How to download iTunes music onto a second computer.

Hi,

I have a Mac Mini and a Windows XP laptop. I am staying at my parents house for awhile, so I have both my computers here. I have an sprint evido card for my laptop. But I can’t get my Mac Mini onto the internet because it is rather old and doesn’t have built-in wireless capabilities. (The router and modem are upstairs deep inside my parents’ bedroom.)

I usually sync my iPod to my Mac Mini, but I want to download more iTunes music onto my new iPod Nano, so I just authorized my PC laptop. But I can’t figure out how to transfer all the music from my iTunes on the Mac Mini to the iTunes on the laptop. Can someone help me out?

Thanks.

Kara

kara334,

Sure. Do you actually need to move the music/video files too or just use the second computer to sync?

FInd the iTunes folder. It should be in some location like C:\Documents and Settings\\My Documents\My Music . That location is the default for Win XP. The others are similar. Let me know if you can’t find it on the Mac.

The library is in the files “iTunes Library.itl” and “iTunes Music Library.xml”. Those are the files that have to be copied and placed in the other computer’s iTunes folder for the sync to work. This will make your library the same on both computers.

If you actually want to move the music/video file then you copy the iTunes Music folder that is in the iTunes folder. The Album Artwork folder can also be copied. If those folders aren’t there the sync will still work but the Library will show the files as “missing” and show a message. You can ignore it if you wish and if the files are already on your iPod.

If the Mac stored the music/video files in a different “structure” (i.e. path or used different folders) then it is best to create a similar setup on the new computer. Otherwise you will have to change the “file location” in each song/video.

Let me know if you have any questions or need more information.

b0lsc0tt

Try backing up your songs to a disc, then using that disc to transfer them to the new PC. From the File Menu, choose Back Up To Disc. When the screen pops-up, choose the ‘back entire iTunes library and playlists’ radio button and click ‘Back Up’. This will begin to burn all your songs onto a disc. Once burned, you can insert that disc into the other computer and ‘restore’ that disc to the other computer, as long as it has iTunes as well. It will require you to enter your username and password and will tell you how many computers you have enabled to play your songs as well as how many you have left.

Hope this helps