Multiple computers backed up - selective restore

I have a 15" MacBook Pro and a 17" MacBook Pro both backed up to my Time Capsule. I was having problems with the 17" MacBook Pro and swapped it for a brand new one. I'd like to be able to restore SELECTED files from the 17" backup but I can't work out how to connect to the backup using Time Machine.
I've tried using the Migration Assistant but it didn't restore the folder that I wanted which is in the root of the home folder (at the same level as Desktop, Documents etc).
Any help would be appreciated.

Hello Sowhatish. Welcome to the Apple Discussions!
I have now got a new macbook that i want to restore using the data from my old macbook on the time capsule. will time capsule allow me to choose between the imac backup and the old macbook backup?
Yes.
(ref: Restoring files from a Time Capsule backup)

Similar Messages

Using time machine, multiple computers back- up and update

hi all,
to start off, i'm planning to buy a new iMac in the Q1 2009... the comming update, and i'm wondering:
whit time machine, is it possible to let's say back up my macbook.
and whit the new iMac update from the backup so my iMac is in sync whit the macbook?
and when i add, change or kill a file, time machine update's this in the backup, and my macbook will notice this and update the macbook of the backup the iMac changed?
hard question, hope somebody out there can help me by answering or refering me,
cause i realy want this to be true, gheghe!
Kind regards,
Lennart.
Message was edited by: Lennart Hendriksma

Lennart Hendriksma wrote:
hi all,
to start off, i'm planning to buy a new iMac in the Q1 2009... the comming update, and i'm wondering:
whit time machine, is it possible to let's say back up my macbook.
and whit the new iMac update from the backup so my iMac is in sync whit the macbook?
you can use use Migration Assistant to migrate your settings and data from the TM backup of the macbook to the new imac. you'll also have an option to do it during the initial computer setup.
This is a one time operation. You can not use Time Machine to keep computers synced after that. each computer has its own TM backup and they don't interact with each other.
and when i add, change or kill a file, time machine update's this in the backup, and my macbook will notice this and update the macbook of the backup the iMac changed?
sorry, I don't understand what you are asking. please rephrase.
hard question, hope somebody out there can help me by answering or refering me,
cause i realy want this to be true, gheghe!
Kind regards,
Lennart.
Message was edited by: Lennart Hendriksma

I have three computers backing up onto the same Time Machine. The Hard drive of one has now failed, and I'd like to restore certain items (principally photographs) to one of the other two computers. How can I do this?

I have three computers backing up onto the same Time Machine. The Hard drive of one has now failed, and I'd like to restore certain items (principally photographs) to one of the other two computers. How can I do this?

"You can also browse the original backup disk for past backups by using "Browse other Time Machine Disks"--to see this choice, hold the Option key then click the Time Machine menu in the Finder (to see the menu, "Show Time Machine status in the menu bar" must be selected in Time Machine preferences."
Mac 101: Time Machine

Just downloaded ios 7.0.4 for my iphone4 and backed up before doing so. Now that it's been updated and restored I keep being asked to setup my iphone. When I select restore from itunes I keep getting stuck on setup iPhone. Cant get back in phone!

I backed up the phone and updated to ios 7.0.4 which took about 2 hours. Now the phone powers on and says hello in different lagnuages and says to slide to setup. I am asked to choose a network and then if I want to setup as a new iphone, restore from icloud or restore from itunes backup. When I select restore from itunes the screen says "connected to itunes". In itunes I select restore from backup however after a few seconds itunes says that it cannot restore beause there is not enough free space on the iphone. During this attempt to restore I see the home screen and my screen saver and everything for a split second, then the phone powers off.
I see in itunes that all of my photos and data are still on the phone however I cannot get into the iphone.

Have you tried restarting or resetting your iPhone?
Restart: Press On/Off button until the Slide to Power Off slider appears, select Slide to Power Off and, after It shuts down, press the On/Off button until the Apple logo appears.
Reset: Press the Home and On/Off buttons at the same time and hold them until the Apple logo appears (about 10 seconds).
No data will be lost.

