Transfer iPhone from PC to Mac without losing anything

I know this question has been asked dozens of times, but I just want to get an answer that I know will work for me.
When I got my first iPod I had to set it up on my family's computer as I didn't own a computer. Later on I got an iPhone, and while I had my Mac, I set it up with the family computer to keep my music.
I've been wanting to move my iPhone to my Mac for awhile, but all the guides I've found don't give me all the info I need. I want to keep my iPhone exactly as it is, so that when I connect it with my Mac it acts as if nothing is wrong. I've seen how to consolidate the iTunes library, but I'm confused about App Data. I want to keep all my scores on my games, and I haven't seen a straight answer on whether they will stay.
So is there a way to move my music, apps, photos, texts, data, app locations, play count, notes, contacts, etc. to a new computer? If so is there an online guide that outlines the best way to do this? Is it as easy as following this guide? [url]http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1751[/url]
My PC is running XP and my MacBook Pro is running OSX 10.6.8.
Thanks in advance!

alyssaisrad93 wrote:
I want to keep my iPhone exactly as it is, so that when I connect it with my Mac it acts as if nothing is wrong. ...
My PC is running XP and my MacBook Pro is running OSX 10.6.8.
Basically you need to move the Entire iTunes Library from the PC to the Mac...
Move iTunes Library from PC to MAC
http://www.macworld.com/article/146958/2010/03/move_itunes_windows_mac.html

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I want to move from pc to mac without losing app data

i have a new mac mini that has itunes and some music/tv shows/movies on it. but i want to move my main itunes library from my pc to my new mac mini. i know i can just copy my itunes folder from my pc to the mac, but i want to move my iphone data from pc to mac without losing app data (especially game data). can I just copy my pc iphone backup data files to the mac and have them work in mac format? or can i just plug in my iphone on the new mac, do a backup/restore and continue syncing from there? does anyone have any advice on the best way to move iphone from pc to mac?

I was fighting this battle the past few days myself; but actually it is REALLY easy now. See here:
http://www.macworld.com/article/146958/2010/03/moveitunes_windowsmac.html
Then, once iTunes was on the Mac, I did this:
1. On the Mac rename ...\iTunes\iTunes Library.itl as ...\iTunes\iTunes Library
2. On the Mac delete ...\iTunes\iTunes Library Genius.itdb (Apparently the PC & Mac versions are not compatible - iTunes will just rebuild it later)
3. Launch iTunes and immediately press & hold down the Option key until a dialog opens asking you to Choose a library. Navigate to the folder/drive you've copied from the PC and open ...\iTunes\iTunes Library.
(thanks to turingtest2 for the above steps)
That was it. Did it yesterday evening. All playlists, libraries, everything copied fine. No problems; no broken links. Perfect.

Migration from PC to Mac without losing application data (savegames etc.)

Hello everyone,
I am migrating from from my old Windows PC onto a MacBook Pro, and I'm having difficulties with iTunes and my iOS devices (iPhone 4, iPad 1). Maybe someone here can help me out, I'd be ever so grateful.
I set up iTunes on my MBP yesterday and logged in to my account. I replaced the empty iTunes Media folder with my old one (which contains all my music, videos and applications) via an external hard drive.
First problem: it wouldn't import these files into my new library automatically. Just showed me an empty library I think I imported the entire iTunes Media folder manually yesterday via "Add to folder". The status right now (after some experimentation) is old iTunes Media folder copied, but nothing imported (that is, I have an empty library).
When I connected my iPhone and tried to synch, I first had to authorize the MacBook for the iPhone. So far, so good. However when I tried to synch iTunes warned me that if I synch, all data on the iPhone will be removed and replaced by the data from my new local library (which is, of couse a copy of my old library, but doesn't store application data like savegames).
I tried to do it via "transfer purchased items from iPhone", which took forever, but yielded the same result: a warning that all data on the iPhone would be erased.
So the question is: How do I connect my iPhone and iPad to iTunes on my new Mac without losing application data like settings and savegames? And why is this so complicated and intransparent? I should be able to just copy my media, say "authorize this Computer, then add iPhone to the registered devices" and then proceed like nothing ever changed.
I searched the net until three in the morning yesterday, but couldn't find anything that sounded safe enough to give it a try.
Thanks in advance and best Regards,
Nate
PS: I do have the backup-folders from my old PC on a USB stick - are those going to help?
Message was edited by: Nathan1980 (Correction)
Message was edited by: Nathan1980

