[eclein]

The question sounds harder than what I'm really trying to do here..
 I put my entire music library on my 1TB-USB drive and still have the original library on my laptop which I use itunes to sync my ipod. I use Media Monkey for everything now except syncing my ipod although I know it can be done. So I want to free up a boatload of space on my laptop and just keep 30-40 GB of music as opposed to the 200 GB I have on it now...should I go into itunes and delete the files through itunes so itunes will know whats been wacked and whats stayed in the library. I deally I'd love to just go into explorer pull up my music library on the laptop and just slash and burn but then itunes being itunes will cough and sputter and generally screw up my day the next time I go sync my ipod....so whats the best way/

 I may just say screw it and slash and burn and have itunes re scan and start a new library somehow...thoughts???

[baumer]

If it were me I'd just dump the entire iTunes library and then transfer what you want from the USB drive back to iTunes.

Of course I'd double check to make sure ALL the music is on the external drive first. I've lost a lot of music in the past through deleting and I'm still not sure, to this day, where it went! 

[toddbagwell]

I'd transfer everything to the usb drive then in
Edit
Preferences
Advanced
  Set the location as the usb drive
Then in
File
Library
Consolidate

And all the files sshould be on the usb drive.

Unplug the usb drive and delete the files on the laptop.

When you plug in the usb drive again, be sure to double check that the library location did not default back to your internal hdd.

Todd

[eclein]

Thanks guys...I was ordered by the doctor to have my feet up all day (my ankles are swollen like footballs--LOL) so I sat all afternoon and listened to music from the USB drive and deleted alot of files from the laptop first making sure the batch deletes were on the USB drive, I only have 202 GB of files so it wasn't too bad.
 Its pretty cool actually with my laptop sitting closed up on my desk and controlling it wirelessly, I saw a HP laptop on sale yesterday, tigerdirect I think, it was $399 and had DVD/RW, HDMI out, 15.6" and 3GB ram and a 320GB HDD and I thought if I had the extra cash I would just get one of thos and attach a 2 TB USB drive to it and have my own windows/vortexbox/hybrid thingy.....with Media Monkey I could just put the disk in and I believe it will automatically (if I select it to) burn it and all the tagging etc... it wasn't long ago 200GB took up a city block and now I'm using it and more (320GB) and its a laptop!!!
 Thanks guys

[baumer]

When I was using windows I always had trouble using Media Monkey with my ipod. Sometimes it would see the device and other times not. I also had trouble putting music on the ipod too.

If it's working for you that's great but take a look a J. River media center it's not free but does have a trial period. I always thought it worked and sounded the best to me. Past tense because I'm back to using a Mac again.

Hope you're back on your feet again soon.