I updated to ios7 and got the set up asst and selected restore from back up.... can't get itunes to do the restore as it wants me to turn off find my iphone, but I can't access anything on my iphone to turn off as I am in ios set up assistant

I updated my iphone 4 to ios7.04 in itunes. In itunes, it appears that all my data/apps/music/etc are on the phone (but I cannot see anything on phone itself except setup screens). I am getting the ios7 setup screen on my iphone. I have selected my language, selected my wifi netowork, enabled location services, and chosen resore from itunes back up. Next screen I get says to connec to itunes, which I did. In itunes, I select restore from backup. I then get a message that I need to disable "find my iphone " "Go to iCloud Settings on your iPhone and turn off Find My iPhone before restoring your iPhone." I cannot go to any settings on my iphone as I cannot get past the connect to iturnes screen! I have also tried not enabling location services and that made no difference. I cannot get to anyplace on my iphone except the ios setup first few screens. I am going crazy, there must be some simple thing I have missed! Any help appreciated!

I found a way to get to my data. So do not need remedy at this time.
fwiw, I changed my ios7.04 setup answer of restore from itunes to new iphone. Eventually that allowed me to set up icloud, then turn off find iphone, restore. Very strange ios update.

When sync phone I selected restore and lost pictures can I get them back?

When I sync'ed my new phone I selected restore by mistake and lost the pictures. It kept the pictures from my old phone. Can I get the lost pictures back?

try to restore back to some other point of backup.

One disk, multiple computers to back up

Can a single backup disk be used with Time Machine to back up multiple computers, or do we need one backup disk per computer?

Shaun,
The 'eating away' you're referring to is called pre-thinning by Time Machine. This process occurs just prior to an immediately after each backup. TM will only perform pre-thinning on the backups of the current computer being backed up.
It's my understanding that the backed-up data of other computers is respected by Time Machine when it is performing backups of a different computer. Then when the other computer is being backed up TM will, if necessary, perform the pre-thinning on that computer only.
Does this make sense?

I have my ipod backed up on multiple computers but only one recognizes all my playlists. How can I get all my play lists to show up on multiple computers?

I have my ipod backed up on multiple computers but only one computershows all my playlists. How can I get all my play lists to show up on multiple computers?

If you want to connect and use an iPod on more than one computer you need to change the update preference in the iPod Summary tab to "Manually manage music and videos" and click Apply.
Using iPod with Multiple computers
Managing content manually on iPod
If your iPod is set to update automatically take care when connecting to a different computer if your current one is out of commission. 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.

I didn't back up my itunes... and I just changed computers can someone please restore my itunes account from my last computer... I loved my playlists.. help!!

Please help....I didn't back up my itunes... and I just changed computers can someone please restore my itunes account from my last computer... I loved my playlists.. help!!

Type "move itunes library" into the google search bar for directions on moving your itunes library from one computer to another.

I generally back up and restore my iphone every week... and this time i backed it up..and i can see that backup time and file size.. now.. when i try to restore my iphone.. i select the back up and now it is taking forever to restore. help me

i generally back up and restore my phone every week.. just that i dont have any problem with the network issues. !!
today at 00:46 1st june.. i backed up my iphone and it was perfect...
when i try to restore it.. it is taking 15+ hours .. and that time stays like that for almost 3 hours... it does not happen.
i even called the apple help center. and they said me to install as a new device... and when i said what wil happen to my messages.. they say .. they wont stay.. and wil be deleted.. and all my apps i need to download again..
but earlier i din need to do any of it.!!! it worked really fine .!!!
please help me..!!! i got some important details in this back up.... please help me.!!!

Once in a while the restore process seems to mess up. What I don't understand is why you would perform a weekly restore.
At any rate, if you must restore, perform a device reset (settings>general>reset) and then you will have the opportunity to restore from iCloud. Restore a device whenever it no longer works correctly, not just as a matter of maintenance. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

IBooks 3.1-all PDF books in my Collections disappear after updating to 3.1 on iPad 4 ios 6.1.2! How do I recover or revert to previous version? (Can one do selective restore of back on iTunes?)

