Converting ipod from Mac set up to PC set

Is there a way to change an orginal ipod set up to run on a mac to run on a PC without losing the files?

Yes. Back up your itunes library to CD. Then when you get software installed (from web so it is the latest versions) on the windows computer connect the ipod and restore it, if it doesn't prompt you to automatically. Then import your songs form the cd's to itunes in windows. Then update the ipod.
Done.

Similar Messages

  • Need Help Converting iPod from Mac to Windows

    Hi, I have a 3rd Gen iPod and I just gave it to my friend who has a windows xp machine. I had a Mac OS 10.3.9 system. When he plugged the iPod into his windows, it told him that it needed to be configured to windows and that he should connect it to a power adapter. When he did this, the iPod just gave an icon resembling the plug that connects to the bottom of the iPod. Now his iPod won't turn on and when plugged into his computer, it says that there has been a malfunction and his computer does not recognize the USB device. Any suggestions on how to fix this?

    That generation iPod requires a combo USB/Firewire cable. It simply won't work with USB alone. It also needs to be re-formated for Windows and that can be done within iTunes. Along with that cable, he will need the A/C power adapter.

  • Changing an ipod from Mac to PC

    Is it possible to reformat a classic ipod from Mac to PC? My mother has rejected my old Powerbook and wants to keep her pc(!) but her ipod is synced to the powerbook.
    I would like to a) download everything from the ipod to her pc and b) reformat the ipod to work with her pc. Can it be done? Appreciate any and all advice.
    Thanks

    *I would like to a) download everything from the ipod to her pc*
    If your iPod is formatted for Mac it won't run natively on a PC because Windows operating systems don't recognize Mac OS-formatted disks (HFS or HFS Plus formats). There are third party programs that will allow you to use a Mac formatted iPod on Windows. XPlay for instance gets good reviews and has the added functionality to let you copy your songs back to iTunes. You can purchase XPlay at this link: XPlay
    *and b) reformat the ipod to work with her pc*
    Once you have the contents of the iPod saved to the PC you can restore it in iTunes for Windows. Restoring will erase and reformat the iPod's hard drive, reload the software with the Windows version and put it back to default settings, so if you have songs on your iPod that aren't on iTunes you will lose them if you have no back up. Once the restore is complete follow the on screen instructions to name the iPod and automatically sync your songs and videos onto the fresh installation. Press Done and the iPod will appear in iTunes and start to sync. If you want to update manually or using selected playlists uncheck the box beside the sync automatically instruction and press Done, it will default to manual mode and you can choose whatever setting you like: Restoring iPod to factory settings with iTunes 7

  • How do I change my Ipod from mac to windows format??

    How do I change my Ipod from mac to windows format?? My Imac is not working at the moment, but I want to use my Ipod on my PC. How do I get my Ipod(mac formated) to get work on my PC??

    Use iTunes on the PC to restore the iPod, or install XPlay on the PC without changing the format. Restoring the iPod will erase everything on it.
    (25085)

  • Formatting 3rd Gen ipod from Mac to Windows

    Hello.
    I need to format a 3rd Gen iPod from Mac to windows for my Father in Law.
    So please can anyone tell what the process is?
    Many thanks,

    The iPod is formatted for both PC and Mac, I used to use mine with a PC, bought a Mac, plugged it in and it worked with the Mac no problem. I'm not sure that this works both ways though, if you're having problems you could try this link for help: http://ipod.about.com/od/restoreandreformatipod/a/ipod_reformat.htmhttp://

  • Convert iPod from Windows to Mac

    I've been using my iPod (30GB) with Windows and am just now switching everything to a new MacBook Pro. Do I need to do anything to switch my iPod from Windows to Mac, or does it just sync with the new Mac without my having to do anything?

