Another Library Sync Question

Hi. A slight variation on an often asked question - but one I haven't found asked elsewhere on the forums:
So, my old computer died and I don't have a backup of my iPhone contents. I'm trying to sync to a new instance of iTunes on my new laptop.
I have my mp3 collection on an exteral hard drive, so I can just rebuild the collection on my iPhone if it comes to it.
The thing is, my mp3 collection is up in the 50,000's and I want to transfer the same 10,000ish to my iPhone out of it ... if possible without starting from scratch.
So the question is, is it possible to get itunes to recognize that the songs on the iPhone are actually in it's library - but only a subset of the library needs syncing?
Thanks!

I didn't find any other free ones, and Tuneranger is discontinued and doesn't work right anyway.  I resorted to using itunes on the mac mini and the option to show files not in it's library to do a manual sync.  I did not try rsync on the w8 machine to push files over because I was worried it would mess up the database files.

Similar Messages

  • Aperture 3 library syncing question

    I want to move to Aperture, but I need some advice first. (I have considered Aperture in the past, but my expectations and demands were unrealistic. Now I am trying to be as realistic as possible about what I want from Aperture.)
    I have learned that Aperture 3 in fact supports syncing libraries between computers. Before I attempt this however I want to find out from you people whether what I want to do will work.
    First let me describe my situation.
    I have Mac Pro which contains the following types of files dating from 1997:
    RAW + JPEG pairs from my DSLR, mirrorless, and compact cameras
    JPEG solo images from DSLR, mirrorless, and compact cameras
    TIFFs, PSDs, and JPEGs from film scans
    TIFFs, PSDs, and JPEGs that are saved, edited versions of the above (edited files have the same filename as the original, plus a few letters added to indicate which changes have been made; s = sharpened, a = converted with ACR, c = cropped, w = web resolution, etc.)
    AVI, MOV, MP4, and MTS (AVCHD) movies shot with various digital cameras
    There are 160,383 files in total, although the number of photographs is probably less than 100,000 due to RAW + JPEG pairs counting as two files. The total space used is ~1.2TB. The files are on an internal 2TB RAID volume, which is constantly backed up to an external Time Machine RAID.
    The files are all organized into folders by year up to 2009, and inside each year's folder are sub-folders that organize the pictures by event. All photos taken after 2009 are organized either by event or by subject matter, depending on which seemed more relevant to the particular shoot. I have been using Adobe Bridge to sort them. After they are sorted, I use a wonderful gem called ChronoSync to sync the JPEGs only (but not the RAWs, TIFFs, PSDs, or movies) to my MacBook Pro. That way I have my photos with me in the field in case I want to make some prints, upload to Flickr/Facebook, etc.
    However, I am feeling many limitations of this workflow -- hence why I am considering Aperture.
    Here are the main things I want to do with Aperture. Please tell me if this will work, and what any gotcha's might be.
    I want to have a "master" Aperture library on the Mac Pro. I will add all my existing files into the master library in a 'referenced' fashion -- they will remain where they are in the current directory structure on the 2TB RAID.
    I want to also maintain a "satellite" Aperture library on the MacBook Pro that contains only the JPEG versions of these files. I would use ChronoSync to copy over all the referenced JPEGs such that they exist in the same places in the directory structure of the laptop as they do on the desktop (i.e. /Users/me/Pictures/etc.), so that hopefully when Aperture looks for them it can find them. (I am guessing that I would create the "satellite" library by simply copying the "master" library to the laptop, rather than creating a fresh library there.)
    I want to use the "satellite" library on the MacBook Pro to perform tagging, adding location data, rating, further organizing, etc. and then sync those changes back to the "master" library on the Mac Pro.
    I know that Aperture 3 has the ability to sync/merge libraries, but my questions are:
    If the "satellite" library has only the JPEGs available on the local drive, then will any metadata changes made in the "satellite" library properly sync back to the JPEG+RAW pairs in the "master" library? I.e. will Aperture still apply changes in metadata to both the RAWs and JPEGs, even though the RAWs were not present on the "satellite"?
    Will Aperture allow me to group other versions of the file besides the RAW and JPEG on the master library? Will metadata to just the JPEG also be applied to these other versions upon syncing, as described above?
    Is it a "two-way sync" -- i.e. will changes made to the master library also sync back to the satellite library? (If not, that's OK with me, because presumably after merging the satellite into the master, I can delete the satellite library, then re-copy the master back to the laptop to make a new satellite library -- I am also going to have copy over any new JPEG files to the laptop as well, so I don't mind copying one extra file [the new satellite library].)
    I'm sure I've forgotton something important here but, my time is limited so I'll leave it at this for now and post any other questions later. Thanks for any tips, I know this is a complicated issue.
    -=DM=-