Just updated iBooks app on my iPad 4 to ver 3.1. Upon launching iBooks 3.1 briefly saw my PDF books on my Collections bookshelves then they suddenly disappeared! (Purchased Books are still present)
How do I recover all my PDF titles in my Collections?
Can one revert to the previous version of iBooks?
How can one do a selective restore from iTunes backup of iPad on PC? (Don't have iBooks running on Mac/PC)

You've tried tapping on the Collections button at the top of the bookshelf to see if they are in a different collection ? If not then do you have a copy of them in the Books part of your computer's iTunes library (though PDFs aren't iTunes purchases, if you've done 'transfer purchases' whilst they were on the iPad then they should have copied over) ?
ibooks and PDFs aren't included in a device's backup, so if they aren't in your computer's iTunes library and/or you don't have your own backup copy of them then they won't be on your computer (for info there isn't an iBooks app/program for a Mac or PC).

Installing os lion on multiple computers? Here's how...with a catch

Here is every bit of info i have gathered concerning this matter. For some reason it won't let me access the chat i had with a store representative but that doesn't matter. It IS long, but it is neccessary you get all the info. NOTE: the emails shown FIRST are actually the emails recieved and sent LAST Go down the page untill you see a block of white space with words saying "END OF EMAIL SECTION" and go up from there. IF you don't want the chunks of info, go to the first email you see below for the catch to the whole deal of putting it on multiple computers for free. Otherwise a summerized and refined steps list is shown below the "END OF EMAIL SECTION" notice. I do recommend you at LEAST look at the last email here (shown below). an explanation of the last email (shown below) is at the end of the post.
RESPONSE: by apple representative
On Jul 21, 2011, at 4:48 PM, [email protected] wrote:
Chris here again, from the iTunes Support team. I want to thank you for your quick response.
In this matter, I will quote you the terms and conditions of the mac app store that the Mac OS X Lion is bound by, Apps from the Mac App Store may be used on any Macs that you own or control for personal use. You may be asked for your Apple ID and password the first time you use an app. You won't have to provide them again unless you use the app on a different computer.
Since you are indicate that there will be no use or control and then no it would be a violation of the terms and condition, if there was some personal use well then it would meet the conditions If you have any further questions, please let me know and I would be more than happy to address them for you.
Sincerely,
Chris
iTunes Store/Mac App Store Customer Support
RESPONSE(by me)
what i mean is that the computers in question belong to family members and not to me. I would not use them.
RESPONSE: by apple representative
On Jul 21, 2011, at 4:18 PM, [email protected] wrote:
Chris here again, from the iTunes Support team. I want to thank you for your quick response.
Yes, you can do this for any computers you can actively control. I hope that I was of help to you today.
If you are not completely satisfied with your overall iTunes experience or I had not yet addressed all of your concerns, please reply back to me and let me know. Thank you very much for being part of the iTunes Store family,
Sincerely,
Chris
iTunes Store/Mac App Store Customer Support
Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to assist you. You may receive an AppleCare survey email; any feedback you provide would be greatly appreciated.
RESPONSE: by me
So i can do this for the members in my family?
On Jul 21, 2011, at 3:40 PM, [email protected] wrote:
RESPONSE: by apple representative
Chris here again, from the iTunes Support team. I want to thank you for your quick response.
First off any computer this applies too needs to have the Mac App store on it, to share the app that you purchased you will need to log into the account that you first purchased Mac OS X Lion on in the first place to and then redownload the app onto the new computer and install it. This applies to any app that you wish to share on another computer.
Apps from the Mac App Store may be used on any Macs that you own or control for personal use. You may be asked for your Apple ID and password the first time you use an app. You won't have to provide them again unless you use the app on a different computer or there is an update.
This does not apply to purchasing other apps as you can have multiple account on one compute, once again, the only exception would be if there was an update, then you will be require to provided the username and password of the account that the app in this case Mac OS X Lion was purchased on.
I hope that I have been able to clarify things for you. If you have any further questions, please let me know and I would be more than happy to address them for you.
Sincerely,
Chris
iTunes Store/Mac App Store Customer Support
Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to assist you. You may receive an AppleCare survey email; any feedback you provide would be greatly appreciated.
RESPONSE: by me
So wait. To download other apps I wouldn't have to be logged into the computer using the initial os lion accounts I'd? If I get lion and i log into the other computer and select install from the purchase history, after authorizing of course, I won't have to log into my account, the one initially used to buy and install lion, to buy and install other apps onto the other computer?
Sent from my iPod
RESPONSE: by apple representative
On Jul 21, 2011, at 12:53 PM, [email protected] wrote:
My name is Chris, and please accept my apologies for the delay in our reply. This is not the customary wait time for a reply from iTunes Store Customer Support, and your understanding is very much appreciated. If you require any further assistance after this message, just reply to this email; your response will come straight to my inbox and will be given top priority!
