I have a new computer that has only my iTunes purchases on it. When I sync my iPod to it which has all my music it's not adding it to the computer. Any ideas what I'm doing wrong?

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Scalescop Author

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I have a new computer that has only my iTunes purchases on it. When I sync my iPod to it which has all my music it's not adding it to the computer. Any ideas what I'm doing wrong?

I downloaded the latest version of iTunes on both my iPod and my computer.

iPod touch (4th generation), iOS 6.1.5

Posted on Dec 15, 2013 1:25 PM

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Answer 1

Scalescop Author

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Dec 15, 2013 1:31 PM in response to Scalescop

Let me make my question clearer. I just bought a new laptop I downloaded iTunes to it. I connected my iPod to sync to it and it only added my purchased songs not all the songs I have on my iPod. I basically want a duplicate on my computer that I have on my iPod. Any ideas. Everything I have looked at wants to delete all that is on my iPod and add what's on my computer to it

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Answer 2

Dec 15, 2013 1:34 PM in response to Scalescop

Only purchased music will sync from iPod to computer. The other music in your library only syncs one way so you need to reinstall your music to your new laptop by importing it either from the original CD or from wherever you backed your previous computer up to.

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Answer 3

Dec 15, 2013 2:15 PM in response to Scalescop

Hi Scalescoop,

A bit long winded but I hope this info helps.

I am in agreement with Denise. The reason you can NOT put your 'current music library' - which is on your iPod - on to your laptop is because this library is treated as a DIFFERENT library than the one which will exist on your laptop - which is the 'new' library - after you have installed iTunes on to it. An iPod - and presumably other portable iOS devices - will only ever sync with the library that currently exists - or existed - in iTunes on the 'computer' that uses the version of iTunes that created the library that you have on your iPod. As your laptop is new this 'old' library will not exist on your laptop.

Do you still have the computer that you or someone else would have used to populate your iPod with music? Does this 'old' library exist on THAT computer? Or on someone else's? If this old library is on another computer then go to the music folder of THAT computer and drag and drop it with its contents on to an external storage device that can be connected to your new laptop in order to re-populate iTunes with these songs.

Use an external device (NOT a portable iOS device), like a portable hard drive, thumb drive or other storage device that has enough space for your iTunes media, and you should be able to put THIS music or media into the current version of iTunes on your new laptop. This will be your 'new' library that will sync with your iPod - but only AFTER you have 'restored' your iPod which will delete ALL content not purchased or downloaded from iTunes.

This is the case even if the 'new' installation of iTunes has an empty library and has never had anything in it. It also applies if you have recently had to re-install iTunes or even windows to a current PC.

For future reference - if it's not already obvious - you need to back up ALL music and other personal files to an external location, before you delete ANY app like iTunes, or if you are wanting to use the same app with an 'old' music collection. The same applies when you need to transfer files from one PC to another like when the 'old' PC no longer works, or is starting to fail.

Even when a computer no longer works, it may still be possible to rescue the personal files that are on it, assuming the drive itself is not the cause of the failure.

If the drive is not faulty and is removed from the old computer and put in a compatible drive caddy, then connected to the new PC, AFTER (this is important) the new PC has started up you should be able to access the drive and it's contents.

As this drive will still have an operating system on it DO NOT leave it connected when you shut down your laptop or at least don't have it still connected when you start it up again.

Good luck

Tufftybob

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