iTunes from old HD (now backup) to new HD

[Vinny]

Hey guys,

I've made my old main HD my backup and have purchased a new HD to be my C:

I have my iTunes files on my old HD, now backup, and want to get them to my new main HD.

I could putz around with it, but I'm deathly afraid of losing my iTunes files and folders.

Whats the PROPER way of getting iTunes to my main HD?

Just for reference I'm running a Dell with XP sp2

TIA!!

~Vinny

[pam123]

Here you go : http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=301748

This will get the music from what is now your back up drive on to your new 'C' drive.
But there's a question, how much prep did you do before you switched the drives ?

[Vinny]

Thanks Pam!

what do you mean by prep exactly? i formatted the new HD to be my C: and loaded up the proper software and drivers. is that what you mean?

[Vinny]

i am trying to launch iTunes from my secondary HD (former primary) and when i launch iTunes i get an error that it didn't properly install and when it launches its blank, no music at all...

basically right now i'm sick to my stomach...

what can i do???

[glc]

You can't do that - you have to install Itunes on the new drive. Then you have to go in and find the library and move it.

[Vinny]

i was wondering that, but didn't want to try it without knowing its the right step... as i said i'm deathly afraid of losing my files

thanks! installing now

[Vinny]

hate to be a royal pain but i can't seem to locate the library on my old HD... any ideas on where to look? i'm in the itunes folder but nothing appears to be a library from what i can see.

there area number of files with extension .lproj

[glc]

It's on the old drive in \Documents and Settings\username\My Documents\My Music\iTunes. If you don't see that structure, make sure you have display of hidden files enabled in your folder options. Once you point it, you *should* see your library in Itunes. Then you can move it.

[Vinny]

found the file, thank you very much... unfortunately, i'm getting an error stating the whole library cannot be imported... i have to select each song one at a time. its not a HUGE problem, but there must be a simpler way. i cannot select multiple songs, or folders, just one at a time.

this sound usual?

[glc]

Are you following those instructions exactly to move the library?

EDIT: Or are you saying you haven't even gotten that far - you can't get the library to open up from the old locatiuon without a song by song import? If that's the case I think I would try copying the entire My Music folder from the old location to the new - but don't do this till Pam has a looksee and gives us her opinion.

[Vinny]

it isn't finding the original file, its only copying what i've already done one by one i followed the instructions to the letter but its not searching my E: apparently, only my C: itunes folder that i've made by importing song by song

[Vinny]

ok, well i just went ahead and imported the 900 songs one at a time all is well. thanks folks for the help, i have no idea why those instructions didn't work... maybe their written for primary HD to secondary HD, i was going the opposite, thats probably the problem.

again, thanks!

Vinny

[pam123]

Hi Vinny,
Sorry I had to leave but with glc's help you got the job done.
Prep means the steps before you swapped the hard drives around : check Keep iTunes library organized,de-activating your computer if you're switching hard drives, so iTunes will know you're not putting the library on two computers at once, and if you use an iPod the most recent update makes it easier to use to transfer your music.
When you switch the drives and install a new download of iTunes on the new drive, all you have to do is copy the old "My Music" folder into the new My Music folder.
From your description it sounds as if you got the path direction wrong when you consolidated and had to point it at a new location so you ended up dragging and dropping one file at a time.
Also, using either CD-Rs or DVD-Rs, back up the music; iTunes will only replace lost collections under extraordinary circumstances.
The back up function in the current version has gotten "smart". It will only burn the songs to disk that you've added since the last time used it. That makes back ups much easier.
It's an unfortunate fact that you'll probably have to do this again so when you format that old drive put a back up folder on it especially for iTunes as well as burning music to disk.