Yet Another iTunes Question

February 15, 2009 1:44 PM

How do I get iTunes to stop storing everything on the network server at work?

Disclaimer- I'm hopelessly stupid when it comes to this stuff. Forgive me if this is eye-rollingly basic...

I've got iTunes on my office computer. I don't understand much about our company computer network (sorry) but I know that we each have a local C drive... and then there's the shared server, it seems to be named U. All 25 employees are listed as users.

When I installed iTunes last year, I paid no attention to where the program stored itself or my songs. I just discovered (to my embarrassment) that my library was stored on the shared server U drive in an iTunes folder.

Not wanting the entire office to see that "Panties in Your Purse" tops the HR manager's Most Played List, I deleted iTunes (via Windows Add/Delete Programs) and downloaded again, careful to set the C drive as its destination.

Under "Preferences" I also set the C drive as the destination for songs.

I cut and pasted the contents of the iTunes folder from U to C. Deleted the empty iTunes folder from U.

FAIL. It keeps coming back. Every time I start iTunes. I delete it again. It comes back again.

A quick snoop shows that I'm not the only U drive user with iTunes (I had no idea that we employed so many Michael Buble fans) but I'd really prefer to keep myself to myself here.

Again, preferences are set to C... and the properties of each individual song show that they are saved in C.

Any ideas? THANKS!

posted by GuffProof to computers & internet (9 comments total)

Did you delete the entire iTunes folder from your C drive when you reinstalled? There may be a leftover iTunes library file that is still referencing the files on U. Also, there may be some sort of administrative setting in your network to always store the iTunes folder on U. Have you spoken to anyone in IT about this?

Question: Do the files themselves get copied from C to U, or is the new recreated folder on U empty?
posted by gemmy at 2:06 PM on February 15

You have to use the iTunes prefs to move it! You can't just move the folder and expect the app to know what you did! :) When you start up iTunes it thinks "what the hell, I know where I am told to put this stuff, but nothing is there. Guess we are starting new" so it makes the folder again.

In the preferences of iTunes you will find in the advanced section an option to change the location of your music library! Just pick a spot not on the U drive and you should be set.
posted by OwlBoy at 2:20 PM on February 15

Also, if that don't work there is a chance your local account is mirrored on the U drive as a backup depending on how your tech guys set things up. I would ask them.
posted by OwlBoy at 2:23 PM on February 15

Thanks for the good questions...

Nope, I didn't delete any iTunes folders from C drive. There wasn't one there until I saw it on U... cringed... and cut and pasted it from U to a new folder on C.

When the file magically reappears on U drive, it contains my entire library. I delete it. I start iTunes. It plays the songs from their new C drive location... but when I look at the network server, the folder is there again, full.

Yup, I could talk to IT... but technically there's a rule that says we're not permitted to download personal programs. I wouldn't be in a lot of trouble but I don't think I'd get a lot of help, either. I'd just be reminded not to download iTunes and told to delete everything.

Worst case scenario the IT person would notice how many of my co-workers ALSO have iTunes... and we'd all be told to uninstall.

I don't think that'd make me very popular.
posted by GuffProof at 2:23 PM on February 15

try making a new directory in your c drive (C:\music) or something. Then set itunes (in preferences) to point to that directory and move all your files from c:\my documents\ my music over to the c:\music. I.T. may be backing up 'my documents' to the U: drive to make sure users don't loose any of their stuff....?
posted by defcom1 at 3:19 PM on February 15

Thanks again everyone.

I tried defcom1's advice, created a new directory on C drive called iTunes Directory (so I could identify it from the many many music folders that I now have all over the place.)

Moved all music into that.

Deleted all music folders under my name off the server U drive (again).

Started iTunes and told it via preferences where the new C drive iTunes Directory was.

Also tried clicking the "organize" button in preferences.

The result-- it dredged up old iTunes songs and TV shows that I had deleted months ago. Or obviously didn't?

And created a new folder back in the U drive.

Sigh.
posted by GuffProof at 3:57 PM on February 15

Probably a redundant question, but is "Copy Files to iTunes Music folder when adding to library" unchecked in the settings? I'm going from memory here, so it may not be that exact item, but I'm no sure if you've turned that off.
posted by sektah at 4:01 PM on February 15

Nope, I didn't delete any iTunes folders from C drive. There wasn't one there until I saw it on U... cringed... and cut and pasted it from U to a new folder on C.

When iTunes installs, it will create a folder for itself as My Documents\Music\iTunes. That's also where the library files (listed as "iTunes Library.itl" and "iTunes Music Library.xml") are placed. This is true even if your actual music storage folder is somewhere else. (This is also where album artwork and other preferences are saved.) It sounds to me as if there might be some old library files that might be messing you up.

The other alternative would be that your network is set up to mirror files on your C drive onto the U drive, probably to ensure that they back up. You might take a look into if there are other things being copied from your C drive to the U drive. Do you have any files or directories in your "My Documents" folder that show the same behavior - i.e. you delete them from U, and then they show back up on U again?

If it's the latter, not much you can do about it. If it's the former, here is what I would suggest:

-Save your music files, and only your music files and nothing else, in a specific spot on C
-Uninstall iTunes, remove all folders from the U and C drive that are called iTunes. Both from your program files and from the My Documents folders
-Remove the iTunes folders from any other user accounts on your computer as well
-Run a registry/temp cleaner to clean up old junk. I like CCleaner myself.
-Reinstall iTunes and make sure the iTunes Music Folder Location in Preferences is set to the music folder on C. But instead of just making the folder with your music files into the storage folder for iTunes, use a completely blank folder. Basically, create a whole new install without any music in it.
-Start/restart iTunes a few times.

At each of the last two steps, check to see if this create a new iTunes music folder on U. If it does, I say that there is something else going on with your network, and you will have to either let it be or talk to IT about it.

If it doesn't, you can start adding music to the iTunes install. Make sure that in the iTunes preferences, you have "Copy files to iTunes Music Folder When Adding To Library" is checked, and then start importing - a few at a time - some of your songs. Check to see if U is still clean. If it is, then you can import the rest of the music you have using the "Add folder to Library" option. The files are copied to the new folder storage, and you have a brand new setup.
posted by gemmy at 6:50 PM on February 15

Your network logon script likely has an automatic MyDocuments redirect to your folder on the network share. You need to just create a folder on your C: drive called "Music" and, upon reinstalling iTunes, point your library to that folder under "Preferences".
posted by Roach at 9:48 PM on February 15