Ask iLounge 1-22-10

Article

Ask iLounge offers readers the opportunity to get answers to their iPod-, iPhone-, iPad-, iTunes-, or Apple TV-related questions from a member of the iLounge editorial team. We'll answer several questions here each week, and of course, you can always get help with more immediate concerns from the iLounge Discussion Forums. Submit your questions for consideration using our Ask iLounge Submit Form. We reserve the right to edit questions for grammar, spelling, and length.

The most asked question at iLounge.com:

How do I copy content from my iPod/iPhone onto my computer?

Converting DVDs, web video, TV shows and more:

The Complete Guide to iPod, Apple TV and iPhone Video Formats

Converting DVDs, web video, TV shows and more:

The Complete Guide to iPod, iPhone and Apple TV Video Conversion (Mac)

Converting DVDs, web video, TV shows and more:

The Complete Guide to iPod, iPhone and Apple TV Video Conversion (Win)

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Find more answers in the latest publications in our Library. Free downloads developed by the editors of iLounge!

And now, for this week's Ask iLounge column:

Hi. We just restored my grandson’s iPod touch and now all his purchased games and applications are gone. How do I get them back at no cost?

- Brandon

If your grandson’s iPod touch has been synchronized with iTunes since those applications were purchased, they should normally have been transferred back to iTunes automatically. Note, however, that this only occurs if the computer that you are synchronizing with is also authorized for the iTunes Store account that was used to purchase those particular applications.

You can check to see if the applications are in your iTunes library simply by looking at the “Applications” section in the iTunes Source list on the left-hand side. If so, you should be able to transfer these back to the iPod touch simply by selecting them from the “Applications” tab in the iPod touch synchronization settings.

If for whatever reason these applications cannot be found in your iTunes library, you will need to download them again from the iTunes Store. The good news here, however, is that Apple allows you to re-download any applications that you have previously purchased at no additional cost. Simply attempt to purchase the application as you normally would, either through iTunes or on the iPod touch directly, and you should be notified that you have already purchased this application and be offered the opportunity to download it again for free.

In the future, simply ensuring that the iTunes library on your computer is authorized for the same iTunes Store account as the iPod touch will allow you to have your purchased applications backed up to your iTunes library when you sync the iPod touch. You can manually authorize iTunes for your iTunes Store account simply by choosing Authorized Computer from the Store menu in iTunes and entering your iTunes Store user ID and password. Note that you can authorize your computer for more than one iTunes Store account as well.

I am looking for software or a solution that can join multiple tracks of audiobook files into one single file—I know there are programs to convert MP3 files into a single file, but I’m not sure if these will work for audiobooks?

- Anonymous

If your audiobook tracks are in MP3 format then any software that can be used to join MP3 files can be used. For all intents and purposes, an MP3 file is an MP3 file regardless of whether it contains audiobook data or music—only the tags within the iTunes database itself differentiate these files in terms of where they appear in iTunes.

If you’re joining longer audiobooks together, however, you may want to take advantage of the chapter markers feature in iTunes and on the iPod and iPhone to make it easier to navigate within your audiobook. There are a couple of audiobook-specific applications that can do this for you. MarkAble and Chapter Master from iPodSoft (http://www.ipodsoft.com) are a pair of applications for Windows that provide the ability to join audiobooks and add chapter markers to them, respectively. Mac users can use Audiobook Builder by Splasm Software (http://www.splasm.com), which handles both tasks in a single application, in addition to providing several other features.

Note that if you’re importing audiobooks from CD, you can also simply have iTunes merge the audiobook tracks during import without the need for any additional software, although the utilities above will still be necessary for adding chapter markers if you need this capability. Our Complete Guide to Audiobooks, Podcasts and iTunes U provides more details on how to handle this.

I’ve read and employed your tips from “Transferring Your iTunes Library.” Works great. Thanks. I recently added a bunch of copies of CDs, consolidated, and they transferred to the external drive, but the files appeared to be still resident on my hard drive. I’d like to get rid those new GBs to free up the limited space on my MacBook Air hard drive (80GB). How do I do that?

- Pete

The problem here is that the “Consolidate” function actually merely copies tracks to your new location—it never moves anything. This is essentially a case of iTunes erring on the side of caution; if things go wrong then all of your original audio files are still in their original locations.

The solution is fairly simple, however: As long as you have your iTunes Media folder path set to the external hard drive, the Consolidate operation should copy everything to that new location. This means that any files that are left lying around on your internal hard drive have either already been copied or weren’t listed in your iTunes library in the first place. This basically means that after a consolidation any media files still in your “iTunes Media” folder on your internal hard drive can simply be deleted manually through the Finder.

