How do I get iTunes to form its Library from files on my external hard drive?

Question

I have just MOVED my whole iTunes folder (including "iTunes Music", "iTunes Music Database File" / "iTunes Library") onto my new external hard drive.
Now my iTunes software on my PC shows up completely empty, with no songs, no podcasts and no playlists.
My aim was to get my music onto an external hard drive to free up space on my PC, but keep the iTunes software on it and run it with the music on the ext.hdd.

I have tried the following:
- Opening the iTunes Music Database File from on my ext.hdd... it opens a blank iTunes, even though the file is 4,388KB.
- Going onto iTunes Preferences and changing the iTunes Music Folder location to the address of my ext.hdd... this did not allow me to select the library database or add any files to the program.
- Dragging and dropping my iTunes Music Folder (on the ext.hdd) onto the software... this added all the files but did not include any of the playlists or settings such as equalizers, ratings or play counts etc.
Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

You cant. Itunes sucks it wont let you put it on your hardrive so you cant distrubute to your friends or anyone.

Answer 2

Maybe you might want to try re-installing iTunes. Try seeking help on Apple's support page. If you post your problem on the forums, you'll likely find your answer. Changing the location of your music folder should have worked. I've done it before, on a Mac. PCs are odd.

Answer 3

what you should have done was changed the itunes music folder location to the external harddrive this can be done in itunes options. To copy the data over to the new folder you would then have chosen consolidate library. this would have copied all of the music in your library to one location on the new HD.

If you copied the tunes library file over you may be able to retrieve it by moving all the music back to where it was initially.

Answer 4

You need to burn all of your Itunes stuff to cd then delete them from your hard drive. Then plug in your external hard drive, and rip the tunes from the cd to that external hard drive.

Answer 5

some how you have lost all that well there is nothing you can do and you cant get it off your hard drive unless you are a computer programmer whick im sure you are not all you can do is let it go and start over if you didnt save it all to some files it is gone you will never find it so dont stress out i have had simular problems and when my windows xp acts up and does alot of crazy stuff i dont stress i start over and reload window and get a fresh start all over it is alot of work but man does it fix alot of problems have a merry christmas over and out