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Moving iTunes Library to a new computer

jhunter46jhunter46 Registered User regular
edited May 2007 in Help / Advice Forum
My in laws are upgrading their computer and giving the old one away. They've got a pretty sizable iTunes library and want to move all of the non purchased songs from the old computer to the new one. I don't have an ipod and I've never really used iTunes, it's not my cup of tea.

What's the easiest way to move the ripped songs to the new computer?

jhunter46 on

Posts

  • GlaealGlaeal Registered User regular
    edited May 2007
    Put the hard drive from the old computer in the new computer as a slave.

    Copy -> Paste.

    Glaeal on
  • jhunter46jhunter46 Registered User regular
    edited May 2007
    New computer's a laptop, while that's an option, it's a pain.

    jhunter46 on
  • GlaealGlaeal Registered User regular
    edited May 2007
    You can buy Hard drive enclosures for ~$30 that connect via USB.

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Description=usb+hard+drive+enclosure

    Firewire would be faster, but that will get it done.

    Glaeal on
  • lordswinglordswing Registered User regular
    edited May 2007
    I'm going to agree with going the enclosure route, after you're done transferring the music, your in-laws can use it as a back-up as well. I'm going to guess that burning them all to DVDs would be too much of a hassle.

    lordswing on
    D2:LoD East -> *FlipPaulHewitt
  • UnknownUnknown
    edited May 2007
    This content has been removed.

  • 12gauge12gauge Registered User regular
    edited May 2007
    How about just buying a Cross-Over Ethernet cable (1 meter costs less then 5 bucks), plug one end into each computer.
    open Networkconnections, give one computer the ip: 192.168.0.1 with a subnetmask of 255.255.255.0, the other one 192.168.0.2 (same subnetmask). Create a new folder on the Laptop, call it whatever you like, allow other users to connect to this folder and change files.
    On the pc with the itunes connection, go to Start->Run , type "\\*Laptop IP HERE*" and you should see a window where the folder you created before should be visible.
    Copy Paste Done

    Edit: Do not take the wireless route unless you have a shitload of time on your hands - it was definately not made for transferring large files.

    12gauge on
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  • NateVaderNateVader Registered User regular
    edited May 2007
    I was in this same situation a few months ago, and posted about it. What I ended up doing was using my iPod. If all their music is on an iPod anyways, just hook the iPod up to the new computer and show the hidden files on it. All the music will be in one of the hidden folders. It'll all be named random letters/numbers. Copy and paste, voila. If you have any need to manipulate a lot of the files later then this may not be the best route since it's a pain to find the file since they're named weirdly, but if you're just transferring it so you can listen to it again then this is the most painless and reliable route I found.

    NateVader on
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  • EggyToastEggyToast Jersey CityRegistered User regular
    edited May 2007
    As for keeping the ratings, album info, and so on, simply go file>Export Library. It'll save as an .xml file, which you can open on the new computer on the new iTunes.

    Otherwise, it's just a matter of moving all of the files. Any file-moving method will work.

    EggyToast on
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  • SnorkSnork word Jamaica Plain, MARegistered User regular
    edited May 2007
    You can also just plug the iPod in to the new computer before you give it iTunes, go to My Computer and open the iPod up like it's a disk. Then display hidden folders, and you'll see iPod_control and all the music will be in folders F01 through F49 or more depending upon how much music there is. They'll all have randomised names like MUSC.mp3 but the tags will be in tact. Copy paste as usual. This is what I just did, and it only took me about 20 minutes of CTRL-C and CTRL-V.

    Snork on
  • GlaealGlaeal Registered User regular
    edited May 2007
    Snork wrote: »
    You can also just plug the iPod in to the new computer before you give it iTunes, go to My Computer and open the iPod up like it's a disk. Then display hidden folders, and you'll see iPod_control and all the music will be in folders F01 through F49 or more depending upon how much music there is. They'll all have randomised names like MUSC.mp3 but the tags will be in tact. Copy paste as usual. This is what I just did, and it only took me about 20 minutes of CTRL-C and CTRL-V.

    The problem with this is that each folder tracks independantly, so it's possible to have the same file name repeated in a few different folders. The more music you have, the higher the probability of this.

    I just did a copy and paste, and then as it asked if I wanted to overwrite the duplicates I wrote down the file name of each, verified which file it was that had already transfered by checking the file size, and then copied the extras. This took too fucking long.

    Get a crossover cable or hard drive enclosure, or use the Ipod as a hard drive. Save yourself the hassle.

    Glaeal on
  • SnorkSnork word Jamaica Plain, MARegistered User regular
    edited May 2007
    For me I just had it automatically rename them as XXXX(2).mp3.

    Snork on
  • UnknownUnknown
    edited May 2007
    This content has been removed.

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