Moving forward, I understand that you would like to get some answers about installing OS X - Lion onto another computer. I can definitely appreciate how eager you are to get some answers to your questions. I would be happy to assist you today in this matter.
I do first need to mention that I was unable to open the link that you have provided and thus unable to address any concerns related to that discussion.
You can redownload any apps including Lion that you have purchased from the Mac App Store without incurring additional charges.
To learn how to redownload apps on the Mac App Store, please refer to the steps in this article:
Mac App Store: Backing up your app purchases
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4482
If you continue to have difficulty downloading any applications, please reply to let me know or consult this article:
Troubleshooting the Mac App Store
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3624
So in summary, yes after you have initially downloaded it you can then goto another computer that you have access to and redownload it and install it there. That computer will have to be apart of your authorized computers which again is up to 5 authorized machines at one time per account. This is shared with iTunes so five maximum for both, as far as what I believe the store rep meant fur OS updates you would need to log into the account the OS was purchased to get upgrades.
Other than taking up one of the authorized computers this should have no other affect on your purchasing ability. If you have any issues with this or more questions, please let me know and I would be more than happy to address them for you.
Sincerely,
Chris
iTunes Store/Mac App Store Customer Support
Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to assist you. You may receive an AppleCare survey email; any feedback you provide would be greatly appreciated.
INITIAL EMAIL SENT: by me to apple representative
: So I had questions about os lion. Here is what an apple store representative told me.
https://storechat.apple.com/hc/6964264/?cmd=file&file=chatFrame&site=6964264&SV! chat-button-name=chat-us-consumer-sales-english-1&SV!chat-button-room=chat-us-co nsumer-sales-english-1&referrer=%28button%20dynamic-button:chat-us-consumer-sale s-english-1%28Help%20-%20Apple%20Store%20%28U.S.%29%29%29%20http%3A//store.apple .com/us/help%3Fmco%3DNzc1MjMwOQ&sessionkey=H4163946581421609647-4030035787087660 883K3438618
(note) for some reason this link doesn't work...
sorry for the gigantic link....
Basically, to download on multiple macs without buying 3 times I would :
1. buy and install on my mac
2. log into my account (the one i bought lion on)
3. authorize my account for use on my parent(s)' computer(s) (do i need to do this? didn't get this question answered)
4. either check purchase history for os lion or click buy now while logged into the account I initially bought it with and install on that computer
From what i've gathered from the store representative I've found that I need to use the account I got lion under for any further purchases on that computer. Is this true? If so does it affect iTunes at all (buying music and such)?
Are these steps valid and legal? There has been talk about doing it like this
https://discussions.apple.com/message/15676536#15676536
here is a discussion on the matter.
END OF EMAIL SECTION
HERE ARE THE SUMMERIZED STEPS:
1. go ahead and buy/download os lion on the account of your choice (make sure you know that this account needs to be used whenever you want to download os lion on multiple computers)
2. before going on, perhaps backing up the installer file upon completion of download would be good. This applies to people who have spotty internet as the installer file apparently disappears (self destructs) after installation but you can always re-download for free using the account initially used to install/buy/download.
3. Go to the computer you wish to install os lion on. Open up itunes then log into itunes using the same account that you used to purchase lion on. then go to the store tab at the top left of the screen (there should be an apple symbol, then iTunes in bold then there should be a tab further along the right side called store. and, under that, go to authorize this computer. If you do this and it says it's already authorized then thats good.
4. Open up the mac app store. Log into the account used to initially purchase lion. Go to purchase history and click install.
Now here is the catch. According to an email sent by an apple representative for the mac app store, there are limiations:
"This is what i had said before receiving the email: what i mean is that the computers in question belong to family members and not to me. I would not use them."
In this matter, I will quote you the terms and conditions of the mac app store that the Mac OS X Lion is bound by, Apps from the Mac App Store may be used on any Macs that you own or control for personal use. You may be asked for your Apple ID and password the first time you use an app. You won't have to provide them again unless you use the app on a different computer.
Since you are indicate that there will be no use or control and then no it would be a violation of the terms and condition, if there was some personal use well then it would meet the conditions If you have any further questions, please let me know and I would be more than happy to address them for you. Thank you very much for being part of the iTunes Store family, Dylan, and I hope you have a great day.
This means that if you are not using this method for personal use on your OWN computer it is a violation of terms of service. For example: there is a feature in OS lion that allows you to drag and drop files from one computer with lion to another computer with lion. If you were to do that so you could store files on another family members computer (and then proceed to access them now and then) it is ok.