    I still need to do some experimenting to see if the file references are volume-specific or if they are volume-blind -- i.e. if they just use paths starting with "/[path]" instead of paths starting with "/Volumes/SpecificDriveName/[path]".
    I am not sure I understand you fully - what kind of file referencing are you speaking of?
    If you use managed master image files, the master images are stored inside the Aperture library, and if you move the complete library to a new drive, then thereferences to  files inside the package still work. So obviously Aperture uses relative pathes here.
    If you use referenced master image files - let's for example assume the Aperture library is on Volume A, the referenced master image files are  on Volume B, and you move your Aperture library now from A to Volume C:  If you open the Library on Volume C, it will still find the master image files on Volume B, so the library stores the absolute path for referenced masters. This even works with referenced masters on network volumes, but I really cannot recommend to store the masters on remote volumes; you will have to make sure the volume is mounted, when you launch Aperture.
    Is that what you were asking about? if not, please rephrase your question.
    Regards
    Léonie

  • Library Syncing Question

    OK I have two Macs and an iPad and an iPhone.
    Here's what I currently do, using non-Aperture products:
    1) I transfer RAW+JPEG from my camera to my iPad.
    2) I use Image Capture to transfer the images from iPad into an "Unsorted" folder.
    3) I sort the pictures using Adobe Bridge, then organize them into folders, which are also organized into other folders, and so-on. They are done by main category such as "Events/Shows", "Work", "Trips", "Cats", "Friends", "House", "Landscape", "Macro", etc. ((The categories aren't perfect though and I started to realize I have a lot of pictures that fit multiple categories, hence why I want to start using an image management software like Aperture.))
    4) When I edit a file, I open the RAW into Photoshop CS5 or Olympus Studio and use that software to make a new .PSD or .TIF file, appending the file name with single letter codes that indicate what I have done to the file (+o for olympus studio, +a for adobe CS5, +s for sharpened, +h for hdr, +p for pano, +w for web resolution version,+f for flattened version of a multi-layer file, etc.). I also add a 1.1 or 1.2 to the filename if I make successive versions. Then I save it to the same folder that the original was saved in so that I don't have to go looking for it should I want to burn it to CD to take into the lab to get printed.
    5) I sync all my JPEGs only to the MacBook Pro, and keep the RAW+JPEG on the Mac Pro since it has 7 TB of storage and redundant backed up arrays. But I do most of my photo editing on the MacBook Pro, then sync the new edited versions back to the Mac Pro. I use ChronoSync to do the syncing.
    Problem with my current method: I cannot sync to the iPad in an organized way nor add location information to my photos.
    Here's what I'd like to do:
    1) On the MacBook Pro and Mac Pro, maintain a *referenced* Aperture library by adding referenced links into Aperture to all my existing files, which would stay where they currently are. ((I don't feel like giving up my folder organization scheme that I've been building up for 15 years, and which contains over 50,000 images.)) Then I would sync Aperture between the MacBook Pro and Mac Pro whenever I also sync the folders (any changes to one would become reflected in the other).
    2) When I would add JPEGs to the MacBook Pro's Aperture library via referenced links, then on the Mac Pro the referenced links would point at the copies of the files that are on *its* local hard drive. So in other words, the referenced links in the Aperture library *must* be something like: ~/Pictures/MyFolder/myimage001.jpg INSTEAD of something like: /MyHardDriveName/Users/MyUserName/Pictures/MyFolder/myimage001.jpg. If Aperture is able to use links that reference to the User directory, then syncing between the computers will go smoothly. Otherwise it won't work at all. So this step is critical. I'd like to know before I attempt this whether or not this will work.
