iTunes plus External HD??? and: a brand new headache

[Gilvisto]

Alright, so I want to keep my movies on my external hard drive, but keep them accessible to iTunes on my Macbook... what would be the best way to go about doing this without moving everything off my book? (I want my music still on the computer, it doesn't take up as much space...)
Thank you,
-Gil

 

[i.shaun]

Do you care if it's not the same libraries?

You can quit iTunes, re-launch it while holding "option" and create a new library on the external for movies.

Simply quit, re-launch and hold option to select an existing library (choose either your music or your movies)


That's what I did, that way I can keep my music where it is, and movies on external.


Make aliases from the two iTunes library files and place them somewhere convenient, with identifiable names (ie: "music" "movies" )

 

[Gilvisto]

That should do the trick. Thank you very much, sir. You are a gentleman and a scholar.
-Gil

 

[Gilvisto]

Uh oh...

Alright, so, I took your excellent advice, and it worked smashingly. Until I tried to switch back... it took me quite some time to find my original iTunes folder, so when I finally got it running, I decided to move it to a more accessible location. When I quit iTunes, however, my computer just says "saving iTunes Library", and the program won't respond. I'm guessing it's just copying all the files now that I exited the program was using them, do you think that's correct? or am I in trouble? lol

 

[sandman42]

You can have one iTunes library that resides on more than one disk. Just uncheck 'keep my library organized' in preferences, and iTunes will not copy files to your library when you add them -- it will leave them where they are.

In other words, you could keep your library on your internal drive (containing music), then uncheck the above selection and 'add to library' the movie files (with the external drive connected, of course) and iTunes will consider them part of your existing library without copying them to your internal drive.

You can also leave 'keep my library organized' checked but override it when you add files by holding down the option key and dragging the files into your iTunes window.

 

[Oliver Barker]

This might not be the best method but it works for me! If you stop it from organising your library, then import the movie and once its imported move the movie file to your external hard drive. iTunes won't be able to find it and will ask you to locate the proper file which you can! I don't think it'll change the location.

 

[i.shaun]

Alright, so, I took your excellent advice, and it worked smashingly. Until I tried to switch back... it took me quite some time to find my original iTunes folder, so when I finally got it running, I decided to move it to a more accessible location. When I quit iTunes, however, my computer just says "saving iTunes Library", and the program won't respond. I'm guessing it's just copying all the files now that I exited the program was using them, do you think that's correct? or am I in trouble? lol

hmm strange.

Default iTunes library is in Home/music/iTunes

simply select the iTunes file, and the previous library opens. Or go to external/iTunes to open that one.

I created an alias for both and saved them in a folder within the Finder sidebar

You should not have tried to move the real iTunes library file, that must remain within iTunes folder. An Alias works well, and is expendable (doesn't matter if you delete it, re-name it, move it, or do anything that would otherwise destroy the original iTunes library file)

 

[Jason Edwards]

While holding down the option key drag your movies into iTunes. It will create an alias to the movie file. There is no messing with the library this way and everything is accessible and organized in iTunes.

Jason

 

[Gilvisto]

"You should not have tried to move the real iTunes library file, that must remain within iTunes folder."

Yeah... Learned that one last night, lol. So, after three hours and no change in my computer's state, I did a hard reboot. When I checked my iTunes library, everything was back to normal, except all my movies were gone. Apparently, I hadn't "copied" them, I just aliased them to my second library. And then deleted the original... thankfully, my music was unharmed in it's original location.

So, now I get to re-rip my collection, which sucks, but is at least easy enough to do. (yay Handbrake!)... Do you reckon iTunes might let me re-download my purchased movies? Those are the only ones that I'm afraid of losing permanently...

Thanks again,
-Gil

 

[drewsof07]

Ha i tried this once, it worked alright for awhile but after a month or so I was fed up with it. I found it was best to just choose the albums/movies I listen to/watch the most and keep them on the computer and if i ever wanted to view to the others i could attach the ext HD

 

[i.shaun]

Ha i tried this once, it worked alright for awhile but after a month or so I was fed up with it. I found it was best to just choose the albums/movies I listen to/watch the most and keep them on the computer and if i ever wanted to view to the others i could attach the ext HD

I have no problem with it, my External is always on.

I use it for Movies, for Program Install files (windows and mac), For my brothers iTunes library (containing redundant tracks, to mine), and whatever else.


Main Lib. \home\music\iTunes

Movie Lib. \volumes\storage(external)\iTunes
Brothers Lib. \volumes\storange(external)\iTunes\other\iTunes

I placed it inside the other iTunes folder for safe keeping

I then make an alias, and drag it to the Finder Side bar, in my "Files" folder.

I use a "Files" folder in place of the "Documents" folder because, just as on windows, it's full of crap.

"microsoft user date"
"my recieved files"
"sharing folders.ink"
"EyeTV Archive"
etc..

Same with Applications folder, I remove that and make my own, using aliases.

If I ever need to access the real one, its right at the top Macintosh HD\Applications

 

[i.shaun]

"You should not have tried to move the real iTunes library file, that must remain within iTunes folder."

Yeah... Learned that one last night, lol. So, after three hours and no change in my computer's state, I did a hard reboot. When I checked my iTunes library, everything was back to normal, except all my movies were gone. Apparently, I hadn't "copied" them, I just aliased them to my second library. And then deleted the original... thankfully, my music was unharmed in it's original location.

So, now I get to re-rip my collection, which sucks, but is at least easy enough to do. (yay Handbrake!)... Do you reckon iTunes might let me re-download my purchased movies? Those are the only ones that I'm afraid of losing permanently...


Thanks again,
-Gil

You lost previously ripped movies? How did that happen? Even if you remove the library file, the files should remain.

Of course, with a corrupted library, you would just have to remove everything from iTunes (select keep files) and re-drag the movies into iTunes

the movies are usually stored in the iTunes "music" folder under "movies"

iTunes\music\movies\

I don't know why they do that, they should have "music" "movies" "podcasts" etc separate. Instead I have to scroll through all the artist folders to find one named "Movies" :I

 

[Gilvisto]

Well, it was entirely an operator error. I "added" my movies from my first iTunes library to my new "Movie" library, thinking that would copy them, and then I deleted the originals. Stupid? I know... but oh well, life goes on... Hopefully iTunes will let me re-download my few purchased movies... *hope hope*

-Gil