IPOD CLASSIC 160GB

Hi,

Sorry for the delay. I've posted an updated version of my SyncStats script for you which you can download directly by right clicking this link: SyncStatsPlus.vbs. I've created an option in the script to use an alternate key which matches tracks on the device and in the library on the basis of file kind, bit rate, sample rate, size, and duration. Your recovered tracks should still have the same details as those on the iPod. It is good enough to find a match in a small test library, but obviously I'm not able to totally replicate your conditions. The last two are probably doing all of the work but I cannot think of anything else to include that would prevent false matches.

I've set up the script so it can apply the following details from the track on the device into the matching track in the library:

Album, AlbumArtist, Artist, Compilation, Composer, DiscCount, DiscNumber, Genre, Grouping, Name, TrackCount, and TrackNumber

in addition to the rating and play & skip counts & dates that the script already copies. Can you think of any properties that you want that I might have missed?

Start by selecting a single track on your device, run the script, say no to the first prompt, yes to the second one, and then look at the suggested edit if a suitable match has been made. Assuming it makes sense and hasn't crashed for reasons I haven't foreseen say yes to this third prompt and make sure the track now has the information you expect. If it works as intended select the music folder on your iPod without selecting any tracks and run it again, this time letting it run automatically by selecting yes at the first prompt.

Oh, you should really Backup your iTunes for Windows library with SyncToy first, then update the backup if you're happy with the results.

tt2

This is to be expected. When iTunes cannot read a value for Name (Title) from the metadata of the file it will use the existing filename instead. You're seeing the <Four Random Letter> filenames that iTunes made when it copied things over to the iPod originally. Have you added any metadata of your own since the files were copied from the device, or was artist and contributing artist information already present? Making changes in iTunes would likely update the tag, which would then most likely change the file size, making it impossible to match up the file on the device with the one in the library.

tt2

I don't know why some of your metadata was missing from your recovered tracks.

I don't know why it seems that only some names have been affected.

Have you managed to locate a track on the device whose name doesn't show in the library?

If so select it and run the script as described for testing with one track.

Can the script identify the correct track in the library and update the track title so that the library now has the correct title instead of the four random letter name?

tt2

OK, that is weird. The file in your library appears to be in .m4a/AAC format whereas the iPod claims it is .mp3/MPEG.

Make a copy of the file on your computer, change the file extension to .mp3, then drop the copy in the Automatically Add to iTunes folder to see what iTunes makes of it.

You could locate what is currently line 408 in the script that reads:

Signature=LCase(.KindAsString & "\" & .BitRate & "kbps\" & .SampleRate & "Hz\" & .Size & "bytes\" & .Duration & "secs")

and edit it to read:

Signature=LCase(.ModificationDate & "\" & .Size & "bytes\")

which might allow the script to match the tracks as intended, however that doesn't address the question of how the media kind has apparently changed. Perhaps iTunes generates Kind As String from the file extension, but can play the content even if the extension is wrong.

tt2

The names in Windows Explorer will update if you enable the Keep iTunes Media folder organized option under Edit > Preferences > Advanced.

You could run another test group if you wish, but it looks like the script is doing what is wanted now. You could double check for any other missing values that aren't already catered for. I've left out various sort fields, grouping and year for a start, but it does seem, perhaps, as if it is only the name that has been affected.

I don't suppose you were using the "Sync higher bitrate songs at 128k AAC" option were you? That might explain the discrepancy between the file kinds.

tt2

Correct. Answer yes to the first prompt, and then yes to the second one, to correct all the other missing names automatically. The convert higher bitrate songs to XXX K option only allows AAC as the target format. I guess the iPod has to remember the original format so it can correctly process smart playlists based on it. It makes sense now that I've seen more of the picture but it had me thoroughly confused for a bit.

tt2