Mac & windows formatting on ipod

OK, here's the deal... I have a laptop that runs windows that I've been using and I've loaded a bunch of CDs on, as well as a bunch of itunes purchased music. I just got an imac (which is very cool - just trying to get used to using a mac!), loaded itunes and was thinking, "great, I'll plug in my ipod, authorize the new computer... and I'll have all my music on the new mac."
Yeah, well - not the case. Only the purchased music transferred from my ipod. After some searching, I think its because my ipod is formatted for windows, and that doesn't work on a mac.
Here's my question, is there any way to sync everything? So I can have my entire library on both computers?
Thanks for any help or suggestions.

"Only the purchased music transferred from my ipod."
Correct, that's how it's supposed to work. You can only transfer purchased music that way.
The iPod was never designed to be used cross platform. The major drawback is because although a Mac can read a Windows formatted iPod, Windows cannot read a Mac iPod.
The normal way of getting over this is to format the iPod for Windows, then it can be used on both platforms but all software updates would have to be done on Windows. Another way is to format the iPod for Mac use and use some 3rd party software such as XPlay2 which will allow a Mac iPod to be used on Windows.
Since Windows iPods should work on a Mac, you may have some success using a program such as Yamipod. This is a free program that transfers music and playlists etc from iPod back to the computer. However, it does not transfer playcounts/ratings etc.
Or, since you have access to both computers, how about this?
Switch 101.
That's an easy way to migrate your files from Windows to Mac.

Similar Messages

Can I Windows format my iPod using a Mac?

...Might sound like a stupid question. I have an iPod with 5600 songs and a dead iMac with all my iTunes library on it. I need the iPod to be Windows formatted to work with the Blue&Me software in my car, but I want to buy a Macbook as my new computer.
Is this doable?
Thanks!

If part of your question involves getting music off of your iPod onto a laptop or PC the article below was very helpful to me. It's a few years old, but I believe the basics are still the same.
http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/articles/comments/copying-music-from-ipod-to-co mputer/P0/
I'm not 100% sure, but I think if an Ipod is formatted for windows it will still synch to itunes on a Mac. It won't work the other way around....Windows PC will not read a Mac formatted iPod.
Hopefully someone will correct me if I am wrong.
M.

How do i transfer windows formatted 2005 iPod to my macbook air?

How do i transfer my old Windows formatted iPod (2005 model: 60GB video iPod model no. A1136) to my new MacBook Air (OS X 10.10)? I don't have a PC anymore to transfer to first. My Mac doesn't even recognize that there is a device when I plug it into the USB. I tried iCopyBot App, but it also seems to be looking for a Apple formatted iPod.

You can use a third party application: http://imazing.com
iMazing will recognize the iPod and you can copy / transfer the audio / movies to the Mac.

Safe to windows format my iPod?

First a bit of bg info:
I dont usually have windows xp, in fact I pretty much dont outside of school, and I dont even have computers class in school anymore so hey.
My iPods firmware died, and after ages of googling, I found rockbox, an alternative, open source firmware. This all worked grand, until I tried to update that and I can;t get the newer version working
Now I can use my dads laptop for a few days while he's away on business, so Im wondering, if I use windows to format the iPod, then when I can get the lappy use the iTunes 7.4 restore tool will it a) bring the iPod back to the original functioning firmware and b) fix the bootloader so that it loads the iPod firmware by default?

I, too, am in need of assistance. I've been using my iPod mini on my computer system for nearly a year with no issues. Now, suddenly neither iTunes nor iPod Updater will recognize my iPod (even though my computer system seems to recognize it just fine). I have read all of the FAQs on this topic, and have tried everything to no avail. I've Reset the iPod, unistalled and reinstalled iTunes and the current Updater, tried putting the iPod in disk mode, etc. Everything that is listed in the various support articles, I have tried - except the Restore option. Unfortunately, since I can't get iPod Updater to recognize the device, I have no way (that I am aware of) to Restore the iPod - and I think that is my last hope in this case before I need to send it in for repairs.
Any suggestions on how to Restore an iPod when neither Updater nor iTunes recognizes the device (but Windows does)? I'd really like to update my iPod with all the music I've purchased since the last update.
Thanks, Stacy

I let windows format my ipod nano?

Today I bought a new ipod nano but the only one in store was an openbox ipod. since i am in a time crunch i decided to risk it and get the openbox ipod. i then took it home and plugged it into my pc (windows 8). a windows popup appeared that said i needed to format the disk to continue. so without thought i said ok. windows then reformatted my ipod. the ipod now does not turn off but instead displays black and white "do not disconnect" and "OK to disconnect" screens. holding down the sleep button and the home button result in the apple symbol and then it says to plug it into itunes. when i do so itunes doesnt recognize it. i have the latest version on itunes and have uninstalled and reinstalled itunes.
my main question is how to do a factory reset. i know how to do it once the ipod is recognized in itunes but not otherwise.
Cheers, T

Hello Telly64,
Thanks for using Apple Support Communities.
To troubleshoot this issue of your iPod nano not appearing in iTunes please follow the steps in the article below.
iPod nano not appearing in iTunes
http://www.apple.com/support/ipodnano/assistant/itunes/
Take care,
Alex H.