For an extra level of confidence you can spot-check a few tracks simply by viewing their properties; select a track and choose File, Get Info and check the “Summary” tab to see where iTunes is storing that particular file.

The “Where” line at the bottom of the “Summary” tab will show the full path that iTunes is using for that particular track.

My laptop hard drive is nearly full. How can I add more songs to my iTunes library when my laptop hard drive is full? I have consolidated my iTunes library and backed it up to an external hard drive. Do I now have to delete my iTunes library content to create more space on my PC hard drive to allow me to add new songs? Do I then have to start a new library from scratch? When I sync my iPod will I have to manually sync it to store the new songs and new library, to keep those songs already on my iPod?

- Peter

The best solution in this case is to actually move your iTunes library to the external hard drive and start using it from that location. Basically, this just involves setting the iTunes Media folder path to the external hard drive and then using the “Consolidate” option to copy your iTunes media files over to the external hard drive. Your iTunes library database will remain on your laptop hard drive, but the media files will now be referenced from the external hard drive. Likewise, any new media files you import will be stored in that location on the external hard drive as well. As explained in the previous answer, the “Consolidate” option will only copy your media files to the external hard drive, so you will need to clean them up by deleting them from your laptop hard drive manually once you’re confident that everything has been updated properly on the external hard drive.

Note that the downside to this approach is that you won’t be able to access your media unless the external hard drive is connected, since all of your media files will be stored on the external hard drive. You can, however, keep a subset of your library on your internal hard drive for accessing when you’re away from your desk with your laptop. To do this, simply leave those files in your iTunes Media folder on your laptop; when the external hard drive is not connected, iTunes automatically falls back to looking for your media files in its default location, and will therefore be able to find and use any files it finds on your laptop hard drive as long as they’re in their proper locations in your iTunes Media folder.

Alternatively, you could set up a secondary iTunes library on your laptop for the content that you want to carry around with you, but this would be much more complicated to manage, as your playlists, ratings and playcounts will be handled separately and you will not be able to automatically sync your iPod to this secondary library.

You can find much more detail in our article on Transferring your iTunes Library, which covers the process step by step and discusses methods for using an external hard drive with a laptop computer.

Hello! I just finished your article on Transferring your iTunes library. It’s well done and you seem to have a great deal of knowledge on the subject of iTunes. With this, I was hoping you could help me with my problem. My computer crashed, but a friend was able to transfer the contents (my iTunes library and all) from my old hard drive to an external hard drive. Now I have a laptop that doesn’t have the room for all of the music, but I still want to have access to iTunes for my iPhone and iPod. How do I install iTunes on my external hard drive without wiping all my music and/or playlist that exist there? How do I run iTunes from my external hard drive, or can it even be done? I have 200+ GB that is on my external hard drive and don’t want to lose any of it, not to mention losing all those personal playlists! Any help you have with this problem would be greatly appreciated! Thank you for your time and have a great day!

- Pius

There are actually three separate pieces that you need to be aware of when talking about setting up or transferring an iTunes library.

The iTunes application is always installed on your local hard drive. This includes the executable for the iTunes program itself, as well as any support files and iTunes preference files.

The iTunes database is normally stored on your local hard drive, but you can tell iTunes at startup to create or use an iTunes database from another location.

iTunes’ media content is also stored by default on your local hard drive in a new iTunes library, but media files can also be references from other locations on your local hard drive or external hard drives, and you can choose a different location for the iTunes Media folder in iTunes’ Advanced Preferences.

In your case, you would install iTunes on your computer as you normally would—it’s going to get installed on your local hard drive no matter what, and the external hard drive’s iTunes library is irrelevant to this process. By default, the first time you start iTunes, it will create a new library database on your local hard drive, and set the iTunes Media folder path to a default location on your local hard drive as well. This will not affect anything stored on your external hard drive as iTunes doesn’t know anything about this.

In this particular case, the normal way of handling this would be to copy all of the recovered iTunes folders—database and media—from the external hard drive back to your local hard drive. Unfortunately, since you don’t have room on your internal hard drive, you’ll instead have to tell iTunes to use the database directly from the new location. To do this, you would simply hold down the SHIFT key (Windows) or OPT key (Mac) when starting iTunes and choose your iTunes folder on the external hard drive. This will open your iTunes library database from that location, and you should see all of your music and playlists displayed there.

Likewise, switching to the new iTunes database location should also automatically switch iTunes to using the “iTunes Media” folder in that location. You can confirm this by going into your iTunes Preferences and checking the Media Folder location on the Advanced tab.

