New Mac - Need help with iTunes PLEASE!!!

[HowManyHats]

Hello. Please stay with me as I anticipate this is going to be long.

LONG STORY

Yesterday I got a new MacBook. Before this computer I had the 1st gen. Mac Mini. That computer only had 40 gigs so I bought an external hard drive. I transferred the iTunes folder from the Music folder on my old mac to the external hard drive. Now, I want to get my iTunes library onto my new computer. I plugged the external hard drive into my Macbook and copied all the music onto the hard drive. I put the iTunes folder into the music folder. Here is the problem: when I try to play a song, it can't find it. It is obviously still looking for the music on the external hard drive. The only way that I can make it work is if I locate each song individually. I'm not going to do that for 1600 songs. My music only works when the external hard drive is plugged in.

SHORT STORY

When I try to play a song in iTunes, it looks for the music in the wrong place. My music only works when my external hard drive is plugged in. How do I tell it the right place to look? (without locating each song individually)

Any help would be very very very very greatly appreciated.

 

[GGJstudios]

When you copied the files onto your hard drive, did you do it manually, or did you let iTunes import and copy them? You may get better results if you start with the files on your external drive, then let iTunes import the songs. Before you do that, go to iTunes > Preferences > Advanced > General and check the box "Copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to library". Also, be sure your iTunes Music folder location (on the same Advanced screen) is pointing to your Mac HD and not to the external drive.

 

[HowManyHats]

When you copied the files onto your hard drive, did you do it manually, or did you let iTunes import and copy them? You may get better results if you start with the files on your external drive, then let iTunes import the songs. Before you do that, go to iTunes > Preferences > Advanced > General and check the box "Copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to library". Also, be sure your iTunes Music folder location (on the same Advanced screen) is pointing to your Mac HD and not to the external drive.

I did it manually. When you say import do you just mean File >
import? Do I import the iTunes library data file? When I try to do that it says that it is not a valid exported file.

 

[GGJstudios]

To import new music simply, just locate your folder on the external drive that contains your music. Drag that folder and drop it in iTunes. iTunes will import the music and copy it onto your hard drive (provided you have the proper settings I described).

 

[scotty96LSC]

It's fairly straight forward with this. If you get stuck post here and someone will help.
Just follow ggjstudios steps and you will be good.

 

[HowManyHats]

To import new music simply, just locate your folder on the external drive that contains your music. Drag that folder and drop it in iTunes. iTunes will import the music and copy it onto your hard drive (provided you have the proper settings I described).

It's going in as we speak. I'm just disappointed that I don't get my playlists or anything but at least I'll have my music. Thanks for your help.

 

[LouisBlack]

Just copy your iTunes music folder into the music folder in your new home directory. As long as iTunes is set to look at this as the itunes folder in preferences, it will load with all your settings and playlists.

So your basically replacing the new itunes folder with your old one (this has a database file in it that contains all of your settings, as long as itunes reads this it will work)

Hope that helps.