Ask iLounge 4-12-07

Article

Ask iLounge offers readers the opportunity to get answers to their iPod-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 music from my iPod onto my computer?

Click here for the answer.

The second most asked question at iLounge.com:

How do I put DVDs on my iPod?

For converting DVDs, web video, TV shows and home movies to your iPod, iPhone or Apple TV, we have a three-part series outlining the best formats, settings, and various tools to use for converting all types of video content for use on these devices.

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

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

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

Top five questions most recently asked by iLounge readers:

Q: What are the best speakers to use with my iPod? (15, 76-79, and 90-92)

Q: What are the best headphones to use with my iPod? (10, 72-75, and 90-92)

Q: I really want to get a nice case for my iPod. Do you have any suggestions? (36-37, 54-67, and 90-92)

Q: How can I connect my iPod to my car stereo? (14, 32-35, 68-71, and 90-92)

Q: Are there any batteries that I can use to extend my iPod's battery life? (82-83 and 90-92)

A: Answers to these and many other questions can be found in two places. Our Free iPod Book 3.3 provides a complete report card to all of the iPod accessories we've reviewed as of summer 2007, as well as over 125 iTunes and iPod tips & tricks. Further, our new 2008 iPod & iPhone Buyers' Guide has accessory tutorials at the page numbers listed in parentheses above. These and other publications in our Library are free downloads, developed by the editors of iLounge!

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

Q: How do I transfer my DVDs to my iPod?

- Many iLounge Readers

A: Unfortunately, due to the various laws in different jurisdictions, Apple has not provided any direct method for importing DVDs into iTunes. Most commercial DVDs are copy-protected, and in some countries, including the United States, there are legal issues with circumventing copy protection mechanisms.

The result is that those users wanting to import DVDs into their iTunes library for use on their Apple TV or iPod are going to need to look for third-party solutions to do this. That said, there are essentially two stages to transferring a DVD onto an iPod. The first step involves extracting the video content from the DVD itself, and the second involves converting it to an iPod-ready format such as H.264. Some third-party programs will handle both of these tasks for you, in other cases separate applications are required.

Be aware that many commercial applications that extract or “rip” DVDs will only do so for unprotected DVDs, such as home-made or non-commercial DVDs. If you look carefully, you can usually see this indicated in the fine print on such packages. If you intend to purchase a software package for this, always ensure you check the fine print. For those in countries where DVD-to-iPod transfer is legal, there are tutorials in our iPod 101/201 section that should get you started on the path to transferring DVDs to your iPod on both the Mac or Windows platform:

The Complete Guide to iPod Video Formats and Display Resolutions

The Complete Guide to Converting DVDs to iPod Format (Mac)

Video-to-iPod Conversion for Windows PCs, Part 1

Video-to-iPod Conversion for Windows PCs, Parts 2-3

You can also find valuable information and recommendations for various DVD-to-iPod and video-to-iPod conversion applications in our TV & Videos Forum in the iLounge Discussion Forums.

Q: When i turn on my iPod nano a screen comes up asking me to enter a four-digit code. I do not know what this code is or who put the code on my iPod. How do i remove the code?

- Mary-Claire

A: This is the iPod “Screen Lock” feature that was introduced in the iPod nano and fifth-generation iPod. The screen lock is normally only activated once a code has been set and somebody has specifically locked the device.

Disabling the Screen Lock normally requires merely connecting the iPod to its “home” computer, at which point iTunes will unlock the iPod. However the “home” computer for this purpose is the computer that the iPod was first setup on, and may not necessarily be the same computer that you are now syncing the iPod to.

Further, although connecting the iPod to your home computer will unlock it, the actual lock code is not reset in this process. Although the Screen Lock feature does not activate automatically, if you or somebody else were to activate the Screen Lock feature, you would again find yourself in the same situation.

