iTunes on the computer

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

Okay, I have iTunes, and I have an iPad. Not every song I had was actually purchased through iTunes, some of them were acquired over time.

Ok, so here is my dilemma. A few months ago my computer - the source computer for where I plug my iPad when I want to sync, was affected by a virus, and it wouldn't start up. I haven't synced my iPad ever since.

My computer guy called me tonight and said that he was able to finally get the computer going, but many of the folders and programs were corrupted, including the iTunes folder. However, he was able to save the songs.

I had been doing home sharing with another computer, but I was wondering if there was any way to turn another computer into the source computer... perhaps after I move all of the songs that he saved, to it? I find it to be odd that Apple would ensure that only source computer can be used.

Thanks!

 

[Tora Ziyal]

Maybe I'm missing something here, but can't you just install iTunes on the new computer and then sync with your iPad? Or are your songs somehow not on the iPad? Sometimes I download music (from iTunes or wherever) to my iMac, and sometimes to my iPad, but either way, it all ends up on both.

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

I actually have iTunes on another computer. In fact, it was one of the other computers through which I have home hearing.

However, if I sync my iPad with it, I may lose all the stuff that's currently on my iPad because it was not the original computer that I started with, and doesn't have all the original stuff...

 

[RoJoHen]

If your music is already on your iPad, you should be fine. I think it will give you the option to choose from one source or the other; you can either copy everything from your iPad onto your computer, or you can copy everything from your computer onto your iPad. So if you re-install iTunes, you can use the current iPad library as your main library without anything being deleted.

 

[Avon]

itunes is a hassle, but thats what you get when u purchase shiny toys masquerading as technology.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

iTunes has always worked fine for me. In fact it's where all my music is. I don't even buy CDs, or have any in my possession.

 

[Kemaiku]

Never had a problem with mine either, since I stopped using Windows Media Player and the like things have gotten a lot more reliable and trouble free.

 

[Tora Ziyal]

I had a minor problem a couple versions ago, but none before or since.

 

[OmahaStar]

Maybe I'm missing something here, but can't you just install iTunes on the new computer and then sync with your iPad? Or are your songs somehow not on the iPad? Sometimes I download music (from iTunes or wherever) to my iMac, and sometimes to my iPad, but either way, it all ends up on both.

Yes. You can install iTunes on up to five computers, and download everything to them. For example, regular computer is 1, laptop is 2, work computer 3, etc.

iPad/iPhone does not count towards those numbers.

So yes, you can download iTunes, log in, and re-download whatever you had purchased (or bought "free") from iTunes. You'll have to re-do any podcasts, playlists, etc., but yes. You can do it.

 

[Relayer1]

OK - I have a similar problem. I have 13 days of music (all loaded from CD) on my Ipod and my old desktop with Itunes is dead. Very dead.

I have set up Itunes on another computer now but am scared to connect my Ipod to it as if it syncs, it will wipe my Ipod. I do not want to load 13 days of music from CD again.

I have a ton of new music that I want to put on my Ipod but don't want to lose whats already on it. I know it can be done, but I can't start playing around without risking losing it all - trial and error isn't an option !

Suggestions ?

 

[RoJoHen]

Sync your iPod. iTunes will give you the option to copy your iPod's library onto the computer. Nothing should get wiped.

 

[Roshi]

There's an "export library" function. Do it every now and then, just in case...

 

[Relayer1]

Sync your iPod. iTunes will give you the option to copy your iPod's library onto the computer. Nothing should get wiped.

It's the 'should' that worries me !

How do I just add a new CD manually without syncing ?

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

If you have an iPod full of stuff, but it's not the stuff in your existing iTunes library, when you connect the iPod to your computer iTunes will remind you that this iPod is synced to another iTunes library. It will then offer you the option of wiping out the iPod and replacing it with the contents of the library you now have.

iTunes will NOT copy what's on your iPod back into your library, unless - UNLESS - it's songs that you bought from the iTunes Store. If you have songs on your iPod that you scanned off of CDs, you will have to use utilities like PodWorks or Senuti to achieve the goal.

 

[Relayer1]

If you have an iPod full of stuff, but it's not the stuff in your existing iTunes library, when you connect the iPod to your computer iTunes will remind you that this iPod is synced to another iTunes library. It will then offer you the option of wiping out the iPod and replacing it with the contents of the library you now have.

iTunes will NOT copy what's on your iPod back into your library, unless - UNLESS - it's songs that you bought from the iTunes Store. If you have songs on your iPod that you scanned off of CDs, you will have to use utilities like PodWorks or Senuti to achieve the goal.

Thanks !

How about if I don't want to clutter up my new computer with loads of music files and just want to add my new CDs to my Ipod without losing the existing stuff. Is there a manual option and can it be selected BEFORE Itunes tries to scrub my Ipod clean ?

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ AFAIK, no. All songs that you want to add to your iPod must go through iTunes.

 

[OmahaStar]

^ AFAIK, no. All songs that you want to add to your iPod must go through iTunes.

Well, yes and no.

It IS possible to add them directly in two ways. 1) Open iTunes, have your iPod connected, and drag the song from your computer and drop it directly into the iPod, without adding it to your iTunes first. 2) view hidden folders on your computer, go to your iPod's folder, hunt around til you find mp3s, and copy them in.

The problem with that comes when you want to remove the songs from your iPod. They will show in your iPod list when connected to iTunes, where you would delete them ... but some part of it stays, because your iPod will think the files are still there. Going through your iPod itself (while not connected to iTunes) will still display them, like they can be played. The only way to truly remove them is to do a complete factory refresh/reset on your iPod. And that's a pain in the butt.

So yes, it can be done ... but not much point to it. You'd have the song on your pod, but not in your Tunes library. I don't see the point.

 

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

Ok.. my computer guy salvaged the songs and put them into a folder on my netbook that I can I can access. I have another desktop, with iTunes but it wasn't the source computer. How do I transfer these songs into my iTunes database that I now want to be my source computer for all future syncing?