How To Move Itunes To A New Computer Windows 7

Bill has been an information systems professional for more 30 years. He enjoys writing about cooking, local history, and technology.

I bought a new laptop that had Windows x installed and spent a day and a half transferring programs, photos, etc., from my old laptop to my new laptop. The final task was to transfer my iTunes music, something I expected to be rather straight forward. This turned out to be a daunting job, not considering the procedure is difficult, but considering most of the online how-to articles grossly over-complicate the issue. This method will preserve all of your play counts, ratings, and playlists.

Notes:

• These instructions are for moving iTunes libraries from Windows (98, 2000, XP, 7) to Windows ten.
• If you are moving between Mac and PC, these instructions aren't for you. Some very good videos on that discipline tin can be establish on YouTube.
• The instructions may seem long and complicated, simply that'southward because I've tried to item every step then that a complete computer novice could do it. If y'all accept more avant-garde calculator skills, here is an overview of the steps:

1. Apply iTunes to consolidate the media files.
2. Copy the iTunes folder to the new computer.
3. Edit the "iTunes Music Library.xml" file to reflect the new file locations. (Windows10 uses a dissimilar folder hierarchy than some previous versions).
4. Import the XML file.

Employ an External Storage Device

An external storage device is the easiest and fastest mode to transfer the files betwixt two PCs. I bought a ane-terabyte (thousand gigabyte) external drive for less than $100. It fabricated transferring many gigabytes of photos from the old PC to the new i actually easy, plus it serves every bit a redundancy for all of my media files (photos, music, movies, etc.). Alternatively, you can employ an inexpensive USB drive for this. You may accept to copy your files in batches if they don't all fit in one motion.

Consolidate your files in iTunes. (Click to enlarge)

Consolidate Your iTunes Files

Your iTunes files may not all be stored in the same place if y'all imported music from CDs, other iTunes libraries, and the iTunes shop. To make the transfer easier, we will use iTunes to consolidate all of the files into a unmarried place. This volition not motion the files from their original locations, but information technology will make new copies as necessary. If your one-time PC is running depression on disk infinite, you may be prompted that there is not plenty room to continue the operation. In that case yous'll need to costless-up some infinite and try once more.

On your old PC:

1. Start iTunes
2. File/Library/Organize/Consolidate

Note: If you are managing multiple iTunes libraries on 1 PC, and then perform these steps for each library. If you don't know if y'all accept multiple iTunes libraries then you but have 1 and don't need to exist concerned. Managing multiple libraries in iTunes is something an advanced user might exercise, as there is no directly way to do it within the iTunes software.

Locate the iTunes media folder on your quondam PC. (Click to enlarge)

Create an XML File From Your Library

Newer versions of iTunes no longer automatically create the XML file. If you look at the above screenshot yous'll meet a file called "iTunes Music Library.xml". If it doesn't exist in your iTunes Media folder, you'll need to create it. In the iTunes menu select "Edit", then Preferences", so click on the "Avant-garde" tab.

Cheque the box that says "Share iTunes Library XML with other applications", then click "OK". The XML file will be created in the binder shown at the top of the screen.

Re-create the Files to the External Drive

Once you have consolidated the iTunes files, shut the iTunes program and start Windows File Explorer. (Right-click the Showtime push and select "File Explorer".)

Scroll to Continue

Navigate to the iTunes media binder. This is the binder that holds all of the music and album artwork, not the binder that holds the iTunes plan. If you have a standard iTunes installation, the media folder will depend on which version of WIndows you have.

If your quondam computer'southward Windows is earlier than Windows seven, the media folder volition be under "Documents and Settings\(your login proper noun)\My Documents\My Music\iTunes".

If your old computer is running Windows vii or older, the media folder will be under "Users\(your login name)\Music\iTunes".

In my example, the iTunes media folder on my Windows 2000 computer was:

C:\Documents and Settings\William.Yovino\My Documents\My Music\iTunes

Copy the iTunes folder to the external hard-bulldoze:

1. Correct-click "iTunes", select "Copy".
2. Navigate to the external hard-drive.
3. Right-click the external difficult-bulldoze's proper name, select "Paste".
4. You volition see the progress of the re-create functioning. It can take 5 minutes or more than depending on how large your iTunes library is. Once the copy operation has completed, you can disconnect the external hard-drive.
5. It's a good thought to de-authorize your old calculator so that it doesn't take up 1 of the v slots allotted by iTunes for sharing files. From the Account carte du jour, select Authorizations, then Deauthorize This Figurer. If your iTunes version is very quondam, from the Shop card, choose Deauthorize This Computer. (See http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1420 for more information on Authorizing and De-authorizing.)