The only real issue is whether iTunes will be able to actually find your media content. The problem is that iTunes stores the full path to your media files in its library database, so it will still be looking for your media files on your internal hard drive—in the location that they were stored on your original computer. The good news is that when iTunes can’t find a media file in its specific location, it falls back to searching in the default location where that file would be under the “iTunes Media” folder. If your media content had previously been properly organized by iTunes into its default folder structure then iTunes should be able to automatically locate all of your media files in the new iTunes Media folder on your external hard drive, and you should be fine.

On the other hand, if you had used a custom organization for your media files instead of letting iTunes organize them for you, then you will need to put them back into their original locations on your internal hard drive and use the “Consolidate” option to move them to the external hard drive properly. Since you don’t have enough space on your internal hard drive for your entire iTunes Media collection, you would need to do this in stages: Move as many files back to your internal hard drive as you can, consolidate them to the new iTunes Media folder on the external hard drive, delete them from your internal hard drive, and then repeat the process with the next group of files.

I use OS X version 10.4.11 on a G4 laptop (Power PC) Mac. If I move my iTunes library to an external hard drive, can I burn a music CD (using my Mac’s internal CD burner) of files which exist on the external drive? In other words, I need to burn CD’s from an iTunes library that exists on an external (USB interface) hard drive. Can I do it?

- Jim

The short answer is yes. iTunes doesn’t really care where your media files are stored; it treats every location equally in that regard.

The only possible problem is if you have a really slow external hard drive, such as an older drive with a USB 1.1 interface. In this case, it’s possible that the data transfer from the external hard drive may not be fast enough for the CD burning process, which might result in errors during the burn. Even in this situation, however, you could simply slow down your burning speed to allow the hard drive transfers to keep up just by selecting a lower “Preferred Speed” in the dialog box that appears when burning a CD.

This would be a pretty rare problem, however, as in most cases even older USB 1.1 hard drives should be able to keep up with normal CD burning speeds, particularly with modern CD-R drives.

Ask iLounge Archives:

2-3-12: Deleting pictures from Photo Stream, Transferring Apps to a new iTunes library, Apple Universal Dock and iPhone 4S, Getting Track Names after CD Import, Video Playlists on the iPad

11-25-11: Removing music after activating iTunes Match, Smart Playlists and iTunes Match, Backing up data from an iPhone, Syncing MP3s to an iPod nano, Migrating Playlists to a new Computer

11-11-11: Configure Apple IDs on family iOS devices, Recovering lost audiobooks, Unable to disable passcode lock on iOS devices, Buying an iPod for audio-only use, Preventing deleted tracks from coming back from an iOS device

11-4-11: iPhone 4S storage capacity doesn't match, Transferring HD video from iPhone 4S to a computer, Recovering photos from iPod touch, Notification Center and iMessage in iOS 5

10-21-11: Using iCloud's Find My iPhone on older devices, Batch deleting photos in Camera Roll, Using iTunes Gift Cards internationally, Audiobooks and iCloud, Merging contacts from two devices into iCloud

See the rest of the Archives...

10-7-11: iPhone 4S battery life, New features in iPhone 4S, Buying iPhone 4S Unlocked, iPod nano and Nike+ Kit, Purchasing iPhone 4S for use abroad

9-30-11: Opening iTunes library from external hard drive, Moving Playlists to iPod, Downgrading iOS on iPod touch 2G, Playing Playlists in iTunes, Problems with iTunes opening automatically when connecting an iPhone

9-23-11: iOS 5 release and OTA installation, Transferring Purchases to iTunes, iPad and iPhone charger compatibility, iPod touch and regional App Stores, Find My iPhone and Remote Lock/Wipe, Previous iTunes Libraries Folder

9-2-11: Transferring iTunes library from Mac to Windows, Reading ebooks on iPod classic, Recovering lost password on iPod touch, Transferring music from a Windows iPod touch to a Mac, Backing up in iTunes 10.4

8-26-11: Updating playlists when consolidating iTunes files, Migrating from iPod touch to iPad, Buying and listening to music on multiple devices, Updating firmware on 4G iPod, Backing up iPhone without a computer

8-5-11: iCloud and Find My iPhone, Mac app for converting DVDs to iTunes, Clearing Sort Fields in iTunes, Importing MP3 audiobooks into iTunes, Creating iTunes library on external hard drive

7-29-11: Adjusting iPod touch ringer volume, iPod touch and wired networks, Consolidating information from two iPhones, Changing Apple IDs on an iPad, Track information not appearing when importing into iTunes

