CharleyCactus
Level 1 (8 points)
iPod

Q: Sync iPod Touch 5 to a new computer

Hi, I've gone through several very cheap HP laptops the past say 8 years and have had to sync my iPod each time to a new computer multiple times. Each time I've taken my new laptop and transferred all my music to the new laptop then synced it without problem. However, I finally have my own Macbook and I'm slightly afraid that things might be different, especially since it's been a few years.

I'm put all my music on an external hard drive and transferred it to my MacBooks tunes library and I've backed up my iPod to the old laptop in case of error, as well as copying every photo into an external hard drive folder. I'm afraid that when I sync my iPod to my MacBook (since it's a new library technically) that when it says "erase and Sync" that it will erase more than just the music. I don't want to lose any books or voice memos, and I'm too afraid to erase it and find out too late that all of that is gone.

Will erasing and Syncing erase more than just my iTunes library?

iPod touch (5th generation), OS X El Capitan (10.11.5), HP Windows

Posted on Jun 16, 2016 9:29 AM

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CharleyCactus

Q: Sync iPod Touch 5 to a new computer

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  • by Limnos,

    Limnos Limnos Jun 16, 2016 9:32 AM in response to CharleyCactus
    Level 9 (53,591 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jun 16, 2016 9:32 AM in response to CharleyCactus

    Ideally use Migration Assistant to relocate your files to the new computer in a format the Apple software will understand.

     

    About Windows Migration Assistant - http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4796 - Learn about how to use Windows Migration Assistant to migrate your files from a Windows PC to a Mac.  Download link - http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1557

     

    I don't know much about photos which is why I would use Migration Assistant.  As for music, you can't just copy media files, you have to copy the entire iTunes library.

     

    Moving a library: Quick answer if you use iTunes' default preferences settings:  Copy the entire iTunes folder (and in doing so all its sub-folders and files) intact to the other drive, hold down the option/alt key (shift on Windows) while starting iTunes, and when requested to select a library select the iTunes Library.itl file in the copied folder.  https://support.apple.com/HT201596

     

    When this is to a new drive/computer put the copied iTunes folder in the default location of Macintosh HD > Users > *User Name* > Music  (or Home > Music) then you don't even need to start with the option key held down, iTunes will automatically look for it there.  (Make sure there isn't anything already in the iTunes folder there that you want to keep since you will be replacing it with the one you are moving.)  Remember to authorize the computer in iTunes to your Apple ID if you use this to sync to Apple mobile devices or play DRM protected media (e.g., movies).

     

    Certain items used in iTunes related activities are not stored in the iTunes library folder but in special folders.  If you are moving a library to a different computer you may wish to copy these too:

     

    - Apple Music cache files: http://dougscripts.com/itunes/2015/09/new-flush-apple-music-cache-files/ - ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.iTunes/SubscriptionPlayCache/ folder, which is sort of like an “iTunes Media” folder for Apple Music

     

    - iOS device backups, various preferences files: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3285925

     

     

    Windows users see tip at: https://discussions.apple.com/message/18879381#18879381

  • by lllaass,

    lllaass lllaass Jun 16, 2016 9:39 AM in response to CharleyCactus
    Level 10 (187,607 points)
    Desktops
    Jun 16, 2016 9:39 AM in response to CharleyCactus

    To switch syncing computer like in your case, you have to restore the iPod on the new computer.

    If all the synced media like apps, music and photos are in your iTunes library just backup the iPod to iTunes and restore from backup.

    The iPod backup that iTunes creates does NOT included synced media like apps, music and synced photos. It does included phtos in the iPod's Camera Roll album and voice memos

  • by turingtest2,

    turingtest2 turingtest2 Jun 16, 2016 11:26 AM in response to CharleyCactus
    Level 10 (84,985 points)
    iTunes
    Jun 16, 2016 11:26 AM in response to CharleyCactus

    See Make a split library portable. Ideally you would have put the library in this shape and transferred the whole working library to the Mac, not just the media files. You can either revisit the way you transferred the library or, as long as you have all of the media, you can use the steps given in Recover your iTunes library from your iPod or iOS device to associate the device fully with the new library, i.e. backup, and then restore, then add content as you wish.

     

    tt2