I was fighting this battle the past few days myself; but actually it is REALLY easy now. See here:
http://www.macworld.com/article/146958/2010/03/moveitunes_windowsmac.html
Then, once iTunes was on the Mac, I did this:
1. On the Mac rename ...\iTunes\iTunes Library.itl as ...\iTunes\iTunes Library
2. On the Mac delete ...\iTunes\iTunes Library Genius.itdb (Apparently the PC & Mac versions are not compatible - iTunes will just rebuild it later)
3. Launch iTunes and immediately press & hold down the Option key until a dialog opens asking you to Choose a library. Navigate to the folder/drive you've copied from the PC and open ...\iTunes\iTunes Library.
(thanks to turingtest2 for the above steps)
That was it. Did it yesterday evening. All playlists, libraries, everything copied fine. No problems; no broken links. Perfect.

How do I synch my iPhone to a new PC without losing anything.

Lost the HDD on my PC and had to reload on a new disk. I have an old backup of iTunes (not very recent) and would like to be able to synch my iPhone without losing contacts, play lists, etc. I can recreate the library from my laptop.
I think I have three options and am wondering which will get my iPhone synched without losing anything:
Recreate library from laptop and synch iPhone (I think this will lose the playlists and contacts.
Backup the iPhone, synch (will probably lose contacts and playlists here) than restore the iPhone from the backup. Will this put the contacts and playlists back?
Restore old iTunes DB from backup, synch phone. Will this copy contacts and play lists from the phone over to the PC so nothing gets lost?
Thanks,
Mike

Hello
This is my first time on a community notice board such as this
I'm stumped and hope someone can help
My iphone just wont back up on my PC - and I've tried deleting the old backup on the Edit/Preferences tab in iTunes - in fact there is no backup for this device listed there at all.
Without being able to backup, my iphone can't sync, so i can't get music onto it - which was one of the whole blessed points of the bloomin investment.
Can you help?
(Why am I so annoyed at this technology that does not work?)
Cheers
Andrew

How to sync iPhone 4s to new Mac without losing apps on iPhone 4s.

I previously had an iPhone 4 and 3Gs at the same time, but since then have sold them. Now when I try to sync my apps to iTunes it says that I can't unless I revert my apps to a previous setting that was used for either my iPhone 3gs or iPhone 4 and my other apps will be deleted.. I only use this computer now, but used to use another computer that was a pc. It is quite unstable so it wouldnt' be very easy to get on it grab my old files that I'm sure aren't complete anyways. All I need to do is take everything from this iPhone and back it up on my Macbook Pro. Thanks.

To have Everything as it is now on your Mac... See Here...
Move iTunes Library from PC to MAC
http://www.macworld.com/article/146958/2010/03/move_itunes_windows_mac.html

How to start in TDM or transfer data from an older Mac without FireWire??

For the MacBooks that don't have FireWire, how do you transfer data from another Mac since you can't start in Target Disk Mode?
Similarly, with a FireWire Mac, if I need to do some disk repair, I can start in TDM and run Disk Utility's Repair Disk or rebuild the directory with Disk Warrior. What do you do with these non-FireWire Macs?
(What is Apple thinking by removing FireWire???)
Chris

For the MacBooks that don't have FireWire, how do you transfer data from another Mac since you can't start in Target Disk Mode?
I would still use Firewire.
The hard drive is fairly easy to remove on the Macbook. I would remove it and install it in an external Firewire enclosure temporarily to transfer your files quickly and reliably, then put the drive back in the Macbook.
You 'can' use USB or Ethernet, but it's not as reliable as Firewire.
Firewire is "isochronous", basically meaning that you can pump "clocked" data though it in real time. USB works more like TCPIP, with the data chopped up into packets and later reassembled. (Thus, at a minimum, you have latency, that is, the wait for the data to be "put back together".) Second, the Firewire protocol allows more direct address to memory (including mass storage) with minimal intervention of the CPU.
Putting the drive in a external Firewire enclosure is a bit more work, but nothing will interfere with it. No collisions, no glitches. Firewire is rock-solid.

