AKA where is my purchased music?
So I got a laptop to travel with on my new job. since I will be away from home for an extended period of time, I want to carry my tunes with me.
I loaded the latest version of iTunes on my laptop (same version that is on my desktop) I then used my external hard drive to back up all my music and did a restore on the laptop. When I got done, my music was not visible in iTunes. So I did an add folder and clicked on the my music folder in my documents. Great I got tunes. But wait, most of my play lists are missing, some other stuff seems to be missing.
When I got all done, I noticed that my music folder is about 3 gigs light. A quick look shows that all of my missing music is what I bought from iTunes.
:smack: Then I realized that I had not authorized this computer, so I went ahead and did an authorization.
Still no purchased music.
I did an additional restore, still nothing.
I did an additional backup, and an additional restore. Nope.
I rebooted. nada.
It looks like I can only do a back up to optical media, I can’t back up to my portable HD. I’m fresh out of DVDs so I have not tried that yet.
Does iTunes hide the purchased music is some place other than my iTunes folder in My Music?
How do I copy it over? Would a direct link with a crossover cable work?
What about my play lists?
Bonus question. If I buy a tune on one computer, how to I get in my my iTunes on the other computer? as I understand it, it is legal from me to have the same song on up to 5 computers. How do I go about this?
If you’ve got an iPod, the easiest way is to use it: sync it with one computer, then go to the other one and select “Transfer Purchased Music.”
If you don’t, you need to do an actual file copy (not an iTunes backup). Assuming you’re letting iTunes organize your music, copy the entire iTunes Music Library folder (if you’ve got 3+ gigs, use a DVD or network, not a CD), to the other machine, either replacing the folder there, or put it elsewhere and import using iTunes on the new computer.
The first time you try to play a purchased file, iTunes will ask you to re-authorize; I don’t know why. You can move individual files the same way up tp 5 computers and 10 or so iPods.
Or download Senuti. It’s the easiest way to take care of it. It copies all the music from your ipod directly into the Music folder on your new computer. When I tried it, it had no problem with my purchased music.
OK, I solved my problems.
Here is what I found and how I fixed it.
I emptied my iPod of everything but purchased music and synced it with my laptop. I selected yes to transfer purchased music (reading the message box, it looks like you can only snyc to one computer, but you can have the music on 5. WTF?)
I was still short some music, so I when hunting. It turns out that some of my music was not in my iTunes folder. Most it was my stuff from emusic that was missing.
I did a consolidate on my iTunes and then backed up my iTunes onto DVDs (3). I opened iTunes on the 2nd computer inserted the first disc, answered yes to overwrite the files, and away it went.
Anyway I now have two computers in sync, and all my folders and play lists are on both units.
Zahava424 I will give Senuti a try, by the time I figured out that it might be an easier way, I was already hip deep in the process outlined above.