Copying Mac Flies to Hard Drive.
Posted by: tonym on 06 October 2011
A question for the computer-literate, Mac folk.
I want to use my iTunes music and photo files in another location on a portable hard drive. If I copy the files across from their current storage, how can I then add to or otherwise modify the files in future without having to copy the whole lot again?
When I've tried to do something similar in the past, the 'puter's reported duplicate files & won't proceed further, yet I'm sure in the bad old PC days I got the choice to only modify files that had changed. I get the feeling I'm missing something obvious here; help would be much appreciated.
Tony it has been asked before, by me. I was pointed to a Mac support forum, which gave several methods for this.
I have recently had installed (thanks John) a HP server/NAS thingy and want to be able to use the interface for iTunes on the iMac but have all the other data and other stuff on the server, it's do-able but I need VERY simple instructions on how to do it.
Try clicking here it is one of Doug's
or click here for a blow by blow DIY approach
the nice thing about the Mac is it's Unix based OS makes it easy to do almost anything you want, and it is made by helpful company who will talk you through the process.
All the best Guy
Windows users don't get that luxury as most of the information is stored in binary files or an incomprehensible registry or at least that is how it has always seemed to me, but tell 'em why DLLs are plain daft and that it dead easy to corrupt such a system and, worse still, demonstrate how weak the resultant security model is at a conference and they send the boys round with the sixth studio release by the Rolling Stones. I blame the idiots who programmed the system as it was hardly the fault of the messenger that two lines of code could crash every networked machine at the conference.
Thanks Guy I'll see what my expert makes of that, it seems too easy to me, still difficult to get away from the windows experience.
Yes it is that easy. I used the same method to move my iTunes library from my Mac Mini to a Qnap NAS drive. Now whenever I put a CD into the Mac Mini it is automatically ripped to the NAS.
Welcome to the world of Mac.
Thanks for the advice chaps, but that's not really the problem; guess I didn't explain myself very well. Moving the iTunes library's no problem but when I add files to the "master" storage, either music or photos, on my PC I could just update the files that had changed when I copied to another storage medium that held a previous copy. Not so with the Mac - it just stops copying.
Not big issue, I'll just have to note the files I've added & just copy those across.
Check out the home sharing feature.
If you mean you moved your library, but when you add songs they go in the original location then do the following.
Navigate to your home musoc folder, then into the itunes folder, in there is the media foldr, copy this to your new location.
In itunes prefs clck advanced, here you can tell it he location of your music, select the folder you already chose.
Tell it also to keep music organised. Click ok.
If you have a number of folders from previous attempts, simply drg them into the itunes window, if memory serves itunes will move it all to your new location.
Sorry about the messy typing, ipads are not good for text
I never make a great deal of sense. Ask SWMBO...
I think you're right Gary, what I want's probably too difficult to achieve.
Its dead easy to achieve, its called a NAS
I really don't want to lug my NAS around thanks.
Trying to be helpful here. I use the ilounge.com website it has lots of articles and tutorials on everything "i". In particular I think that the following article that I used to get iTunes working the way I wanted it may help http://www.ilounge.com/index.p...to-a-new-hard-drive/
The bit that you might find helpful is nearer to the end but the whole article is useful in terms of understanding and deciding on how you want to set up.
Not sure on link posting but I've tried.
Update the link works I've just tried it.
Thanks Spartacus, that's a very interesting site.
No probs Tonym.