    3) I will also want Aperture to automatically use a Spotlight search scope that I define to find files that have been moved. I organize my files by moving them around in folders; if something gets moved then I need Aperture to go look for it. It should keep a checksum for the key metadata of each file and the filename in its database so that it can intelligently search and automatically repair broken links using Spotlight. Or, failing that, it needs to allow me to manually tell it where I have moved files in the (somewhat rare) cases when I move them after adding them to Aperture.
    4) I want Aperture to let me use Adobe Photoshop CS5 or Olympus Studio to convert RAW to JPG, whenever I want, and automatically add any edited versions of the files that I manipulate back into its database. So in other words it would watch the folders that I have added images from, and if any new files appear there, then it would automatically add links to them to the Aperture database (like how Picasa does with its watch folders).
    5) I want to be able to download images from my camera's memory card to my iPad, then organize them into new Projects/Albums and rate them, etc., then sync those Projects/Albums into Aperture but have the files be placed in a folder I specify (not into the Aperture library!! arghh!!!).
    6) I also want to sync my Aperture library to my iPad using iTunes from my MacBook Pro. (I already started doing this on an experimental basis, but I noticed there is still no way to rate pictures on the iPad and I haven't tried making new albums from the iPad yet and syncing them back.)
    I'm sure I'll think of some other requirements but those are the must-haves. Does anyone know if Aperture is capable of doing this, or is it not a professional application quite yet?
    On point 3), perhaps it's possible to use AppleScripts to add files that are added to certain folders into Aperture instead of having Aperture do it upon launch? Anyone know? If so does anyone know of such scripts?
    Are there any pros out there who actually let Aperture store your photos in its library? If so then how did you transition your existing large image library into Aperture? I don't think I have enough spare hard drive space to import my 1.5TB photo library into a new copy of it, plus all the frakking previews and everything else that Aperture generates. I guess I just fail to see why Aperture insists on using a Library instead of doing things in a Mac-like way (folders). It seems very strange and odd to me that Apple would have written a program that does not even obey the Macintosh user interface principles like having a standard open/save dialog box, file/folder interface, using the trash can to delete things, etc. Am I the only one who feels like they are starting to smoke something weird in Cupertino?
    - Mac Daddie

    1. There is no need to use Aperture in Managed Mode - where it stores the files in its own Library. Aperture is perfectly happy running in Referenced Mode - the files are stored where you prefer - and its an option in the import dialogue.
    2. It's not a photo editor or file browser. You seem to be confusing it with Bridge or somesuch. It's a Photo Manager -   database forcussed on processing the output of a shoot in a losslessly. That's why it doesn't use Open and Save dialogues and so on. The point of Aperture is that you import your Photos and store the files whereever, and get on with working on the Photos.
    If you're very attached to your current workflow I would skip Aperture. An alternative workflow using Aperture would be much simpler. Import to Aperture (storing the files where you will) sort them in Aperture, process them in Aperture etc. No need to save as tiffs or psds - in fact, the only time you need to decide what to do with the product of your effort is when you export for some reason. You can create multiple versions (and append whatever codes you prefer to these versions and so on.) Photos you want to further edit, send to Photoshop or whatever you prefer. Though the very common  experience is that you will use these editors a lot less than you do now.
    You can have multiple Libraries, export projects as Libraries to keep Libraries on two machines in sync and so on.
    So, working with Aperture in your current workflow would only be adding unnecessary complexity to an already complex workflow. If you're prepared to negotiate on the workflow, you may find an easier way to get the same results with Aperture.
    Regards
    TD

  • Yet another transfer/sync question...

