iTunes-new pc

[AaronConway]

My wife finally bought herself a new laptop and it will be arriving next week. I'm going to have to set it up for her, which I don't mind, but the biggest concern I have is setting up her iTunes and transferring all her music, tv shows and podcasts from her old desktop to the new laptop. I've searched the iTunes help but can't really find anything that specifically addresses transferring your data when you get a new pc. Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated...and save me from pulling out a few more hairs.

Thanks,

Aaron

[Harold Mansfield]

I don't know of any iTunes specific transfer help.
If you have an iPod/iPad/iPhone, if you put everything on it, when you hook it up to the new computer with iTunes installed, it will transfer when you sync.
Other than that, what you may need is a full function file transfer that does all of your files and settings.

I recently went from an XP computer to a Windows 7 computer and used the Belkin Easy Transfer Cable:
Amazon.com: Belkin Easy Transfer Cable for Windows 7: Electronics (http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Easy-Transfer-Cable-Windows/dp/B002PAR0AQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1295026041&sr=8-1)

It moved all of my files, settings, bookmarks etc, over to the new computer, including my stuff in iTunes.
Cost about $20 and was well worth it.

The only thing it didn't successfully move was my Thunderbird settings. I think that was more about Thunderbird than anything else as I still have never seen an easy way to transfer it (Thunderbird) and ended up just switching to Outlook 10.

[vangogh]

Aaron I haven't had to transfer an iTunes library and preferences before, but I found this article on Transferring your iTunes Library (http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/articles/comments/moving-your-itunes-library-to-a-new-hard-drive/). From the article:

If you planning on storing everything in the same relative location as it is on the current computer


then transferring your iTunes library to a new computer is quite simple: Just copy the entire iTunes folder and all sub-folders from your “Music” (Mac) or “My Music” (Windows) folder on your old computer to the corresponding folder on the new computer. .

There are a few more details in the article, but it seems like the most time consuming part will be waiting for all the media to transfer from one computer to the next. It'll probably be something you'll have to start and then periodically check while everything is copied over.

[AaronConway]

Thanks guys, appreciate it.

[AaronConway]

Just wanted to give an update. We received the new laptop today so I put all the original iTunes files, 6 or 7, onto an external hard drive. I then installed iTunes on the new laptop but didn't open it. I then transferred all the iTunes files to the new laptop in the same folders as I took them from (iTunes default location) then opened iTunes and everything was there. Then I plugged in the ipod and it synced perfectly.

Aaron

[Harold Mansfield]

Just wanted to give an update. We received the new laptop today so I put all the original iTunes files, 6 or 7, onto an external hard drive. I then installed iTunes on the new laptop but didn't open it. I then transferred all the iTunes files to the new laptop in the same folders as I took them from (iTunes default location) then opened iTunes and everything was there. Then I plugged in the ipod and it synced perfectly.

Aaron
Cool. I love it when stuff works the first time out. Makes the whole day feel like a success.

[vangogh]

Nice. Sounds like it went easier than you originally expected.

[AaronConway]

Yes, much easier than I expected. The key is moving every file that has iTunes in the name. The part that took the longest was moving the files to the external hard drive and then to the laptop.

I love it when a plan comes together.

[vangogh]

I figured the longest part would be moving the files. Fortunately you just have to start the price in each move and then wait. I guess the unknown element before you started was how many files needed to be moved and where they were all located.

In the not too distant future (I hope) I'm going to buy myself a new laptop and will have all the fun of moving most of what's on this on to the new one. The good news is everything is already backed up so have the moving should already be done.

[Harold Mansfield]

I'm telling you guys, this little do-dad was the ticket. I never spend a better $20. It's pretty much like a Ron Popiel rotisserie oven in that you just "set it and forget it". Depending on how many files you have, you can literally make a sandwich and it will be done before you are done eating it.



I recently went from an XP computer to a Windows 7 computer and used the Belkin Easy Transfer Cable:
Amazon.com: Belkin Easy Transfer Cable for Windows 7: Electronics (http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Easy-Transfer-Cable-Windows/dp/B002PAR0AQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1295026041&sr=8-1)

It moved all of my files, settings, bookmarks etc, over to the new computer, including my stuff in iTunes.
Cost about $20 and was well worth it.
.

[AaronConway]

I completely forgot about that cable until I sat down to set up the new laptop. I may still go get one.

[vangogh]

I used to have something similar when I was moving between two Windows computers. Once I set up a network and added a backup drive it became less necessary to have the cable. Now everything on this computer is backed up a few times a day via Time Machine. When I purchase a new computer I'll connect it to Time Machine as well and grab what I want.

Of course I won't move everything. I never do when moving to a new computer. A new computer gives me a fresh start on how I want to organize files and provides an opportunity to look over what I've saved and how much of it I really need to keep, at least on the new computer.

One of the things I think is going to be great about Apple's new Mac store is any software I get through it can easily be transferred to different computers. I'll be able to connect to my account from the new computer and with a button click or two any and all software I've purchased of freely downloaded will be installed on the new computer.