Here’s the situation: my company, in its wisdom, has instigated a new IT policy that means our “My Documents” folders are synched with a remote server. (The result, given that the synchronisation is so slow and ties up the computer for so long, is that nobody’s storing anything in their “My Documents” folders, defeating the point of the policy… but that’s another thread that probably belongs in the Pit.) I am therefore storing everything in folders directly on my C: drive.
There is one application, however, that persists in storing its preferences files in My Documents, and that’s iTunes. Not only the library files, but all the album artwork. This means that every time I hook up to the work network, my computer hangs for 10 minutes while it checks and synchs dozens of .jpg, .xml, and .itl files. Now, strictly I suppose I should remove this extracurricular software from the computer, but I like to listen to music while I work; it makes me more efficient, so I think in the long run it’s more beneficial to the company that I continue to use it.
So I thought telling iTunes to move the library files elsewhere would be a piece of cake. I moved my music store, using “Advanced” settings in Preferences, to C:\mp3s, and away it went. Not so the library files, which persist in \My Documents\My Music\iTunes.
I’ve been googling like crazy but none of the handy hints work. The Apple site, and several other “tips and tricks” sites tell me to move the music to its new home, stop the app, delete the iTunes folder from “My Music”, and restart the app. This is meant to give me a “No libary file” dialog and invite me to make a new one in a different location. What actually happens is that it just makes a new library file that is blank, and then the computer hangs again as it tries to synch the folder with the remote 486 over a 300 baud acoustic modem, or whatever the hell is going on.
I’m thinking I might have to diddle around in the registry to move the damn thing. Or does someone know something I don’t? Any advice gratefully received.