    Macs can read Windows formatting so your iPod should work Fine on your MacBook. However if you don't intend using the iPod on Windows again you should consider restoring it and formatting it on the Mac. If you keep it in Windows format you'll have to connect it back to a PC to make any firmware updates otherwise the formatting will be changed. One other thing, if you haven't transferred your music from the PC to the Mac you won't be able to sync the iPod if you do you'll lose what's on it. To be sure you don't accidentally erase the content you should set the iPod to manual update until your music is on the Mac.
    If your iPod is set to update automatically take care when connecting to your new computer and an empty iTunes. You will get a message that your iPod 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 songs from your iPod. Your iPod should appear in the iTunes source list from where you can change the update setting to manual and 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: Managing content manually on iPod
    You can also use a keyboard command to prevent your iPod auto-syncing with iTunes. While connecting the iPod to the computer on a Mac hold down the Option and Command (⌥ and ⌘ Apple) keys. This will stop the iPod from auto-syncing with iTunes and it will appear in the source list. Wait until you are sure the iPod has mounted, and that it will not auto sync and then you can let the keys go. This may take between 20 to 30 seconds depending on your computer. You should then be able to change your settings: iTunes Keyboard Shortcuts for OSX
    Just some additional information in regard to moving the music from your iPod in case you no longer have the PC. If you have any iTMS purchases the transfer of purchased content from the iPod to authorised computers has been introduced with iTunes 7 A paragraph on it has been added to this article: Transfer iTunes Store purchases using iPod
    The transfer of non iTMS content such as songs imported from CD is designed by default to be one way from iTunes to iPod. However there's a manual method of copying songs from your iPod to your Mac. The procedure is a bit involved but if you're interested it's available at this link: Two-way Street: Moving Music Off the iPod
    If you prefer something more automated there are a number of third party utilities that you can use to retrieve music files and playlists from your iPod, this is just a selection. I use Senuti but have a look at the web pages and documentation for the others too, you'll find that they have varying degrees of functionality and some will transfer movies, videos, photos and games as well. You can also read reviews of some of them here: Wired News - Rescue Your Stranded Tunes
    Senuti Mac Only
    iPodRip Mac Only
    PodWorks Mac Only
    PodView Mac Only
    iPodAccess Mac & Windows
    YamiPod Mac & Windows
    PodUtil Mac & Windows
    iPodCopy Mac & Windows
    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 again.

  • Converting iPod from Windows to Mac

    We recently purchased our first Mac, a MiniMac. My son has a iPod Video that was originally formatted for Windows. When hooking it up to the MiniMac, it stated that it would have to be reset to factory settings, thus loosing his video, photos and music. To top it off, the PC that he synchronized to in the past is no longer here.
    I can hook the iPod video up to a PC Workstation (Windows XP) and can see the HD at the same time but can only really see the photos. The music and videos seem to be archived.
    I was hoping to copy the photos, music and videos on the PC workstation, hook up the iPod to the MiniMac and reset to the Mac factory settings and then import the saved photos, music and videos.
    I am a bit stuck right now and could use any advice. Thanks
    iPod video   Mac OS X (10.4.7)   Also using Windows XP

    If you transfer the songs etc to the PC and then restore the iPod on the Mac you won't be able to use the iPod on Windows. An iPod formatted for Mac won't run natively on a PC because the Windows OS does not support the HFS Plus file system and therefore will not see the drive. There third party programs that will allow you to use a Mac formatted iPod on Windows, this is one for instance gets good reviews: XPlay 2
    With the songs back on the iPod you could use Senuti as recommended above to transfer from the iPod to the Mac. Alternatively connect the PC and the Mac and move the songs from one to another: Networking with a Windows PC

  • Switching iPod from Mac to PC

    I have a 60 GB video iPod that I originally formatted using my iMac G5 in December last year. My wife uses it primarily, and she has a Sony Vaio laptop running Windows XP. She has been relying on me to update her iPod but now wants to do it herself so she can have her own library and use her laptop to shop on iTunes.
    So my question is: if you were me, what would be the simplest, most efficient way to get the songs she currently has on her mac-formatted iPod into a library on her PC? Should I just bite the bullet and rip all her CDs again onto her laptop, then reformat the iPod? (There's about 10 GB on her iPod)
    Is there a way to save the music she already has on her iPod somewhere, reformat the iPod, and then somehow reload the saved files onto her PC?
    What would be ideal would be just to plug in the iPod into her PC, and have iTunes recognize it as is, but I know that's probably not possible. Is it?
    Maybe we should just get her a new laptop ...

