IPod as backup drive

I found out that you can use iPod as an external hard drive. I'm about to reformat my pc and thought since I could backup my music, videos, photos and text files in my iPod, can it also backup my other extension files? Like .rar or .zip files?
Compaq Resario Windows XP

Well I'm sorry, I don't know much about linux at all, but as for PC with windows 2000 or XP, yes when you reinstall Windows then plug in your Ipod, windows will recognize the ipod again as an external hard drive and you will be able to transfer the files back from your ipod onto your windows computer. When using your ipod to transfer files that way, transfer the files to the ipod using the My Computer window, and not Itunes. With Itunes you need to get other software to get your songs off of the ipod (Videos and pictures are even harder to get off through itunes).
Let me know if that helps

Similar Messages

IPod Classic 160 as backup drive?

Does anyone use an iPod as a backup drive for your MacBook? I don't
own an iPod yet, but I am considering the Classic 160gb. Someone
said it wouldn't be a good idea because you lose all data everytime
you reset the iPod. I realize there are cheaper backup drives, but
they aren't iPods!

I use my iPod to store important things that I want two copies of in case my main backup fails. SuperDuper is good for doing this. I don't restore my iPod that often and even if I did it would be easy using SuperDuper to reset the back up in the iPod. I suggest you get a regular external hard drive to be safe. iPods are good but carrying your only back up in your pocket is not ideal. Externals are real cheap. I paid less than a $100.00 USD for a 250 GB USB drive.

USB no longer recognised for IPOD or ext drive

I recently recieved a 5th Gen IPOD. I have installed the software that came with the unit but I cannot see the IPOD. When I check the Device Manager I see an "Unknown Device". Also I can now no longer see my external USB backup drive. It also has "Unknown Device" instead of Mass Storage Device. When I go to reinstall either of these items I get an error:
"The Installation failed because a function driver was not specified for this device instance"
I have removed all usb refs in the Dev Manager and restarted. I have removed these in Safe Mode and restarted. Each time I get the same Unknow Device. My setup is:
Windows 2000 pro, SP4
2.4GHz P4 on a Gigabyte board
512 Ram
Previous to the ipod install my backup drive worked perfectly. It seems like my USB drivers have somehow been corrupted.
I have tired forcing these in as Microsoft Mass Storage Devices but I still get the yellow exclamation mark.
I have also tried to access a 256Mb MP3 player but I get the same error.
Any help is appreciated
Thanks
New IPOD user but getting frustrated.

I got the following reply from Billyd at www.everythingusb.com
"Turn the PC off for awhile - about 30 minutes. Unplug it from the wall too. After the 30 minutes are up, open the case and remove the motherboard battery for a few seconds. Put it back in and reboot.
If you know how to get into BIOS setup, do that and disable Legacy USB. If you're overclocking, don't.
Next, try a Safe Mode cleanup:
http://tinyurl.com/2fwb"
After scouring the web for a solution and reinstalling my OS, the above solution worked. I have not reinstalled my IPOD yet, want to get everything back up and running, then ghost first. My external hd was recognised straight away and I my machine recognises my 256mb mp3 players.
Also found one of the ground connectors for my front usb was very loose. This may have caused the initial usb issue by connecting my ipod to this usb port. Will see how it goes.

Using iPod as backup?

I just recently built a new computer, using the same hard drive i had but reformatting it with all the new components. I backed up all my files on the old version of the hdd, and i thought of using my iPod nano as a backup for all my music files, considering it held all of them already. This music in my iPod is all completely legally purchased, through itunes, in my name...however, after the reformat i cant seem to sync my ipod with itunes without clearing it out. I dont wish to clear it out, as i dont want to lose the music i already paid for. Is there an option to do transfer from my ipod in this situation?
Thanks in advance
Custom PC Windows XP

You can't sync your music back from an iPod to iTunes, the transfer of music is designed by default to be one way from iTunes to iPod. However there are a number of third party utilities that you can use to retrieve the files from your iPod, this is just a selection. Have a look at the web pages and documentation for these, they are generally quite straightforward.
iPod Access Mac and Windows Versions
YamiPod Mac and Windows Versions
PodUtil Mac and Windows Versions
iPodCopy Mac and Windows Versions
PodPlayer Windows Only
PodPlus Windows Only
There is also a manual method of accessing the iPod's hard drive on Windows posted in this thread: MacMuse - iPod to iTunes
If you are using the iPod in manual update mode, your iPod is safe from being accidentally erased when you connect to an empty iTunes after reinstalling your operating system. However if your iPod is set to automatically update 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 *No*. Pressing "Yes" 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.
Alternatively, you can use a keyboard command to prevent your iPod auto-syncing with iTunes. While connecting the iPod to the computer on Windows hold down the Shift + Ctrl keys (on a Mac hold down the Option and Command (⌥ and ⌘) keys). This will stop the iPod from auto-syncing with iTunes and the iPod 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. Then go to Preferences>iPod and check the "Manually manage songs and playlists" box: Managing Your Songs Manually
Whichever of these retrieval methods you choose, 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.

