How To Backup iTunes & Photos Library

Music and videos are refreshing. Pictures keep the sweet memories of the past alive. No one is happy when folders holding these files are lost when stored on the computer. Safely backing up the folders is a wise way to go. MacBook’s offer both automatic and manual methods to backup files. The Time Machine is inbuilt in MacBooks to backup stored data automatically when set up. If backing up your photos and music collections is a priority, here’s how to efficiently back up your iTunes and photos library the manual way.
First, prepare your external drive for the backup. FireWire, USB or Thunderbolt drives can be used by formatting them as MacOS Extended format. Apple doesn’t recommend storing photos on USB flash drives, SD cards or network-shared drives.

How Backup iTunes manually
Your iTunes library is a collection of both music and media files that are organized into the duo of iTunes Media folder and iTunes library files. To back them all up, you must first consolidate the iTunes media library to bring all in one place.

Consolidate iTunes Library
Steps
1. “Click File”. Find “File” at the top of your MacBook menu bar and click on it. A drop-down menu comes up.

2. “Select Organize library”. Click on the library option from the drop-down menu and thereafter click “Organize”. The Organize window is displayed.

3. “Check Consolidate” Check the first box named consolidate files. This sets the buttons at the bottom to be clickable.

4. “Click OK”. Click the “Ok button” at the bottom of the window. This consolidates files used by iTunes into the iTunes Media folder to enhance backup without missing out on any file.

5. “Quit iTunes”. Click on the iTunes tab and click the Quit option on the drop-down list. This closes iTunes.


How to Backup iTunes Media Library manually
6. “Click Go” From the top of the screen click on Go. It is found in the middle of the menu. A drop-down menu comes up.

7. “Click Home” Find the Home option in the drop-down list and click on it to go back to your user account documents and installations.

8. “Click Music” Find the Music option and click on it. The Music window is displayed.

9. “Select the Music option” From the left pane of the music window, select music. This should bring up folders under the music category which includes iTunes.

10. “ Drag iTunes and drop folder to the external drive” Find your connected external drive on the left pane and drag the iTunes folder on it to back it up.

Backing up the Photo Library manually
11. “Click Pictures” Find the Pictures option at the bottom area of the music window’s left pane. Click it. Your photo folders are displayed.

12 “Choose photos Library.photo library” [/b] Find the said photo library on the window and click on it to select. This is the default folder for the photo library.

13. “Copy to the external drive” Drag and drop the photos library. Photos library just like you did with the iTunes folder to the external drive at the left pane to as well back it up.