How do I sync to a new Mac without losing anything

My iPhone 4 is snced to my G5. I want to change the sync to my Mac Pro (on which I have a different user name).
How can I achieve this without losing Contacts & Apps? Photos & Music I can add manually, so I'm not overly concerned about those.
Will it work if I copy the ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync folder and the ~/iPhone folder from the old to the new?
Thanks

The best thing to do is to move all of your important data, including your iTunes library, from your old computer to your new computer. If you don't want to do that, follow the instructions here:
By design, the iphone will sync itunes content with one computer at a time. Any attempt to sync such content with a second computer will result in ALL itunes content being first erased from her phone & then replaced with the content from the second computer. This is a design feature and cannot be overridden. Because you are replacing your computer, your phone will see this computer as a "new" computer. The itunes content sync is one way: computer to phone. If you have photos that were synced to your phone or music ripped on her own that were not backed up, you will first have to extract them from your phone using third party software, or copy them from your old computer, before you do anything else, as Apple makes no provision to do so:
Once you've done that, do the following in the order specified:
1. Disable auto sync when an iPod/iPhone is connected under Preferences>Devices in itunes.
2. Make sure you have one contact & one event in the supported applications(Address Book, iCal) on your computer. These entries can be fake, doesn't matter, the important point is that these programs not be empty.
3. Connect her phone, iTunes running, do not sync at this point.
4. Store>Authorize this computer.
5. File>Transfer Purchases(To make sure all purchased content on your phone will be in your itunes library).
6. Right click in the device pane & select reset warnings.
7. Right click again and select backup.
8. Right click again & select restore from backup, select the backup you just made. When prompted to create another backup, decline.
9. This MUST be followed by a sync to restore your itunes content, which you select from the various tabs, You'll get a popup regarding her contacts & calendars asking to merge or replace, select merge.
You should be good to go.

I have just bought a macbook pro, converting from a pc. How do i now sync my iphone with my new mac without losing everything from phone?

I would like to find out i can connect 2 iphones to my new macbook pro. They were both synced with my PC. I have transfered my libary from the PC to the mac but dsont want to lose everything from iphone.

This is always fun.
In iTunes you will need to take some steps.
First connect to the device to the computer.
Click the Store button at the top - Click Authorize this Computer- enter in your Credentials for your AppleID
Once your computer is authorized
Click File at the top left of the screen and then click Transfer Purchases.
Once that is finished
Click on the name of the iPhone under device
Click the Info tab above the phone in the middle of the screen.
Check the box's for the content you want to sync,
Contacts- Addressbook
Calendars iCal Calendars.
Dont need to do mail,
Sync notes - if you want.
Anything in the Advanced section DO NOT TOUCH.
Click apply at the bottom right,
Once that is complete you should be able to sync with this comptuer***
***Note***
Any music that was not purchased from the iTunes store will not transfer only Music Purchased from the iTunes store will transfer.. - so no CD's or Torrented, Downloaded from the interwebz,,
If you want those types of music to transfer you will have to setup a Wireless shared Folder, or a USB/External drive to transfer it over.

How do I Transfer songs from my iTunes library, without losing all the songs already on my iPhone?

I have an apple iPhone 3G, and got some songs from youtube to mp3 into my iTunes library. I don't want to lose all the songs already on my playlist even though I want to sync the songs to my iPhone. Also, it won't let me drag the songs to the little iPhone icon.
Basically, tell me step-by-step what I have to do.
Explain like I'm 5.
Thanks!

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2519 Download again
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1751 Transfer all library
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1766 create backup , don't depend on this one.

Changing iPod from Windows to Mac without losing music?

I have a mini that was always used on my PC with Windows. My computer was stolen while I was out of town, and I took it as a sign to finally upgrade to a Mac. I still have my iPod, and I want to use it on my new iMac, but the iPod was formatted to work with Windows.
I know I can restore my iPod, but is there anyway that I can keep from losing all the music I already have on there? How exactly do those transfer programs work, and would they work in my situation? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

technically your ipod should still be usable with the mac. You can put the ipod into whats called manual mode. This way the ipod will retain the music and you can use the ipod with your mac. You just wouldn't be able to use the auto sync feature. go to this site http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=61148 that will tell you how to select that option. As far as getting music that is not purchased from itunes from the ipod to the computer i am not an expert at that so i really dont have any suggestions other than i know it can be done. If you could find a good transfer program im sure it would be simple enough to move the music onto the mac then restore the ipod and load the songs back up.

