IPod formatted for PC

When I originally got my iPod, I was still using a PC, but I've since switched to Mac. My iTunes works perfectly fine, but there are never offers to update my iPod except for when I sign onto someone else's iTunes on a PC. Should I continue to update my iPod using PCs or will my iPod eventually stop being compatible with my Mac iTunes...?

As you know, you can continue to use a Windows formatted iPod on a Mac if you wish to do so. They only thing you won't be able to do is install firmware updates unless you Restore the iPod to be the same format as the computer it runs on (e.g. reformatted to Mac format you could then install firmware with the Mac iTunes).
But there are advantages to leaving it Windows formatted. As you already noted, one is the ability to use the iPod with Windows computers and your Mac. Where as if you reformatted to Mac, you would be restricted to only Mac computers.
So far I have never heard of any iPods becoming unusable with iTunes because they have old firmware installed. I have an original 30GB 5th generation iPod that still has the original v1.0 firmware on it (and I ain't gonna update it!) and it still works fine with iTunes.
Cheers,
Patrick

Similar Messages

  • I have a 30 gb ipod formatted for windows  I would like to reformat for a macbook

    I have a 30 GB ipod formatted for windows How can it be reformatted to work with my macbook?

    This process will delete all songs in your iPod. (Sorry if I sound like some outcountry Helpdesk)
    But you can transfer Windows iTunes library to your Macbook.
    1. Connect to your Macbook, close iTunes if it opened up.
    2. Open up Disk Utility, select Checksum CRC
    3. Select your iPod icon.
    4. Click on Erase tab
    5. Select  Mac OS X Journal format
    6. Press Erase button and wait for about 20 minutes
    When it finishes, Itunes will  launch and prompt for Restore, so just follow the prompts.
    Have a nice day!

  • Can an iPod formatted for Macs play on Windows iTunes?

    I have an iPod formatted for a Mac but have to use a Windows computer at work. Is there a way to play my iPod through the Windows iTunes player? I tried plugging it int through a USB adaptor, but my computer doesn't trecognize my iPod.
    Thanks!

    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, you can find it 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.

  • IPod formatted for windows... not working on mac!  ***????

    Hi all...
    My iPod mini was my first apple product over a year ago... worked awesome on my Dell laptop. Then I got this Dual Core G5 and the dang thing isn't recognizing any music?!?! Because it is formatted for windows, I can't install an update it is telling me it needs. I am assuming this is why itunes can't see it and my kick butt G5 is being ******** with not showing any of the music on it... any ideas?
    I have read the other threads and can't find anything like this... so how can I use this thing on both machines? or did Apple "F" this thing up?
    Thanks

    Yes, it shows up on desktop but only the calendar, notes, contacts are accessible...
    No, iTunes does not recognize it even if I force it into Disk Mode... weird. I am beginning to think I need to keep it on the mac 100% and stop using it on me PC... but that stinks? My Dell is portable, this G5 is not!

  • Converting DVD videos to iPod format for iPod 30GB 5th generation?

    I would like to convert DVDS to iPod format so I can view them on my new iPod? Can someone help me with a how to list? I have located many PC or windows applications for making the conversion ( free downloads) but what do we use if we are mac users (Mac OS X version 10.3.9)?
    Thank you for your help..... Mark
    iPod 30GB 5th generation video   Mac OS X (10.3.9)  

    Here, click on the link:
    http://handbrake.m0k.org/

  • HELP! ipod formatted for PC, now have Macbook Pro, how do I transfer ipod?

    I have a 30g ipod which is formatted for Windows for my PC. I recently got a MacBook Pro and would like to keep all of my itunes here now. I'm confused as to how to transfer my ipod to my MacBook without loosing everything. I only use my ipod for music (not videos or photos). I more or less need very simplistic instructions. I have been reading some of the posts and am thoroughly confused. Thank you in advance!!!