If you do not have access to your original iTunes computer, or you want to actually remove the lock code, the only solution is to “restore” your iPod from iTunes. This will erase everything on the iPod itself, returning it to its original “out-of-the-box” factory settings, so ensure that you have a backup of your music as you will have to reload it onto your iPod afterwards.

To perform the restore procedure simply connect the iPod to your computer, select it in iTunes, and choose the “Restore” button from the Summary screen that appears. As an added bonus, since restoring the iPod resets it to factory settings, the computer that you use to restore the iPod will become its new “home” computer for unlocking purposes.

Ideally, it is always best to set a lock code of your own on a new iPod, even if you do not plan to use the Screen Lock feature. Since the lock code cannot be changed without knowing the old code, this will prevent anybody else from setting their own code on your iPod and locking you out of it.

Q: I previously used an iTunes library on my husband’s laptop, but now I have installed iTunes on my own laptop. When I plug in my iPod it tells me that the iPod is in sync with a different iTunes library and that to proceed I need to delete all my music from the iPod. I simply want to now use my iPod and iTunes on my computer, what do I do?

- Doreen

A: When using automatic sync mode with an iPod, you can only have that iPod associated with a single iTunes library, which the iPod basically becomes a mirror image of. Therefore, associating your iPod with a new library will indeed replace all of the existing content on your iPod with the content from that library.

There are a few different ways that moving an iPod to a new computer can be handled.

If you still have access to the old computer and the music collection is not significantly large, it might be easiest to simply transfer the existing iTunes library from the old computer to the new one in its entirety, including the iTunes library database file.

To do this in a default iTunes configuration, you simply need to copy the entire “iTunes” directory from the old computer to the new one. This directory will be located under the user’s “My Music” folder in Windows or the “Music” folder on a Mac. The copy should be placed in the same relative location on the new computer. The data can be copied using any number of methods for moving large amounts of data, including burning CDs/DVDs, an external hard drive, or a network connection.

The advantage of this method is that you transfer the entire library and all related information to the new computer. This includes information such as ratings, play counts, playlists, and of course the information about the iPod(s) that were associated to that library. Essentially, once you have done this, syncing with the new laptop should be an identical experience to syncing with the old computer.

Copying the original library data is by far the best solution, but if you do not have access to the original computer, or do not have a practical means to transfer a large amount of data between the two computers, the other method available is to recreate the library using information on the iPod itself. Our iPod 201 article, Copying Music from iPod to Computer goes into specific details on how to do this.

While recovering the music itself is relatively simple, the important thing to keep in mind is that if you want to preserve additional information such as your playlists, ratings, and play counts, you will need to use a third-party application such as CopyPod (Windows) or iPodRip (Mac/Windows). These applications can read the iPod’s database and use this information to rebuild your iTunes library.

You can also find more discussion and ideas on how to do this in the thread the thread How to Copy songs from your iPod to your hard drive in the iLounge Discussion Forums.

Q: I would like to know now whether you can delete songs from an iPod using a computer other than the one that it was originaly saved to? I just bought a 2GB nano and am going overseas and will have to manage my music on a new machine, will I be able to delete and add?

- Vilija

A: Although you cannot delete tracks directly from the iPod itself without connecting it to a computer, if you set the iPod to manual management in iTunes, you will be able to access the content directly on the iPod through iTunes and delete individual tracks on the iPod from iTunes.

The process of setting the iPod to manual mode was discussed in last week’s Ask iLounge column.

Once you’ve set the iPod to manual mode, you can browse through the content on it by clicking on the small triangle that appears to the left of it in the iTunes source pane. This will expand a list of the different categories of content and the playlists on the iPod. To view and manage the music content, simply select the appropriate entry. You can then delete files from the iPod in the same way that you would from the iTunes library itself.

Like in iTunes itself, keep in mind that if you select a playlist and delete tracks, they will not be removed from the iPod, but merely from the playlist. You will need to use SHIFT-DELETE (Windows) or OPT-DELETE (Mac) when viewing a playlist if you want to remove those tracks completely from the iPod.