Transfer iPhone from pc to mac

I have my iphone synced to a very old pc and want to transfer it to a mac pro. I have heard this is very complex and you risk losing everything. Does anyone have any advice?

Hello ninjahen,
Congratulations on your new computer! I certainly understand your concern with syncing your iPhone with a new computer.
To avoid any issues with using a new computer, I recommend transferring your iTunes Library to the new computer and to backup your iPhone. Find steps to accomplish this in the following links:
iTunes: How to move your music to a new computer
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4527
iOS: How to back up and restore your content
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1766
Thank you for using Apple Support Communities.
Best,
Sheila M.

How can I add new music to my iPhone from a new device without losing all the existing music?

Hello! My personal laptob that I usually use to sync my iPhone to is broke at the moment so, I've been syncing to my work computer. I have some music, not downloaded from iTunes, on the new computer that I'd like to add to my iPhone but I can't see how without iTunes deleting all my existing playlists and music from my iPhone. I can click the menu arrow on a song and then select "Add to" from the pop-up menu, then choose from "Devices" - Nathan Swain's iPhone - and it lets me, but nothing ever get's added to my iPhone. I have also authorized this computer on my iTunes account. I'm stumped!

By design, iPhone syncs or manually manages iTunes content with ONE computer at a time. Each time you switch computers, ALL iTunes content is first erased from your phone, to be replaced with the content from the new computer.
No way around this fact, other than transferring your content to the computer you normally sync with.

How to transfer iphones info with new itunes without losing everything

my mac recently crashed due to hard drive failure. It has been replaced but has lost eveything on it. Now when i plug my iphone in the 'new' itunes doesnt recognize it and if i sync it will erase eveything. so i would love to know how i can transfer my music, contacts and apps to the new itunes? Thanks

On your new Mac, start iTunes, check for updates and ensure you have the latest version.
Sign-in to the iTunes Store (creating a new Apple Id if needed).
On your old Mac locate your Song files and make a secure backup.
Restore the secure backup to a folder on your new Mac.
On your new Mac, import the Song files into your library - once complete, make a secure backup of your Song files.
On your new Mac, start iTunes Match and allow the process to run to completion - following the notes in the User Tips area of this forum to overcome any issues that may arise.
On your iPhone 5, start the iTunes Match service and allow the process to complete whilst in good local WiFi and/or physically connected.

Switching Ipod from windows to mac without losing all data

Please help. I set up my Ipod last year with windows computer, downloaded most of my CD's and lots of other music, last month laptop was stolen and I decided to buy a macbook as replacment.
I would like to transfer all songs from IPOD to new itunes library, which requires converting IPod to hard disk, but in mac I am not allowed this function, or I can't find it. The tick box is not shown in the summar page
Can someone give me an idiots guide, the instructions in various mac help sites are not getting me anywhere!

First, please note that your iPod previously formatted on a PC, should be able to read by your Mac, but not the other way round. You can copy the music files from your iPod to the iTunes on your Mac by download and install a 3rd party software
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1020963&tstart=0

Re-format iPod from Windows to Mac without losing songs/restoring...?

I have a 5th generation iPod video that was originally formatted with my old Dell PC laptop - I have just recently purchased a new MacBook Pro and want to format/update my iPod for it to work properly with my new Mac.
How can I go about doing this without having to restore my factory settings and losing all of my songs?
Please let me know, thanks...

The windows formatted iPod should still work on the MacBook Pro, now make sure you hold down Command + Option when you connect the iPod and continue holding them until they are completely mounted. What this does is does not allow the computer to update the iPod, and if a pop-up comes up, do not allow it to update the iPod. Now, we can back-up the songs. Yamipod is great for this.
Yamipod --> http://www.yamipod.com/main/modules/home/
Now, if you still have your old computer, i suggest using your iPod in disk mode to put all your songs on it, and import them into iTunes on your Macbook Pro, and to re-format the iPod so that it will be Mac formatted.

Transfer iPhone from PC to Mac without losing anything

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