What's the best way to transfer an itunes library from an old bootable backup?

[oxband]

I have lots of movies and songs saved on hard drives. I recently changed my OS to Yosemite. i want to change the bootable hard drives I have as backups. My thought? I'll take one, have it wiped clean and replaced with my computer (so it has the right apps, OS, library folders), and then literally copy the music and movies folder I have from the other backup to it. At that point, my first backup should have both the new OS and the music and movies. I can then completely copy that external to the other external.

Is it bad to just copy the whole music folder? I dont know exactly how itunes folder and library files work. Are they OS specific? Thoughts on this plan?

 

[simon lefisch]

I have lots of movies and songs saved on hard drives. I recently changed my OS to Yosemite. i want to change the bootable hard drives I have as backups. My thought? I'll take one, have it wiped clean and replaced with my computer (so it has the right apps, OS, library folders), and then literally copy the music and movies folder I have from the other backup to it. At that point, my first backup should have both the new OS and the music and movies. I can then completely copy that external to the other external.



Is it bad to just copy the whole music folder? I dont know exactly how itunes folder and library files work. Are they OS specific? Thoughts on this plan?

Assuming you have your iTunes files all together in one folder (iTunes library file and iTunes media), just copy the entire iTunes folder to your drive manually to whatever location you want. Then hold option key and open iTunes. Find and choose the library file you just copied to your HD and you're good to go.

 

[oxband]

Cool.

That said...im not sure that library file on the backup has everything in the folder. ive added stuff since i ever opened up the music on the folder. Is there a way to open up the itunes folder on my backup from my computer, let it go ahead and open all the music saved on the backup, and then save the library file to only have on my backup (since my computer wont have all that music on it....)

thanks!