Q: I discovered iTunes 10.4 does not support a “Backing up to disc” option. Do I need my own cloud = time warp? Is there an easy (cheap) way to back up my library now? I’m freaked out.
– Anonymous
A: The old backup to disc option was usually pretty cumbersome for users with all but the smallest iTunes libraries, and backing up to an external hard drive has always been a much more practical solution.
External hard drives can now be purchased for under $100 depending on capacity, and you can simply copy and re-copy your entire iTUnes folder from your internal hard drive over to the external. You can either do this manually on a regular basis simply by using Windows Explorer or the Mac Finder, or you can easily automate it with any number of backup tools that are available for this purpose.
Assuming everything is in its default locations, simply copying the entire “iTunes” folder from your “Music” or “My Music” folder should be sufficient to ensure your entire library is backed up.
If you have stored your media content outside of the iTunes folder, you will need to backup this folder as well, or use the “Consolidate Files” option to bring everything back into a single folder. See our articles on Transferring your iTunes Library and Backing up your iTunes Library for more information.
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