iTunes nightmare

[Simon]

I've been virtually all day at a friend's, trying to sort out their sodding iPods.  Nothing seems to be straightforward.  For starters, can anyone please tell me how to get songs off of the iPod, back into iTunes?  Whenever we try to sync, it threatens to remove all the data from the device, and we don't want it to do that.

[Rik]

That should just happen, Simon, I've seen it on my own machine. Have they got too many devices accredited?

[Simon]

Haven't a clue, Rik. it's all such a mess, and they've got folders here, there and everywhere, I thought it would be best to wipe the lot and start again, and this is the first obstacle.  I'm not there now, so can't really answer many questions.

[Rik]

It sounds like they've made a real mess of it, and any attempt to clean it up is going to end up with some data loss. Are the original files on the computer, still?

[psp83]

Everytime i've sync'd my iPod/iPhone to a different machine its wiped my songs from it. I've never worked out how to stop that.

The latest iTunes seems to be bugged on windows 7, so i wouldnt use that at the mo. Mine was working fine until i updated to the newer version.

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[Simon]

Rik, no they are not, that's the problem.

Paul, yes, that's what we are trying to avoid.  Is there no way to 'reverse' sync?

[Rik]

There is, and it should work. Can you describe what you've done so far?

[Steve]

The sync is only one way, you can get them but its a bit of a trial see http://www.mydigitallife.info/2006/07/16/copy-or-transfer-music-and-songs-from-ipod-to-pc-and-computer-without-itunes/ I've seen this repeated elsewhere but never tried it. I always keep an unattached archive of music elsewhere just for this eventuality

[Rik]

Same here, Steve - lots of backups...

[Simon]

I thought it would be simple enough to retrieve the data from the iPods.  I'll send them that link, thanks Steve.

Rik, basically, Itunes uninstalled, data removed, and reinstalled.  I did rename a folder to that of the eelevent ipod.  Was that wrong?

[psp83]

Some sites say these apps does iPod > PC.

1-iPod Agent (http://www.ipodsoft.com/software.aspx)
2-YamiPod (http://www.yamipod.com)
3-SharePod (http://www25.brinkster.com/carmagt/SharePod)

Not checked them myself.

Still looking at how to sync without wiping the iPod.

[Rik]

How did you remove and re-install the data? Is iTunes looking in the right folder?

[psp83]

These 2 links might help with syncing and not wiping the iPod

http://www.andrewgrant.org/2008/03/30/how-to-sync-an-iphone-with-two-or-more-computers.html
http://superuser.com/questions/67908/iphone-sync-with-multiple-itunes

[Simon]

I think the folders might be the problem, Rik. What should the default path be to, day, My iPod?

[Simon]

Thanks Paul. I'll have to check those out later, from my PC.

[Rik]

I have the app installed on D: and pointing to D:\iTunes for data. That's not the default, though, it's set in Edit > Prefences > Advanced. See where it's currently pointing.

[Simon]

Can't at the moment.  Would a System Restore get the deleted folders back?

[Rik]

Possibly, be worth a try.

[Steve]

Slightly more readable version of manual restore here http://www.mcelhearn.com/2006/04/10/copying-music-files-from-your-ipod-to-your-computer/

If each device then goes into separate OS user account,hopefully some organisation maybe possible unless they decide to just have one library and then each device has to be synced with its own specific playlist.You can have multiple iTune databases with one user account but then on startup you have to remember where its stored and which one is which.

[Simon]

Yeah, it was all working fine with one user, Steve, then another member of the family received an iPod for Christmas, so they want to use that on the same computer, which doesn't have multiple user accounts.  They somehow managed to set up separate Libraries (and I don't know if that's different to separate Playlists), under the same user account, but one device kept downloading the data from the 'wrong' Library, and that's where the fun started.

[Steve]

A library can have multiple playlists,you can set iTunes to sync only a playlist with an ipod and not the whole library,so you can have separate playlists for syncing different devices. iTunes can have multiple libraries on one user account they are accessed at start up by pressing the ALT key and the icon together I think it remains that way until you decide to manually use another library. I have 2 libraries one for the iphone and one for the ipod as I use a higher compression rate for the iphone(saves space) I still have to remember though which library to use with which device otherwise I would end up in a mess.

[Simon]

I think they already have, Steve. 

[Gary]

Same here I have two playlists, one for the iPhone, one for Justina's Christmas present, a iPod Touch, and the whole lot backed up onto 5 DVD's and thats at 128kbps.

Backing up your music is the key thing as a just in case before adding new playlists, then again after the other playlist is added, just to be safe, or have a good image on Windows, or Time machine backup on Macs.

[Sebby]

I thought it would be simple enough to retrieve the data from the iPods.  I'll send them that link, thanks Steve.

You can't take music off of an iPod. If you could, you could give your iPod to a friend, who could copy your music.

[Sebby]

Yeah, it was all working fine with one user, Steve, then another member of the family received an iPod for Christmas, so they want to use that on the same computer, which doesn't have multiple user accounts.  They somehow managed to set up separate Libraries (and I don't know if that's different to separate Playlists), under the same user account, but one device kept downloading the data from the 'wrong' Library, and that's where the fun started.

Have a look at method 3.