yes you would have to log onto her computer using your own apple id if you want it to update (assuming your id was the one downloading lion) and no for the second question. The itunes Representative said it shouldn't have any impact on your purchasing ability.....
By the way, i don't think you're allowed to install lion on your friend's computer. Unless you are using it for yourself. As the rep said "if there was some personal use well then it would meet the conditions." so if you were to transfer, say, pictures for storage on your friend's computer then i think it'd be fine.

Multiple family mbrs, multiple ipods, multiple accnts, multiple computers

I have a family of 6, we each have various ipods (iphone, ipod, nano, shuffle, etc), and we have multiple computers -- some Mac and some PC.
We need to understand what factors impact the ability to put a particular track on one or more devices, manage a given device from one or more accounts on one or more computers, and share, as allowed, between devices, people, iTunes libraries, iTunes store accounts, for both purchaed tracks and MP3 files that we might already own, etc...
I'm looking for a simple and concise description of all of the factors. Any pointers?
If the iTunes world were simple we could simply each have our own music -- stored in one or more places in one or more accounts, on one or more computers. We would be able to share what we like, and put whatever subset we like on whichever device, manage any device from any account on any computer, etc... Of course this could be subject to licenses, but it should at least be possible to get a statement of what license restrictions exist.
Can anyone suggest any references for this? I assumed it was simple, but anyone who has recently plugged a "guest" iPod into another computer will know this is not the case after having been rewarded with the choice of wiping all content off of the iPod, or somehow transferring the content to the friend / family member (with no clear indication of whether this also comprises transferring the content away from the original user, nor how, if possible, to undo such a move later, etc...)
I have seen an article relating to using multiple ipods with one computer, but it does not address all of the issues -- for example using one ipod with multiple computers, etc...
Thanks in advance.

