Can you check/uncheck multiple songs in iTunes for syncing to iPod?

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Level 3

554 points

Can you check/uncheck multiple songs in iTunes for syncing to iPod?

In a previous reply to this question, the answer given was that you can use Command apple key to uncheck or check groups of iTunes songs for syncing.

Actually this does not work.

Apple Commmand only gives you the possibility to check or uncheck the ENTIRE list of iTunes.. unless I am completely mad.

There must be a way to select say 5 songs from an album and check/uncheck them all at the same time. So that you can make a fresh selection of songs each time you sync to an iPhone or iPod

* * *

I simply cannot believe that iTunes is so dumb that this option is not available...

ie what one needs to be able to do is highlight x number of songs at a time and then check or uncheck them as you go through the iTunes list to make a fresh syncing selection

I hope this can be answered

best

MS

Mac Pro1,1 Dual-Core Intel Xeon 3GHz 5GB RAM + L9 + Focusrite Saffire Pro 40, Mac OS X (10.5.8), MacBookPro OS X (10.6.3) 2.66 + M Audio Fast Track Ultra

Posted on Mar 13, 2011 4:36 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

b noir

Level 9

72,324 points

Mar 13, 2011 6:50 PM in response to musicspirit

Have you tried Shift-clicking?

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Answer 2

Mar 13, 2011 11:14 PM in response to b noir

Like b noir said, Shift-Clicking will work in this case.

Select all of the items you want to check/uncheck. Clicking one item, and then shift clicking one under/above that item will select ALL ITEMS in between the two items. Command clicking items will ADD additional items to the current selection, even if they are not next to each other.

Once you have all of the selected items, RIGHT CLICK (or alt click whatever) one of those highlighted items and select either CHECK or UNCHECK SELECTION.

There you go! You can now uncheck or check any number of items you select.

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Answer 3

musicspirit Author

Level 3

554 points

Mar 14, 2011 2:19 PM in response to AHXtreme42

AHXtreme42 wrote:
Once you have all of the selected items, RIGHT CLICK (or alt click whatever) one of those highlighted items and select either CHECK or UNCHECK SELECTION.

This is EXACTLY the point at which I get stuck - what is the actual key command for Right Click - it is not Alt Click or any combination, and looking for his in the iTunes help does not yield a result.

Please give me that actual key stroke combination to effect this last operation: I have always been able to select multiple tracks in the way you describe with Shift - but how to actually CHECK and UNCHECK a selection.. once the tracks are selected

Would much appreciate the answer to this

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Answer 4

turingtest2

Level 10

272,737 points

Mar 14, 2011 2:35 PM in response to musicspirit

Perhaps this will clear things up: http://www.macinstruct.com/node/66

tt2

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Answer 5

musicspirit Author

Level 3

554 points

Mar 14, 2011 5:24 PM in response to turingtest2

thank you turing - at last!

So for anyone wondering the solution is this:

CONTROL click on the selected group of songs gives you a menu, one of which is the option to
check/uncheck the selected group.

BTW - this seems a really LONGWINDED way of unchecking/checking a selection.

You would think that Apple would have made a single keystroke available as in Windows - Control Click...

Maybe there is a way of doing this..?

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Answer 6

Chris CA

Level 10

82,434 points

Mar 14, 2011 6:14 PM in response to musicspirit

Can you check/uncheck multiple songs in iTunes for syncing to iPod?

See this -> http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=8707417&#8707417

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Answer 7

musicspirit Author

Level 3

554 points

Mar 15, 2011 5:53 AM in response to Chris CA

Great idea thanks Chris - many thanks

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Answer 8

blueg

Level 1

23 points

Feb 10, 2016 12:57 PM in response to musicspirit

To "check" a bunch of things at once, you can Command-click anything in the list and it will toggle everything unchecked or everything checked all at once. So if you want to do just a few things, put them in a play list and then command click the checkbox of something in the list and everything will change with it. Keep command-checking until you get what you want.

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Answer 9

Chris CA

Level 10

82,434 points

Feb 10, 2016 6:05 PM in response to blueg

5 years later...

blueg wrote:

To "check" a bunch of things at once, you can Command-click anything in the list and it will toggle everything unchecked or everything checked all at once. So if you want to do just a few things, put them in a play list

if they are in a playlist, just choose to sync that playlist.

Much simpler to create and choose playlists to sync.
When unchecking items you can accidentally check them ( and not keep track of which they are.

Also, iTunes will skip them when playing.

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