How do I synch new music to my Nano? I had to re-install iTunes and synch music threatens to delete all music from Nano.

Question

Level 1

0 points

How do I synch new music to my Nano? I had to re-install iTunes and synch music threatens to delete all music from Nano.

When trying to synch recent purchases and CD downloads to my old Nano, iTunes threatened to delete all the existing music on the Nano, which is about 219 songs, and replace it from the library, which is about 10 songs. I recently had to re-install iTunes. I'm on a PC with Windows 7 and also synch my iPhone and IPad through iCloud.

Thanks.

iPod nano, Windows 7, recently re-installe iTunes on PC,

Posted on Jul 26, 2015 2:22 PM

Reply

Answer 1

chuck_3rd

Community Specialist

Jul 28, 2015 12:29 PM in response to HB-Tim

Hello HB-Tim,

Thanks for using Apple Support Communities.

From your post I understand that you are syncing to a new iTunes library which is then prompting you to delete the current content on your iPod. This will occur when you have been syncing a library, rather than manually managing the content on it. To avoid this situation, and in order to get all of your music on to your iPod without it being deleted, you will need to enable the Manually Manage Music option in iTunes.

Manage content manually on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod - Apple Support

Take care.

Reply

Answer 2

lllaass

Level 10

210,519 points

Jul 28, 2015 12:35 PM in response to HB-Tim

You need to restore the iPod. You can only sync with one computer and the reinstallation iTunes cased the iPod to see iTunes as a new computer

Syncing to a "New" Computer or replacing a "crashed" Hard Drive: Apple Support Communities

Reply

Answer 3

turingtest2

Level 10

278,363 points

Jul 28, 2015 12:51 PM in response to HB-Tim

See also Recover your iTunes library from your iPod or iOS device.

tt2

Reply

Answer 4

hhgttg27

Level 5

5,597 points

Jul 28, 2015 12:56 PM in response to lllaass

"You can only sync with one computer "

Not strictly true. The limitation in iTunes is that you can only sync with one library at a time. You can have several libraries on one computer (where an iDevice can only sync with one of them at a time), or replicate a library across several computers, in which case you can sync an iDevice with any of them.

HB-Tim's issue is probably that while reinstalling iTunes the original library database was deleted or corrupted (which shouldn't happen but sometimes does), and that in this case iTunes will create a new library whose content will be limited to iTunes Store purchases. The following user tips may be relevant:

Empty/corrupt iTunes library after upgrade/crash describes how to recover your library from an archived copy of the database created during some updates
Recover your iTunes library from your iPod or iOS device describes several methods/tools that can be used to transfer media from an iDevice to your library

Reply

Answer 5

lllaass

Level 10

210,519 points

Jul 28, 2015 12:58 PM in response to hhgttg27

The link in my previous reply covered the actions in your last link

Reply

Answer 6

hhgttg27

Level 5

5,597 points

Jul 28, 2015 1:03 PM in response to lllaass

Similar but not the same ... since the OP is using an iPod nano it is entirely possible to recover all media and most metadata and add these back into iTunes without the need for any 3rd party tools. Tt2's Recover your iTunes library from your iPod or iOS device tip covers several different tools and methods, including (at the end) an iLounge article that details how to recover non-iOS iPod content using nothing more than Windows Explorer.

Reply

Answer 7

HB-Tim Author

Level 1

0 points

Jul 28, 2015 4:27 PM in response to chuck_3rd

Thanks everyone for your response and helpful suggestions on how to resolve my issue. I went with alex_h1's recommendation to manually manage the content as that appeared simplest to me. It worked.

I hold on to stuff a long time. This Nano was my first Apple product, I still have an iPhone 4S, an iPad, and my wife has a Mac laptop. However I still have a PC for business, which is where I download music and other purchases.

The iPhone doesn't have enough memory so I don't keep the music there. I keep the music on the Nano. I also see no need to keep music on the PC; I just use it to buy from the iTunes store and upload music from CDs. If I could get the music to the Nano without going through the PC I'd do it.

So the managing manually works best, in my opinion, for my situation where I don't feel I need my music on my other devices.

Thanks again everyone for your assistance.

Reply

Answer 8

HB-Tim Author

Level 1

0 points

Jul 28, 2015 4:32 PM in response to hhgttg27

Thank you, this looks like an accurate representation of my problem, I lost the iTunes library on the PC when I re-installed after a crash. Per my earlier message I've gone with the managing manually solution rather than recover the library on to the PC from the Nano iPod.

Thank you for the suggestion hhgttg27.

Reply

Answer 9

hhgttg27

Level 5

5,597 points

Jul 28, 2015 4:42 PM in response to HB-Tim

You're just creating problems for yourself. iDevices are neither designed nor suitable for data storage, and are too easily lost, stolen, damaged, etc. You absolutely should keep your music on your PC (and maintain a backup of it) - that's how iTunes is designed and intended to be used. At some point, too, you'll find that you have more music that will fit on any iDevice - I suspect my own situation is fairly typical in that my primary iPod (nano 7G) has a nominal 16Gb capacity but my main library (commercial releases, mix of AAC & MP3) is just under 800GB, and I have two others for live recordings (Apple Lossless, just over 900GB) and audiobooks & other spoken word recordings (mix of MP3, M4B and AA, 100GB).

Reply

Answer 10

HB-Tim Author

Level 1

0 points

Jul 28, 2015 5:28 PM in response to hhgttg27

Thank you hhgttg27. So I'm putting my music collection at higher risk by not having a backup on the PC or elsewhere. I'll need to take another look and consider restoring the complete library onto the PC.

Reply

Answer 11

hhgttg27

Level 5

5,597 points

Jul 28, 2015 5:44 PM in response to HB-Tim

Definitely. Your collection will be much more secure on your PC; however, on the basis that hard drives fail - usually without warning - and many other issues can compromise data you should create and regularly maintain a backup of your library - see turingtest2's user tip on Backup your iTunes for Windows library with SyncToy for a recommended method.

Reply