Itunes help - comparing libraries?

scooby75

I've eventually got round to consolidating my itunes library to a new location on my external hard drive (where most of it was anyway but I didn't know where the rest of it was!). I want to use itunes on my laptop rather than my desktop.

Anyway, it was late at night when it finished and I remember seeing a message saying that not all files were copied as the file name was too long or something like that. I clicked "OK" - the only option, and it seemed to have completed the process so I just turned the computer off.

Now I want to check the new library against the old one. I knew I should have written down the number of files etc beforehand (I know there are over 40000 tracks but that's it). I want to use itunes on my new laptop, but am terrified of connecting the hard drive and knackering my files up.

What's the best way to tell if it has copied all the files and if not, which ones have not copied?

scooby75

bump. Anyone got any ideas?

Dave_C_2

Assuming Windows here is the slow but simple option using windows (not itunes)

1. Open folder where the old library is in windows explorer
2. select File > properties
3. A window will pop-up saying how many files and folders there are in the old library
4. In a new windows explorer window open the folder where the new library is.
5. select File > properties
6. A window will pop-up saying how many files and folders there are in the new library
7. Compare number of folders and files between new and old libraries
8. If different then you will have to do it sub-folder by sub-folder

If you have good DOS and Excel skills there is a quicker way, but if you had the skills you wouldn't be asking the question in the first place


Dave

scooby75

Problem is the files were not in teh same place. I've consolidated them so they are now, but I've just thought if I change the library file with the previous one then it will show those tracks won't it?

Dave_C_2

I don't have iTunes so I have no idea about iTunes libraries.

After years of using Windows/Linux it is sensible to hold music files in a folder structure like:
...Music\Artist\album\songname
For instance d:\Music\Bruce Springsteen\The Rising\01 Lonesome Day.mp3

The question of "consolidating libraries" just doesn't arise.

Sorry to be not much help .. any iTunes experts out there?

Dave