    Connect your iPod to your computer. If it is set to update automatically you'll get a 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. 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. 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. Check the "manually manage music and videos" box in Summary then press the Apply button: Managing content manually on iPod
    Once you are safely connected there are a few things you can do to restore your iTunes from the iPod. If you 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 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. This is just a small selection of what's available, you can also read reviews of some of them here: Wired News - Rescue Your Stranded Tunes
    Senuti Mac Only
    iPodRip Mac Only
    PodView Mac Only
    PodWorks Mac Only
    iPodDisk PPC Mac Only (experimental version available for Intel Macs)
    YamiPod Mac & Windows
    Music Rescue Mac & Windows
    iPodCopy Mac & Windows
    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 at this link: Two-way Street: Moving Music Off the iPod
    Once you are happy with your reloaded iTunes you can restore your iPod on the Mac. Restoring will erase and reformat the iPod's hard drive, reload the Mac version of the software and put it back to default settings. 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. If you want to update manually or using selected playlists choose no and it will default to manual mode and you can choose whatever setting you like: Restoring iPod to factory settings with iTunes 7

  • Connecting an iPod formatted for Windows to a MAC

    OK here's my situation:
    I have a Sony laptop (running XP Pro) that my 8GB iPod nano (G2) is currently "synched" to. Last November I got a new iMac (Leopard, 10.5.2), which I've been meaning to figure out how to transfer all my mp3's from my laptop (PC) to iMac (separate issue).
    I never got the chance- my laptop was stolen a week ago. I have yet to break the news to my iPod, which is- I'm guessing- formatted for Windows. I'd like to connect my iPod to my iMac and salvage the 8GB of music on there. I'd estimate that 20% of the music on my iPod was purchased on iTunes, but the rest came from CD's that I uploaded onto my PC. I know about re-downloading purchased music, but what about the rest? I don't have all my CD's anymore =(
    Thank you in advance-
    Josh

    Hey Josh,
    Sorry to hear about your stolen laptop. That stinks.
    But the good news is Macs can read Windows formatted iPods just fine and there are ways to get your stuff off the iPod and onto the Mac.
    Copying from iPod to Computer threads...
    http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=5044027&#5044027
    http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=893334&tstart=0
    http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=797432&#797432
    Also these 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/secrets/2006/12/twowaystreet20/index.php
    http://playlistmag.com/help/2005/01/2waystreet/
    Patrick

  • IPod formatted for windows, connected to mac accidentally

    I have an iPod video, 30GB. I formatted it for use with my windows laptop.
    Then, my mother hooked it up to her macbook pro. No syncing took place and it didn't show up in iTunes. However, now neither machine will show the iPod in iTunes. The windows machine, on connection to the iPod, brings up an error message saying the iPod is corrupted. When connected to the Mac, the iPod spontaneously crashes iTunes even before it opens.
    Through a series of unfortunate events, much of my music is not on hard drives aside from my iPod, so any help resolving this issue without restoring the iPod would be greatly appreciated.

    Mac Os X will read Fat 16, Fat32(the windows default for iPod) .
    I believe it will read, but not write to NTFS.
    Windows can not read or write to HFS(Mac OS X format and iPod for Macs) drives.

  • Problems With An iPod Formatted For a Mac

    I have a 30GB 5G iPod and i formatted it for my mac but now i can't use it as a portable drive to move files from my pc to my mac, do i have to reformat it for a pc to use it to transfer files?

    Hi Anthony,
    As you have found out, Windows does not have any native support for Mac formatted drives so your freshly Mac formatted iPod will not be readable on a Windows machine.
    However Macs can read Windows formatted iPods just fine, so to answer your question, if you reformat back to DOS (Fat32) format using a Windows machine and iTunes loaded on the Windows machine to perform the "Restore" which will reformat it, you can then plug it into your Mac and sync it to your Mac library, the iPod will remain Windows formatted, and if you enable Disk Mode on the iPod it can be used as an external drive on both Mac and Windows systems.
    The only other solution I know of is paying for software to run on the Windows machine to be able to read Mac formats.
    Patrick

  • IPod Formatted for Mac... Connect To Windows?

    Hi Gang:
    I gave a friend of mine a 60 GIG iPod as a gift. He is in the middle of the Jungle and uses a PC, no access to a Mac. He has a few songs he would like to add to the iPod. I formatted the iPod when I got it for Mac. When he connects it to his PC it wants to re-format the iPod for Windows, of course he would loose all the data on it.
    Is there a way to use it under Windows without having to re-format the iPod and lose all the data?
    Thank you, Glenn

    "Is there a way to use it under Windows without having to re-format the iPod and lose all the data?"
    Yes but it requires the use of some add on software such as XPlay2.
    The reason being is that Windows cannot read the HFS+ file system that a Mac formatted iPod uses, so without XPlay or similar software, it needs to be reformatted in order to use it on a Windows PC.

