Do I/Can I reformat ipod from windows to mac?

My 30gb ipod is formatted for windows. I have successfully transferred all of my itunes (thank you for all of your help!!!). Now do I need to reformat my ipod for mac? Is that even possible? If so, how do I do that?
Thank you in advance!!!!
Jen

If you're only going to use the iPod on a Mac, then it's better to have it Mac formatted.
Mounting times will be quicker, performance will be better during transfers, and you'll also be able to update its firmware if/when Apple releases any updates for it.

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Reformatting iPod from Windows to Mac

I've had a 4G iPod and an iBook for a while. The iPod broke (iPooped) recently and my wife just bought me a new 5G 30GB iPod. I synced it up with my iBook using the USB cable and everything was alright. I transferred music and it plays on the iPod. I tried to transfer a movie to the iPod and nothing happened. I then noticed my iPod is formatted for Windows. I tried to run the 6/28/2006 updater to restore my ipod to Mac format. The dialogue says I need to restore using a firewire cable. So, I grabbed the firwire cable from my old iPod and tried it again. The iPod screen shows a message that it cannot be synced using firewire and my iPod is not recognized by my Mac to perform the restore. Of course, when I try to run the iPod Restore, my iPod is "not connected" so the message is just "please connect an iPod to restore." Any help out there? Also, I tried running the iPod Restore using the USB cable. The Update dialogue says "only Mac formatted ipods can be updated" and the Restore dialogue says " connect with firewire to restore." I'm at a loss here. Perhaps I need to send it back and get a factory Mac formatted iPod.

I called Apple yesterday and finally talked to tech support. He said my firewire driver was corrupted and needed to reinstall it. Unfortunately, the only way to do this was through an archival system restore. I reinstalled OS X, updated everything to 10.4.7 and installed itunes and iPod updates, and viola! Everything works now. I haven't tried using iPod Restore because I can now transfer videos to the iPod. Hopefully, I'll not ever need to use the Restore.
Thanks for the help!

How do I reformat my iPod from windows to mac?

How do I reformat my iPod from Windows to MAC?

On the Mac, click here and follow the instructions.
(105043)

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.

How do I reprogram my ipod from Windows to Mac?

How do I reprogram my ipod from Windows to Mac?

Connect the iPod. Decline any offers from iTunes to sync it, if this is the first time the iPod has been connected to the Mac. When the iPod appears in the iTunes sidebar, under DEVICES, select it there. Over to the right, on the Summary tab, there is a Restore button. Click it. Follow the prompts.
Restore will erase the iPod and install the latest software, using default settings. If it is connected to a Mac when you do the Restore, it will use Mac formatting during the erase. That's basically the only difference. The software is the same, so it is not really "reprogrammed."

Formatting my ipod from windows to Mac

A week ago I purchased an IMac and would like to know how to format my Ipod from windows to Mac?

hola adolfo, acabo de comprarme un macbook y descubro el mismo problema que tu. mi ipod 30gb estaba con windows pero ahora mac no lo reconoce. he estado leyendo y parece que hay que restaurarlo pero mi duda principal por ahora es: si se borra la musica y fotos que tengo actualmente en el ipod? agradecere mucho tu experiencia, mi nivel de ingles no es bueno. diego

Transfering my ipod from windows to mac

i've been tying to reformat my ipod from windows so i can use it with my new mac book pro, but i can't find the cd my ipod came with and obviously my mac won't read it. what can i do????

I am also wondering how to do a similar thing. I just got a Macbook Pro and have a 5th gen. iPod that I have quite a few songs on. When I first got the iPod, I was running it on a PC. I have heard that to use it on my Mac, without erasing the few songs that I have in my new iTunes, that I need to restore my iPod on my old computer and set it to run with a Mac and then plug it into my Mac to completely re-write all of the songs onto it.
Is this right?
Macbook Pro Mac OS X (10.4.9)

Can I convert my iPod from Windows to Mac?

I've had an ipod for over a year now, and I have a ton of music on it. I am gonna be getting my first Mac computer soon, so I was wondering whether or not I can use my iPod on that computer without losing any of my songs? Thanks!

The mac can read a windows formatted iPod (but not vice versa). However, its probably best mac-formatted. The easiest solution is to, on your pc, take all the songs off the nano and enable it for disk use. Then, put the song files on the iPod in my computer (like a HD). Then, upload the files from the iPod to the mac, download the iPod updater and restore the iPod. It will be mac-formatted.
Great choice, getting a mac!
Tom

How do I change my iPod from Windows to Mac ?

When I got my IPod, my music was on a windows computer. Now I have a MacBook Pro and want to convert my Ipod nano to the Mac. How can I do this as I am new to the IPod and very new to the MacBook?

