Backing up DRM protected music...

[dude_56013]

Well, I've finally gotten the parts to throw my friends AMD build together. We are reusing his old HDD and DVD drive, so the first step is to back up the HD and wipe it so I can reinstall. Well, I have run into something I haven't ever before....and that's backing up protected music. I want to make sure it still plays when it goes on the new computer...if it doesn't, I'm sure I'll be hung. Someone please give me some tips. Can I just copy them over to the USB HDD I'm backing stuff up to? Or is there something else I must do first? I have no clue HOW DRM works so maybe I'm fretting too much...?

 

[Celegorm]

Sometimes you can copy them over and just re-register them to the new install. Other times I've had to burn the files to cd/dvd with a media player in order to import them again.

 

[dude_56013]

Sometimes you can copy them over and just re-register them to the new install. Other times I've had to burn the files to cd/dvd with a media player in order to import them again.

Okay. They were purchased through iTunes (as far as I can tell. It's his default player and they are in mp4 format with the lock icon on the individual files). So basically, to cover all bases, I should burn the whole library (only 500 songs or so...easily fit on a DVD) in case the transfer doesn't work? I think I'm worrying a lot about this...but it's just because of the horror stories of people losing all of their music (that they PAID for for God's sake!). I'll get to burning and let you know if it works out okay! Thanks celegorm.

 

[Celegorm]

Purchased from Itunes is very easy. Copy them to an external and unregister the computer to play them (Advanced menu, then deauthorize account)

When the new system is up and running install Itunes and copy the files over. WHen he tries to play one of the DRM protected files it will ask for the username/password he used to buy them then boom they'll all work.

If you copy the entire My Music folder, it will also keep all his playlists too.

 

[dude_56013]

Purchased from Itunes is very easy. Copy them to an external and unregister the computer to play them (Advanced menu, then deauthorize account)

When the new system is up and running install Itunes and copy the files over. WHen he tries to play one of the DRM protected files it will ask for the username/password he used to buy them then boom they'll all work.

If you copy the entire My Music folder, it will also keep all his playlists too.

Awesome! So copy first, then deauthorize, then transfer to new, and then reauthorize? Can I still burn a hard copy before I transfer the files just in case?

 

[Celegorm]

Yup, that's it. You can burn a copy if you'd like but with Itunes it's not necessary. I've backed up itunes music so many times for customers and this has always worked.