On to the New PC

The next steps assume that your new PC is properly gear up-up and connected to the Internet. If iTunes has non still been installed, go to http://www.apple.com/iTunes/Download/ to download and install iTunes on your new computer.

Close down the iTunes program if it is running.

Edit the file "iTunes Music Library.xml" (Click to overstate)

Examine Your New iTunes Environment

We need to find out where iTunes expects to find its files on the new PC. Later we volition edit a file and employ the data we learned during this stride.

Add one song to iTunes (whatsoever vocal will do): File / Add file to Library.

1. Get-go Windows File Explorer (right-click the Windows icon on the bottom task-bar and select "File Explorer").
2. Nether "This PC", click on "Music", then open up the iTunes binder.
3. Right-click the file called "iTunes Music Library.xml" and select "Edit". (If the file isn't there, create one past following the steps shown above in "Create an XML File From Your Library".)
4. Expect for the line that says "File://localhost/".
5. Select the text from "C:/" to "iTunes/" In my example, I copied "C:/Users/Bill%20Yovino/Music/iTunes/".
6. Re-create the choice (hold down the Ctrl-primal and press the letter "C").
7. Shut the edit window without saving.
8. Open up Notepad and paste the selected text past holding downward the Ctrl-key and pressing the letter "V". You will apply this information in the next step.

Copy the Files to Your New PC

1. Navigate to Libraries/Music/My Music/iTunes.
2. Right-click the iTunes binder and select "Delete".
3. Adhere the external difficult-drive to your new PC.
4. Navigate to the iTunes folder (from the one-time PC) on the external difficult-drive.
5. Correct-click the folder and select "Re-create".
6. Scroll up and navigate to the "Libraries / Music / My Music" folder.
7. Correct-click the "My Music" folder and select "Paste". You will see the progress of the copy operation. It volition take five minutes or more depending on the size of your iTunes library.

• Of import Note: Motility the XML file to a unlike folder otherwise iTunes volition delete it when yous start information technology. (Thank you iTunes for continually changing things)

Finishing the Move

The last step is to edit the "iTunes Music Library.xml" file to reflect the proper location.

1. Use Windows Explorer to navigate to the XML file that you copied from your sometime computer in the stride above.
2. Right-click the file "iTunes Music Library.xml" and select "Edit".
3. Discover the "File://localhost/" text as we did before.
4. Select the file location beginning at the "C:/" and catastrophe at the "iTunes/". In my case it was "C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/william.yovino/My%20Documents/My%20Music/iTunes/".
5. Copy the text by holding down the Ctrl-fundamental and pressing "C".
6. From the Notepad menu, click "Edit" then "Replace".
7. Paste the text into the "Find What" field past holding downwardly Ctrl-fundamental and pressing "Five" (This is the text from the onetime PC that yous but copied).
8. In the "Supersede with" field enter the text that we saved earlier. (This is the text from the new PC that you noted in the previous step).
9. Click "Replace All". It volition take several seconds to supersede all of the occurrences. In my case, I replaced C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/william.yovino/My%20Documents/My%20Music/iTunes with C:/Users/Bill%20Yovino/Music/iTunes
10. Close the Notepad session and save the results.
11. Start iTunes. Select "File/Library/Import Playlist". Navigate to the XML file that you edited, select it and click "OK". The songs should now appear in iTunes. If non, recheck that you entered the correct information during the Observe/Supplant step.

This article is authentic and true to the best of the writer's noesis. Content is for advisory or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional person advice in business organisation, financial, legal, or technical matters.

© 2011 Nib Yovino

Beak Yovino (author) on June 06, 2020:

Hi NIck, It'south referring to the XML File from the erstwhile PC, which is likely in the iTunes binder that you lot're copying over to the new PC. If you go out information technology in the iTunes folder when you copy the music to the new PC, iTunes volition delete it when it starts. You tin can put it anywhere else and will utilize it during the "Finishing The Movement" office in a higher place.