Let's see if we summarise the main points that will help you decide on a strategy:
+ An iPod can automatically sync (one-way transfer from iTunes to iPod) with just one iTunes library.
+ An iPod (but not an iPhone) in manual mode can accept tracks from multiple libraries.
+ iTunes can transfer (copy) purchases from an iPod into the library if authorised for the account used to purchase them.
+ Networks, memory sticks, portable hard drives, CD-R, DVD-D and iPod to PC transfer programs can be used to move other content between your libraries.
+ The new "home sharing" feature probably has some relevance too, but I've not explored just what the capabilities are.
+ For each account, DRM puchases can be authorised on up to 5 computers at any one time.
+ For each computer, up to 5 accounts may be authorised on it at any one time.
+ Each iPod may hold DRM content from up to 5 different accounts.
+ DRM content may be transfered to as many iPod's as you wish.
+ Most iTunes Store content is no longer subject to DRM, the main exceptions being Movies & Games/Applications.
+ iPods can be formated for use with either Mac or Windows. You can manage content on a Windows formatted iPod with either system, but the reverse is not the case. Firmware updates & restores must take place on the native system.
+ An undocumented/unsupported feature is that if you clone a library (make a complete copy of the iTunes library files and media content) and place this on another machine, an iPod "synced" to the original library will also see any clone as its "home" library. Once cloned you don't have to keep all the content available in each locataion. For regular iPods if syncable content cannot be found corresponding files on the device will be left alone (not updated or deleted).
+ The main database file of an iTunes library can only be opened by one process - multiple users on the same computer or over a network will lead to problems. Always close iTunes before switching profiles.
+ The media content folders can be simultaneously accessed by multiple accounts.
+ Automatic syncing has a number of advantages. You can update tag info. in iTunes knowing that when updated the iPod will recieve all the updates. Using playlists you can manage the content that will go on an iPod without having it connected. Ratings & playcounts can sync in both directions. All the content required to restore your iPod is in one location.
+ Manual management allows you to add content from whichever library you are connected to.
+ iTunes does not keep track of files moved or updated by other programs or instances of iTunes. If you share content folders then it is best to avoid the *Keep iTunes Media folder organised* option. When you update content on one machine, e.g. change a capitalisation or correct a spelling, other libraries will only notice the change if they access the file in some way, e.g. by playing it.
I'm sure there's more that I can't think of just now but that's a start.
*Personal Case history:*
Our family has an iPhone, a Nano, 3 Classics (old & new) and a 5th gen. I started by making most of the purchases on my account, putting the children's gift cards onto my store account for example, but two now have their own accounts. I manage most of the music in one main library that sits on a network. One child has a separate library which started as clone of the original and then had content that he dislikes removed... This means I can update his iPod at either his machine or mine although if I add any of his music I have to remember to update both libraries. When he uses iTunes on his computer he only sees the rock/blues/metal that he likes whereas the main library has everybodys content lumped together.
All the iPods are set to sync automatically using the method two (Sync with selected playlists) from the Apple support document How to use multiple iPods with one computer, although I have a slight twist. Rather than regular playlists I set the grouping field to indicate which users should receive which tracks and create smart playlists based on the content of this field.
e.g.
"Alice's Tracks" is "Playlist is Music" + "Grouping contains Alice" + "Kind contains audio"
"Bob's Videos" is "Playlist is Music" + "Grouping contains Bob" + "Kind does not contain audio"
Tracks that both Alice & Bob want on their iPods have the grouping set to "Alice/Bob"
etc.
This way each of us gets a different selection of content to suit our tastes and the capacity of our iPods. An advantage of using the grouping field is that it is stored in file tags (for non-wav audio files anyway) so that it is relatively easy to recreate the playlists should the iTunes library get trashed. Also useful if you move files about manually as playlist membership is preserved when you delete & re-import the tracks.
However you choose to do things you should also create a backup. My main library gets synced to a portable hard drive using SyncToy 2.1 (Windows) which I sometimes take to work and sync there, giving me three complete copies of my library at any one time and I can update any iPod from any instance of the library. An occasional scan of the contnet folders with iTunes Folder Watch helps me catch up if, for example, a podcast has download at one location but the library is overwritten with a newer version from the other.
Hope that's given you some useful food for thought...
tt2

Syncing devices to multiple iTunes accounts on multiple computers.

I have 3 computers in my house, 2 belong to my sister, 1 is mine. Mine is very old and failing so I am probably going to get a new one. Before I do that I would like to preform a complete system restore, I hear that sometimes helps fix the bugs computers accumulate as they age. The problem is I've never done this before and I worry that I might loose valuable information. I keep everything I own on a 500GB external harddrive, so the only things that are really at risk are my Google Chrome bookmarks and my iTunes Library. Everything else I can just recover from the E-HD, but those two... I am still not sure how I can back them up. For this thread I will focus specifically on my iTunes Library though, and leave the Chrome dilema for another day (and another discussion forum).
I figured that if my old comp does go belly up I could always sync my stuff to one of my sister's computers. She mainly uses her laptop and she has told me I could use her tower to sync my iPod Touch and my iPad if I need to. I would be able to use her tower at least until I get myself a new one.
I've found several guides on how to backup the iTunes Library and metadata, and I have tried to do so. I transfer my songs and the backed up library onto a flash drive and then plug them into the new computer (my sister's comp). I drag and drop it onto the desktop, and then plug in the Touch. Oh yea, I feel I should mention something here, I'm going to try and preform a transfer of the iTouche's data first, then continue with my iPad depending on how that goes. My iPad has become my agenda, I use it for everything. And accidentally loosing all my contact/agenda info because of a botched attempt at backing up it's library is NOT an option.
So yea... I try first with the touch.
All the files are there, but when I logged into iTunes he still asked me "You need to reset this device to it's factory parameters before you can sync into this computer." Basically he needs to nuke everything on it so I can't be synced on two computers at once...
I declined the sync and tried to load up the Library I had brought over from my old comp. Problem is... he doesn't offer any option of importing a Library, in the usual spot there's only an option for exporting. Which is idiotic because this iTunes has nothing in it, it's a blank slate.
Then I tried something else, not sure what prompted it, I went on the iTunes store and downloaded a free App. And he was able to put it on the Touch... he asked me for my iTunes account info and password, and then he seemed to indicate my Touch was synced on both computers (and that I had a total of 5 computers I could sync to). The Library still hadn't transfered, since the iTunes on this comp still had no songs, but my Touch still had all 250 songs. So it didn't get wiped...
Basically my question is this. Can my devices (a 2G iPod Touch and a WiFi only 64GB iPad) be synced up to multiple computers, with my main library placed on each of these computers.
And if so, can these Libraries be continually updated with regards to one another through the internet (or at least through my home network). By this I mean, if I make a purchase on one of them, will the other Libraries be updated and get this purchase.

