Does not play well with others.

December 15, 2005 9:25 AM

I've searched Apple Forum, iPod Lounge, and others, yet have not been able to get a satisfactory answer. I need a plan, a strategy if you will, concerning iTunes for Windows on my Toshiba, iTunes for Mac on my iBook, an NTFS formatted external drive, and an iPod...too many elements.

First of all, my MP3 collection is larger than the HDD of either computer. It's about 50G, thouroghly tagged and living on a 150G external drive. I can't write to that drive due to it being NTFS from the Mac. I am currently importing the entire collection to my iTunes library (placed on the external drive) via iTunes for Windows. When I plug this drive into my Mac, will it recognize this newly consolidated library? Rhat is will I be privy to the iTunes search function?

When I enter the iPod into the picture, as I understand it, it will have to be formatted for either Windows or Mac. If I format it Mac, I should be able to tranfer from the External drive to the iPod via iTunes, assuming that iTunes need not write to the drive. The inverse would be true for Windows formatting.

When iTunes "imports" my library, what is it doing? Is it making a list of all the ID3 info and storing it somwhere? Can I copy this info and store it somwhere on the internal HDD of each computer so I can take advantage of iTunes indexing/search capabilities from each computer?

Would it be best to partition the external HDD and format one half NTFS and the other HPF+? And if so , any way to sync the to?

Man, folks, I really don't even know what to ask. I just really need a plan more than anything else. Someone, please--give me a roadmap!

posted by sourwookie to computers & internet (12 comments total)

Format the drive FAT32.
posted by cellphone at 9:26 AM on December 15, 2005

Unless you have some 4gb+ mp3s.
posted by cellphone at 9:27 AM on December 15, 2005

The iPod, like other hardrives, once formatted for Windows will work with both Mac and Windows.
posted by starman at 9:30 AM on December 15, 2005

cellphone is exactly right- this is orders of magnitude easier than any of the alternatives. just do it.

Now, given that, I think that iTunes wants to tie your ipod to a specific machine- and not let you load it from any other machine. So I would use itunes on the mac, and some alternative on windows. You can still use itunes- just not to load the ipod on windows.
posted by wzcx at 9:37 AM on December 15, 2005

I was under the impression I could not format a 150 Gig drive FAT32 and use the whole drive. I was made to believe that there was a 32 gig limit.
posted by sourwookie at 9:40 AM on December 15, 2005

Tying to a specific machine only matters for automatic updating of music. If you switch it over to the "manual" update mode in the preferences, it shouldn't matter. You can grab songs off of any computer you want.
posted by starman at 9:41 AM on December 15, 2005

Thanks all-keep the info coming!

When iTunes "imports" what is really happening?

I am importing to a folder on the same external drive. The destination file type is MP3.
posted by sourwookie at 9:47 AM on December 15, 2005

There's an artificial 32GB limit with MS's format tool. Using any other format utility will resolve that.
posted by kcm at 10:04 AM on December 15, 2005

I was under the impression I could not format a 150 Gig drive FAT32 and use the whole drive. I was made to believe that there was a 32 gig limit.

Windows XP cannot format a FAT32 partiton larger than 32GB. (Oddly, Windows 98 could format them up to 120-something GB.) However, a third-party tool (i.e. Partition Magic or a Linux "Live CD" distribution such as Knoppix or the Ubuntu Live CD) could potentially format FAT32 partitions up to 2TB, and Windows should read them happily.

On preview, what kcm said.
posted by musicinmybrain at 10:07 AM on December 15, 2005

Windows XP cannot format a FAT32 partiton larger than 32GB. (Oddly, Windows 98 could format them up to 120-something GB.) However, a third-party tool (i.e. Partition Magic or a Linux "Live CD" distribution such as Knoppix or the Ubuntu Live CD) could potentially format FAT32 partitions up to 2TB, and Windows should read them happily.

On preview, what kcm said.

Actually, your ibook can format it FAT32 just fine. Use the disk utility, or whatever it's called. That utility is actually really good. If you ever need to do a secure format, clicky clicky.
posted by cellphone at 10:29 AM on December 15, 2005

Thanks all-keep the info coming!

When iTunes "imports" what is really happening?

I am importing to a folder on the same external drive. The destination file type is MP3.
posted by sourwookie at 9:47 AM PST on December 15 [!]

If I remember right, there is an option in iTunes to not copy the files during import. It's been a while, though, since I abhor iTunes.
posted by cellphone at 10:30 AM on December 15, 2005

This should work, although I haven't tried sharing a library as such.

Format the drive NTFS+ (mac format). If you're going to buy something, buy MacDrive for your PC and now it'll read all your mac drives.

I don't think you can realistically use iTunes to sync iTunes between systems. This is (in theory) part of how Apple can keep you from illegally making extra copies of your music.

Designate one of your machines (PC or Mac) as your main machine).

Now, connect up the drive and tell itunes NOT to organize your music. It will leave the 50 gigs of music there. Remember, you'll have to watch carefully how it moves new music. I'm not sure where it would put it (I have some suspects. On the mac side, for example, it'd either put it in the folder you designate, or the music folder on your home directory).

If you have itunes orgianize, it will then copy all 50 gigs you import into it's own music folder (now you have dupes of all your music).

Since, it's likely you have an ipod that's less than 50 gigs, you only will sync either checked music (pain in the ass, lots of checkmarks) or you'll sync Selected playlists.

This will keep your ipod with music...but not all.

Since we're using the itunes on your mac (in my case here) to keep everything organized, to add new items), you'd then carry your pod everywhere.

Now, there is a variety of freeware (or open source) that will not only mine the music off your ipod...but also your playlists.
Search versiontracker.com for ipod.

Last - a friend bought the 60 and didnt' have room on his system for 60 gigs of free space. I suggested he use the pod (in disk mode, also very useful) as a drive. Yes, he ended up with two copies of his music - once in a folder on his pod, and a second time in the ipods (hidden) folder structure.
posted by filmgeek at 4:27 PM on December 15, 2005