Syncing old iPod with new iTunes, will I lose everything?

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Syncing old iPod with new iTunes, will I lose everything?

Hi

I have a 4th gen iPod and I haven't used it much that recently as I had mislaid it. Now I've found it again I want to start syncing it up with iTunes.

The thing is that my old iTunes software is on an old (broken) hard drive and we now have a new computer; and I can't access the data from the old hard drive. I've just installed iTunes onto my new computer but I'm worried that if I plug my iPod in it will wipe all of the songs on my iPod. Is there anyway of asking iTunes to sync with the songs on my iPod rather than the other way around? I was speaking with someone at work and they reckon if I try and sync it up it will just wipe my iPod clean.

Any pointers?

4th Gen, Windows XP

Posted on May 23, 2009 4:19 AM

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Answer 1

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Kenichi Watanabe

Level 8

41,572 points

May 23, 2009 5:00 AM in response to maf20

With some exceptions, such as songs purchased from the iTunes Store and data like play count and ratings, iTunes syncs from computer (the iTunes library) to iPod and NOT from iPod to computer. It's an intentional design choice by Apple. If you sync the iPod to your new iTunes music library, your iPod's current contents will be erase.

However, there are third-party utilities that can transfer song files from iPod to computer, and some are free, for example

http://www.yamipod.com/main/modules/home/

I have used this utility successfully, but it is not free

http://www.zeleksoftware.com/liberator.htm

You can also use this method below to transfer songs off the iPod without using any utility.

http://lifehacker.com/software/ipod/how-to-copy-songs-from-your-ipod-to-your-pc- 105256.php

After you have safely transferred the song files off the iPod, you can add those songs to your new iTunes music library, and sync everything to your iPod.

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Answer 2

maf20 Author

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May 23, 2009 3:55 PM in response to Kenichi Watanabe

Thanks for your help, that worked.

One thing though. iTunes now says that it is unable to copy across about a 100 tunes as 'I'm not authorised to listen to those tracks on my computer'

Any ideas what that is about?

Thanks again

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Answer 3

May 23, 2009 4:09 PM in response to maf20

Although the iTunes Store no longer uses DRM on its songs, older purchases had DRM. To play those songs on a computer, it must be authorized with your iTunes Store account. To do so, in iTunes

menu bar -> Store -> Authorize Computer

and provide the user name and password of the iTunes Store account used to purchase those songs.

You can have up to five computers authorized with one iTunes Store account. If you ever reach that limit because you forgot to deauthorize old computers that you no longer use, you can deauthorize them ALL and start over, by going to your +Account Summary+ in iTunes (go to the iTunes Store view and click on your user name at the upper right corner). This command will not be there unless you have reach the limit of five.

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Answer 4

maf20 Author

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May 24, 2009 1:06 PM in response to Kenichi Watanabe

Thanks again, that's worked

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