Connect it to your Mac and restore it. Just be aware that restoring will erase and reformat the hard drive, reload the software 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 and it should connect to iTunes and give you a prompt to automatically update your library onto the fresh installation: Restoring iPod to Factory Settings with iTunes 7
If you haven't transferred the music from your PC to the Mac and you have any iTMS purchases on your iPod 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 is designed by default to be one way from iTunes to iPod. However there is a manual method of accessing the iPod's hard drive and copying songs back to iTunes on Windows posted in this thread: MacMuse - iPod to iTunes
If you prefer something more automated then there are a number of third party utilities that you can use to retrieve the music files and playlists from your iPod, this is just a selection. Have a look at the web pages and documentation for these, they are generally quite straightforward. You can read reviews of some of them here: Wired News - Rescue Your Stranded Tunes
YamiPod Mac and Windows Versions
iGadget Windows Only
iPod Access Mac and Windows Versions
PodUtil Mac and Windows Versions
iPodCopy Mac and Windows Versions
PodPlayer Windows Only
CopyPod Windows Only

I need HELP converting my iPod from Windows to Mac

Anyone know how to do it??? Can I rip my music from my Windows iPod onto my Mac before reformatting my iPod to Mac?

To format an iPod to a different OS tpye, all you ned to do is restore the iPod in iTunes : Restoring your iPod to factroy settings
If your iPod is in Windows format, you can connect and sync it on a Mac computer, but you can't update the iPod's firmware unless it is formatted to a Mac, though.
Can I rip my music from my Windows iPod onto my Mac before reformatting my iPod to Mac?
Yes, you can.
Senuti is a free third-party utility that transfers your iPod songs to your computer (it's Mac-compatible).
-Kylene

Switching an iPod from Windows to Mac

I am about to buy my stepson a Mac to replace his PC. He wants to be able to transfer his iTunes library from the PC to his new Mac and I am hoping that he can do this using his iPod. Will this work and is there anything I need to do other than plug the iPod into the new computer?

You didn't say how big your library is how which iPod you have. While you could use the backup DVD option, in my opinion, if your iPod is big enough to hold your entire iTunes folder, it would be a lot easier to use the iPod to move the folder over to the new computer in one step vs. a series of DVD backups.
That said, once you have your stuff over on the Mac you have two choices with your iPod.
1) You can either just leave it as PC format. When you plug it in, the Mac iTunes will tell you that the iPod is synced with a library on a different computer (your old PC) and do you want to sync it instead to this library (the one on the Intel Mac). Say yes, the iPod will be wiped clear and the library from the Mac will be put on it. You are now synced to your Mac library on a PC formatted iPod, which is fine, since Macs can read PC formatted iPods just fine. If you enable Disk Mode you can still use the iPod on PCs as a hard drive to move files around. Or if you change the iPod to manually updating (instead of auto updating) then you can use your iPod on both your machines and be able to add songs from either library onto the iPod as well as using it as a drive on either machine. But you will have to now manually manage the iPod.
2) You can restore the iPod on the Mac which will now reformat it to Mac format and then will sync your library from the Mac onto the newly formatted iPod. As you mentioned, your old computer will not be able to read the Mac formatted iPod so you won't be able to use it on that machine anymore unless you went back and reformatted it to a PC format iPod.
One other thing to keep in mind, when in PC format, the iPod on the Mac will not be updated (or even tell you there are updates available) with new firmware if it gets released. It has to be in Mac format for that on the Mac computer. However if you don't have any intention of upgrading the firmware then this isn't really an issue. As an example, a new firmware might be release which is to support some new iPod gadget or iTunes store feature. If you don't want the gadget or the iTunes store feature, you may not want to update the firmware anyway, so no big deal.
But if a new firmware release comes out that you do want, you can either update it on the old PC or you have to reformat it on the Mac.
Patrick

Changing an iPod from Windows to Mac format

I want to change my iPod from a windows format to Mac. I understand that i can restore my ipod but how could I get my songs back on the Mac from the PC . I have also heard that I can use iPod iRip but do not quiet understand that. If anyone could explain to me either how to restore and not lose my music or to use iRip i would really appriciate it.

Restore it from within iTunes.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1339?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

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

Migrating iPod from Windows to Mac

I've just given up on my creaky old PC and have a new Mac, but my iPod still has Windows software. I think I saw a tech note which told me what I have to do to move my iPod into Mac, but I can't find it and it's not intuitive.

It is very intuitive. Just plug it into your Mac!
OK first off, do you already have your music stuff moved over to the Mac?
When you plug the iPod into the Mac, a Mac can read and use a Windows formatted iPod, so you can either leave it Windows formatted or you can perform a restore on it which will erase and reformat it in Mac format.
If you leave it in Windows format, it will tell you that it is currently linked to another library (your old Windows library) and do you want to instead use it on your Mac's library. If you say yes, it will erase everything and sync your Mac library onto it, but the iPod will still be in Windows format.
Patrick

Using ipod from windows to mac - cannot copy songs to mac

I was using my ipod on a Windows XP system. I now have a Mac Pro. It connects to the Mac just fine and I can play the ipod with iTunes no problem. I have a handful of songs that are on the ipod only and not on the PC or Mac. I cannot get them to copy back to either machine. Why?

iTunes doesn't allow that - music that's in there as music that plays on the iPod does not transfer to a computer. (This is probably because RIAA and Diamond got in a fight years ago over the potential for people to use a Rio to share MP3s - sounds kind of dumb now, when we all have DVDR drives, doesn't it?)
If the files are from the iTunes store you should be able to retrieve them from there onto an authorized computer.

Do I/Can I reformat ipod from windows to mac?

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