jbobst
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iTunes - installing to a new computer - how to properly move the music files
I am setting up a new computer for a friend who has an ipod (and of course itunes installed on the old computer). She has multiple itunes folder locations (somehow) on her old computer and it doesn't make much sense to me as to where itunes stores the actual music files (I assume they aren't mp3's but some sort of propietary file type). In order to make things as easy as possible, I am hoping that if I just install itunes on the new computer, can I then simply plug in the ipod device to the new computer and have it "sync" up with itunes? Meaning, will the new copy of itunes on the new computer download everything on the ipod and create the "libraries" and albums just like what is on the actual ipod device? My friend said that because she has one of the older original ipods, they were not able to download to a computer (originally) but she thinks maybe that the new itunes software will download it to the computer, without deleting the content of the ipod.
I know this question seems trivial, but I have helped her in the past, and she has no understanding of how files are located on hard disk(s)...she simply opens up the itunes software, and sees all her songs there. The problem is, awhile back, she ran out of hard drive space and she bought an external hard drive. I moved all her itunes files to the new hard drive, and I thought that all I needed to do was change the location of the library in itunes, but somehow everything got messed up and itunes didn't know where the music files were...or didn't display them they way it had been. I have never used itunes before or an ipod...other than the time I moved her files to an external drive and somehow messed things up for her.
At this point, I am just trying to find out if I can simply install itunes on the new computer and have it import all the music from her ipod (and not delete anything off the ipod).
Thanks,
I know this question seems trivial, but I have helped her in the past, and she has no understanding of how files are located on hard disk(s)...she simply opens up the itunes software, and sees all her songs there. The problem is, awhile back, she ran out of hard drive space and she bought an external hard drive. I moved all her itunes files to the new hard drive, and I thought that all I needed to do was change the location of the library in itunes, but somehow everything got messed up and itunes didn't know where the music files were...or didn't display them they way it had been. I have never used itunes before or an ipod...other than the time I moved her files to an external drive and somehow messed things up for her.
At this point, I am just trying to find out if I can simply install itunes on the new computer and have it import all the music from her ipod (and not delete anything off the ipod).
Thanks,
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Hi jbobst,
I am curious to see how well Yamipod works, as well, since I seem to be doing this for friends and family all of the time (i.e. new iPods, new PC's). I have a test PC that I can install YamiPod on and I'll try to upload my iPod songs to it and see if i have the same issue as you....or if I can give you a fix.
TK
I am curious to see how well Yamipod works, as well, since I seem to be doing this for friends and family all of the time (i.e. new iPods, new PC's). I have a test PC that I can install YamiPod on and I'll try to upload my iPod songs to it and see if i have the same issue as you....or if I can give you a fix.
TK
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jbobst -
1. To get the new iTunes to see the music .. just open iTunes, go to the File menu .. select Add to Library .. and point iTunes at the Music Folder where you copied all the music files. iTunes will rebuild the Library file and add all the music you've copied back into its index.
2. Sorry but you cannot link the iPod to the new iTunes without ERASING it .. but if you're happy that all the music has been copied to the new PC .. you can then safely erase and pair the iPod with the new iTunes. It will stupidly erase the iPod and then you rename it and copy all the music back onto the iPod .. silly but it is the way that Apple try and control iPods, iTunes and copy protected music.
1. To get the new iTunes to see the music .. just open iTunes, go to the File menu .. select Add to Library .. and point iTunes at the Music Folder where you copied all the music files. iTunes will rebuild the Library file and add all the music you've copied back into its index.
2. Sorry but you cannot link the iPod to the new iTunes without ERASING it .. but if you're happy that all the music has been copied to the new PC .. you can then safely erase and pair the iPod with the new iTunes. It will stupidly erase the iPod and then you rename it and copy all the music back onto the iPod .. silly but it is the way that Apple try and control iPods, iTunes and copy protected music.
ASKER
Also, when I plug in the ipod, it says that the ipod is synced (or something like that) to another computer...and that it can only be synced to one computer. It wants to erase the ipod! Is there no way to transfer it's pairing to the new computer? I guess that since I have downloaded everything off the ipod, it would be ok to have it erase the ipod, and then I would have to re-upload all the music...it just scares me a little that I might loose music, album information, or something during this process...