Can't Sync - Is it possible?

I have had an iPod for a few years and had all my music loaded on the Dell computer I was using at the time. That computer has "died." I can't access my iTunes on there. I just bought a MacBook Pro and want to sync the music currently on my iPod onto this new Mac.
When I tried, it gives me some error message about only being able to sync to one computer. Can I do this without erasing all the music on my iPod? I've just come over to the "Mac side" so forgive me if I'm a bit slow in understanding.

1). Connect your iPod to your computer. When you get the message that it is linked to a different library and asking if you want to link to this one and replace all your songs etc, press "Cancel". Pressing "Erase and Sync" will irretrievably remove all the songs from your iPod.
2). When your iPod appears in the iTunes source list change the update setting to manual, that will let you continue to use your iPod without the risk of accidentally erasing it. Check the "manually manage music and videos" box in Summary then press the Apply button. Also when using most of the utilities listed below your iPod needs to be enabled for disc use, changing to manual update will do this by default: Managing content manually on iPod and iPhone
3). Once you are connected and your iPod is safely in manual mode there are a few things you can do to restore your iTunes from the iPod. iTunes will only give you the option to copy your iTunes Store purchases directly from an iPod to the computer, you'll find details in this article: Copying iTunes Store purchases from your iPod or iPhone to a computer
For everything else (music from CDs, other downloads and including iTunes purchased songs and in some cases, videos and games) there are a number of third party utilities that you can use to retrieve the music files and playlists from your iPod. I use Senuti but have a look at the web pages and documentation for the others too. You can read reviews and comparisons of some of them here (you'll find that they have varying degrees of functionality and some will transfer movies, videos, photos and games as well):
Wired News - Rescue Your Stranded Tunes
Comparison of iPod managers
A selection of iPod to iTunes utilities:
Senuti Mac Only (iPod Touch & iPhone compatible)
expod Mac Only (iPod Touch & iPhone compatible)
PodView Mac Only
PodWorks Mac Only
TuneAid Mac only (iPhone and iPod Touch compatible)
YamiPod Mac & Windows
iPod Music Liberator Mac & Windows (iPhone and iPod Touch compatible)
iPodRip Mac & Windows (iPhone and iPod Touch compatible)
iPod Music Liberator Mac & Windows (iPhone and iPod Touch compatible)
iGadget Mac & Windows (iPhone and iPod Touch compatible)
Floola Mac & Windows
Music Rescue Mac & Windows (iPhone and iPod Touch compatible)
iRepo Mac & Windows (iPhone and iPod Touch compatible)
iPod Access Mac & Windows (iPhone and iPod Touch compatible)
TouchCopy Mac & Windows (iPhone and iPod Touch compatible)
There's also a manual method of copying songs from your iPod to a Mac or PC. The procedure is a bit involved and won't recover playlists but if you're interested it's available on page 2 at this link: Copying Content from your iPod to your Computer - The Definitive Guide
4). Keep your iPod in manual mode until you have reloaded your iTunes and you are happy with your playlists etc then it will be safe to return it auto-sync.
5). I would also advise that you get yourself an external hard drive and back your stuff up, relying on an iPod as your sole backup is not a good idea and external drives are comparatively inexpensive these days, you can get loads of storage for a reasonable outlay: Back up your iTunes library by copying to an external hard drive

Similar Messages

  • Can't sync photos - One possible issue is solved

    To all those people tearing their hair out trying to sync photo's onto their iPod Classic, I have found one significant thing. After spending weeks trying to figure this out, I was down to analyzing the network traffic between my iPod and the library (which is pretty sad) and low and behold - I found something.
    Since my photo library existed on my server, I was referencing it using a UNC path, which is perfectly fine EXCEPT it ended up being a very LONG PATH to my library of photos. In my network analyzer, it appeared that the path to the directory where I store my photos was getting truncated when being processed by my iPod sync. Ouch!
    Sorry - I don't remember the exact length limit, but I fixed the problem by creating a share on my server for directory where I store my photos and mapping a drive letter on my workstation. Then in the iPod/ITunes Photo Tab, I changed the directory in the "Sync photos from" field to point to my very short drive letter.
    There are certainly more problems with, but I think this is possibly one of the big problems with sych'ing photos.
    Good luck!
    Peter

    Try deleting the iPod photo Cache folder from inside the folder photos are syncing from.

