iTunes Split Library undo

[Michael Anderson]

MacMini , OSX 10.8.3, iTunes 11.0.1(12)
I moved my media files to an external hard drive . I have not yet removed my original media folder from my MacMini hard drive. For reasons that I dont understand the copy of my files on the external drive is complete but the copy remaining on the Mini has tracks missing at random all over the place. I would like to move the media folder on the external drive back onto the Mini and then delete the original media folder which is still on the Mini. iTunes would then be back all together in one place with the complete set of song files.

Or I guess as an alternative I could move all of iTunes onto the external drive if this is preferable ?

Can I safely do this ? Are there any particular things I need to be careful to do or not do ?
Thanks Mike.

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hello.

If you moved the media files outside of the iTunes Library, and iTunes > Preferences... > Advanced > Keep iTunes Media folder organized and iTunes > Preferences... > Advanced > Copy files to iTunes Media folder when adding to library aren't checked, then it will break the link in iTunes and cause the issue you are reporting.

-If you click on one of the songs with the ! exclamation point in a gray circle icon next to it, it will ask you to locate the file. When you navigate to the file and select it, it will re-link it and it should fix that issue.
-Do you have a current Time Machine or other backup of your data?
-10.8.5 is the latest version of Mountain Lion - is there a reason you never updated it?

The best way to move an entire iTunes Library to an external is to have both preferences above checked. Ince all files are re-linked, then choose File > Library > Consolidate Files... to copy all into the iTunes Library folder. You can then copy the entire Music > iTunes Library folder to an external drive, hold Option when launching iTunes, and then select the iTunes Library on the external. iTunes will then use the library on the external instead of the internal.

Of course, those directions are best attempted with a current backup in place and dependent on having enough free hard drive space on the internal and external hard drives to consolidate and copy the iTunes Library folder.

C

 

[Michael Anderson]

Hello Cory, Thanks for your reply. The basis of my problem is that when I click on a song with the exclamation mark ( without my external drive connected ) I cant navigate to the file because that file isnt on my Mini hard drive .
Most of my 1500 or so ripped CDs are like this with one or two random tracks on each CD missing.
My TimeMachine back up is exactly the same.
When I connect a different external drive , the one that I moved the media file to , all songs will play because the moved media file is complete with no tracks missing.
I have no clue as to how the moved media file can be complete when it is a copy of the media file still on the Mini which is incomplete.
I want to replace the incomplete media folder on the Mini with the complete media folder from the external drive so everything is complete in one place. I dont want to consolidate because as I understand it I will have multiples of virtually every song which I would then have to find and delete.
In future I will then be able to do as you suggest in the last part of your reply and move the whole iTunes folder to an external drive.
Can I safely copy the complete media folder from the external drive back into the iTunes folder on the Mini and then delete the incomplete media folder from the iTunes folder on the Mini ?
Thanks Mike