    Personally a new Mac Portable sounds like a good option I might be a little biased in that regard.
    However, here is the steps:
    1) Formate the iPod for Windows by restoring it on her computer
    2) Follow the steps in this article to transfer your music over using the iPod:
    http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=300173 for iTunes 7
    or
    http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=304304 for iTunes 6
    3) Then update the iPod from her Windows-based PC

  • Reformatting ipod from Mac to Windows without losing all my music

    Can someone please tell me what software i need that will enable me to Reformat my 5th generation ipod from a Mac to Windows without losing all the music on my ipod. I tried xpod but that did not work. I also entered my ipods hard drive via a friends Mac and copied the files onto his Mac but although the file is clearly the right one in terms of file size when i click into it it does not display the music contained within it???? Please help
    Eugene

    Sounds like you first need to get the stuff OFF your iPod and onto a hard drive on your friends Mac first...
    Copying from iPod to Computer threads...
    http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1300144
    http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=797432&#797432
    http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=809624&tstart=0
    Also these somewhat dated but still useful internet articles...
    http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/articles/comments/copying-music-from-ipod-to-co mputer/
    http://www.engadget.com/2004/11/02/how-to-get-music-off-your-ipod/
    http://playlistmag.com/help/2005/01/2waystreet/
    Good luck!
    Patrick

  • Formatting ipod from mac use to pc windows use

    I have already a Ipod Nano that I used on a mac. Now I'm changing from Mac to Pc Windows and I would like to transfer all the musics from my Ipod to my new pc. The Ipod updater asks me to format the ipod. If I do so will I loos all the songs I have om the Ipod? Is there a way to save these musics on the pc before I format the Ipod?
    Thanks for your advice and help!
    Francoise
      Windows XP  

    Try a software e.g. Xplay2, which allow your PC to read your Mac formatted iPod. However, the following is my suggestion:-
    1. Make sure all your songs are still with your Mac.
    2. Follow Stealth01's suggestion, do a Restore on a PC
    3. Your PC formatted iPod will now be able to be read by both PC and Mac
    4. Do an update of your iPod with your Mac
    5. Once it has been completed, use a 3rd party software e.g. YamiPod
    http://www.yamipod.com/main/modules/home/
    to copy all the music from your iPod to your iTunes on your PC

  • Ipod from Mac to PC

    To make a long story short, I have a mac formatted ipod. I also have a ton of music on my pc and I want to use my ipod as a hard disk to transfer the pc songs to my mac.
    Can someone please provide me with detailed steps on how to accomplish this task.
    I have searched the forums, but I can not find specifically what I need.
    Thanks!

    About 18 months ago I managed to get all the songs from my Mac formatted iPod onto my XP work PC without any 3rd party apps. I now have a new job and new work PC (Fister this time) and need to go through the process again. Only I can't remember how I did it.
    But I think it involved putting the iPod into disk mode, transferring the songs to the PC and then reformatting the iPod. It involved erasing the iPod but as all the songs were on my Mac it was simply a case of leaving it to have all it's songs re-transferred.
    Perhaps I had to intially change the disk format to to a PC compatible format?
    So would it work by doing the following?:
    1) reformat iPod to be PC compatible (done through iPod updater on PC)
    2) sync iPod on Mac (with iPod HD in PC format)
    3) put iPod on Disk Mode
    4) drag and dropc songs onto PC
    5) plug iPod back in to Mac and Restore
    It would take a while to do (I have almost 30GB of songs) and wouldn't allow syncing but it would allow me to have a lot of my music with me at work
    I also have an external Lacie drive which backs up my iMac. Would I just be able to copy over my music library from Lacie drive to PC, perhaps using Fister's Sync Center?

