iTunes on the PC

[BobH]

Although I own several Apple products - the most useful of which is the iPhone - I'm about to chuck them all because of my frustration with the iTunes interface and Help function. I think the apple with the chunk missing is indication that they hold back a part of everything you buy from them. Who wants and apple that someone else already got the first byte of?

I backed up all the data files on my system before reinstalling Win7. I'm slowly proceeding to install all the software that was on the system before. As you no doubt guessed, I'm trying to get iTunes up and running. Downloading and installing the software was no problem, but I cannot find a way to tell the app where my music is stored. And . . . their Help functions are useless. If I had ever engaged writers who had produced user manuals and help guides like that, I would have been fired within a month - and I lasted over 25 years at it.

Does anyone know if it is possible to simply direct iTunes to look in a different location for music and ringtones (and, if so, how does one do so)? Failing that, can I just drag and drop the files I backed up into the newly created locations from re-installing iTunes? I really do not want to have to load 150+ CDs and individual tunes again.

TIA

[Bigaldoc]

I hardly ever use iTunes but to download some music, so I'm still running a version 10 and they're up to 11, so this screen shot may not be appropriate.

Can't you change that location as shown here:

[BobH]

Thank you, Big Al!

The interface has changed. Here is what I see on booting the app (captured with FastStone Capture tool)

itunes main page.jpg

Finding Preferences requires clicking on the gadget in the upper left corner (circled in red using FastStone) which produces a drop down menu. Clicking Preferences gives me the Advanced options display that you posted; however, changing it had no effect on iTunes. It still thinks that I have no music loaded.

My rant about Ccrapple is exemplified by this arcane presentation of options and the lack of any ability to get decent help from their help documentation.

[Skitterbug]

Thank you, Big Al!

The interface has changed. Here is what I see on booting the app (captured with FastStone Capture tool)

itunes main page.jpg

Finding Preferences requires clicking on the gadget in the upper left corner (circled in red using FastStone) which produces a drop down menu. Clicking Preferences gives me the Advanced options display that you posted; however, changing it had no effect on iTunes. It still thinks that I have no music loaded.

My rant about Ccrapple is exemplified by this arcane presentation of options and the lack of any ability to get decent help from their help documentation.

Where is your music file located currently?
Does any of the information on this page help? I have to agree, sometimes people really don't do a very good job writing HELP instructions.

[BobH]

Hi Skitter!

Thank your for the post.

Here as screenshots of, first, the music as it is stored on Disk 1 Partition F, then second, the settings in iTunes Preferences Advanced:

music files.jpg

Despite these changes, when I open iTunes and try to select music to play, these albums do not appear nor does any other information about them.

[Skitterbug]

Hi Bob!
So when you select where your music is stored, you click on the "Change" command and search out the location of your files and click on that file?
When I'm looking at the paths you have on both graphics, I read them as follows:

This is where your music is stored - F:\Users\blankout\My Music\iTunes\iTunes Media\Music

And this is the path in your iTunes preferences - F:\Users\blankout\Music\iTunes\iTunes Media\Music

Does it make a difference that in the first one you have "My Music" and in the second it is only "Music". That seems like two different places? Shouldn't they both read "My Music"?
It has been a bit since I've worked in the Window's environment but I am wondering if you have the path to your music correct?
Frustrating indeed for you to be so close to your music and yet not able to get the iTunes program to find it! Double check your chosen "path" and maybe even redo it.
Or maybe it is a folder permission problem?
Anyone any ideas to help Bob! There has to be a solution to this!

[Bigaldoc]

On only the look at the two pics, I agree with Skitterbug that the directories are different. Can you change that?

[BobH]

You two are very observant, but I cannot directly edit the pathname in iTunes Preferences|Advanced. Upon clicking on the Change button I am offered screens where I can navigate to folder showing the folders for the albums. That navigation is then translated into the pathname. I know that iTunes does some funny things with file management . . . things that are counter intuitive to a Windows user (but I don't know how they differ). I think the results I'm getting are a function of iTunes' file management.

Thank you for pointing out the differences.

[Skitterbug]

You two are very observant, but I cannot directly edit the pathname in iTunes Preferences|Advanced. Upon clicking on the Change button I am offered screens where I can navigate to folder showing the folders for the albums. That navigation is then translated into the pathname. I know that iTunes does some funny things with file management . . . things that are counter intuitive to a Windows user (but I don't know how they differ). I think the results I'm getting are a function of iTunes' file management.

Thank you for pointing out the differences.

After you select the folder where your music is stored, you still don't have any success in being able to play it?
Could you do a "File - Add to Library" and select the folder where your music is so that the music is imported into your current iTunes location?

[BobH]

After you select the folder where your music is stored, you still don't have any success in being able to play it?
Could you do a "File - Add to Library" and select the folder where your music is so that the music is imported into your current iTunes location?

Thank you for the suggestion, Skitterbug!

I purposefully placed my music in a different partition on a different drive to facilitate backups and remove it and other data from being entangled in any OS or software problems in the native partition.

I have found and posted on an Apple forum and discovered that the change I made applies only to new music loaded into the iTunes libraries. Changing it does not allow iTunes to play music from that location unless it was placed there under the aegis of iTunes. Furthermore, no one (as yet) has come forward to tell me how to accomplish the goal without having to read in all the CD's again.

All of this has soured me on the bitten apple. I'm gonna leave my music libraries where they are and use Windows Media Player and forget about iTunes.

Thanks again for the help.

[Rebel]

Furthermore, no one (as yet) has come forward to tell me how to accomplish the goal without having to read in all the CD's again.

Bob, if you haven't already created (or moved) your iTunes Media Folder to your Drive F, follow the procedure as outlined here. Then, using the "File" menu in iTunes, can you not simply select "Add Folder to Library" and then select each one of the folders where you currently have your music stored?

[BobH]

Thank you, Rebel!

That procedure worked perfectly for me. I don't really understand what happened, but my guess is that the process changed some pointers in files that iTunes uses. At the end of it, my music remains on my F drive and there is none on my C drive.

Thank you again.

[Rebel]