In article <doug-5C1798.13425930072008@news-40.giganews.com>, Doug Jantzer <doug@gmail.com.invalid> wrote:
> > > I have a lot of MP3s spread over 3 small HDs. I want to get a new 500GB > > > hard drive and combine all my files onto a single drive. > > > Is there a way to do that without losing my playlists. > > > > > > Thanks, > > > > > > Doug > > > > Step 0: Buy the new drive, plug it in and make sure it's formatted HFS+ > > unless you need to use it to transfer files between Macs and other > > machines. > > > > Step 1: Use iTunes' Advanced preferences to set the new drive (or a > > folder on it) as the home of your music collection. (This is sufficient > > to cause newly-added data to go to the new drive.) > > > > Step 2: Use iTunes' Consolidate Library command to move your existing > > files to an artist/album hierarchy stored on the new drive. > > > Thanks Gregory, > > That sounds great... and it will copy all my files from the several old > HDs to the new big one and preserve all my current playlists too? > > It sounds too good to be true. Are there any potential snags I should > be looking out for?
Nope. Other than ensuring that you've got enough space. The end result will be that every media file iTunes knows about will end up in a directory tree in the currently-designated library folder. If you've got duplicate tracks (as defined by identical artist/album/track-name triplets) they will *not* overwrite each other; iTunes will just rename the extras. The biggest problem people run into moving the iTunes libraries is that they move the files by hand. The tracking information iTunes keeps is robust enough that this is fine as long as the files never leave the drive they're on. But if they do leave - even if they subsequently come back - reverting iTunes to a working state while retaining your metadata and playlists is a big effort. Eminently doable, but not simple.
-- "Harry?" Ron's voice was a mere whisper. "Do you smell something ... burning?" - Harry Potter and the Odor of the Phoenix