  • Trying to convert 2002 iPod from Mac to Vista

    Apologies for repetition, I have also tagged this query onto someone else's thread with a similar problem. I have bought a 2nd Gen (20 Gb, 2002) second-hand which appears to have been formatted for a Mac. I can probably reformat it for a PC via iTunes but it doesn't recognise the iPod, even though it charges via the FireWire cable. The unit appears to work okay otherwise, it has over 3 000 songs on from its previous owner which I don't need to keep. I'm not sure whether the fact that I'm on Vista is the problem. I have tried using a USB adaptor, which doesn't seem to do anything for the iPod but the computer acknowledges that I am trying to connect something, which is more than the FireWire cable achieves although it still can't identify it and says the device is malfunctioning, while iTunes remains distinctly uninterested.

    further to the above, looking back through this forum this seems to be something of a common problem which doesn't seem to have been answered elsewhere. It looks like it can be boiled down to this simple question - how can I reformat an iPod that iTunes doesn't recognise in the first place?

  • Converting ipod from pc to mac

    i have recently purchased a new pc and have new songs on it and was wondering how to convert my ipod which is formated for a mac to a pc without lossing my 16 gigs of songs

    first, do you have the same songs on your pc?
      Windows XP  

  • Switching iPod from Mac iTunes to a computer iTunes

    We just switched from a Mac to a Dell computer. Problem is when I try to upload my iPod to the computer, it says it's set up for a Mac, and that I have to restore it first. But if I restore it, it will delete all my music. Any suggestions?

    If your iPod is formatted for Mac it won't run natively on a PC because Windows operating systems don't recognize Mac OS-formatted disks (HFS or HFS Plus formats). There are third party programs that will allow you to use a Mac formatted iPod on Windows. XPlay for instance gets good reviews and has the added functionality to let you copy your songs back to iTunes. Once you have your songs saved to the PC you can go ahead and restore the iPod for Windows. You can get XPlay at this link: XPlay 2
    XPlay is currently only compatible with Windows XP, 2000, Me or 98SE, a new version for Vista is planned for release later this year.

  • How do I save tracks in order to format ipod from Mac to windows?

    I have been given an ipod that was originally used on a Mac but i have Windows. Is there any way I can save the tracks before formatting it ?
    When i plug in the ipod to my computer it only gives me the option of formatting it.
    There are some 11 g's of music and i can't bear to lose it.
    If backed up the music on a Mac could I then re-load the tracks from it once the ipod has been formatted for Windows?

    "if backed up the music on a Mac could I then re-load the tracks from it once the ipod has been formatted for Windows?"
    Yes you could, Macs can read Windows formatted iPods. If you only have the songs on the iPod, and have any iTMS purchases the transfer of purchased content from the iPod to authorised computers was introduced with iTunes 7. A paragraph on it has been added to this article: Transfer iTunes Store purchases using iPod
    The transfer of non iTMS content such as songs imported from CD is designed by default to be one way from iTunes to iPod. However there's a manual method of copying songs from your iPod to your Mac. The procedure is a bit involved but if you're interested it's available at this link: Two-way Street: Moving Music Off the iPod
    If you prefer something more automated there are a number of third party utilities that you can use to retrieve music files and playlists from your iPod, this is just a selection. I use Senuti but have a look at the web pages and documentation for the others too, you'll find that they have varying degrees of functionality and some will transfer movies, videos, photos and games as well. You can also read reviews of some of them here: Wired News - Rescue Your Stranded Tunes
    Senuti Mac Only
    iPodRip Mac Only
    PodWorks Mac Only
    PodView Mac Only
    iPodAccess Mac & Windows
    YamiPod Mac & Windows
    PodUtil Mac & Windows
    iPodCopy Mac & Windows

Maybe you are looking for