Mac/Windows not recongnize iPod-tried everything

Hello,
I reccently tried to connect my iPod touch 1st Gen to my Mac as per normal to restore it as its pretty slow. I connected it and it doesnt show up despite that it shows charging, so it is connected. I tried:
iPod reset.
Forcing restore mode.
Restarting Mac.
Deleting iTunes files and re-installing
Diffrent USB Cable
Diffrent USB port
Diffrent Computer(Windows)
DFU Mode on Mac and Windows
Web seraches, just sugest force restore which tried.

See the following article for restarting the Apple Mobile Devices Services on the Mac: http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1747

Importing songs from Windows-formatted iPod to a Mac

Because everyone knows that FireWire is a **** of a lot faster than importing from CD... When I run BrokenHelix with the iPod attached, the iPod doesn't register with the computer, so I can't import that way. I have a PC, but got a Mac to take to college, and I'd like to change the formatting. Anyone have any suggestions?

If the music is still on the PC this is what you'll want to get it on to your mac http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=300173
then, one that's done you can use the iPod updater (in/Applications/Utilities on your mac) to format the iPod for your mac. but the windows formatting should still work on the mac.

Moving from a Windows formatted iPod to a Mac formatted ipod

First of all, forgive me if this is a repost, as I know I have seen the resolution before, but am unable to find it.
I currently have an iPod 80GB classic, with about 40GB of music on it. I have recently purchased an iMac and want to move to a MAC formatted ipod. That is, connect and manage the ipod in a MAC environment instead of Windows.
I also want to back up all my music on the ipod to my MAC itunes library to ensure my music is all in one place.
Once all is said and done, I want a MAC formatted ipod, and not have lost my music on the ipod by reformatting it.
Thank in advance.
How can I accomplish this?

*I have recently purchased an iMac and want to move to a MAC formatted ipod.*
You need to restore it in iTunes for Mac
*I also want to back up all my music on the ipod to my MAC itunes library to ensure my music is all in one place.*
To copy everything (including purchases)to the Mac 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)
PodView Mac Only
PodWorks Mac Only
iPodDisk PPC Mac Only (experimental version available for Intel Macs)
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
*Once all is said and done, I want a MAC formatted ipod, and not have lost my music on the ipod by reformatting it.*
Copy the songs to the Mac first then restore the iPod in iTunes for Mac.

3rd Gen Ipod Windows formatted transfer contents to Mac

I have a 3rd Generation Ipod that I used with my old Sony laptop. The laptop died along with everything on it. The only thing I have left are the tunes I have on this Ipod. I don't want to have to re-rip all of them, is there a way to transfer them to my new Macbook Air? Most of the music are former CD's I ripped in itunes and not purchases from Itunes. Are there any free solutions? I read something about Senuti and Yamipod but I am afraid to loose the music. Has anyone out there done this and can you instruct me how to do it? Your help, as always is greatly appreciated.
Julias

1). Connect your iPod to your new computer. If it is set to sync 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.
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 let you 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 (the help pages for Senuti are extensive and will walk you through all you need to know about using the program).
You can read reviews and comparisons of some of the utilities 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

Windows format / ipod not recognized

More of a 2 part question.
I am having the same problem as everyone else. Updated to 5.0 and 5.0.1 and my ipod is not longer recognized by itunes. I've followed all the different tutorials and "5 step fixes" and nothing works. I ran through the 5-step fix multiple times with each step being a success. Still itunes doesn't recognize the ipod and windows doesn't recognize it correctly. When I try to use ipod updater it either freezes or says "ipod service error"(something like that).
So without the ability to use ipod updater to install the new software or restore the ipod...my only option is to do a windows format of the ipod. If I do a windows format is ipod updater then going to work and let me install the software?
If you have any ideas of how I can fix it without formating that would be great, but Ive done everything I could find on these forums with no avail.

Hello heuriztic,
The problem very likely is due to your XP's USB port, try to connect with other port first, if not works, try to plug and replug your iPod with your PC and hope it can recognized.
It will be fine if you can find a way to format your iPod with your PC. I am a bad PC user, but I believe you cant format it without a 3rd party software. I faced the same problem as your with my brother's iPod, I managed to solve it by first refomatted it by my Mac, and do a restore of iPod update with the PC afterward
It really works and hope you can find a friend with a Mac machine for you to fix your problem

How do i transfer my music on my Windows formatted iPod to my new iMac?

