I have an iPod Classic Fifth Generation that was first plugged into my old Windows computer running XP. Well, that computer died and I now have an iMac and a MacBook Pro. I want to sync my iPod with either one of my macs but I've heard that if I were to do this, it would erase all of my songs or even mess up my iPod. What do I do?
iPod classic, iOS 1.x, 30Gigs Fifth Generation
Actually, a Mac should be able to use an iPod that is formatted for Windows. That is because Macs can read and write the Windows "FAT" format. The opposite is not true; an iPod formatted for Mac cannot be used on with Windows, unless it is Restored (erased and reformatted) using iTunes on a Windows PC.
(And it won't "mess up" the iPod either way.)
The iPod needs to be set for Manually manage music, on its Summary tab (in iTunes). You will NOT be able to use automatic syncing if you want to keep the current songs on the iPod (that are not in the Mac's iTunes library). Setting it up to automatically sync music will replace the current content with content from your Mac's iTunes library. If you connect it and decline to do any type of syncing, I think it should get set to Manually manage music. But if iTunes does not seem to give you that choice, cancel and do this next part...
The (long-term) safer and more convenient way is to handle the situation is to transfer the songs files from iPod to Mac. You can't do that using iTunes, except for songs you purchased from the iTunes Store (and you can also re-download purchases from the iTunes Store Purchased screen). However, there are third-party methods and utiltiies that allow transfer of song files from iPod to computer. If you do a Google search on something like "ipod transfer mac," you should get some links.
Once the song files are on your mac, add them to the Mac's iTunes library, then sync the iPod to the Mac's iTunes library (by doing a Restoring it to change its formatting to Mac). Then, the songs will be on the iPod AND backed up on the Mac's hard drive.
Connecting Windows optimized iPod to a new iMac.