If you are unable to use iTunes or prefer not to for some reason, there are a number of alternative third-party iPod management applications that can be used instead. The advantage of some of these is that they are smaller applications that you can install on the iPod itself (as an external hard disk) and therefore run on a computer that may not have iTunes installed on it. You can find a number of third-party solutions in our Software Downloads section.

Note that if you delete tracks from your iPod while away from your home library and then later return to your home computer and start using automatic synchronization again, any content you’ve deleted will be re-added to your iPod from that library. Further, any content you may have added from a secondary computer will also be erased unless it also exists in the “home” iTunes library.

Q: If we buy an iPod in the USA, can we buy accessories in which to dock it in Europe? Specifically I’m thinking of just purchasing an iPod from an Apple Store in the U.S. and then buying accessories such as speakers and a docking station when I return to Europe?

- Missy

A: Certainly! With the obvious exception of the Shuffle, every iPod model since the third-generation iPod has used the same Dock Connector port, regardless of where they are sold. Therefore, all accessories specifically made to use the iPod’s Dock Connector port will also work, regardless of where they are purchased.

There should be no difference in charging or powering an iPod through any Dock Connector based accessory that you would purchase. The differences in voltage between North America and Europe are irrelevant in this case, as any iPod accessory will include a transformer to output the proper voltage to the iPod (which is much lower than the external mains power in either case). Obviously, you’ll only need to be concerned about travelling with those accessories, however, as they might not be designed to physically connect to wall outlets outside of Europe.

Q: I bought my 12-year old son an 80GB iPod. He wants speakers and I don’t have a clue. I am electronically illiterate. He wants something portable and I want something that will survive. I don’t see the movie type in the “select your iPod” within your reviews.

- Sheryl

A: The iPod you’re referring to would be the fifth-generation iPod, or the “iPod with video.”

As explained in the previous answer, the Dock Connector port for the iPod is a standard port. Further, the fifth-generation iPod (or “5G iPod") is the only full-size iPod currently being produced by Apple, and was originally released in October 2005. Any accessory manufactured for the iPod in the past two years will definitely be compatible with the fifth-generation iPod, with the only consideration being the physical size of the iPod itself. Another important point that is worth noting is that the 60GB and 80GB 5G iPods are identical in physical size and dimensions.

Our Accessory Reviews generally explain which iPod model each accessory is made for. You can also find some good background information on the various iPod models in our Frequently Asked Questions item, What are the differences between all the iPod models?

The Altec iM7 (iLounge rating: A-) is, in our view, a very good choice for the price - assuming you don’t need something that can fit in a briefcase.

Q: Hi, I’ve been having a lot of trouble finding a good and relatively inexpensive speaker/docking station that is compatible with my 3G ipod. I purchased the Logitech mm50 only to find that it has problems charging my 3G. I don’t want to purchase another system only to find that it has compatibility issues with my iPod. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks for your help!

- Stephanie

A: Although the third-generation iPod uses the same Dock Connector port as the current models, one significant difference is that it did not charge using the USB power sources that are compatible with the later generation iPods.

Specifically, the 3G iPod will only charge over FireWire, which was a different voltage and used different “pins” in the Dock Connector from the USB connection. Unfortunately, many current-model speakers may only provide power on the USB connection in the Dock Connector, and therefore will not charge the iPod.

Unfortunately, the solution to this may be somewhat complex. The original mm50s, Bose SoundDock, and Altec Lansing iM7 definitively will charge a 3G iPod. In fact, we specifically re-tested a 3G iPod with each of these units this morning, and it charged without any problems whatsoever. However, manufacturers may well have made changes to these models since their initial release, and limited their ability to charge older iPods. Since companies don’t publish lists of changes, and there are a myriad of different revisions out there, it’s basically impossible to track all of the changes that have been made from the older models. In addition, there are generally no indications whatsoever on the packaging of these products as to whether or not they will actually charge a 3G iPod, so the only way to determine this is generally to try it out for yourself.

