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5507 error home sharing & erase & sync problems

I've just got a new computer and I want to basically use this computer to manage my iTunes library for my iPhone as well as from my old laptop. My iTunes library on my old laptop has loads of music on it, mainly from CDs that I've either lost or are too damaged to play any more, so I can't sync and delete to my new iTunes library on the new computer because I'll lose half my music. I thought that maybe setting up home sharing would solve this issue, but every time I try to it comes up with an error message with the code number 5507 at the end, it also saying that it's not possible to do at this time. Naturally this is rather infuriating, has any one got any answers?

Thanks.

iPhone 6s, iOS 9.2.1

Posted on Feb 1, 2016 2:36 PM

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4 replies

Feb 1, 2016 2:55 PM in response to TheMightyOscen

Sync iPod/iPhone/iPad with two computers


It isn't possible to sync an Apple device with two different libraries, however it is possible to sync with the same logical library from multiple computers. Each library has an internal ID and when iTunes connects to your iPod/iPhone/iPad it compares the local ID with the one the device normally syncs with. If they are the same you can go ahead and sync, otherwise iTunes will want to erase the content and reload, even when both libraries contain the same media files. Manual management isn't an option with an iPhone since it still wants you to use a single library.


I have my library cloned to a small 1Tb USB drive which I can take between home & work. At either location I use SyncToy 2.1 to update the local copy with the external drive. Mac users should be able to find similar tools. I can open either of the local libraries or the one on the external drive and update the media content of my devices. The slight exception is Photos which normally connects to a specific folder on a specific machine, although that can easily be remapped to the current library if you create a "Photos" folder inside the iTunes Media folder so that syncing the iTunes folders keeps this up to date as well. I periodically sweep my library for new files & orphans with iTunes Folder Watch just in case I make changes at one location but then overwrite the library with a newer copy from the other. Again Mac users should be able to find similar tools.


As long as your media is organised within an iTunes Media folder, in turn held inside the main iTunes folder that has your library files (whether or not you let iTunes keep the media folder organised) each library can access items at the same relative path from the library folder so the library can be at different drives/paths on different machines. This solution ensures I always have adequate backups of my library and I can update my devices whenever I can connect to the same build of iTunes. If your library might not be in the correct layout see Make a split library portable.


When working with an iPhone earlier builds of iTunes would remove any file not physically present in the local library, even if there was an entry for it, making manual management practically redundant on the iPhone. This behaviour has been changed slightly but it will still only permit manual management with a library that has the correct internal ID. If you don't want to sync your library between machines on a regular basis just copy the iTunes Library.itl file from the current "home" machine to any other you want to use, then clean out the library entries and import the local content you have on that box. However you lose the other benefits of syncing.


tt2

Feb 1, 2016 3:08 PM in response to turingtest2

I appreciate the time you took to write out that reply, but I'm looking for a simple fix. My new computer is actually a replacement to a computer that could not be repaired, I could successfully dive between the two libraries then...why can't I now? If I did erase and sync, would I lose all my pictures and text messages and contacts as well as my music?

Feb 14, 2016 4:30 PM in response to turingtest2

two things, first I went through the pain of migrating from an older iMac to a new one and had to do as above, put music onto a external device then import.


Even though that is resolved, I just purchased a new macbook air to go with imac, iphone and ipad but the home sharing will not work. I keep getting the error 5507 so frustrating. its a call to the apple help desk sometime this week,

5507 error home sharing & erase & sync problems

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