Why is iTunes restoring my deleted songs?

Question

Why is iTunes restoring my deleted songs?

I haven't connected my iPhone to my computer in a little while, and within time, to free up memory, I have deleted songs. I have always had it set to NOT auto sync to my iPhone. I hate how controling iTunes is. Today, I connected it to my computer so I could transfer an mp3 and when I tried to transfer that one song, it started transfering over 300 songs to my iPhone. It fills up my memory, then tells me that it cannot transfer anymore songs, then I delete them, and it tries to transfer the songs again. I don't want these songs on my iPhone!!! I have clicked the cancel X, but when I try to copy the song again, it starts up transfering ALL songs again. How do I get iTunes to stop copying my whole library to my phone? It didn't used to do this before!

I don't like how iTunes has to sync automatically. I prefer telling IT what to do, not the other way around. iTunes is exactly what kept me from purchasing any apple products. Now, I ask myself, why did I give in to the iPhone? 😠

iPhone 4S, iOS 6.1.4

Posted on Jun 28, 2013 7:11 PM

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Answer 1

mario49

Community Specialist

Jul 1, 2013 6:57 AM in response to BngBngShootShoot

Morning BngBngShootShoot,

Thanks for using Apple Support Communities.

For more information on this, take a look at this article:

Manually managing your device allows you to choose just the songs and videos that you want to have with you.

Managing content manually on iPhone, iPad, and iPod

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1535

Best of luck,

Mario

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Answer 2

Jul 2, 2013 9:37 PM in response to mario49

As in your article, I went to check the box that says "Manually manage music and videos", but I already have it checked. For some reason, iTunes still wants to add all music I previously deleted back to my iPhone anyway, everytime I try to add a song.

Any other ideas of what is causing this?

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Answer 3

mario49

Community Specialist

Jul 11, 2013 12:38 PM in response to BngBngShootShoot

Thank you for using the Apple Support Community. Due to the nature of your issue or question you may find more information by using another one of Apple's support resources - https://expresslane.apple.com/GetproductgroupList.action.

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Answer 4

turingtest2

Level 10

272,719 points

Jul 11, 2013 12:47 PM in response to BngBngShootShoot

When your iPhone is connected go to the music tab, make sure none of the check boxes to sync content are selected. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to see if any manually added content is listed there. If you're manually removing tracks from the device iTunes may remember that you'd previously added them and "helpfully" try to restore them. Personally I sync with selected playlists and update these when the device isn't connected (an offline edit if you will) then I just connect the device and update when I'm ready.

tt2

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Answer 5

Jul 26, 2013 7:49 PM in response to turingtest2

the checkboxes are for syncing? why doesn't it make it more clear? I have unchecked all boxes and hopefully that helps.. But one thing I've also noticed is when it does this, it erases all my playlists in my iPhone. All that hard work of creating them and it deletes them when I copy a song. Grrrrr!

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Answer 6

turingtest2

Level 10

272,719 points

Jul 27, 2013 4:19 AM in response to BngBngShootShoot

An iPhone can only be manually managed with a single library. If adding content at one library causes existing content on the device to be wiped then that suggests you've tried to use a different library to add content.

Sync with selected playlists does what it says. You set up some playlists in iTunes just the way you want, connect the device, sync, and the device gets your selection. Syncing has several advantages over manual management. Ratings & play counts get updated and it is much easier to restore the device when needed. If you create new playlists on the device they should be copied over iTunes. Edits to existing playlists I'm not so sure about. If needed I have a script called ImportDevicePlaylists which does what it says.

Unticking the checkboxes next to songs makes iTunes skip them during normal track-to-track or shuffle playback, and normally excludes them from sync operations. I use these to mark out bonus interview tracks and the like which I rarely want to hear but still keep in my library.

tt2

Message was edited by: turingtest2

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Answer 7

Jul 27, 2013 9:48 PM in response to turingtest2

It's not deleting songs.. It's adding the songs I don't want on my phone back.

I do not use auto sync but when I copy a song back it adds all the songs I deleted back to my phone.

If the software did what you're saying it does, then I'd be happy.

But it's like it's got a mind of its own.

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Answer 8

Oct 24, 2013 1:52 PM in response to BngBngShootShoot

MEGA BUMP! Im new here and having exactly this problem. Everything is set to manage manually, no sync boxes are ticked, and i tried to add one album and I was about to get 40+ songs added to my iPhone! I have to abort the 'update' to not get my album or the extra songs that I previously deleted, HELP!😢

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Answer 9

Oct 28, 2013 9:39 PM in response to mattranger

I purchased an album on my iPhone, deleted most of the songs, synced my phone, and all of the darn songs came back. Argh!

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Answer 10

Nov 14, 2013 4:35 PM in response to BngBngShootShoot

I'm having the same issues. It's really stupid and I keep having to delete these freaking songs from my phone over and over. Is there no resolution???

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Answer 11

Dec 16, 2013 4:09 PM in response to Dergefool

Same issues as well, and it's ******* me off. My iPhone is set to manually receive songs. Sometimes, when I add new songs, iTunes decides to add in any songs I deleted from the iPhone.

This is especially worse after adding in the discography of a band, then deleting off the songs I don't like. I've had to do that twice now because of this stupid error, adding in like 50 songs I've deleted.

This, along with the iTunes/iPhone music interface is turning me off. I think I'll just get a dedicated music player that isn't as restricted as Apple products.

I mean, I can't manually access the music in my iPhone from iTunes even with the manually access music option selected. What the f***? I can only delete music on the iPhone, and deleting songs one by one is time consuming.

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