Nick99 on June 06, 2020:

Give thanks you for the detailed communication! i oasis't tried this notwithstanding merely I'grand planning to.

You say "Important Note: Move the XML file to a unlike folder otherwise iTunes volition delete it when you outset it. (Cheers iTunes for continually changing things)."

Is the XML file you refer to here the i on the new PC or the XML file from the old PC that is being copied?

If information technology's the XML file from the quondam PC, should it exist copied separately from the iTunes folder?

If it's the XML file created by iTunes on the new PC, should information technology be deleted once the new file location has been copied?

Thanks once more!

Bill Yovino (author) on December 29, 2019:

@AndreaB12. I'm glad you got it working and thanks for the feedback. You could change the filenames to make them shorter, just that would be pretty tedious in your case, unless you lot built a script to do them all programatically. iTunes gets the song title and other information from the file properties. Right-click the file and select Properties, and then the Details tab to view or edit them. You probably know that simply I'k putting it hither for reference.

AndreaB12 on December 28, 2019:

Thanks for your great tips. I take just completed the aforementioned process you went through transfering my large music collection to a new laptop. I had bug years before when I lost a disk and lost all my metadata in spite of trying everything I could think of, including editing the xml. I have a proficient working cognition of databases and structures and I thought I would be able to master it, only itunes is a constabulary unto itself!

Anyway, importing the whole library in one become didn't piece of work. I had 2 problems. One was my new media destination path was slightly longer than the old ane and information technology made some of the paths of some tracks likewise long for windows.

My collection is almost all classical music and you sometimes become track names like Beethoven: Symphony #ix In D Minor, Op. 125, "Choral" - one. Allegro Ma Non Troppo. Violetta Urmana, Karita Mattila, Etc.; Claudio Abbado: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Swedish Radio Choir, Eric Ericson Choir (!)

Another consequence was that I unremarkably buy and rip CDs only sometimes buy from itunes. The new version of itunes on my laptop wanted to re-download all of these and lose my play counts etc.

I got around this past creating a playlist on my quondam pc of all of these tracks. Signing out of itunes store on my laptop and then importing this library separately. This by and large worked.

So I had to kickoff again and I decided to keep the media file at a college level - i.east. c:\music. It's not ideal only it prevents problems with pathnames.

I moved all the music to the new binder and then built playlists of up to 100 albums each on my old PC to import the library in parts.

It took me most of today, but information technology's all in that location now. One actress trouble was that itunes lost a lot of my album artwork for some reason so I have had to notice and re-attach that.

in all I lost the play counts from 2 tracks out of over 15,000. I call that success!!

Thank you again for your detailed advice!!

Bill Yovino (writer) on November 18, 2016:

Are you lot sure you're saving the changes after the search and supplant step?

pip-pip on Nov 17, 2016:

Nib, when I exercise this and so open up iTunes, it just replaces my edited xml path with the original path, ie the ane from the old figurer. How practice I terminate information technology from doing that?

Nib Yovino (author) on October 22, 2016:

Hi Graves6188. You can use a USB drive, sometimes called a "Thumb Drive". You can get them nigh anywhere and they are very inexpensive. I've seen eight gb USB drives for v or x dollars.

graves6188 on October 22, 2016:

Hi Bill, Is in that location whatsoever way to do the transfer without using an external hard bulldoze? And yes, I am a truthful novice :)

FrankieLloyd on Oct 22, 2015:

Neb,

Thanks - crawly tutorial!

Regarding what you mentioned on Easy Transfer (which is no longer available on Windows x) - I've constitute another tutorial here that shows how to practice an automatic transfer using some sort of Easy transfer replacement:

http://www.zinstall.com/how-to/how-to-transfer-itu...

Successfully transferred iTunes, music and a bunch of other programs.

Promise this helps!

Ollswell on July 28, 2015:

A lot of adept advice, I would merely add that yous should attempt running the app Song Sergeant to come across if you still have whatever remaining missing/duplicated/etc problems later moving your library. It'due south complimentary if all you're doing is looking for issues.

Pecker Yovino (author) on August 27, 2014:

Cheers, Lisa. I dearest hearing success stories.