  • IPod Nano Sync with Mac, but iPod formatted for Windows

    I finally changed to the Mac platform and all my iPods and iPhones were synced with a Windows based computer. While my iPhones were not a problem, my iPod Nano (4GB 2nd generation) seemed not be recognized by my iMac.
    I can't seem to get my iMac to show the iPod under Devices to reformat it. Anyone have any advice to give?
    I have plugged it in to a my Windows based work laptop and it seems to work fine. However I don't sync with that machine and I have already sold my old Windows based computer it was synced to.
    Thanks in advance for the help.

    I have three iPods: 40GB iPod photo, 2GB black iPod nano and 1GB iPod shuffle. Each one has it's own playlist to auto sync songs from (technically, the 40GB iPod is synchronized manually, but the other two have playlists to sync automatically from). They each have different names so iTunes knows they're each different. So, you shouldn't have any trouble keeping just two iPods separate with your Mac mini or iMac.
    -Doug

  • IPod formated for MAC - How to get songs to PC??

    I have music on an iPod that was given to me but in MAC format. Anyway to get these songs to my PC based iTunes w/o losing them? I have access to a MAC but prefer not to have to borrow it.

    Won't "Restore" erase those songs?
    Yes.
    We cannot help you illegally obtain copyright material you do not have a right to.
    From the Terms of Use you agreed to...
    "8 Keep within the Law
    No material may be submitted that is intended to promote or commit an illegal act."

  • I want to back up my IPOD music on to my PC, but IPOD is formatted for my MAC, how do I do it?

    Can anyone help me back up my IPOD music to my Laptop PC?  I have my IPOD formatted for my MAC and can't back it up on PC......Help!

    Install software on your PC such as MediaFour's MacDrive to enable it to read/write Mac formatted disks.

  • My iPod is formatted for Windows, why should I reformat it for Macintosh?

    Hello everyone,
    I just made the switch from a PC to a Mac and I am very happy to now be on the Mac side of the fence.
    I've been reading these forums to find out how to transfer the contents of my 30GB iPod to iTunes on my new MacBook (I didn't keep the songs in iTunes on my old PC, but I do have all of them on actual CDs).
    I can tell from these posts HOW to do this transfer (using Senuti seems easiest), but my question now is WHY do this? If I keep my iPod formatted for Windows I'll still be able to use it on both PCs and Macs, but if I restore it to be formatted for Macs, then I can only use it on Macs. I'm thinking that as long as I have access to a PC to periodically update iTunes, I should be fine with not switching it over. Is there anything that I am missing here? I just don't want to run into problems down the road.
    If anyone is using an iPod formatted for Windows, but works almost exclusively with Mac computers, I'd love to hear feedback on how it's going. And if anyone has advice on why this is OR isn't a good idea, I'd love to hear that too.
    Thanks.
    Andrew

    A Mac formatted iPod will mount and unmount slightly faster on OS X than a PC formatted one. Also if you want to use the iPod as a removable drive between other Macs you won't have the same file size restrictions Windows formatting has. A FAT32 formatted iPod or other drive cannot transfer files which are 4GB or larger. In addition to those, (except in the case of the Shuffle) the iPod's firmware cannot be updated from Mac OS X without doing a restore. This would mean you would need to connect back to a PC when a software update came along, however if you are going to continue to use the iPod on a Mac and a PC this isn't an issue.

  • Format for Macintosh and Windows

    Is it possible at all to have my iPod formated for macintosh but still be able to use it as a hard drive on a windows machine?

    Mark, I have some questions about this. I just installed a new unformatted 60GB drive into my old 4G iPod. I am on a Win XP Pro platform so I did not want to use the NTFS formatting option before running Updater. I installed a trial copy of Macdrive, but when I try to Mac format that drive it says "An error occurred while examining Removable Disk (J:): Unspecified error". The LCD says it's in Disk Mode but I don't have the checkmark; it still shows the flashing Do Not Disconnect. If I try to Reset and put it manually into disk mode while it's connected via USB to my computer that doesn't work either. I have do disconnect it. I can then get the checkmarked Disk Mode symbol, but the moment I hook it back up via USB I get the Do Not Disconnect.
    4G   Windows XP Pro  

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