7-8-11: Using Start and End times with Apple TV, Sending Photos to Apple TV via AirPlay, Track Info greyed out in iTunes, iPhone upgrade eligibility, Downloading Album Artwork

7-1-11: Sharing multiple iTunes libraries on one computer, Burning MP3 CDs, Organizing audiobooks on iPod classic, Identify tracks not in any playlists, Copying content from a Mac-formatted iPod to Windows

6-24-11: FaceTime Edition: Costs for using FaceTime, FaceTime iPod model compatibility, Using FaceTime internationally, Using Multiple FaceTime devices in the same family, Missing FaceTime icon on iPod touch, Receiving FaceTime calls when out of coverage

6-17-11: Importing videos into iMovie for iPad, Switching to a new iPod touch, Transferring iTunes library database, User ID requirements for old iPod classic, Burning a CD from an iPod touch

5-20-11: Connecting an iPod to a stereo, Problems moving an iTunes library, Gifting apps, Problems joining CD tracks, Streaming AirPlay from a line-in source

4-15-11: Problems sending e-mail over Wi-Fi, Syncing iPhone content from different computers, Resetting a used iPod touch, Javascript on the iPad, Renaming an iOS device

4-8-11: Setting up an iTunes Store account for a child, Organizing Music Videos in iTunes, Album art missing on iPod touch purchases, Finding a serial number for a missing iPod, Purchases not syncing to iPod nano

4-1-11: Syncing existing apps to new iPad 2, iPod classic microphone compatibility, Recovering lost iTunes Store purchases, Recovering non-purchased content from iPod, Displaying unique artwork for compilation albums

3-25-11: Apple TV not showing Descriptions, Using a U.S. iPad 2 in other countries, Transferring iPod music to iPad 2, Audiobooks on iPod touch, Using an iPad on Windows

2-25-11: Redeeming iTunes Gifts on iOS, Finding MP3 tracks in iTunes, iPad Camera Connector on iOS 4.2, Backing up iTunes Playlists, iPad Video Formats and Battery Life

2-6-11: Removing playlists from iPod, 2G/3G iPod touch cases, iPod charging cables, Locating Apps folder, Transferring audiobooks to iPod

1-28-11: Car Bluetooth receivers, Editing Contacts on iPod touch, iPod touch shuffles songs, iPad and Bluetooth headsets, iPod touch and external keyboards

1-14-11: Transferring iPod classic from Mac to PC, Cover Flow on 30GB iPod, Transferring iTunes library between two external hard drives, iPod shuffle dock adapters, Connecting iPhone to a new iTunes library

11-19-10: Gifting Apps, Backing up Apps, Cleaning up old folders after moving iTunes library, FaceTime data usage, Storing iTunes videos on a different hard drive

11-12-10: Music videos play audio only, Advanced Smart Playlists, Transferring iTunes to another user account, iPhone 4 Case Program, Restoring a locked iPod touch

10-29-10: Viewing content on iPod from iTunes, Playing iTunes at a party, Viewing available space on iPhone, Recovering content from an iPod nano, Moving an iTunes Library to Windows 7

10-22-10: iTunes Store appears differently on another computer, Using iPod touch with an AV output cable, Transferring apps from iPad to iPod touch, Restoring iTunes from backup, Placing FaceTime calls with one e-mail address

10-15-10: Reorganizing content into a new iTunes library, Moving iPad+iPhone to a new computer, Hiding built-in apps on iPod touch, Missing built-in apps on iPod touch, Using iPod shuffle with older operating systems

10-8-10: Using Apple TV with different iTunes accounts, Setting up Apple TV on a different computer, Streaming content to Apple TV from other sources, Merging iTunes Store accounts, Importing music as audiobooks

10-1-10: iOS Calendar integration, Moving iTunes completely to an external hard drive, Automatically tagging imported movies, Recurring billing on iPad 3G, Transferring data to new iPad

9-24-10: On-The-Go Playlists with iOS 4, Using multiple iPods on one PC, Moving Apps and Artwork folders to external hard drive, Transferring Apps from iPod touch to iPhone, Syncing Genius Mixes to iPhone 4

9-17-10: Using iPhone 4 without cellular service, iPhone screen remains active during calls, Re-downloading Apps, Reset passcode on iPod touch, Copying audiobooks to iPod

9-10-10: Disk Use on iPod nano 6G, Using an iPhone and iPod touch on the same iTunes library, About iPod touch 4G Apps and Battery Life, Moving iTunes Library to a new Windows 7 PC, Upgrading to a new iPod touch