  • How can I sync my I-Pod nano G7? I isn't  possible since new I-Tunes version started

    How can I sync my I-Pod nano G7 after installing newest version of I-Tunes yesterday?
    It does'nt work.

    Seems it could be a general problem?

  • How can I sync my Ipod on 2 different computers, one a macbook the other a PC laptop

    Ive been syncing my ipod with my Macbook.  I would like to be able to sync it with my new Laptop PC (windows 7) also.  At the moment, there is a wifi network in my home.  This will change eventually as I will be moving.  How can I sync with both without losing my data?

    iPods and other iOS devices can only sync to one iTunes library at a time. It is not possible to sync to two.
    Hope that helps.

  • Can I sync my iPhone calendar with exchange server AND ical on my mac ?

    I have been happily using my iPhone synced with my Macbook over usb via iTunes.
    I have contacts and iCal syncing. I have a number of 'calendars' set up in iCal which allow me to view separate aspects of home and work but they all exist within iCal. iPhone just treats these as colour coded appointments (different colour for each ical calendar)
    I really like this set up.
    However, I just changed jobs to a firm where they have a hosted outlook exchange set up and I need to use the exchange calendar for work appointments and showing my availability.
    I have managed to setup my iPhone to work with the Exchange server for email as well as in apple Mail on my mac. This has all worked fine. However, I hesitated when iPhone asked if i wanted to sync my contacts and calendar. I said no as I was unsure if my private calendar/contacts would be uploaded to the public work area.
    In fact it seems that this is the least of my worries:
    As I have read on apple support for iPhone:
    "Note that after configuring an Exchange ActiveSync account, all existing contact and calendar information on the iPhone or iPod touch is overwritten. Additionally, iTunes no longer syncs contacts and calendars with your desktop computer. You can still sync your iPhone or iPod touch wirelessly with MobileMe services."
    So I am really pleased that I didn't let it sync those and wipe out my personal data if that is really true.
    But now I am unsure how best to enable myself to view and update the work calendar on exchange.
    Also it would be nice to see work contacts on my iPhone.
    Contacts
    - although i have said no to sync contacts with Exchange in fact it looks like I can get contacts ok - when i send email from the Exchange account on the phone , it searches Exchange contacts on the server as i type in the TO box.
    - also in Contacts on the iPhone I have a new group that has been created with the name of my Exchange account. The group appears to be blank when you go into it on the phone, but you can type in the search box and get contact details from the server just fine.
    This seems workable for now for my purposes, although updating contacts is not going to be possible that way.
    I'd like more info on that if poss but more importantly..
    Calendar
    - Unlike Contacts, no Calendar has been auto created for Exchange
    - Unlike contacts, I can't see how I can view or search or create an appointment in my Exchange calendar on the iPhone
    What is the best solution to this problem - I presume lots of people face the same dilemma. My initial research suggests that there are multiple ways round this but all of them look like workarounds with various disavantages.
    Questions are
    - Can't I just set up Exchange as one of my calendars in ical?
    - Is it really true that I have to choose between syncing Exchange with work server OR syncing iCal with personal Macbook?
    - What is the best work around for this?
    At the moment I am seriously considering getting a separate iPhone for work and have that sync with Exchange fully although that seems a bit drastic and does not solve the problem of seeing work and home appointments on the same calendar.

