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Will my iTunes library be accessible to others if it is stored on my USB but I use it on a public computer?

Here is a summary . . .

In short, I own an iPod Touch, but I do not have nor have I had access to iTunes for a couple years now. I'm rather knowledgeable in terms of how iTunes works. Basically, any device manufactured by Apple can use only iTunes to sync/transfer data between it and iTunes with a computer or PC (at least to my knowledge). My problem is that I have no PC or computer that is privately owned that I can use to store/sync data on/with iTunes; the only way I could do so is if I use a public computer, such as one available at a library.

Obviously, it is never recommended to access personal data on a public computer, but when you have been going 2+ years without a computer to simply put songs on an iPod whose music library has been empty for the same amount of time, you're likely to become pretty desperate to get at least some songs on there, am I right?

My plan of operations was to utilize my USB to download the iTunes software from the library computer onto the USB, then open iTunes from my USB and download songs to my USB that are accessed via iTunes. The premise behind all this is that anything stored on my USB can be accessed by only me, so if I were to download songs from a computer to my USB and download the iTunes software to my USB, then sync my USB-based songs to my USB-based iTunes software, I could theoretically work around the risk of having my personal data be made accessible to the other users of the public computer. It seems pretty simple in that everything to which I need access is accessible all on my USB, so no one else has access to it; similarly, no data would be inadvertently copied or distributed to the public computer since my activities are USB-based. But what I am unsure about is if my personal data would be made accessible to others even with this strategy, or if there is some mistake or misunderstanding with iTunes and it copies everything. I am aware that I am limited to the amount of computers I can authorize with which I can use iTunes. I don't know if iTunes would recognize the same computer after I log-off of it or once after it shuts down and I use it another day; that scenario is one that I've just thought of as I type this.

I'm just so desperate to put songs on there; as of right now, I have a work-in-progress list of songs that I started years ago, and it totals to 300+ songs. I'm tired of listening to songs on YouTube or via inadequate "offline song-downloader" apps, and I'm also tired of not being able to listen to anything on-the-go if there's no WiFi me. This strategy that I have put much thought into seems to be a plausible method to get some tunes onto my iPod, but I just don't know if there is some flaw in it that I have missed or not thought about (yet). It seems to me like it really would work, but I'd much appreciate any and all input from anyone.

For those of you who are asking yourselves why I just haven't bought a PC, my answer to you is that the city I live in ***** and there are virtually no employment opportunities for a young man with limited work experience. Also, these places out here are tight-knit family communities that hire only people within their social circles and not anyone else. My family is not affluent or wealthy, so I can't go to my siblings or parents to ask them to get me one.

What do you guys think? I am hesitant to try this out for the first time without knowing what I would be getting my self into.

iPod touch (5th generation), iOS 8.3, Bought in July 2014

Posted on Apr 28, 2016 4:45 PM

Reply
8 replies

Apr 28, 2016 4:53 PM in response to AmbientIsTheName

I suspect that owner/operator of the public PC would not permit you to install iTunes on it - this would be a necessary prerequisite for what you propose. You can't install iTunes on a USB device in a way that doesn't also install some components of the software on the "host" PC.


If, however, they did agree to that you could run iTunes with a library stored on your USB device, The content of this library would only be accessible when the USB device is physically connected to the PC; unless network sharing is enabled within iTunes this would even then not be available to any other users on the same network.

Apr 28, 2016 5:22 PM in response to hhgttg27

Thank you for responding, hhgttg27, especially as quickly as you did.

Can you explain to me more about why iTunes would need to install components to the host computer in order for me to transfer the iTunes software to my USB?

I have devised this plan knowing that I am able to download some simple things such as songs and programs as I have already done both before; I downloaded a whole list of songs on the computer itself -- not even originally to my USB -- then inserted a CD to burn those songs to the CD through the computer alone. A Windows Media Player wizard popped-up, and I just hit "recommended settings," and all went without problems.

The computers in the section of the library that I use automatically download anything to the computer without asking the user where he wants to save his download; this is how I know that the computer does allow users to download certain items. I have run two programs that I have on my USB on the computer many times before, and no problems have arisen thus far. I use an audio-editor program and an encryption program, and both programs run smoothly. What a user can and cannot download seems to be solely based on which sites are and aren't allowed to be accessed by the user, so if an MP3 site is not blocked, then reason would have me believe that I can download a song hosted by that site.