IPod after hard drive crash

My hard drive AND my backup drive crashed. I sent my G4 into Apple for a new drive which came back, of course, virgin. However, if I synch my iPod to the new iTunes-which has nothing in it-- I will strip everything on the iPod. Is there a way to get what is on my iPod into iTunes without losing the entire content?
You can write me directly at [email protected]
Thanks. Barb Shovers

There are many third-party programs designed to help you get songs from the iPod to your computer for situations such as these. Check out the downloads section of ilounge.com. Good luck!

The Ipod touch backup has filled my computer where is it so I can delete it

The Ipod Touch backup has filled my computers hard drive where is it so I can delete it???

Where are iTunes backups stored on your computer
The folder where your backup data is stored depends on the computer's operating system. Make sure the backup folder is included in your data-backup routine. iTunes places the backup files in the following places:
Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/
The "~" represents your Home folder. If you don't see Library in your home folder, hold Option and click the Go menu.
Windows XP: \Documents and Settings\(username)\Application Data\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup\
To quickly access the Application Data folder, click Start, and choose Run. Type %appdata% and click OK.
Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8: \Users\(username)\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup\
To quickly access the AppData folder, click Start. In the search bar, type %appdata% and press Return.

IPod as backup for my photo and music library

May I use iPod as backup device for my photo and music library in case of my iMac failure? Is this tested and recommended solution?
Thanks, Jan

This is an extremely risky option because when (and not if) there comes a time to restore your iPod, which is a very common fix for iPod problems, then all the music/photos would be erased. If you no longer have them in iTunes (or any other back up), then all that music and other data would be lost.
What if the iPod were lost/stolen/needed repair? Again, the music would lost. I strongly recommend a different form of back up, and if computer hard drive space is in short supply, you should seriously consider an external hard drive. They are not expensive, and the cost is well worth it when compared to the loss of all your precious music and photos.
At the very least back up your music/photos to either cd or dvd before deleting them, particularly any purchased music/videos, as this would have to be bought again if it were lost. See this.
Backing up your media in iTunes.

ITunes Backup drive

Does anyone know how can I change the iTunes Backup drive when updating my iPod to OS5.0.1? thanks

See this previous discussion. Some Googling is still required.
Is there any way to change the default...: Apple Support Communities

IPod 5G + Backup 3

Does anyone knows if you can use an iPod 5G (through USB2) as a backup drive with Backup 3 ?
Thanks

As long as you enable Disk Use, Backup should treat it like any other external USB2 hard disk.

IPod Touch Backup help

I recently had to reformat my PC, but when I did that, I lost my iPod Touch Backup, so my question is: is there a way to sync my iPod to my PC without losing any information (such as applications and the information I had on them) and/por making a backup of it?
I have an iPod Touch 2nd Generation
Thanks in advance,
Christian Sch.
Message was edited by: Naitzyrk

Yes there is a lot of ways to back-up your purchases and apps from iTunes, buy an external hard drive and sync it there or better yet, if you have a mac, but the Time Machine, it automatically back-up your files every hour. So if you lose anything you can just look it up there and restore it. Or if you have a PC and you don't want to buy an external hard drive, there are other storage websites where you can back-up your PC.

IPod Touch Backup

I'm about to reformat my PC. Once I reinstall Windows and iTunes, can all of the apps, music, photos, and videos from my iPod Touch sync up to my new install and transfer everything over? Thanks!

No.
Your iPod Touch backup does not include your iTunes media (music, videos, apps, etc). Here's what your backup includes: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1766
You need to backup your iTunes media to an external hard disk or to CD's/DVD's as explained in these articles:
Back up your iTunes library by copying to an external hard drive, http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1751
How to back up your media in iTunes, http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1382

Itunes onto backup drive/ bypassing startup disc

Wasn't sure where to post this, hope someone can help.
I have successfully put my ipod library into a folder on my desktop so I can move it to my backup drive rather than take up all that room on my startup disc. However, when I go to copy it onto the backup, I can see the available memory on my startup disc decrease as the folder is copied onto both. Is there a way to bypass the startup disc and just copy to the backup?