8-27-10: Using iPad 3G GPS without a data plan, Setting up iPod without installation CD, Movie Rental options don't appear in iTunes, iTunes prompts to remove apps from iPod, Recovering content from iPod touch

8-20-10: Accessing Internet Radio from iOS Remote app, Converting an iPod touch from Windows to Mac, Home Screen Wallpaper not available in iOS 4, Transferring non-purchasd content to a new computer, Managing multiple iTunes Libraries with different preferences

8-13-10: Restoring iPod touch onto iPhone, iPhone 3G only plays monaural audio, Corrupt iPod Photo Cache, Sharing Apps between family iPods, Not all songs transfer to iPod, Unknown playlists in iTunes

7-30-10: Transferring playlists from iPod touch to iPhone, Tracking Changes in Word Docs on iPad, Alarm Clock apps for iPhone, Problems connecting to iTunes Store, Transferring video from iPod nano 5G

7-23-10: Upgrading to a new iPhone, Using GPS car kit with Bluetooth stereo, Viewing podcast info on iPod classic, Deleting Apps from iTunes, Cleaning up content on iPod marked Other, Finding a lost iPod touch

7-9-10: Transferring iBookstore purchases between devices, Transferring files manually onto iPod touch, Sending e-mail attachments from iPhone, Transferring apps from iPhone to iPad, Selecting music to sync to iPhone

7-2-10: Accessing iTunes U on iPad, Transferring video from 5G nano to iPad, Compilations and Artist listing on iPod classic, Backing up and erasing iPhone 3G, Downloading podcasts outside of iTunes, iPhone 4 Retina Display apps on iPad

6-11-10: iPod touch prompts for old iTunes password, SMS message storage on iPhone, 3G iPod and iM600 speakers, Adding music from iPod nano to iPhone, Converting tracks in iTunes and iPod, Syncing selected music to iPad

6-4-10: iPad 3G and International use, Extra authorized computers in iTunes, Adding music to multiple iTunes libraries, Adding purchased music to iPod from another computer, Problems playing back CDs burned in iTunes, Large amount of Other content on iPod

5-14-10: Storing iPhone apps in a different folder, Removing games on iPod classic, Transferring videos from iPod nano, Continual iPod charging, Bluetooth A2DP support on iPad, Resetting iPod touch password lockout

4-30-10: Updated ID3 tags in iTunes, Problems downloading free updates from iTunes Store, Transferring Keynote files to iPad, Opening iTunes library from external hard drive, Restoring iPod and content, Syncing iPod to a new computer

4-23-10: Converting lossless tracks for iPod, Repairing corrupted iPod filesystem, Syncing existing apps to a new iPad, Streaming iTunes Radio in the car, iPads and iTunes Store authorization limits

4-16-10: Pairing iPod touch with Bluetooth headsets, Adding lyrics in iTunes for Mac, Restoring playlists on a new computer, Upgrading iPod touch to 3.0, iPod touch shows iTunes logo, Adding playlists to iPhone

4-9-10: Copying text from iBooks, Using iPad without Wi-Fi access, Syncing one iPad to multiple libraries, Setting up an iPad as a gift, Conserving space on iPod, Gifting an iPod touch, Syncing and backup up iPhone Notes

3-19-10: Restoring iPhone from Backup, Sharing Apps on multiple iPhones, Syncing Recently Added playlist, Older iPods and firmware updates, iPad and Remote Desktop control apps, iPhone Sync Cable compatibility

3-12-10: Syncing iPod with new iTunes library, Excluding selected playlists from sync, Sharing iTunes content on multiple iPhones, iPad and iTunes sync options, Shuffle playlists on iPod classic, Creating iPhone ringtones

3-5-10: Running iTunes app on external hard drive, iPod shuffle shows no content, Switching Apple ID in iTunes, External microphones for 5G nano, Removing columns in iTunes, iPod Dock and Remote control solutions

2-26-10: iPad Edition II: Sharing files between apps, iPad font support, Connecting to projectors, Using external storage, Downloading third-party music, iBooks and dictionary support

2-19-10: Checkmarks in iTunes, Storing files on iPhone, Identifying songs not in playlists, Black Dock adapters, Transferring purchased apps from iPod touch, Reformatting iPod for Mac

2-12-10: Using iPod with purchased content in different countries, Playing WMV e-mail attachments on iPhone, Deauthorizing iTunes, iPhone background audio recording, Displaying photos via TV out, Transferring saved photos from iPod touch

