Question: How to move iTunes and iPhoto libraries to a network drive?

drgonzo2k2 — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 17:53:11 -0800

What is the easiest way to move my iTunes and iPhoto libraries from an external USB drive to a network drive?

Currently I have both my iTunes and iPhoto libraries stored on an external HD that is connected by USB to my Mac Mini. My wife and I share the same libraries. To achieve that, I've done the following:

1. All files are stored in a "music" and "photos" folder on the external drive.

2. I created aliases of those folders and renamed them "iTunes" and "iPhoto Library"

3. I then replaced those folders with the aliases in my wife's and my user directories.

This means that the media and the library files are all on the external drive, and we didn't have to work any voodoo to get iTunes and iPhoto to recognize the libraries.

Now that this HD is full, and we're only going to acquire more content, and possibly more computers, I decided to build a home server and keep all the files there. I've bought an old G4 dual processor for this purpose, and I have outfitted it with 1TB of RAID-5 storage. Now what would be the easiest way to transfer my libraries to the RAID and not lose anything? Here's what I was thinking:

1. Since everything is on a USB drive, just hook it up to the G4 and use RsyncX to copy the movies and photos folders to the RAID.

2. Map the network drive, and set it as a login item on both accounts.

3. Again, create the aliases and place them in our user folders as above.

My main concern is that the files will by physically located on a different drive, so will that end up messing up my library files? I mean, will it know where the files are? If not, can someone walk me through an easy process of achieving this?

By: mathowie

mathowie — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 19:56:31 -0800

Here is How to move your iTunes library to an external drive

By: mosk

mosk — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 20:03:43 -0800

If you haven't already, read these Apple support docs:

iTunes:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=301748

iPhoto:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93037

These may not be the last word, but they should be a start.

By: drgonzo2k2

drgonzo2k2 — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 20:03:45 -0800

Hey Mathowie, thanks for replying, but that doesn't really answer the question. Right now my libraries are on an external drive. I now want to move them to a networked drive and not loose anything or have to go through too many hoops.

Comments on: How to move iTunes and iPhoto libraries to a network drive?

Question: How to move iTunes and iPhoto libraries to a network drive?

By: mathowie

By: mosk

By: drgonzo2k2