    Can't I just set up Exchange as one of my calendars in ical?
    Only if you're running Snow Leopard and your employer will allow access (different than iPhone/mobile device access, so most likely not), but not needed - keep reading.
    Is it really true that I have to choose between syncing Exchange with work server OR syncing iCal with personal Macbook?
    No. It was true, but with the v3.0 software that changed - you can now sync your Exchange contacts and calendar over the air, and your Address Book and iCal via iTunes over the docking cable.
    What is the best work around for this?
    None needed. When you set up the exchange account, and choose to turn on syncing of contacts and calendars, you will be prompted to remove all other data, or keep it on the iPhone. Choose the keep option. Note that in that case, your personal data will not be uploaded to the Exchange server - the iPhone keeps them separate (although you can choose to view them in a merged fashion).
    I have this set up on my phone (Exchange calendar along side personal and other calendars from iCal). Same for contacts. Works great.

  • Can you sync attachments from an iPhone to a Windows PC with Outlook 2007?

    Can you sync attachments from an iPhone to a Windows PC with Outlook 2007? I would like to receive email on the iphone with attachments and then sync the attachments to a Windows XP PC with Outlook 2007 without Outlook 2007 having to connect to the mail server itself and having to separely download the attachment. Is this possible?
    I have only tried one pdf file which downloaded wonderfully to the iPhone. I synced to the PC without the PC being connected to the email account. This also worked except that when I tried to open the attachment on the PC I got a message that the mail wasn't fully downloaded. When I went on=line on the PC, it downloaded the attachment. I would love to have this option because I can't access some email accounts from my corporate computer.

    Can you sync attachments from an iPhone to a Windows PC with Outlook 2007? I would like to receive email on the iphone with attachments and then sync the attachments to a Windows XP PC with Outlook 2007 without Outlook 2007 having to connect to the mail server itself and having to separely download the attachment. Is this possible?
    No it is not. The only information synced regarding email accounts is the email account information only and this is in one direction only - from your computer to the iPhone via iTunes.

  • Can't sync my iPad 2 and can't open my newly purchased app after upgrading to iOS 7

    Ever since I upgraded my iPad 2 to iOS, I have two problems.
    First off, I can't sync my iPad 2.  This error message keeps popping up: "The iPad '(my ipad name)' could not be synced because the sync session failed to start.  My iTunes is the lates version 11.1.1.11.  I even tried to deauthorize the computer and reauthorize it.  I also tried to log out and log in again.  I also tried to re-install the iPad driver from the Device Manager of my Win 7 (browse to C:\Program Files\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\Drivers and click OK > next.)   I tried all possible ways suggested in the communities discussions but still can't get the sync to start. 
    Second problem, since I can't sync from the iTunes database, I purchased the app from App Store on my iPad.  After downloading the app, I touched the "OPEN" button but the app could not be launched.  This happens to all app's purchased after I upgraded the iPad to iOS 7, not matter the app is free or costs money.  Apps purchased BEFORE iOS 7 update can be opened without any problem.
    Any suggestion?

    Just think of the third problem.  I can't do backup neither, so I dare not restore my iPad to its default as I didn't do the backup the moment before upgrading it to iOS 7 (which I regret very much now).  I have trusted Apple for years and didn't think of such problems could happen after iOS upgrade.

  • Can I sync more than one Iphone on one computer

    I need to know if it's possible to sync or update more than one iphone to one computer without having to share each others media, contacts, and such.

    Hi,
    Yes several iPhones, iPads & iPod Touches can be synced & managed independently.
    Ben

  • HT204053 How can I sync two different email accounts?

    How can I sync two different email accounts? All of this Mobile Me and cloud stuff got me all flustered and now I have two accounts possibly 3.

    How to use multiple iPods, iPads, or iPhones with one computer

  • Can I sync more than one iPhone to the same computer?

    Can I sync more than one iPhone to the same computer?
    I have one MacBook pro, already have my iPhone synced to it. I want to sync my wife's to it as well so she can share my iTunes library.
    Is this possible?

    Create a new user login (with a password) for your stuff.
    This way, your data won't get mixed up.