Your best solution is to visit an Apple Store or comparably equipped retailer with 3G iPod in hand, and test charging on their floor models, explaining to a salesperson that you’ll need to make a return if the one in the box differs from the one on display.

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Ask iLounge Archives:

7-4-08: Recovering a corrupt iPod, Hard cases for iPhone, Reimporting CDs into iTunes, iPod shows only Other content, Managing multiple audio formats in iTunes, Optimum iPod video output cables

6-27-08: Creating Smart Playlists for Purchased items, Keeping place in multi-track audiobooks, Backing up iTunes before a reformat, iPod Games on 5G and classic, Editing CD tracks before import, Getting Album Artwork automatically

6-20-08: Third-party iPod management tools, Transferring large files on iPod, Shuffling On-The-Go Playlists, Removing played podcasts from iPod, Continuously playing one track, Moving iTunes from PC to Mac

6-13-08: Artists not appearing on iPod, Unchecked items do not play in iTunes, iTunes shows incorrect CD track information, Podcast support on older iPod models, Upgrading to a new iPod, Photo albums on iPod touch

6-6-08: Downloading YouTube videos onto iPod, Selling old iPod models, Fit iTunes Window to Screen, Handing down an iPod, Dock Compatible iPod cases, Problems transferring music from iPod to Mac

See the rest of the Archives...

5-30-08: Burning iTunes purchases to an MP3 CD, Playing iPhone via computer, Pre-loading a gift iPod on another computer, Music Video playlists on Apple TV, Music videos on 2G iPod nano, Importing existing MP3 and WMA files into iTunes.

5-23-08: Finding and backing up purchased music, Syncing duplicate tracks to iPod, Restoring 4G iPod and AC power, Syncing iPod to a laptop when travelling, Finding photos on iPod, Storing a large iTunes library in multiple folders

5-16-08: Using the iPhone with integrated in-car Bluetooth, Problems with iPods and depleted batteries, Transferring content to a new iPod, iPod displays audio but no video, Removing photos and album artwork from iTunes, Overdrive Media and iPods

5-9-08: About iPod battery life and charging, Using Apple FM Radio remote on older iPod models, Scan and Fix dialog using iPod on Windows Vista, Preserving iTunes metadata when reinstalling Windows, Importing multiple tracks into iTunes, About iTunes and ID3 tags

5-2-08: Transferring digital camera movies to iPod, Reordering and shuffling playlists, Transferring playlists between iTunes libraries, Importing audiobooks, Correcting tags on CD import, Burning CDs with longer gaps

4-25-08: Finding Duplicates in iTunes, Setting files to open in iTunes automatically, Resetting authorizations, 1G iPod nano and voice recording, Syncing a library larger than your iPod capacity, Grouping multi-disc albums

4-17-08: Ripping CDs to external hard drive, Zeppelin speakers and USB port, Bluetooth stereo on iPhone, Converting TV shows to iPod, Audio recording on iPod touch, Wireless security on iPod touch

4-10-08: Transferring LPs to iTunes, Movie Rentals and 5G iPod, New iPod models on older Macs, Maintaining Playback Position on iPod, Importing CDs on multiple computers

4-3-08: Using several iPods on one computer, Renaming imported CD tracks, iM7 and iPod nano, Burning different CD types, Purchasing from iTunes while travelling, Importing CDs on MacBook Air, Sending photos from iPhone

3-28-08: iPod capacity and bit-rates, International iTunes Gift Cards, iPhone charging accessories, Moving iTunes purchases to another computer, iPod touch and third-party tools, iPod videos play only audio

3-21-08: Basic DVD conversion, 5G iPod and subtitles, Slideshows on iPod touch, Using the Voice Memo function, iPod classic TV output quality, iPod Dock Connector extender cables

3-14-08: About Skip Count, iPhone alarm clocks, 5G firmware updates, Cleaning up after a library move, Syncing new playlists to iPod nano, Authorization of multiple iTunes Store accounts