PTNLemay wrote:
I keep everything I own on a 500GB external harddrive, so the only things that are really at risk are my Google Chrome bookmarks and my iTunes Library.
What if that 500Gb drive fails? You need at least two copies on different drives of anything that matters, one just isn't enough.
I use SyncToy 2.1 (free) to keep my backup copies of my iTunes library and other important folders up-to-date. If there's room for the library on the internal then a single external backup is fine, but if your external holds the only copy then you should look to getting a second external drive as backup.
tt2

IPod Touch 4th Generation issue - no longer able to view Device in iTunes? I can't add, Sync, Back Up or Restore?

The PC’s I use have Windows 7 installed along with the latest version of iTunes. I have
previously deleted all components of iTunes and re-installed. This made no difference. The PC’s do not recognise my iPod in the Windows Device Manager using ‘devmgmt.msc’. and still nothing in iTunes.
Also C:\Program files\Common Files\Apple\Mobile Device Support\Drivers / - do notlist ‘usbaapl64’.
The folders listed are ‘usbaapl.cat’, ‘usbaapl.inf’,‘usbaapl.sys’ and ‘usbaaplrc.dll’.
Whether this makes a difference I do not know.
iTunes doesn’t recognise my iPod either however it recognises my attached iPhones OK
(iTunes/File/Devices) with the options of Sync; Transfer Purchases and Back Up being available.
When my iPod is connected, iTunes shows the File ‘Devices’ sections as being inaccessibly greyed out.
So to reiterate, I have tried multiple computers and a variety of Windows operating systems (but I’m running Windows 7) with absolutely no success; the ‘Device Manager/Universal Serial Bus controllers/Apple Mobile Device USB Driver’ appears with my iPhone but nothing for my iPod; the Apple Mobile Device Support is installed; all my USB cables work OK; the device does not appear in Windows or in iTunes; iTunes has been fully uninstalled and reinstalled; the version of iTunes is up to date; the iOS of the iPod Touch shows it is up to date at version 6.1.6 (and cannot be changed) and even a hard reset has been tried. Everything tried and suggested with complete failure.
I can use a USB port to charge up my iPod and can still receive e-mails, updates to apps and can play songs but I can’t add any new songs or update iOS. There are no error codes because as far as the computer and/or iTunes is concerned, there is no connected iPod. My iPod used to work perfectly. Also I tried the Apple iPod forum without success and was advised to try the iTunes community support.
Please help! Thank you.

I'm having the same problem with my 4th gen iPod touch. After the update my iPod synched and wiped all my music off - apps & podcasts weren't affected. Restored it a couple of times and that didn't work.
I tried copying a couple of albums over and it would do a couple of songs then the rest of the album would look like it had copied instantly. I tried playing the songs and it would play the first couple of songs once, then it came up with ! Beside every song (including the ones I'd just played and said they weren't on my iPod.
I've removed iTunes from my laptop and downloaded the few iTunes bought albums over WiFi to my iPod. The rest of my music is from cds or mixes/podcasts downloaded from soundcloud so I've had to use a different program to copy some of this music to my iPod for the time being until I can see how to sort this out.

Multiple computers backed up - selective restore

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for