Lisa on August 24, 2014:

Thanks then much!!! This fabricated my transfer of my iTunes library from Windows XP to Windows 8.1 then piece of cake and stress free! I really appreciated this post and the detailed step by stride instructions. Just what I needed :)

Holly on March 25, 2014:

Hi Beak - This procedure has saved me much heartache and aggravation! Thanks for posting. However - I was still left with duplicates (sometimes triplicates) in my iTunes library. I guess I idea the consolidation footstep would get rid of duplicates? Anyhow - it'due south not the end of the earth and I've started the process of manually deleting the duplicates from my library. But if in that location's an easier method or anything else I should know - please share.

Bill Yovino (writer) on February ten, 2014:

Hi Tony. Yeah, this method preserves all of the statistics. Good luck

Tony on Feb 09, 2014:

I just bought a new PC with windows 7. My old organization had windows XP. Your instructions are well laid out and very clear. Thank y'all for that. I will exist using your method soon. Question though.... did your method preserve all the star ratings, # of plays, last played, etc?

Pecker Yovino (author) on February 03, 2014:

Glad it worked out for yous and cheers for letting me know!

Nass on February 02, 2014:

Cheers and then much for resolving my massive trouble! Yous are a hero.

Pecker Yovino (writer) on September 28, 2013:

Mick West. thanks for taking the fourth dimension to leave a comment. I beloved hearing success stories.

Mick W. on September 28, 2013:

Nib, you are a star. I've just moved 3 user libraries from XP to Windows 8. All of my ratings on three,800 tracks were withal were at that place, which makes my playlists work......brilliant. At present I just have to work out why iTunes has included some MP3 tracks that I created for a phone, giving me duplicates, albeit that one is .m4a and the other is .mp3.....Cheers again.

Glenn Stok from Long Isle, NY on Baronial x, 2013:

I had recently moved everything from a PC to a Mac. Apple has not made information technology like shooting fish in a barrel to propagate an iTunes library from ane estimator to some other, allow alone among differing operating systems.

Your instructions are very useful for anyone who wants to preserve the entire iTunes configuration. Even taking into account the issues with Windows 7's unlike folder hierarchy.

Bill Yovino (author) on February 10, 2013:

Thanks for sharing. Information technology makes me happy to hear success stories.

Cathy L. on February 10, 2013:

Nib, Thank you, Give thanks you, Thank you for your helpful commodity. I was moving from my laptop win 7 to a desktop win 7 . I had a second drive in my laptop that had my itunes library on it and I put that drive into the desktop. I only used windows like shooting fish in a barrel transfer for my c drive. Later installing windows and iTunes on my new system, I used the Moisture programme to put the stuff from my laptop onto the new organisation. Since the new system had a dissimilar name than the old one, I merely had to edit the xml file to change the name part of the string. It worked like a charm. I have had problems over the past year with my laptop and have had to reinstall windows several times and e'er having to redo my itunes library. What a hurting. This was the easiest part of the whole transfer. Thanks again for the great article.

Neb Yovino (writer) on February 03, 2013:

Love to hear that!

Shane on February 03, 2013:

This worked for me too! Thanks for your post!

Bill Yovino (author) on January thirty, 2013:

Glad to hear virtually your success, and thank you for the feedback!

Peggy Fifty. on January 29, 2013:

It worked!!!!! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I take been trying to get my library transferred to my new laptop for a year now and just got more and more than frustrated every time. This worked and I am so happy. I at present take music on my ipod for my workout. I have no excuses now. I cannot give thanks you plenty!

Pecker Yovino (author) on Nov 23, 2012:

How-do-you-do Guy. Did you do the consolidation pace on your old PC first? If not, you may be missing files when you lot made the copy. Brand sure y'all re-create the music files to the correct folder and edit the XML every bit advisable. The %20 is merely how the computer represents a space. and then "Assist Me" would be "Assist%20Me".

You need to change the song path in the XML to reverberate the new file location, which is different than your sometime PC.

If you lot're really stumped and want to showtime again, reinstall iTunes on your new computer, then become to the iTunes store and download a vocal. Then examine the XML file or use Windows Explorer to encounter where iTunes is storing the music files. That's where you need to copy your old music.

Guy Norton on Nov 20, 2012:

I recently overwitten all my itunes playlists whilst uploading to a new PC. I have my original itunes library even so intact on my one-time PC.

I accept copied the old library xml file over to the new auto but all I become are exclamation marks.