  • How can I sync Outlook Calendars on 2 PCs with my iPhone?

    I have a PC at work and a PC at home ... both have MS Outlook 2007 running on them; I have an iPhone 3GS
    I want to be able to sync the calendar from BOTH my PCs on to the iPhone and (therefore) with each other. However, I get a message on the second PC that I can't do this as it is only possible to sync calendars (and contacts by the way) with one PC. Is there any solution to this?
    My music is happily synced only with my home PC - fully understand the issues that mean you can only sync those libraries with one PC.

    Hi,
    you don't need MobileMe or anything fancy. I personally sync my Outlook calendar and my Outlook address book with three computers (two at the office and one at home)and besides I run Office 2003 on one, Office 2007 on the other and Office 2010 on the third, so it can't get more complicated than that, but it works 100%.
    First sync Outlook with iTunes on one computer, having done that when you try to sync it to another machine, iTunes will recognize that it is synced with another computer and ask you if you want to merge the data, say yes, That's all there is to it.
    It does not work for music as you rightly say but as far as Calendars and Contacts are concerned it's flawless and transparent.
    If you hit a snag talk back to me.
    Cheers.

  • Can I sync my ipad with 2 different computers?

    I bought an ipad for my father and I would like to set it up on  my MacBook, syncing my iphoto library.  He will then use it in his house and possibly sync with his PC.  Will the content that I loaded on remain?  can he sync to another computer after the initial setup?

    Ipad will sync photos and itunes contetn with one and only one computer at a time.  Syncing to another will delete the current content.

  • How can I sync Iphone to a PC calendar then have multiple users share that calendar? Is there an application that does that?

    How can I sync Iphone to a PC calendar then have multiple users share that calendar? Is there an application that does that?

    If it is actually an exchange calendar, and it's not linked to a specific user, it should be possible to simply add the exchange account to each device in question and have that exchange account only sync the calendar.  Then every user has access to the same calendar and can add/edit entries to the calendar as needed.
    The same would apply if it were a Google calendar added via Exchange.
    If the calendar is not actually on Exchange, but rather added from an outside source, it will depend on that outside source where the calendar originates.

  • Can I sync the same iTunes library on both my iMac and my MacBook Pro?

    Can I sync the same iTunes library on both my iMac and my MacBook Pro?  I've been connecting my iPhone to each and it's causing problems for me with them being different, despite my purchases always being under the same Apple ID.

    The easy way to do this is to keep the library on an external drive which you can plug into either computer.  Of course this isn't always the desirable solution.  You can try routinely copying the library from computer to computer though this gets tiresome. 
    Of possible relevance:
    Using iPhone, iPad, or iPod with multiple computers - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1202 - You can manage your iPhone, iPad, or iPod with multiple computers as long as you have set the device to "Manually manage music."  -  e.g. adding music from a second computer to an i-device.

  • I have a desktop pc with iTunes. I just purchased a mac air book. Can I sync all of my devices, iPhone, iPod, iPad, to both computers or do I have to pick one. I would like to have iTunes on my mac, but I'm afraid I will run out of hard drive space.

    I have a desktop pc with itunes. I just purchased a Mac Air book.  Can I sync my devices, iphone, ipod, ipad, to both computers. Or do I have to pick one? I would like to have itunes on my mac, but i am afraid I will run out of hard disk space. Do I need to set up a seperate account on my Mac so I can load some music on it if I plan to keep my devices synced to my PC?  Would it be possible to sync only my Iphone to my Mac?

    To get that much storage, you need to look to professional online services.  Pro-level hosting accounts may offer you that much (well, many will offer as much storage as you are prepared to pay for), or Amazon professional cloud services.  You could also store the files on a home machine and pay for a professional hosting service so you could stream them over your own account (assuming your ISP connection and agreement allows for the bandwidth used).  You would still need to deal with the issue of finding an app for the iPad that supported avi streaming.

Maybe you are looking for