Can I keep my library on a removable drive?

[davey]

Here's a new one (I think)...

I just bought a tiny laptop to travel with, which has a 4GB hard drive and an 8GB SD card. The hard drive is basically full after installing essential software.

I want to run the Zune software off the SD card, but custom installation is not possible. So I'd at least like to keep my library (mostly podcasts) on my SD card. The Zune software won't allow me to use that drive as the automatic download-to directory.

I downloaded zAlternator and a third-party syncing program to run off the removable drive, but -- and correct me if I'm wrong -- it doesn't seem possible to have podcasts automatically downloaded and placed in the podcast folder in my Zune.

So, my questions:

-Is there a way run the Zune software from -- or at least keep the library on -- my SD card drive?

-Can you recommend an alternative syncing program that manages podcasts and works with the Zune as seamlessly as does the MS Zune software?

-Is there any other workaround for this problem?

[Locke]

The SD card...does it stay in all the time? If so, you can put all of your music on it, and then tell the software to look into that for it's music. To do so, hit Setting. It should open to software, but if it doesn't, hit Software. You see the Monitored Folders area? Look for Music and remove what it's got, and then hit Add Folder to add where you have your music. There should be a way to run parts of the program on the SD card, but it's really not a good idea; programs so advanced and convoluted won't like it when they're not all in the same place, which will happen if you try to install it on the SD card. There's nothing as seemless for the podcast support, or anything else for that matter. Also, I'd reccommend finding a 16 GB SD card if I were you, you can find them for under $50 pretty easy.

[davey]

Yes, I use the 8GB card as a semi-permanent hard drive. I cannot direct the Zune software to place downloaded podcasts onto the SD card, but I think you've given me another idea. I will use some other program to download podcasts to the SD card, and just have the Zune software monitor that folder. Do you have any favorite sync programs?

Thanks for the input. It was a great help.

[Locke]

The Zune software is pretty much all I use except WMP, so I can't really give any reccomendations, but good luck getting it to work.

[Zuner2012]

If you haven't yet, try updating to the 3.0 software. I used (at least for a while) a portable harddrive and it worked seamlessly with my software. Please PM me or post back to tell me if it worked.

[davey]

I have been using the 3.0 software. After trying the experiment that I mentioned above, I realize that it is completely resistant to reading anything off of, or writing anything to, the SD card.

[Locke]

The OS or just the software?

[doubleo2]

I am also trying to store my zune library on an SD card. In my case, the computer recognizes the SD card and I can play music off my SD card using Zune media player. However, I can not use the SD card as a download location and even though zmp is monitoring my SD card, it does not add the music on it to my library. Has anybody had any luck with this?