2-5-10: Recovering iPod serial number from iTunes, Using apps on new iPod touch, Transferring apps to another iPod touch, iPod touch and apps requiring OS 3.x, iTunes Media Folder path and network drives, Backing up audiobooks to CD

1-29-10: The iPad Edition: Updating Apps for iPad, iPad Accessory compatibility, iPad and iPhone tethering support, AT&T Wi-Fi access, Annotation support in iBooks

1-22-10: Recovering iPhone apps, Joining Audiobook tracks, Cleaning up after iTunes Consolidation, Moving iTunes to an external hard drive, Recovering iTunes onto an external hard drive, Burning CDs from an external hard drive

12-18-09: Audiobook Burn Limits, iPod touch audio quality, Adding a second family iPod to iTunes, Accessing iPod Diagnostics Mode, Track numbers appear in track names, Syncing playlists to iPod

12-11-09: Resetting iTunes authorizations, iPod capacity for audiobooks, iPod docks and line-out, Audio output from iPod shuffle, Resuming playlists on iPod touch, Syncing newer iPods with older versions of iTunes

12-4-09: Syncing iPod with no Internet access, Syncing a replacement iPod, Removing synced photos from iPhone, iPhone and iPod external batteries, Transferring photos from iPod nano to computer, Saving iTunes before an OS reinstall

11-27-09: Identifying purchased tracks in iTunes, iPhone 3GS Airplane Mode requirement, Advanced Smart Playlists in iTunes 9, Restoring iTunes from external hard drive, iTunes Store country restrictions, iPod nano 5G speaker compatibility

11-20-09: Sharing iTunes libraries between two user accounts, Enlarging text on iPhone 3GS, Transferring an iPod to a new user, iPhone shuffles when walking, New 8GB iPod touch models, Transferring purchases from a remote iTunes library

11-13-09: Syncing different contact info with two iPhones on the same computer, iPod shows no content, Syncing music and videos in playlists, Exclamation marks next to tracks in iTunes, Playing podcasts on 3G iPod shuffle.

11-6-09: Storing iPod software updates, Playing an iPod continuously, Transferring play counts to a new iTunes library, iPhone backups, Klipsch S4i earphones

10-30-09: Authorization problems with iPod touch, Changing Grid View background in iTunes, iTunes library and Music Folder are different sizes, Older iPods and firmware updates, Reconciling two different iTunes libraries, Syncing multiple devices to one iTunes library

10-23-09: Using a laptop with an iTunes library on an external hard drive, Transferring YouTube videos to iPod, iPod touch accessibility settings, Disabling Shake to Shuffle on iPod nano, Purchased songs fail to download from iTunes Store, Charging and powering off iPhone

10-16-09: Moving iTunes to a new computer, Transferring contacts from Blackberry to an iPhone, Disabling iPhone Backups, Using AV cables for audio only, Problems syncing photos to iPod touch, Memorex iFlip and iPhone compatibility

10-9-09: iPhone OS and external keyboards, Adjusting ratings in a remote iTunes library, Excluding tracks from Genius Mixes, Moving iTunes library out of My Documents, Playlist folders on iPod touch, Refreshing random Smart Playlists

9-25-09: iTunes 9 and Shopping Cart, Restoring iTunes to an external hard drive, Using an HTTP Proxy over 3G, Problems transferring movies from iTunes to IPhone, iPod touch shuffle mode, Using an iPhone without a SIM card

9-18-09: Recovering unlisted media content from iPod, Repeat and continuous video playback on iPod touch, iPhone 3G vs 3GS, Customizing iTunes sorting, Rebuilding an iTunes library, Removing artwork from iPod in iTunes 9

9-11-09: Genius Mixes and iPod classic, Drag-and-drop content to iPod, Sharing home libraries in iTunes 9, Using an iPod without iTunes, Waking to a playlist on iPod touch, Kensington LiquidAUX, Disabling Geotagging Warnings

8-28-09: Consolidating Multiple iTunes Libraries, iPod touch Bluetooth headset compatibility, iPod holds less than advertised number of songs, Transferring media between iTunes Store accounts

8-21-09: Recover Contact/Calendar info from iPod touch, Connect iPod without automatic sync, Managing On-The-Go playlists, iPhone and Stereo Bluetooth Support, Sharing an iTunes library between multiple users on the same computer, Disabling Shake-to-Shuffle on iPod nano

8-14-09: Syncing iPod touch apps and data with a new iTunes library, Automatically adding media files to multiple iTunes libraries from a network share, Downgrading to iTunes 7, iPod nano and disk mode, Displaying release dates on iPod, Playing iPod through TV USB port