HELP! Just bought a new iMac (yes, I finally converted!), but now I can't transfer/access my music from my Windows formatted iPod to my iMac.
i know that the iPod needs to be reformatted on the iMac but i'll lose all my music, won't I?

*i know that the iPod needs to be reformatted on the iMac but i'll lose all my music, won't I?*
Macs can read Windows formatting so you should be able to connect and use the iPod on your new Mac without any problem. One proviso is that up until now Apple has only fully supported using the iPod shuffle in FAT32 format on Mac (unless the range has been expanded to include the iPhone and the iPod Touch which I've no experience of). What this means effectively is that if you need to apply a firmware update for your iPod and you wanted to maintain the Windows format you would have to do it on a PC. If you were to try and update a Windows based iPod on a Mac it would be restored and reformatted to the Mac file system and have the Mac firmware installed.
*I can't transfer/access my music from my Windows formatted iPod to my iMac.*
Connect your iPod to your new Mac. 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. When your iPod appears in the iTunes source list change the update setting to manual, that will let you use our 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
Once you are safely connected there are a few things you can do to restore your iTunes from the iPod.
The transfer of content from sources 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. 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 read reviews and comparisons of some of them here:
Wired News - Rescue Your Stranded Tunes
Comparison of iPod managers
Senuti Mac Only
PodView Mac Only
PodWorks Mac Only
iPodDisk PPC Mac Only (experimental version available for Intel Macs)
TuneAid Mac only (iPhone and iPod Touch compatible)
iPodRip Mac & Windows
YamiPod Mac & Windows
Music Rescue Mac & Windows
iPodCopy Mac & Windows
iRepo Mac & Windows (iPhone and iPod Touch compatible)
iPod Access Mac & Windows (iPhone and iPod Touch compatible)
If you have any iTunes Music Store purchases the transfer of purchased content from the iPod to authorised computers was introduced with iTunes 7. You'll find details in this article: Copying iTunes Store purchases from your iPod to a computer
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
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. 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.

Switching library from PC itunes library to new MAC itunes library via ipod

I have a pc and itunes and a nano with an extensive library and many playlists. I just decided to switch to mac and got a new imac and plugged my nano in. I can't transfer my music and or my playlists. It gives me a dialogue box saying the nano can only have a music library on one machine and that it can sync the nano to the new machine but will only sync purchased music and will erase the rest!!!! ACCHHH - How do you transfer your music and hopefully the playlists to the new imac itunes library?
Help.

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 let you 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

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)

Transferring songs from a Windows-formatted iPod classic to iTunes on Mac

Hi everybody, I'm curious to see if this is even possible. My husband's Windows laptop died for the second time in three years, so he decided to switch to a Mac after seeing my MacBook last longer than both of his Windows laptops. :o) Anyway, now that the Windows hard drive is dead-and no, he didn't back up his songs to CD-he wants to transfer the songs on his Windows-formatted iPod Classic to iTunes on his Mac. I tried Yamipod, but it said "firmware unsupported" and quit-I suspect the Windows format had something to do with it. He has a lot of songs ripped from CDs and he doesn't want to lose them or have to spend time re-ripping them. Any ideas?
Thanks for your help!

same thing happened to me. I purchased iPod Access from the internet (for about $15). This program will let you transfer your music and playlists from your iPod to your library

How to use Windows formatted iPod nano to move music to a new Mac?

Hi all,
I need to transfer my iPhone's musics, songs, apps and photo, etc to the Mac and I came across this http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1329" guide at Apple Support site since I owned a iPod nano.
My questions is since my iPod nano is configured for Windows will the Mac be able to read it since it's stated clearly in the guide "While a Windows formatted iPod may work on a Mac, Apple supports this configuration only with iPod shuffle."
If I follow through the guide, 1. Switch the iPod to manual update and enable disk use, 2. Locating and consolidating the iTunes Media folder, 3. Copy iTunes folder to iPod. I will still need to restore the iPod to work in Mac and end up nothing left inside meaning songs, photo all erased.
Also, anyone using third party software like http://www.fadingred.com/senuti/ Can advise if it's good to use this? And if iPod nano configured for Windows can works with this?
Need other more solution other this to transfer the mentioned data to Mac.
Thanks.

darrengbl wrote:
I need to transfer my iPhone's musics, songs, apps and photo, etc to the Mac […] since I owned a iPod nano.
iPhone… iPod… iPod Nano… which one it is? You are trying to transfer music from what source, using what medium, and to what target?
I came across this http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1329"
it's stated clearly in the guide "While a Windows formatted iPod may work on a Mac, Apple supports this configuration only with iPod shuffle."
Where exactly is this stated? I am unable to find this statement in the KB article you mentioned. And are you talking iPhone or iPod? This KB article applies only to iPod.

Mac & windows formatting on ipod

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