I know that I need to plug my USB in to access anything on it because that is how USBs work in the first place, right? Forgive me, but I don't understand what you mean by network sharing and the like. Could I not just plug in my USB each time I want to access my iTunes library? As long as the files that are imported into iTunes are able to be directed to by me (i.e., keeping the files of the songs imported into iTunes onto my USB), I shouldn't have any problems in regard to iTunes's recognizing the library that I previously made, right?

What do you think?

Apr 28, 2016 9:33 PM in response to AmbientIsTheName

iTunes is like almost all other Windows applications in that in addition to the installed software (normally located in C:\Program Files or C:\Program Files (x86)) it creates and uses files in Windows' common \ProgramData folder and each user's \AppData folders. Even if you install iTunes to a different drive these are still required.


As I said it my original response, if you're able to install iTunes on the public computer then you can create and use a library on any attached drive, including a USB thumb drive. However, I would be surprised if such a PC would be set up to allow users to install software - it would be contrary to best practices for such PCs (no public user account should ever have admin rights) and would also make them incredibly vulnerable to viruses and other malware.


The reference to network access relates to iTunes' capability to make a library accessible to other users on the same LAN.

Apr 28, 2016 9:42 PM in response to AmbientIsTheName

You may want to consider subscribing to iTunes Match. This lets you put your music in iCloud and access it there directly from an iOS enabled device. This is a method often recommended for those who have lost sync capability due to owning an older computer incapable of running an iTunes version required by a newer device. You would, of course, have to have access to iTunes for long enough to transfer it there.

Apr 29, 2016 9:25 AM in response to hhgttg27

Perhaps iTunes is different from other programs and thus will be unable to be downloaded, but it's worth a shot to try to download it. It ***** not being able to listen to anything where ever I am because iTunes isolates its products to its proprietary software. I know I can't blame Apple as I knew this when I first decided to buy an iPod, but having gone so long without interacting with the software, I am continually asking myself what is so special about it and why Apple couldn't just allow its customers to use third-party media software.

You said that iTunes creates and uses files in the Windows software, but will the data stored in those folders be personally-identifiable information? I read on Apple's StackExchange site that these folders are used to store information that is available to all users, that the data stored in said folders are non - user-specific. Is this true? This would mean that the components iTunes would install would be regular program information.

In regard to network sharing, I do not plan to share my iTunes library with anyone else, and if I were to share it, I know that I'd need my USB. Right now I'm worried that my stuff will be accessed by other people. If my iTunes library can be pulled up by other people sharing the same network -- people who are using the same library internet connection (what I presume you mean by LAN and network access, or even the same computer that I use) -- then this strategy is futile. What's the sense in getting some media onto the iPod at the cost of having my information exploited for everyone to see?

I'm not tech-savvy, but I'm hoping there's some sort of workaround for me.

Apr 29, 2016 9:34 AM in response to Limnos

It is my understanding that music synced to the cloud via iTunes Match is playable only when accessing a WiFi network and that I would need to individually download each song to be made playable offline. This isn't the solution I was looking for as my intention has always been to be able to listen to music freely on my iPod. Not all the time am I going to have an internet connection.

Thank you for your help, Limnos.

I know that many other people out there who can sympathize with my situation because not all people have iTunes as easily as others do. I know there are people who have been or are in my situation, and I wish I could find a definite answer as to this method that I have proposed.

Apr 29, 2016 10:06 AM in response to AmbientIsTheName

I think that you're confusing the ability to download the iTunes software and then installing it so that it can be used.


"You said that iTunes creates and uses files in the Windows software, but will the data stored in those folders be personally-identifiable information."


No, it will not. iTunes doesn't store any PII locally, and unless you log into the iTunes Store or other services that require user of an Apple ID then there is no identifying information of any kind.


"This would mean that the components iTunes would install would be regular program information."

Not exactly - a lot of the files created/updated during iTunes operations fit that category but it also stores user-specific data (i.e., data specific to the Windows user account under which it is run) - primarily user preferences and user-set configurations.