    I've authorized my new laptop.
    I know how to transfer "purchased" songs to it.
    I CAN NOT access original hard drive which also holds songs burned from CD (but most of my library is on the iPod as well).
    Q: Will connecting iPod to the new laptop, sync its song list (including the non-purchased songs) TO the new lap?
    Thanks
    Drock j

    dockj wrote:
    Q: Will connecting iPod to the new laptop, sync its song list (including the non-purchased songs) TO the new lap?
    NO.
    To copy songs from an iPod to a computer, you need 3rd party software. Search this forum for a very informative post by Zevoneer on the topic.

  • Another library organization question

    Is there a way to configure itunes so that it would import files into the library exactly the same way as they are organized in folders on the hard drive (each folder is an album and would not use the id3 tags to organize the songs)?

    No, you must put the music into the iTunes library to load it onto an iPod.
    You can make iTunes just save the location of your music files rather than copying them into the iTunes Music folder.
    Go to Edit>>Preferences>>Advanced>>general and uncheck "Copy to iTunes Music folder when adding to library".
    If you also uncheck "Keep iTunes Music folder organised" as well, iTunes will not interfere at all with how you have your files organised.

  • Another calendar sync question.

    Hi, I have Mac, Macbook, Ipad and Iphone. They all share photos via icloud but I just cant find a way to make them share calendars in any way. I've read various threads but am getting nowhere. If anyone could help (in easy steps!) I'd be very grateful,
    hanks,
    Ian.

    You should learn to activate the Calendar's option of iCloud in Mac OSX and in iOS, look at :
    http://www.apple.com/icloud/get-started/

  • How do i change the library my iPod is synced to? I want to sync my iPod with my current mac book iTunes, but the message says I am synced with another library.

    How do i change the library my iPod is synced to?
    I want to sync my iPod with my current mac book iTunes, but the message says I am synced with another library.

    Syncing to a "New" Computer or replacing a "crashed" Hard Drive: Apple Support Communities

  • I need to know all the questions below.  I had to restore my computer to original state and now even if I sign on it won't let me sync my ipad or iphone.  the message is that it is synced to another library and it could wipe out my data on the ipad.

    I need to know all the questions below.  I had to restore my computer to original state and now even if I sign on it won't let me sync my ipad or iphone.  the message is that it is synced to another library and it could wipe out my data on the ipad.  Am I understanding correctly? I am running Windows 7 but have never had any problems.  Thanks

    You need iTunes on the computer. There is no iTunes for your phone. See:
    Locked Out, Forgot Lock or Restrictions Passcode, or Need to Restore Your Device: Several Alternative Solutions
    1. iOS- Forgotten passcode or device disabled after entering wrong passcode
    2. iPhone, iPad, iPod touch: Wrong passcode results in red disabled screen
    3. Restoring iPod touch after forgotten passcode
    4. What to Do If You've Forgotten Your iPhone's Passcode
    5. iOS- Understanding passcodes
    6. iTunes 10 for Mac- Update and restore software on iPod, iPhone, or iPad
    Forgotten Restrictions Passcode Help
    You will need to restore your device as New to remove a Restrictions passcode. Go through the normal process to restore your device, but when you see the options to restore as New or from a backup, be sure to choose New.
    Also, see iTunes- Restoring iOS software.

