Tech: iTunes .. How to backup?

Subject: Tech: iTunes .. How to backup?
From: Fergie
Date: 24 Oct 09 - 03:06 PM

Hi All

I was unwell for the past week and to keep myself safe from 'cabin fever' I decided to transfer my entire CD collection into iTunes.

So now that's done I'm concerned that if my creaking old PC should by chance 'give up the ghost' that my work might come to nothing, so my question is this:

Can I now backup my iTune files into my Maxtor external hard drive? and if this is possible how should I proceed? (I'm a bit of a novice when it comes to external hard drives).

Fergus

Subject: RE: Tech: iTunes .. How to backup?
From: Genie
Date: 24 Oct 09 - 04:20 PM

I've backed up iTunes files onto Maxtor just as easily and in the same way as I back up any files to that (or any other) external hard drive.
Just click on the icons for any files you want to back up and then drag them onto the Maxtor icon (assuming, of course, that the Maxtor is hooked up to your 'puter).

Piece of cake.

Genie

Subject: RE: Tech: iTunes .. How to backup?
From: Genie
Date: 24 Oct 09 - 04:22 PM

Oh, and I did have a hard drive crash this year and was able to retrieve a lot of audio and video files, as well as text, graphics, and applications files, because I had backed them up on Maxtor and other external hard drives.

Subject: RE: Tech: iTunes .. How to backup?
From: Amos
Date: 24 Oct 09 - 04:57 PM

ITunes stores its recording in a directory with subdirectories. On my Mac it is called iTunes Music. The easy way to find it is to right click on any tune in iTunes and select "Show in Finder" or whatever the equivalent is in Windows. It will show you the sound file in its actual folder.

Knowing this you can drag the whole iTunes Music folder over to your Maxtor and let it spend overnight backing up.

A

Subject: RE: Tech: iTunes .. How to backup?
From: Fergie
Date: 24 Oct 09 - 08:53 PM

Hi Genie hi Amos

I think you have solved my problem. I've dragged iTunes Music folder into a backup folder in the external hardrive and files are being transferred as I type. Thank you

Fergus

Subject: RE: Tech: iTunes .. How to backup?
From: Genie
Date: 24 Oct 09 - 11:13 PM

Glad you've got your files transferred, Fergie. I'm so used to dragging my iTunes files/folders onto CDs or external hard drives that I skipped straight to that and forgot to tell you how to find them (in my case, with Mac, in Music: iTunes: iTunes Music).

It's nice to be able to back up the whole iTunes Music folder, but depending on the size of your library and the size of your Maxtor, there may or may not be enough room.   Many of my iTunes Music files are songs that I also have saved on CD or have on the original CDs, so I don't always back those up, either on my online backup service (Carbonite) or on an external hard drive.   I just drag the folders of the individual artists or the songs themselves onto the external hard drive.

Genie

Subject: RE: Tech: iTunes .. How to backup?
From: Gurney
Date: 25 Oct 09 - 05:32 PM

Fergie, now do it again onto CDs! I had a trojan followed by a motherboard problem followed by a hard-drive fault, and I've been totally discouraged about music in computers. I'm even reluctant to plug my Maxtor back into the new computer because I suspect that the trojan is still in there. Along with about 38 digitised LPs.

Oral transmission rules OK!

Subject: RE: Tech: iTunes .. How to backup?
From: Amergin
Date: 26 Oct 09 - 05:20 PM

If you're using an ipod or other mp3 player that counts as an external hard drive....