PC Music folders/iTunes folders doing my head in - Help !

vicwatson

Ok, I'll try explain what I'm at here -

A couple weeks back after a google search to back up my iTunes folder to an external hard drive I think I made a balls of it as it seems to have created a new folder in My Music iTunes folder called "Music" and stored all my music in there, any new cd's I've uploaded seem to be getting put into that folder.

I went to my iTunes > file > add Folder to library and added the "Music" folder to my iTunes.

Now it seem that there are duplicates in my iTunes as I've just synched it and it transferred something like 1800 songs over to my ipod, thought they don't seem to be duplicated on my ipod that I can see.

Here is the original folder -

C:\Documents and Settings\MY NAME\My Documents\My Music\iTunes\iTunes Music

and in that folder this is now in place -

C:\Documents and Settings\MY NAME\My Documents\My Music\iTunes\iTunes Music\Music



Can anyone please help me sort this mess out in straightforward language please as although I'm ok and comfortable using windows XP I'm not that much of a techie ? AND I HATE iTunes !!

I can answer whatever needs be answered by someone that can help me.

I repeat I HATE iTUNES !!!!!!!!

Thanks in advance for any help

Sounds like you have the "Keep iTunes Media Folder Organised" option selected in preferences (or the equivalent option in windows)
and the "Copy files to iTunes Media folder when adding to library"

if you uncheck these, then point the itunes media folder location to the folder you want you should be sorted.
BUT...
and this is a big BUT

there could be trouble with files not being found then when you try to play them, especially any newer songs you've added since the change.
which is a pain in the arse and you might have to rebuild your itunes library, which is scarier sounding than it actually is. linky
Theres also an option to Consolidate files which is supposed to organise you library, but i've never used it so cant comment on it.

before messing around and maybe deleting stuff, make a back up of what was your main folder just to be safe.

i'm not on windows atm but from what i remember this is what i'd be doing. Might be worth waiting to see if someone on XP comments on here to put you in the right direction.

Initially i used hate itunes too, but eventually just let it do its thing and its never given me any trouble, i'm on a mac if that make a difference tho!

Hope this will be of some help...