  • IPod Touch syncing to another library

    This question involves 3 iPod touches and 1 computer! I am asking this question for my parents who are not that iTunes savy as of yet.
    They both have iPod touches that were once synced to their computer. My nephew came over and hooked his iPod up to their computer a while back and now at the top it will say (my nephews name's iPod) even though his iPod is not plugged in. How can they get his name off of there? When my stepmom plugs her ipod up, she wants to see her name same as my dad. When I opened iTunes and clicked on Preferences then Devices, I see BOTH my stepmoms and Dad's iPods listed. My nephews is not listed but that same computer was used to get his iPod up and running at one point.
    My folks are scared they will lose all their music if they hook up their iPod's then click the wrong thing.
    Secondly when they (my parents) plug their ipods up to the computer its says their iPods are synced to another library. It gives them an option of Erase and Sync or Transfer Store Purchases. All the songs in the current library on the screen is songs my parents both added to their library. This is the CORRECT library according to them. For now, I just had them click cancel.
    So my stepmom said at one point she could sign in with her login and sync her iPod and then my Dad could sync his iPod under her login name. They said he didn't have to log her out then log back in with his user email address. Could this be a problem?
    Now if they each signed in with their own user and password, can they have their own separate playlists and libraries even though its on the SAME computer?
    Would Erase and Sync be the best option? I recently had to use Senuti for Mac for my own iPod for a similar issue but I think that might be a bit complicated for them to learn if I suggested that option LOL!
    Im trying to make this as painless as possible for them so they can get back to downloading music and apps. Even though its saying their iPods are syncing to another library, all the music on the screen MATCHES everything that is currently on their iPod's now. This is why I was pushing more for them to do an Erase and Sync.
    What are your thoughts?
    Thanks!!

    Recover media from iPod
    See this post from forum regular Zevoneer for options on moving your iPod data back to your computer.
    tt2

  • PC hard drive died and I have replaced it.  Need to import the music on my iPod, but get a message that it's synced with another library (old hard drive).  How do I import the music onto new hard drive? Senuti's just for macs.No old hard drive to copy.

    My PC hard drive died and I have replaced it.  Need to import the music on my classic iPod, but get a message that it's synced with another library (old hard drive).  How do I import the music onto the new hard drive? Senuti (one respondent's suggestion) is just for macs. I have no old hard drive to copy to the new hard drive (another respondent's suggestion.)

    See this older thread from another forum member Zevoneer on different ways to copy music from your iPod back to your PC.
    https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2417169?start=0&tstart=0
    B-rock

  • PC died and in turn my main iTunes library. iPhone was synced to it. Now when I try to connect to another library it tells me the phone must be wiped clean before I can manage music with new library. Any way around that? Don't want to lose music.

    My PC died and in turn so did my main iTunes library.  My iPhone was synced to the library that is gone.  Now when I try to connect to another library, it tells me the phone must be wiped clean before I can manage music with new library.  Any way around that?  I don't want to lose the music that is on my phone.  I am looking for a way to tell the phone to "forget" the old library and let me start working with a new library. 

    It has always been very basic to always maintain a backup copy of your computer for just such an occasion.
    Use your backup copy of your computer to put everything on the new one.
    It sounds like you have failed to do this, which is not good at all.
    You will have to transfer your itunes purchases from your iphone.  Authorize your computer for your itunes account 
    About iTunes Store authorization and deauthorization
    Open itunes, plug in iphone, do NOT sync, click File>Transfer Purchases
    When you do sync you will lose your pics ( photo library - synced from your old computer), your itunes content ( music, apps, videos,etc) , your contacts and your calendars.  So do NOT sync yet.  This is why a backup copy is so important.
    Enter one unique contact and calendar entry on your computer.
    When you first sync, you should get the option to merger the data.  Choose it.
    If you want your pics, then you will need to e-mail them to yourself before you sync.  They will not be of the original quality as they are reduced when synced to iphone.
    When all is as goos as it can be, then backup your computer, and always maintain the backup.

  • IPod Touch "already synced with another library", Corrupt Backup?

