Hard drive nearly full/iTunes query

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  player1 Posts: 2,518

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  29/12/08 - 12:05 #2

  Ricardodaforce wrote: »

  I will try to explain my problem concisely!
  
  My laptop hard filled up yesterday. I have a huge iTunes library plus thousands of tracks still on the hard drive in their original formats. So, a lot of the music in my iTunes isn't actually in the iTunes music folder, but just in the c-drive music folder.
  I think this means that I have thousands of tracks that are stored in 2 different formats on my laptop. But I can't delete the stuff that is not in the iTunes folder because some of my iTunes library links to stuff that isn't in that folder.
  
  Any solutions as to how I can free up some space without actually losing stuff from iTunes??

  
  You could "consolidate" your iTunes library ( check out iTunes help ) ...or since external USB hard drives are really cheap just buy a big HDD and move your music there ?

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  Ricardodaforce Posts: 8,576

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  29/12/08 - 12:23 #3

  Thanks for the reply. If I choose the consolidation option (my preferred one) then "Files located outside the iTunes folder remain in their original locations, and copies are placed in your iTunes folder. " Which sounds like I will fill up the hard drive with the copies before the job is done. Have I understood that right?

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  player1 Posts: 2,518

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  29/12/08 - 22:11 #4

  Ah...you are correct...sorry , I was at work and didn't fully think that through. Looks like you will need that external HDD after all...at least to let you get your music copied / consolidated into iTunes at which point you could delete the "source" files outside iTunes ( assuming you had selected option to "let iTunes manage music" which would copy all your music into iTunes directory.
  
  I can lend you a hard drive ...once you are done with it no need to go to the bother of deleting all that music
  
  Joking:)

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  mimi dlc Posts: 13,423

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  30/12/08 - 09:38 #5

  I was about to post a similar query, but ricardodaforce has phrased it so much better than me.
  
  I have just got a 120GB ipod, so will take forever to fill its memory, but my problem is similar in that i am using my laptop as my itunes "home" and there is only 8GB left in hard drive memory.
  
  I intend to get a portable external hard drive and then back up all my music and photos to there. Then i guess i will have to delete itunes folder from laptop HD to free up space...(um whole itunes folder or just itunesmusic sub-folder?)
  
  Do I then
  have to only use itunes in ex hard drive, via laptop?
  Or can I have a laptop only version of itunes, and transfer stuff from laptop to ex hard drive as and when i need to?
  
  sorry if this question comes under the heading of "ble*eding obvious", but I am a newbie at ipodding and only have basic computer skills.
  
  Any replies very welcome as long as you keep the techie stuff simple!

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  [Deleted User] Posts: 195

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  30/12/08 - 14:45 #6

  I have bascially the same question as the above post and possibly the OP - so any replies gratefully recieved.

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  Ricardodaforce Posts: 8,576

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  30/12/08 - 16:37 #7

  I've bought an external hard drive and transferred all my music onto it. All is fine EXCEPT for some reason I can no longer add album art in iTunes. I'm baffled!

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  mimi dlc Posts: 13,423

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  31/12/08 - 16:48 #8

  After posting yesterday, i decided to do a bit more searching for info and found this article.
  
  http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/articles/comments/moving-your-itunes-library-to-a-new-hard-drive-2007/
  
  Although it looks dauntingly long, a lot of it is background so that you understand the itunes filing system.
  I'm a technophobe, but most of it made sense to me.
  
  It includes the Wrong way to move your library of music (which is definitely the way i would have approached it!)
  then tells you the Right way to do it.
  
  A bit down the article it specifically gives info on how to run itunes with external hard drive and a laptop with not enough memory which is exactly what I need to to.
  
  So now all I need is an external hard drive and another 10,000 albums to import...

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