iTunes back-up

[julesd68]

I don't know anything about computer audio so would appreciate some advice to help out my brother with this issue if poss.

He has an iTunes collection on his Apple Macbook but it's getting way too big for the 80gb hard drive to cope with. He would like to remove all of the iTunes songs from the Macbook drive and keep them on an external hard-drive instead, but would then want to keep a back-up of that as well. I can imagine that this might be a bit fiddly - don't know how you could do an 'intelligent' backup (like Time Capsule) from one drive to another. Or maybe you can just drag and drop files from one external drive to another? If anyone has any experience of this please let me know ...

The other option is to buy a new Macbook with a decent hard drive but this is obviously a rather expensive alternative!

[Gordon Steadman]

Time machine makes the whole thing automatic. You can choose which discs to back up and which to ignore. I have my second Mac music system on an external 320gB and have a 1tB external with two partitions so it has a backup for two different systems.

Much as some mock the 'closed' way Mac works, it has definite advantages in the ease of use for the unafflicted.

[julesd68]

Thanks Gordon, but he wants to remove his iTunes collection completely from the laptop and just keep it on two external drives, so Time Machine is out of the equation isn't it?

[Gordon Steadman]

Thanks Gordon, but he wants to remove his iTunes collection completely from the laptop and just keep it on two external drives, so Time Machine is out of the equation isn't it?

I don't see why! Time machine will deal with any disc attached to the Mac. It makes sense to back up the laptop as well. My external backs up the other external as far as I know. I'll add another and see if there is any problem and get back to you.

[Gordon Steadman]

Nope, no problem at all. When you enter Time machine and click the options button all the connected drives should appear. You can the uncheck the external used for iTunes and it will be included in the backup. The laptop is only 80gB so that won't be a problem to include anyway.

You add or remove a drive with the + and - boxes of course!!

Time machine lets you reinstate any part of the backup anyway.

[Gordon Steadman]

Although its probably best to have all the iTunes music in one place, its no problem to leave the existing music where it is and just have iTunes add any new stuff to the external. Its just a matter of changing the target disc in the prefs.

[mwheelerk]

I operate a Mac Mini with two external HDD Lacie Quadra daisy chained connected via FireWire. One HDD is where my library resides and the second is my primary back up. I use Time Machine. I also have a secondary backup I keep in a firesafe that I use with Time Machine monthly.

[DiveDeepDog]

Time machine mirrors the computer memory. I think what you want to do is store the library off the macbook's drive.

Go into iTunes preferences, advanced toggle you can choose where to store the library. You can then move it to wherever you like.
I'd recommend time machine first, perhaps on the secondary backup before you start moving files onto a prattle drive?

The other option is to install a larger drive on the macbook (id still recommend Time Machine too)

[Gordon Steadman]

Time machine mirrors the computer memory. I think what you want to do is store the library off the macbook's drive.

Go into iTunes preferences, advanced toggle you can choose where to store the library. You can then move it to wherever you like.
I'd recommend time machine first, perhaps on the secondary backup before you start moving files onto a prattle drive?

The other option is to install a larger drive on the macbook (id still recommend Time Machine too)

I thought that when you do that in prefs, it is only the new stuff that gets put to the new folder and the existing bits get left where they are. Has it changed with later versions??
Whenever I've done it, I've had to copy everything to the new drive and then add them to the library again after deleting all the originals. Bit of a faff.

[DiveDeepDog]

You've got me there, I thought it transferred the lot, but I'm not trying it.