    I plugged my iPod into the only PC it's ever been plugged into today, and it came up with "This Ipod is already synced with another library" when I tried to sync it. I tried a variety of solutions I found on the internet, but none seemed to work.
    So, I decided to give in and do "Erase and Sync". Before I did that, however, I created a new encrypted backup of the iPod using the option in the iPod summary window. I erased the iPod and re-synced, so it has all of my music and apps on it now.
    However, whenever I try to restore from the backup, I get a message akin to "The restore cannot complete due to an error" (with no identification of the error. Immediately following this, the iPod begins to say "This iPod is already synced with another library" again, and I'm forced to start over.
    The iPod is in a workable condition - all of my music and apps were saved, after all. However, none of my settings are in place, and I would really like to avoid having to set everything up again. Is there a way to un-corrupt the backup (or undo whatever has happened to it) so that I can get my settings back? Or am I out of luck?

    I think that, for some reason, none of the backups that were being made are listed any longer. The only ones listed are four that have timestamps after I erased, one with the earliest timestamp that's the encrypted backup, and another without a time stamp that I'm also assuming is later. I might give that one a try, but I'm not sure that it will work...

  • My ipod is somehow synced to another library, because I plugged the charger to a wall. How can I sync my ipod shuffle back to the original Itunes library without erasing my current data in the Ipod shuffle?

    My ipod is somehow synced to another library, because I plugged the charger to a wall. How can I sync my ipod shuffle back to the original Itunes library without erasing my current data in the Ipod shuffle?

    ",the owner sold the ipod without clearing the songs and since the songs were not puchased from the itunes store then i believe i now own the songs"
    Not true at all.
    It does not matter where the songs came from, they are not yours and the previous owner does not own the right to distribute them to others.
    The law is the same with downloads and cds and any other medium.

  • I cant sync my iphone to my re installed itunes.  It is saying my iphone is already synced with another library.  How do I get rid of that old Itunes library that I no longer have access too?

    I recently re installed itunes (due to pc crashing).  When I connect my iphone to sync it is telling me my Iphone is already synced to another library.  I no longer have access to that library.  How do I delete that old library to enable me to sync to my new library?

    You don't need to delete the old library, but it will take a little effort to transfer the allegiance of the device to your new one.
    You should be able to:
    Backup the device to the new installation
    Transfer your purchases into a newly authorized library
    Recover any other media using third party tools as suggested in this post from forum regular Zevoneer
    Restore the device from the backup
    This process should switch the association of the device to the new library, preserving the data and settings in your apps.
    May also be prudent to attempt a backup to iCloud directly from the device before you start... Settings > iCloud > Storage & Backup > iCloud Backup > On. It won't save any media but it would preserve the general account settings and documents in case anything goes wrong while you are trying to extract your other data.
    When you get it all fixed, make a backup!
    tt2

  • My iPhone is now saying it is synced with another library - despite me not changing my iPhone or iTunes since I last synced - related to downtime (2 June?)

    I synced my iPhone a couple of days ago no problems, and I always 'manually manage' my stuff between iTunes and my iPhone 4.
    Just now I plug in to drop a new album onto my phone, and the 'manually manage music and videos' box is unchecked (nobody else uses my machine, no other devices plugged into it) and when I check it, it tells me my iPhone is synced with another library.
    The only thing I have changed that I can think of is my iTunes password - while working out what was causing the downtime yesterday (error 5002 with the store, etc.)
    Is it related?

    I'm sorry, I am having a smilar problem and my contacts have already been deleted because of it. I recently reloaded my OS as my computer was having problems. I'm using Vista. I had to reload itunes and when I attempted to sync my phone it said my iphone was synced with another itunes library. I'm not sure if I messed up and created two apple ID's. When I log into apple and attempted to see if I had any other accounts it did not show any, but when I try the other name I thought I had used first, it said that account had been locked for security reasons. I actually hit the "accept" button by mistake and it deleted everything so I unplugged it really quick and all I lost was my contacts. How on earth do I fix this? I can plug my iphone in and sign on, but if I attempt to change anything it gives that same message.
    Thank you
    Brandy

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