8-7-09: Clean up album artwork in iTunes, Syncing media content and calendar/contact info from different computers, Reorganizing recovered tracks in iTunes, Using multiple iPods and iPhones on one computer

7-31-09: Using an iPod and a Zune, iPod and on-TV menus, Backing up Notes from IPod touch, Sharing an iTunes library between a Mac and a PC, Waterproof earphones, 3G iPod and iPhone Accessory compatibility, Shure earphones

7-24-09: Displaying recent plays on web site, iPhone and car integration, iPod classic TV output, Renaming iPhone, Sound quality on different iPod models, iPod shuffle accessory compatibility

7-17-09: Transferring saved application data to new iPhone, Recovering Content from Mac iPod on Windows, iPhone 3GS and charging accessories, Recreating Recently Added playlist, Restoring old iPod touch, Track sorting on iPod classic

7-10-09: Passwords on iPod touch, iPod headphone jack problems, Tagging tracks imported from CD, Adding chapter markers to audiobooks, first-generation iPhone and stereo Bluetooth, Nike+ shoes

7-3-09: iPhone Recent Calls list and location info, iPod touch Bluetooth audio support, Car interface fails after 3.0 upgrade, iPhone battery life, iPhone stereo audio recording,

6-26-09: Recovering a dead iPod touch after 3.0 update, Battery Percentage Display on iPhone 3.0, Options hidden after 3.0 update, iPhone locked after 3.0 update, Managing videos on iPhone, iPod classic accessory compatibility

6-12-09: Conserving power on iPhone, Syncing iPhone Notes, Syncing Apps on new iPod touch, Block pop-ups in Safari, Syncing new iPhone, Playing multiple albums

5-29-09: Sorting tracks in iTunes, iPhone Bluetooth Headset Dock, Recovering Mac-formatted iPod on Windows, Screen damage on 4G iPod nano, Syncing purchased tracks back to iTunes, Managing a class set of iPods

5-22-09: Syncing iTunes content between computers, Importing music into iTunes, Re-transferring apps from a new iTunes library, New iPods and charging accessories, Using multiple iTunes libraries

5-15-09: Starting out with an external hard drive, Syncing playlists manually, Recovering lost iPod serial number, Music count vs Playlist count, Multiple iTunes Store accounts on the same computer, Optimizing album artwork

5-8-09: Organizing audiobooks, Problems transferring purchased items back to iTunes, Keeping played podcast episodes on iPod, Transferring iTunes library to a new computer, iPod shows no content, Using a new iPod with an existing iTunes library

4-24-09: Playing iTunes purchases on a non-networked computer, Finding iPod manuals online, Sharing an iTunes library between separate user accounts, Equalizer on iPod shuffle, Recovering content from Apple TV, Screenshots on iPod touch

4-17-09: Converting tracks to higher bit-rates, Using iPod with non-iTunes content, Using iTunes with an external hard drive, Expired rentals don't delete on iPod, Using only part of a song, Restoring 4G iPod stuck on AC adapter icon

3-27-09: Transferring iTunes library from XP to Vista, Using iPhone as an alarm clock, Splitting iTunes library across two iPods, Recovering iPod onto a computer with an existing iTunes library, Purchased TV Shows stuck in downloads folder, Tagging tracks as Audiobooks in iTunes 8

3-20-09: Using two iPods on a single computer, iPod shuffle 2G/3G accessory compatibility, Displaying TV Show seasons separately in iTunes, Playing iPod through secondary computer, Stopping iPod playback on iPhone, iPod touch 2G and Dock audio

3-13-09: iPod touch vs iPhone, Storing music only on your iPod, Problems transferring rented content, Managing content manually on iPod shuffle, iPod lyrics display, Playing video out to TV from iPhone

3-6-09: iPhone playback on other computers, Games on iPod classic and 5G, Transferring iTunes tracks to SD cards, Group compilations on iPhone, Transferring your iTunes library, iPhone Car Integration

2-27-09: Problems transferring iTunes content to external hard drives, Using an iTunes library database from an external hard drive, Converting Palm address book for iPod touch, How iTunes organizes music videos, Preventing iPhoto from opening when connecting an iPod touch

2-20-09: Video docks for 5G iPod, Connecting an old iPod to a new iTunes library, Downloading iTunes 8 on another computer, Erasing a used iPod and starting fresh, Recovering photos from an iPod, Tracking purchases in iTunes

2-13-09: Waterproof cases and sound quality, Upgrading to iTunes Plus with a manually managed iPod, Reinstalling games on the iPhone, iPhone 3G Dock options, Fixing album artwork problems, Display iTunes Applications category

