Updating iTunes libraries on removable drives

Jul 29, '02 08:57:52AM

Contributed by: k2r

I keep an archive of all of my tunes on an external disk which is - of course - not always plugged into my iBook.

But when I collect new tunes while the external disk is unplugged, I want to merge them into the external archive when it's accessible again. I thought about using AppleScripts to copy the new tracks from the internal hard disk to the external one, but this seemed somehow ugly. As it turned out, iTunes can do the job for me.

I set iTunes to use the iTunes folder on the external disk, to copy its tracks there on import, and to keep its tracks organized. Now, if the external disk is unplugged and I start iTunes, it copies new tracks into the old default folder (/Users -> me -> Music -> iTunes -> iTunes Music) because the external folder doesn't exist.

When I'm at home again, I start iTunes with the external disk plugged in. iTunes sees the external folder again, and when I choose "Consolidate Library", it copies all the new stuff to the external disc.

Since I have to record stuff while on the road but want to make sure that all of it makes its way into my archive, this is extremely useful for me ... maybe even for other people.

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