Tappin' It: Can I run iTunes strictly off an external HD?

[§†∑∫åµÞ≥¥]

SSIA, pretty much. My HD is already getting pretty full, but I have a 500GB external with a ton of room on it. Will iTunes recognize the external drive as being the primary one for its purposes? It seems obvious that it should, but I'm a bit of a late bloomer with iTunes/iPod.

Thanks,
-Steve

[Matt Quinn]

Absolutely. You have to go into preferences & point the library to the location where the files are, but that location can definitely be on an external, that's how I have mine set up.

[twatts]

Totally...  I have an external HD full of MP3s for my own iTunes.  And then I "share" the drive over the home network, so Heather can use the same on her lap-top in the living room... 

Terry


Edit > Preferences > Advanced > iTunes Music Folder Location

[§†∑∫åµÞ≥¥]

Thanks gents!

[jmon]

I've been doing it this way for several years. It works pretty good for the most part, however I've noticed that sometimes iTunes will revert to the default iTunes music folder on your internal drive. I'm not sure exactly when it happens, maybe after an iTunes update. Or maybe if you boot up when your external isn't hooked up.

I copied my collection to an external, then deleted my internal collection. Several months later I noticed my most recently added music was copied to the internal drive. I looked at the preferences, and sure enough, it was set back to the internal. This has been my experince. YMMV.

[giveaway]

Or maybe if you boot up when your external isn't hooked up.

I never had this issue when I was running iTunes; I did notice that when launching iTunes w/o the external drive mounted that the question mark icon [(?)] appears by all the songs.  After plugging in the drive you'll still have to manually locate the file, using the prompt that appears after double-clicking a track, but only until iTunes is rebooted.

I didn't notice any performance issues related to using an external instead of internal; my only troubles arose from the fact that the software is more bloated than other players.

Also, to clarify, you have to change the library location in the preferences and make sure the 'have iTunes organize my library' feature is enabled.

[§†∑∫åµÞ≥¥]

OK, so I reset my iTunes to run off an external HD (my F: drive via Edit>Preferences>Advanced) and "reorganized" my collection with 'Keep iTunes Music Folder Organized'. However, since my entire database of songs has been running off the internal HD to this point, all of the individual songs are still pointing to their home on the C: drive. The only way I've been able to convert them to the external drive is by deleting the album/artist/songs off my internal drive, then when I try to play them iTunes tells me they aren't found so I search for and reset each individual track to the F: drive location. There's got to be a easier way to convert my existing database, right? Or, do I have to delete and re-find all 7,000 songs in my library manually and one at a time?

[twatts]

Or, do I have to delete and re-find all 7,000 songs in my library manually and one at a time?

This is what you have to do...  It sucks, but it probably best... 

I have a 100gb at work that is my main listening.  I do a lot of TAG clean-up, album pix, etc. to my stuff at work.  Every once in a while I'll bring it home and dump the entire 100gb onto the 250gb.  I copy over all existing files with my new ones.  Keep it all the same.

Then I go into iTunes, delete everything, and then add everything.  I usually do this before I go to bed and in the morning it is done. 

After that, it is the PITA task of updating Heather's Lappy.  That thing does it wirelessly, so its even slower...

But once you get it all done, all your various files and iTunes are all the same...

Good luck!

Terry

[§†∑∫åµÞ≥¥]

Thanks!
-Steve

[Əkoostikal]

Just use the: File:/Add to Library command in iTunes...... it will add the songs to your library form whatever folder/drive you select.

if you want itunes not to play the songs that are on your internal HDD you will have to delete them all from itunes as previously stated.

I play all my songs in itunes form an ext. drive and it works great....... now as I have reached the 10,000+ mark I have noticed a small amount of lag when loading itunes after I close it but nothing to bad.

[giveaway]

OK, so I reset my iTunes to run off an external HD (my F: drive via Edit>Preferences>Advanced) and "reorganized" my collection with 'Keep iTunes Music Folder Organized'. However, since my entire database of songs has been running off the internal HD to this point, all of the individual songs are still pointing to their home on the C: drive. The only way I've been able to convert them to the external drive is by deleting the album/artist/songs off my internal drive, then when I try to play them iTunes tells me they aren't found so I search for and reset each individual track to the F: drive location. There's got to be a easier way to convert my existing database, right? Or, do I have to delete and re-find all 7,000 songs in my library manually and one at a time?

You don't have to delete from the internal and point it to the new location manually.  If you've already backed up your iTunes library onto the external, delete all the songs from your library in iTunes (so you have no songs) and drag and drop the main organized music folder from your external drive into iTunes.  It'll re-add everything and you just sit back and wait for it to finish processing.

[nickgregory]

OK, so I reset my iTunes to run off an external HD (my F: drive via Edit>Preferences>Advanced) and "reorganized" my collection with 'Keep iTunes Music Folder Organized'. However, since my entire database of songs has been running off the internal HD to this point, all of the individual songs are still pointing to their home on the C: drive. The only way I've been able to convert them to the external drive is by deleting the album/artist/songs off my internal drive, then when I try to play them iTunes tells me they aren't found so I search for and reset each individual track to the F: drive location. There's got to be a easier way to convert my existing database, right? Or, do I have to delete and re-find all 7,000 songs in my library manually and one at a time?

You don't have to delete from the internal and point it to the new location manually.  If you've already backed up your iTunes library onto the external, delete all the songs from your library in iTunes (so you have no songs) and drag and drop the main organized music folder from your external drive into iTunes.  It'll re-add everything and you just sit back and wait for it to finish processing.

this is what I would do...that way Itunes sets up the paths properly...fwiw, I am running itunes off of two external drives with no issues...and I use the squeezebox to stream wirelessly from those drives...thinking I may move to the airport though as I like the remote function I can use my itouch for...

now as I have reached the 10,000+ mark I have noticed a small amount of lag when loading itunes after I close it but nothing to bad.

the lag gets worse as the library gets better...I ended up building a dual core machine as Itunes was choking it down...see attached for my library stats...a result of a buddy and I converting everything we have...probably 70% done...

[Əkoostikal]

the lag gets worse as the library gets better...I ended up building a dual core machine as Itunes was choking it down...see attached for my library stats...a result of a buddy and I converting everything we have...probably 70% done...

  WOW... nice collectio bro...... Hopefully mine will look like that after a few more years. I just have so much that I do not have transferred into itunes right not. just not enough time.... now if only itunes would suport FLAC that would be the Sh*t

I imagine I will have to build a separate music machine sometime soon. That is the goal anyway, maybe something to stream music and just use as a DAW.

[twatts]

now if only itunes would suport FLAC

I think I saw a FLAC Plug-in for FLAC, but it was only for MACs... 

I really like how Traders Little Helper now does straight FLAC/SHN > MP3.  Makes converting shows easy... 

Terry

[Depechemode1993]

its the only way I can run all of my songs on my laptop. +T to the inventor of 500 GB external HDs!