My quondam PC my music was stored under itunes/itunes Music merely on the new machine they are on itunes/itunes Media/itunes Music which is different. I have tried what you've suggested higher up and I have all the same yet to go rid of the exclamation points

I don't really take any understanding of what the coding is in the xml files every bit the vocal paths aren't the same as listed folders above. Most of information technology makes sense but the added coding of the %twenty is a mystery.

Are y'all able to assistance?

Bill Yovino (author) on July 18, 2012:

@Chris - thanks for the info!

Chris on July xviii, 2012:

Yup you can - but but once per year so information technology'southward worth not forgetting to preserve valuable slots! Practiced article, thanks.

Bill Yovino (author) on July fifteen, 2012:

If you run out of slots you lot tin can always deactivate all of the computers via iTunes then re-add the advisable ones. I've added a note about deactivating the onetime computer above.

http://support.apple tree.com/kb/HT1420

Chris on July 15, 2012:

No, you tin't modify the listing - you can merely deauthorise a figurer from that figurer. Then before you lot trash the old installation you lot should deauthorise information technology or yous've lost your opportunity. Since you become v slots the worst that will happen is you lot've wasted a slot and now effectively have 4 slots available including the new estimator. That may or may not present a problem depending on how you utilize your authorised slots.

Neb Yovino (author) on July 14, 2012:

Good point, but like yous said, you tin can always modify your list of active computers. Sounds like a good thought for another article!

Chris on July 14, 2012:

Thanks, I volition attempt this. Y'all should also mention that information technology's a skilful idea to deauthorise the erstwhile computer before binning it, and so authorising the new calculator once your steps are consummate. If you forget it'due south no large deal but you'll be wasting one of your v authorised computers slots.

Neb Yovino (author) on February 06, 2012:

Glad you plant it helpful and thanks for the feedback.

Dave on Feb 06, 2012:

Cheers sir for the very detailed instructions! Your's were the beginning I found that went in the XML changes, something I discovered while looking at the files before finding your artcile. Y'all confirmed what I was thinking and everything was completed successfully. I now have iii happy iTune'rs in my business firm... :-)

Nib Yovino (author) on Dec 06, 2011:

Interesting question. I haven't tried it but it would probably work.

Angela Goodwin from Southern California on December 06, 2011:

Great information! But a thought though, is it possible to operate itunes within the external drive? If so it would be a huge help as I have an extensive library and need to gratis up some infinite on the laptop.

Nib Yovino (writer) on September 17, 2011:

@Peter - I've added a note above most trying Windows Easy Transfer commencement. Thank you for the annotate.

Pecker Yovino (author) on September 17, 2011:

That's groovy! I tried the "Windows like shooting fish in a barrel transfer" a few times but it didn't work for me. It ran for hours but didn't actually do anything. I think it depends on how your old PC is gear up up(content, privileges, anti-virus software, etc.), so it's hit or miss. I'g fairly happy with Windows vii, especially when it comes to setting up networking and printers, merely I wish it would stop trying to "help" me by bold what I'yard trying to do and stepping in where information technology's not wanted. Glad the transition went smoothly for you.

Peter Davies on September 17, 2011:

I accept caused a new computer with Windows 7. (the quondam one was XP).

I left the transfer of itunes to the end because my Google searches suggested information technology was complicated.

Having read your clear instructions my first footstep was to download the itunes software to the new computer. To my surprise when I opened information technology, it already had all my music, videos, apps, books etc.

My old estimator wasn't even gear up to consolidate itunes files.

What I had done (earlier in the mean solar day)was use the "Windows easy tranfer" software to transfer all my one-time files and settings to the new computer via an external hard drive. itunes had plant the files even though the Windows 7 location for music is a bit different from XP.

Bill Yovino (writer) on June 26, 2011:

Cheers. I initially followed some instructions I plant on YouTube, but they didn't work right (or I didn't follow them correctly). Then I tried what I've written here and information technology was much easier. In the process of writing this Hub, I performed the functioning many times and now tin can do it very quickly. It's like many things in life, easier to do than to explain.

RTalloni on June 26, 2011:

Looks like articulate instructions. Thanks for sharing. Am glad to have this equally a resources.

Source: https://turbofuture.com/computers/How-to-Move-your-iTunes-Library-to-a-new-PC-Windows

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