3-7-08: Transferring MP3 files to new iTunes library, iPhone ringtones on Windows, Wired remotes for iPod classic, Sharing iTunes with multiple users on one PC, iTunes library and Time Capsule, Chargers for 3G iPods

2-29-08: Finding iPhone Backups, Contact Display on iPhone, Automatic vs manual iPod management, iTunes CD burning restrictions, iTunes movie rental expiry on iPods, Downloading podcasts to iPhone

2-22-08: Upgrading your iPhone, Recovering data from corrupted iPod, Recreating default playlists, Syncing iPod Games from more than one computer, Problems playing purchased TV shows on iPod, Output settings when playing movies from iPod to TV

2-15-08: Setting up an AirTunes network, Shuffling music, Playing podcasts sequentially, Firewire support on modern iPods, Recovering Mac-formatted iPods on Windows, Recovering iTunes library from a virus

2-7-08: Transferring music from iPod touch, Voice recorders for 2007 iPods, Cover Flow on 5G iPod, Renaming your iPod, iTunes and iLife, Organizing music transferred from the iPod

1-31-08: Apple TV AirTunes Support, iPod Games on 5G and classic, Keeping videos only on iPod, Syncing iPod using checked songs, Charging with Universal Dock, International iPod and iTunes Store use

1-18-08: Macworld Expo 2008 Special Edition: Questions about the new iTunes Movie Rentals and Apple TV features, including Time Capsule and the Apple TV, Renting HD Movies from iTunes, Transferring rented movies to and from the iPod, Fifth-generation iPods and movie rental support, AirTunes support on Apple TV Take Two.

1-10-08: TV output quality, iPod windows driver installation errors, Connecting iPod to portable DVD player, Syncing games, iPhone charger compatibility, Reformatting iPod for Mac

1-3-08: 2007 iPod models and speakers, Video resolution vs bit-rate, Preventing auto-deletion of podcasts, Videos with no sound, Using iTunes Store when travelling abroad, Transferring videos to iPod, Importing Audiobooks

12-27-07: Your First iPod, Differences between iPod models, Accessory compatibility, Converting DVDs for iPod, New iPods and older computers, Earphone Recommendations, Troubleshooting iPod Problems

12-21-07: Other space on iPod, Search feature on iPod touch, Adding third-party ringtones to iPhone, iPod suddenly shows no content, TV Dock compatibility, Artists appearing more than once on iPod

12-14-07: New iPods - Buy now or wait? Transfer music from an old iPod, Convert MP3 to Lossless, Listening to videos and battery life, Bluetooth headphones for iPod nano, Universal Dock and line-out volume

12-7-07: Using Compilations settings, Re-syncing iPod after hard drive replacement, Locating iTunes Plus tracks, New iPod firmware - video output and iPod Hi-Fi support, Mac-formatted iPods, Cover Flow on iPod, iPhone screen goes blank when on a call

11-29-07: Photo resolution on the iPhone, Obtaining video content for the iPod touch, Restoring older iPod models, Sharing iTunes library on a single computer, Transferring iTunes via external hard drive, Auto-deleting played podcasts

11-22-07: Syncing games to iPod, Removing album artwork, Replacing files in iTunes library, Limiting volume on iPod, Preventing iPod sync when connecting with iTunes, Skipping audiobooks when shuffling songs

11-16-07: iTunes and Vista, iPod classic video output (revisited), Transferring iTunes from PC to Mac, Organizing Music Videos in iTunes, Using newer iPods with older OS X versions, Sorting photos on iPod

11-9-07: Editing calendar on iPod touch, Multiple iTunes libraries on one computer, Creating an iTunes Store account without a credit card, Burning CDs with track names, iPod/iPhone remote control, iPhone TV output from Safari

11-2-07: TV Docks for new iPod models, Calculate song file sizes, iPhone backup and restore, Sync selected content with iPhone, Universal Dock compatibility, Managing podcast synchronization

