I have two Ipod shuffles on two different computers and now have a third. How can I hook up all the shuffles to download music I have stored from my main computer? One of the shuffles is registere on the main system, the second on my lap top and the t.

You can sync as many iPods as you want to one computer. "Registration" is for the computer. You register the computer to access your iTunes Store account. One computer can be registered to more than one iTunes Store account. With the exception of iPod touch (with iOS 5 that uses iCloud for syncing), the iPod then syncs to the computer, and whatever you can play on the computer's iTunes should be able to sync to the iPod (not counting limitation posed by the media's format).

The 1st and 2nd gen iPod shuffle can only sync to one iTunes library at a time. So it cannot contain music from more than one iTunes library. Other iPods can have music from more than one iTunes library, but only if it is set to Manually manage music. Automatic syncing only works with iTunes library at a time. So if you want to make it sync automatically to the second computer, it will no longer be synced to the first computer.

I am an "older generation" person myself ... is there any way to get help on doing this? or a step by step tutorial or online help or chat with a live person?

If by "older generation," you mean you have a 1st or 2nd gen iPod shuffle, it can only contain music (and other audio content) from ONE iTunes library at a time. If you have different music on two (or more) computers, you will first need to consolidate those separate iTunes libraries into one iTunes library, on one of those computers. Then you can sync your shuffle to that one iTunes library.

If your question is about something else, please post back with more details about what you are asking...

Kenichi Watanabe

Thank you for your reply. It helps but I don't know how to do this ....I do not recall what computer I had what on, etc. I understand the words you are saying but am clueless on how to actually DO IT. Can you help?

So, I think your main question is about how to get all of your music (and other content) from different computers onto one computer (and its iTunes library). Is that correct?

I do not recall what computer I had what on, etc.

Are you saying you know longer have access to some of those computers? If you still have them, can't you just run iTunes on each computer to see what is in each iTunes library?

NOTE: If some or all of the songs were purchases from the iTunes Store, you can simply redownload all of your previous purchases onto one computer. To do this, run iTunes (and sign-in to your iTunes Store account using your Apple ID). On the iTunes Store "Home" screen, look toward the right to Quick Links, and find Purchased. Clicking that link takes you to the Purchased screen, where you can redownload previous purchases. (If you purchased songs using more than one Apple ID, you will need to log into each iTunes Store account in turn, and redownload from the Purchased screen).

Yes - you've got it. The other computers are long-gone. All the tunes that I want were purchased on iTunes but were loaded on to different shuffles. I don't know if I had difference log on ids ... can iTunes help me in case I had logons that I don't remember anymore?

If the songs were purchased and downloaded from the iTunes Store, you should be able to re-download them at no cost using the Purchased screen, as explained above. Try it and see if that works for you...

If you have a problem, such as not being able to remember your Apple ID, used to make the purchase, you should start here to get Apple customer support.

http://www.apple.com/support/itunes/contact/

NOTE: An Apple ID is usually an email address. If you CAN remember it, but not the password, you may be able to reset the password using this method.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1911

Then, you can sign-in (in iTunes) using that combination and go to the Purchased screen to re-download songs purchased using that Apple ID.

I am finally back to trying to resolve my shuffle issues. To clarify things, I have one gen 2, one gen 3 and one gen 4 shuffle. Of them all, I like the how the gen 2 worked best because more room with the hinge, I hated the gen 3 totally and now have the gen 4 which is the closest to 2 at this point.

I say this because my dream is to have all the music I have ever purchased from iTunes be on the gen 4 shuffle so I can pitch the other 2 and have one that actually works!

At this point, I have no clue which of my computers is associated with anyone of these shuffles. Can you please step me through how I can get all my purchased itunes music on the gen 4 shuffle, pleeeeeeeease?

If those older shuffles work and have the songs on them...

For songs purchased from the iTunes Store, you can use iTunes to transfer from iPod to computer. The command (in the current version of iTunes) is at

iTunes Menu Bar -> File -> Devices -> Transfer Purchases from [name of iPod]

However, you may need to have your current computer authorized with the Apple ID (iTunes Store account) used to make the purchase. If you do not, the purchases from that Apple ID may not transfer.

There are third-party methods and utiltiies (not using iTunes) to transfer song files from iPod to computer. These should not care about Apple ID or that a particular song was purchased from iTunes Store or not. If you do a Google search on something like "ipod transfer," you should get some links.

Once the song files from the two older shuffles are transferred to your computer, you can add those songs to your iTunes library. Then, sync your 4th gen shuffle from the "consolidated" iTunes library.