library on whatever Windows laptop I happen to have (will be moving to a fourth Dell next week because my third has an over heating issue).

So.... Two questions:

1. I'm sure I've seen a de-authorize all option in iTunes but can't find it today (I'm sure you can only do one of these a year but this will be my first time)...... Where should I be looking?

2. How does one move an iTunes library from Windows to Mac (did a Google and information seems scarce so I'm guessing not easily)?

3. Is it legal for me to keep my tunes purchased from iTunes on both a Mac and a Windows system?

 

[wrldwzrd89]

1. I believe you have to call Apple now to do this - the option isn't in iTunes anymore.
2. This is real easy. Copy the entire iTunes folder to an external drive from the PC. Copy it into place on the Mac's Music folder. Open iTunes. It will automatically detect the PC library and update it.
3. Yes!

EDIT: I hear you regarding Dell laptops. I have a D600 at work, and... it's horrible. The battery has failed twice.

 

[Internaut]

Thanks very much for confirming wrldwzrd89.

 

[Internaut]

Yup..... tried last night and it worked

The iTunes library was easily copied from PC to MacBook. Also, I found the "de-authorize all" option on the web when I selected view account. Couple of problems along the way:

1. I've had iTunes pretty much from the get go and was using an AOL ID - it made me convert this to an Apple ID (no problem, really).

2. Just putting the files where iTunes says it stores its music doesn't make them appear in iTunes so I had to import them.

3. Couple of album covers missing but I can sort that out later.

Thanks again.

Regards,
J

 

[Ommid]

Did you lose your play counts etc using this method?

Thanks

 

[augman]

This is a good article on transferring from pc to mac

http://lifehacker.com/242468/geek-to-live--how-to-move-an-itunes-library-from-a-pc-to-mac-and-back

Here is another one:

http://www.myfirstmac.com/index.php...ry-from-pc-to-mac-and-keep-my-settings-intact