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OK please help me! I have a huge problem well you see....

Ok well I am trying to figure out if you can have songs in your library but not on your ipod! I unclicked the box next to the song I did not want on my ipod but they were still on there! I also checked the box that said only sync checked items but when i plugged my ipod in again it was unchecked! Please help me! THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Posted on Jun 11, 2007 1:52 PM

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27 replies

Jun 11, 2007 2:15 PM in response to christineg428

"I am trying to figure out if you can have songs in your library but not on your ipod!"

There are a couple of ways you can do this. The first is to update your iPod manually, in that case you just drag what you want on the iPod from the iTunes library. Your iPod will not sync with iTunes in this mode so it can have different content, you can get details here:
Managing content manually on iPod
iPod 101: Fill 'er Up

Something else to be aware of when using an iPod in manual mode is that the "Do Not Disconnect" message will remain on the display until you physically eject the device. In that case use Safely Remove Hardware icon in the Windows system tray on your desktop or check this link: Safely Disconnect IPod

The other is to sync from a selected playlist. Open iTunes and create a playlist to update your iPod from, call it -iPod to make it the first playlist in Sources. You can make this a normal playlist and drag whatever you want to it or you can make it a random Smart playlist. If you are making a smart playlist limit it to just less than the size of your iPod (for example 3700MB for a 4G iPod Nano). Now connect your iPod and when it appears in the Source list click on the iPod icon to bring up the preference tabs in the main pane. Go to the Music tab and choose Sync Music and the Selected playlists radio button. Choose the playlist you just made from the selection and click Apply. You can also sync from any existing playlists by choosing the same setting, you just need to make sure that the size of the playlists don't exceed the capacity of your iPod:
iTunes: Creating playlists of your favorite songs
How to create a Smart Playlist with iTunes

Using unchecking songs to manage an iPod as you have been trying to do is an option but only if you can live with the other things unchecking does:
Unchecked songs will be skipped when playing songs from the library or a selection. They will only play when individually clicked on.
Smart Playlists have an option that unchecked songs won't appear.
Unchecked songs will not be burned to CD.

Jun 11, 2007 2:35 PM in response to christineg428

Are you using iTunes 7? Connect your iPod and when it appears in iTunes click on the icon, this will bring up the preference tabs in the main pane to the right. If you are using iTunes 6 connect the iPod and go to iTunes>Preferences>iPod on a Mac or Edit>Preferences>iPod on Windows.

To stop unchecked songs being updated you have to choose that setting in the iPod Summary tab in iTunes 7 or Preferences in iTunes 6, unchecking the song in iTunes isn't enough.

Jun 11, 2007 2:41 PM in response to christineg428

That's the method for accessing preferences in iTunes 6, if you have the latest iTunes you have iTunes 7. As I posted above, connect your iPod and when it appears in iTunes click on the iPod icon, this will bring up the preference tabs in the main pane to the right. After that follow the instructions in the links for whichever update method you choose. In fact if you click on the iPod 101 link you'll see illustrations of the tabs you need to access.

OK please help me! I have a huge problem well you see....

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