2-6-09: iPod nano voice memo format, Buying iPods abroad, Skipping a playlist when shuffling, Adjusting playback speed of music tracks, Not all TV Shows syncing to iPod, Checking and unchecking multiple items in iTunes

1-23-09: Synchronizing contacts to iPod touch, Pairing iPhone Remote app, iPhone call audio via Dock Connector, Recovering iPhone apps, New iPods and charging, Remote control of Windows via iPhone

1-16-09: Creating Smart Playlists based on other playlists, Transferring or syncing an iTunes library between two computers, Converting Mac-formatted iPod to Windows, Using Artist and Sort Artist fields, Using an iPod on more than one computer, Importing audiobook CDs as audiobooks

1-2-09: Parents controls on iPod touch, Running iTunes from an external hard drive, Search feature on 5G iPods, Syncing videos to iPod touch, Safari problems on iPod touch, Other content on iPod shuffle

12-19-08: Keeping podcast episodes, iPod and TV USB inputs, Converting PC-formatted iPod to Mac, iPod touch e-mail accounts, Backing up iTunes to a hard drive, Managing and syncing iPod touch On-The-Go playlists

12-12-08: Classifying videos in iTunes 8, Sharing music between iPods, Sharing apps between iTunes libraries on the same computer, iH9 and iPhone compatibility, Recreating Purchased folder, Locating Music Videos

12-5-08: Creating custom slideshows for Apple TV, Optimal album artwork size, Transferring iPod touch from PC to Mac, Upgrading to a new iPod touch, Authorizing iPod Games on new computer, Managing iPod content manually

11-21-08: iPod keeps resetting, Organizing iPhone apps, iPod touch video accessories, iPod-compatible online music sources, Reordering playlists manually

11-14-08: Cover Flow on 4G iPod nano, Setting up iPod touch without Internet access, Internet radio for iPod touch, Apps button missing on iPod touch, mm50 speakers and new iPod models, Including Year field on iPod

« Editorial: Apple’s Tablet - Likely Transformative, Beyond The Sum Of Its Parts

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Comments

1

Hello. I have an old ipod 40gb plus 2 1GB shuffles, one for the gym and one for out and about, travelling on the bus etc. The problem is loading music onto the shuffles - often when I try to drag tunes from the library (ripped from normal CD’s I have bought) a message says the tune was not copied as it cannot be played on that ipod. Can you help?
thanks. Suzerne.

Posted by suzerne on January 26, 2010 at 2:27 PM (PDT)

2

if you have a two-year warranty and you break your ipod touch 2G for a certain reason, can you return it to a local apple store and recieve a free new one?

Posted by Alex on January 27, 2010 at 7:48 AM (PDT)

3

Will the IPad run 3rd party apps like Quickbooks?

Posted by Brian Hurst on January 30, 2010 at 8:50 PM (PDT)

4

hi my computer shut down while my ipod ws attached now all my music and videos have been tansferred to “other” on my ipod. is there anyway of getting them back or do i have to sart over again??

Posted by anamar on March 11, 2010 at 8:49 PM (PDT)

5

I have been attempting to download apps to my ipod touch second generation. They show up in the iTunes Store, Applications, but when I synchronize, they do not appear on the ipod. I have looked through some questions that are relevant, and I do not have (or cannot figure out how to do it) the capacity to change synchronize settings on either the computer or ipod. I looked at the photo of your ipod that showed the applications tab. I don’t know where to find it. I have looked throughout both the computer iTunes Store and ipod. Please help.

Posted by Kat Rohr on March 19, 2010 at 11:56 PM (PDT)

6

My brother will buy me ipad from America but I will use it out usa i will use in egypt and i have in egypt 3g i want know it is oky or not?

Posted by Ahmed on April 6, 2010 at 5:07 PM (PDT)

7

Hi There,

Is there a usb memory stick that I can save my music files my mac and is compatible with the ipad camera connecting usb port so i can plug it in to the ipad and transfer the files or play straight off the usb stick through the ipad??

can i have two documents open simaltaneously on the ‘Pages app’ on ipad and view them together or flick between them??

is there a way i can mirror my ipad screen on my wireless samsung plasma, so i can stream films, football through the ipad onto the tv??

I know there is a flash issue on the ipad but I heard there is an app from the appstore called ‘cloud browse’ which enables the flash sites on the net to work on ipad - is this true and how does it work ?? is it a seperate browser you surf through??

if you could help asap really appreciate it??
Thanks, Matt

Posted by matthew on October 29, 2010 at 6:30 AM (PDT)

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