"If my iTunes library can be pulled up by other people sharing the same network -- people who are using the same library internet connection (what I presume you mean by LAN and network access, or even the same computer that I use) -- then this strategy is futile."

There is a specific feature in iTunes labeled as "Share my library on my local network" - this can be turned on/off by the user (and defaults to off). As long as this is disabled other computers on the same network won't be able to see or access your library. If your complete library (i.e., database, artwork, other supporting files as well as media) us on the USB stick then it will only be available to you when you connected to a PC and run iTunes,

May 2, 2016 8:39 AM in response to hhgttg27

Here's an update . . .


So I went to the library a few days ago and tried to implement my strategy, and at first, everything went well, but when I came back the next day, I was surprised to be unable to open my iTunes application in my USB; I was receiving an error message, "The iTunes Support file could not be found. iTunes Support is needed to run iTunes." Now, this may be because I had gone into the files of the computer that I was using that day to delete anything that iTunes stored locally after I finished with my USB-based iTunes library, which is what I have been thinking caused this problem.


Let's rewind to when I first logged-on. I plugged in my USB and continued to the Apple website with no difficulty. I clicked on the "download" link for the iTunes software, and a dialogue box popped-up asking me where I wanted to save my download. I directed the download to my USB, and it proceeded to download. It said nothing about downloading data to the computer, so I thought I was in the clear; I hadn't realized that there was locally-stored files on the computer until after I got done managing my iTunes library.

I open iTunes, and everything seems to be going well so far. I start downloading a couple songs to my USB so as to try out the software. I also plug in my iPod, and it recognizes it and tells me that I must delete the data previously synced with another PC on my iPod in order to sync with this computer's library, so I click yes (no data was deleted because the couple songs I synced with my iPod with a laptop from long ago had already been deleted; all my other data remained intact), and I am officially syncing songs. I was actually pretty happy to have gotten that far in the "music transferring" process.

There are few things that need to be mentioned:

An iTunes library will work only with another computer that meets the hardware requirements of the computer originally used to download iTunes (for example, these library computers run 64-bit Windows, so the iTunes I downloaded would work only on a 64-bit Windows laptop/computer).

Not all computers/PCs have the same specifications/prerequisites that they must meet to smoothly run the software. This is exemplified in the "Your computer must have so and so space of RAM or a processor this powerful" statements when one goes to the download page.


Now, I was aware of both these facts, but I did not think I would run into any problems because I would access only that computer when I wanted to mess around with my library. When I was done adding songs, I was searching the computer's program directory to see if iTunes had stored anything, and I'm not sure if it did, but when I searched "iTunes" in the start menu's search files and programs field, a couple folders related to iTunes as well as the folders I made on my USB (a folder full of song artwork) showed up, which surprised me! I located where they were and deleted them, but I hadn't had any trouble going opening iTunes even after I did that. It was the next day when I had trouble. Perhaps I accidentally deleted something when I was trying to leave behind no evidence of my having downloaded iTunes, or perhaps the software did store things onto the computer, or perhaps both scenarios happened (which is what I believe). In any case, even if thing had worked out, it wouldn't matter because if I switch to another computer, two things will happen: I will probably get down to my last chance of authorizing another computer that will finish off my 5-computer limit, and all data in the library and on my iPod synced with any previous computer will be deleted.

Case in point, it's just too much trouble trying to get things onto an Apple device when you're using public computers; there are too many what-if scenarios and too many variables that you are most likely to run into something you hadn't expected. I mean, if I had had all of my songs already downloaded and ready to be imported into iTunes, then I probably wouldn't be as upset right now as I am about these computers and the software; I could have just transferred all of them over and everything would be complete. I would have 300+ songs on there, and I'd be happy for a long time with those if I were to go another extended period of no additions. I guess I'm going to have to wait until I can get a hold of a private computer.

Thanks, you guys, for your help, especially you, hhgttg27. I really appreciate that you spent the time helping me out as professionally as you have. I'm thankful for even receiving a response (because the only other question I have asked on this site remains unanswered).

Will my iTunes library be accessible to others if it is stored on my USB but I use it on a public computer?

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