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You've spent months, years, decades updating your music collection from vinyl to 8-track, from 8-track to cassette, from cassette to CD, from CD to this new-fangled digital format. Don't let all that hard work disappear with one fried circuit—back it up.

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  Step 1: Open iTunes

  Open your iTunes.

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  Step 2: Choose "Back up to disc"

  Under File, choose the option “Back up to disc.”

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  Step 3: Choose back up option

  Choose one of the three options given: “Back up entire iTunes library,” “Back up only iTunes store purchases,” and “Only back up items added or changed since last backup.”

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  Step 4: Insert disc

  When prompted to do so, insert a blank CD or DVD to begin the process.

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  Step 5: Insert new discs

  Wait for the disc to finish burning and continue inserting new discs as prompted until your entire library is burned.

• Tip

  It will take some time for each disc to burn, so don't eject it until the computer tells you it's finished.

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  Step 6: Store discs

  Store the completed discs. Remember, they cannot be played; they are for restorative purposes only.

• Fact

  More than a million iTunes are downloaded every day.