Select the hard disk in the Finder and choose Get Info from the File menu; the disk's format will be listed under General. If it is in FAT32, MS-DOS, or Mac OS Standard format, you will need to erase the disk in either HFS+ or UFS before you can use it to boot Mac OS X. To check which Power Mac G4 model you are using, look at the tables and pictures in this article. It is not possible to copy a Mac OS X installation to another partition by dragging it in the Finder, as invisible files and other necessary data won't be copied.
(10653)

TS3694 My Ipod is not recognized by Itunes with my Windows 8 PC. Works fine with Windows 7 PC. Device sync test says "No device found". Already performed all of the Ipod device troubleshooting including reload Itunes, stop start Ipod device, changed drive

Need help? Some of my Ipods are not recognized by Itunes with my Windows 8 PC. (Ipod Nano 4th gen and Ipod Nano 6th gen), but on my Windows 7 PC, they work fine. My Ipod 3rd gen and Ipod shuffle work both on Windows 8 and 7 PC's. On the non-working Ipods, the Device sync test says "No device found". Already performed all of the Ipod device troubleshooting including reload Itunes, stop start Ipod device, changed drive letter...
any help is appreciated. Chris4sail

Hello there, chris4sail.
The following Knowledge Base article offers up some great step-by-step instructions on troubleshooting your iPod not being recognized in iTunes:
iPod not recognized in My Computer and in iTunes for Windows
http://support.apple.com/kb/ts1369
Thanks for reaching out to Apple Support Communities.
Cheers,
Pedro.

Do i want to use my external hard drive as a backup drive?

i just got a 1TB external hard drive and as i installed it, i was asked if i want to use it or bootcamp as a backup drive. i bought the hard drive to put all my extra video files onto and i don't want to waste any space, but should i use it as a backup drive or should i use bootcamp, which i haven't setup yet (but plan to in the next week or so).

nikkib197 wrote:
200GB should be plenty, i am only backing up my word documents, and some applications. everything else i have can easily be re-added if i do happen to lose it.
Please reconsider. You're missing one of the major features of Time Machine, not available elsewhere.
Here's what you'll have to do when (not if) your internal HD fails, or some other catastrophe occurs, without a full backup of your entire system:
Install OSX from your Leopard or Snow Leopard Install disc.
Go through the set-up procedure: setup your Internet connection(s), email accounts, etc., including account info, passwords, server names, etc.
Download and install the "combo" update, to get back to your current version of OSX.
If you didn't purchase your Mac with the latest iLife apps, find the disc they're on and restore them.
Find all the discs for 3rd-party apps and install them. Re-enter any purchase keys.
Find the websites for all downloaded 3rd-party apps, download and install them. Re-enter any purchase keys.
Restore whatever data you saved.
Re-enter all your preferences and settings.
Wonder what you missed, and find out the hard way . . . for months or longer.
However, if you let TM back up your entire system, there's one simple procedure to recover it to the exact state it was in at the time of any backup, even if that's a previous version of OSX. For example, any open Finder windows will reappear in exactly the same locations, with exactly the same contents. See #14 in the FAQ for details.

Firewire issue--Backup drive not found w/Time Machine after imac sleeps

I've had a lot of problems with Time Machine on my G4 imac since starting to use it a month ago. I think I have isolated the problem:
Time Machine functions properly while the computer is in use, and it has no problem after a restart or shut down, but if the computer goes to sleep and then TM runs its hourly backup, I get an error that it cannot find the Backup Drive. Once this happens, TM will no longer work until I've deselected the drive in TM, unplugged it, plugged it in again, and reselected the drive as the backup Drive. Sometimes this requires a shut down or restart too.
Here's what I've tried:
1. connected the drive via USB--it operated without a problem
2. unplugged all devices from the computer, shut down, waited, 20 mins, restrted, plugged the external drive back in via Firewire--the problem persists as described above.
3. deleted the TimeMachine.plist file, restarted--problem persists.
I've read that the Firewire port can be reset with other procedures such as zapping the PRAM or updating the firmware. I've also read that new problems can arise after reseting the PRAM so I'm hesitant to do this. Can anyone shed some light on the PRAM option?
I cannot find where the firmware updates are located on the mac site. Could someone point me in the right direction? I've looked under downloads and after searching, came up with a long list, but nothing was labeled clearly. Each listing mentioned firmware in the header, but it seemed to always pertain to a certain issue (eg. superdrive, or installing appleworks). I could not tell what was the most recent firmware released for my machine, and I fear installing something retrograde that will create new problems.
If anyone has any thoughts on how to deal with the firewire problem, or if you think my issue with using a FW connected drive with Time Machine might be rooted with something else, please comment.
Thanks!
HM
Message was edited by: imaginary_forest

fzgy wrote:
"Mac OS X can't repair the disk. You can still open or copy files on the disk, but you can't save changes to files on the disk. Back up the disk and reformat it as soon as you can."
It's possible a heavy-duty 3rd-party disk repair app can fix it, but they're expensive (DiskWarrior is about $100), and there's no guarantee it can do it.
Am prompted to reformat but I don't have a good understanding of what this means and how to do it.
That will erase it. See Time Machine - Frequently Asked Question #5.
It sounds very much like the disk is beginning to fail, although it's possible there's a bad port, cable, connection or power supply (if it has its own).
I'd suggest getting a new one, and using it for your Time Machine backups; once you have a good backup there, reformat the old one (and select Security Options to write zeros to the whole drive -- if that fails, you know the drive is toast). Use it for secondary backups, per FAQ #27. If it has failed, get a second new one for secondary backups.

IPod as backup drive

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for