iTunes question

[bertrand]

So I just bought a new computer. I downloaded iTunes (version 9). I had all my music backed up on an external drive (good move since the old hard drive crashed). I dragged all the music from the external drive to C:. Then I went into add files to Library and everything got copied over. BUT when I try to go into 'get song info', everything is greyed out as if the file is a read only.

With my wife's computer which has an earlier version of iTunes, it works fine and I can edit the song info. Did something change in iTunes 9? Am I supposed to import the music differently?

Very frustrating.

Bertrand.

[John L]

So I just bought a new computer. I downloaded iTunes (version 9). I had all my music backed up on an external drive (good move since the old hard drive crashed). I dragged all the music from the external drive to C:. Then I went into add files to Library and everything got copied over. BUT when I try to go into 'get song info', everything is greyed out as if the file is a read only.

With my wife's computer which has an earlier version of iTunes, it works fine and I can edit the song info. Did something change in iTunes 9? Am I supposed to import the music differently?

Very frustrating.

Bertrand.

I don't know what causes that greying out problem. I have had it too several times in the past. As I recall, I finally solved it by dumping my iTunes library file and reloading my iTunes music folder into a new iTunes library. I lost all my playlists in the process, as they are stored on the library file. So maybe there is a better solution.

What is strange to me is that you apparently already did that. Right? You created a new library file in iTunes 9 and added the music to your folder. If you load an individual folder (as opposed to the whole library), does it do the same thing?

Edited December 15, 2009 by John L

[Noj]

I would have dragged my files directly from the external into iTunes and allowed iTunes to create the files on my hard drive, if I were going to have all the music on my machine. Or link it through iTunes to the external and let iTunes pull up everything. I have never experienced this grayed-out problem, but I imagine for some reason iTunes thinks you're trying to copy a library which belongs to someone else.

[bertrand]

Looks like the problem had nothing to do with iTunes. I called HP (you can do that any time under the 1-year warranty), and my defaults did not give me admin privileges so the files were read-only. It looks like I can edit the info now on all of them, knock on wood.

Next step: get rid of all the duplicates created by a manipulation error on my part when I backed everything up.

Bertrand.

[Brad]

That's good to hear Bertrand. Getting rid of duplicates can be an annyoyance.

[Shrdlu]

iTunes and Napster are a pain in the ass, with that wretched DRM. However, I have some software called Tunebite that gets rid of the DRM, using the simple device of playing the track in question and recording it. Output is good old 320Kbps mp3.

[John L]

iTunes no longer has DRM. But I have a number of older iTunes files with DRM that I would like clean. Burning and ripping each one would be a time consuming pain, and would also cause the loss of digital information, as I don't want to hold them as large lossless files. Where is this Tunebite program available?

[Tom in RI]

If you google tunebite it will come right up.

[sjarrell]

I run an 80gb classic and my wife's shuffle through iTunes, and I'm about to add a 160gb classic to the mix. Is auto-synching going to be a nightmare?

[Brad]

Since your old ipod has more memory than your wife's, I wouldn't think it would since obviously you've figured out what to do with yours and hers. I assume you don't autosync on the present arrangement.

[sjarrell]

I do autosync! Hers is a playlist, mine's checked tunes only.

[Brad]

That's the arrangement my son and I have. I don't use autosync for mine since it's only a Nano; I just use playlists. He's unchecked all my jazz stuff but otherwise autosyncs.

[sjarrell]

I just fear the current system might not work with the new one in the mix. Is manual synching as time-consuming as it sounds?

[John L]

Why should it be time consuming? On manual, iTunes does not erase anything currently on your iPod. So you just delete the albums or songs that you no longer want on it, and add (drag from iTunes) the new albums or songs that you do want. Pretty fast and simple, if you ask me.

[sjarrell]

Well okay then. Manual sync is new to me! I'll work it out.

[Shawn]

Glad you figured out it was a file permissions problem. I recently did the switch from Windows to Mac and had an issue with alot of my music files that were stored on an NTFS external hard drive. The Mac could access the files but not make any changes to them, once I figured out the problems I was able to "take ownership" of the files using Root User mode and that solved the problem.

I used to balk at the idea of using iTunes, but once I saw how much better it performed on a Mac, I changed my mind.

[Matthew]

Dumb Question:

I had MP3 credit with Amazon, so I bought the album Warne Marsh, and when I downloaded, it automatically went to iTunes. I've never used iTunes before, and it seems as if I can't burn the album to a disk. Is this true, or am I missing something?

[Shawn]

Just create a playlist of the album, then you can burn it in iTunes.

[Matthew]

Just create a playlist of the album, then you can burn it in iTunes.

Ah, now I see! Thanks a 1,000,000 Shawn.