10-26-07: iTunes Plus, Play Slideshow on iPod nano, Activate TV out on new iPods, Recover Mac iPod in Windows, Add descriptions to TV shows, iTunes not opening when iPhone is connected

10-18-07: iPod and Windows Autoplay, Reinstalling iTunes, Manually Managing Videos, iPod charging accessories, iPod touch power and sleep modes, Resyncing recovered iPod content

10-11-07: Managing a class set of iPods, New firmware and older iPods, Windows ME support, Sorting artists by last name, 3G iPod car audio compatibility, Resetting iPod language

10-5-07: iTunes WiFi Store, Videos with no sound, Managing video content manually, Tagging TV Shows, Renaming iPod, Flash support on iPhone, Removing multiple artwork images, iPhone and multi-recipient SMS, US/UK iPod compatibility, Photo storage on iPod touch

9-27-07: iPod classic audio quality, New iPod models: features and accessory compatibility, Transferring music from iPod 5G to classic, iPod nano voice recording, Storing multiple bitrates in iTunes

9-7-07: Special Edition on the new iPod lineup - users most common questions answered about the new iPod lineup and new iTunes release, including accessory compatibility and new software features.

8-30-07: Playing single tracks, iPhone sleep timer, Deleting iPod content, TV shows do not appear on iPod, Manually sorting playlists, Fitting content onto audio CDs, Car line-out solutions

8-23-07: Set Video Kind within files, Authorization and iPod transfer, Chat Clients for iPhone, Importing CDs for gapless playback, Tethering iPhone, Burning Purchased Tracks

8-16-07: Managing podcasts, Bookmarking audiobooks, No artwork in Cover Flow, Storing iTunes content on two hard drives, Sleeping with an iPod, ROKR sunglasses and iPhone, Selling an iPod

8-9-07: Playing Podcast episodes in sequence, Recording radio in iTunes, New iPod with songs already on it, Authorized Computers, Sync iPod with a new computer, Transferring a Windows iPod to a MacBook

8-2-07: Syncing the iPhone to more than one computer, Transferring iTunes music to the Blackberry, Continuous video playback on the iPod, Problems editing track info in iTunes, Transferring content from iPhone to computer, Video playback from the iPhone, Sending MMS messages from the iPhone

7-26-07: Transferring photos from iPhone, Using iPhone speaker and dock, Song volume adjustments in iTunes, Transfer from a Mac-formatted iPod in Windows Vista, iTunes Other category and TV show syncing, Printing track lists from iTunes

7-19-07: Importing MP3 CDs, Using two iPods on one computer, Showing current track in Windows Messenger, iPod nano accessory compatibility, Keeping content only on the iPod, Transferring between two iTunes libraries

7-12-07: Sorting in iTunes 7.3, Joining CD tracks, Selecting TV Shows for sync, Recovering photos from iPod, Tagging multiple video tracks, iPhone activation requirements

7-5-07: Managing your iPod content with Smart Playlists, External hard drives and iTunes, Problems getting CD info from CDDB, Grouping by Album Artist, Using iPod as a removable hard drive

6-28-07: Manual mode and preventing auto-sync, Transferring iTunes library, Burning, ripping and sound check, Saving your place in multi-track audiobooks, Renaming your iPod, Resolving lost iPod content, Drivers and Software for 4G iPods

6-21-07: Smart Playlists for Podcasts, Incorrect track info when importing CDs, Deauthorizing computers revisited, Problems transferring purchased tracks, Transferring photos from iPod to computer, Deleting On-The-Go playlists, Songs not appearing under Artist name

6-14-07: Problems syncing re-ripped MP3s in iTunes 7.2, Grouping albums with multiple artists, Radio tuners for older iPod models, Managing Podcasts, Using an iPod on Mac and Windows, Selecting items for synchronization, iTunes not showing full iPod capacity

6-7-07: Using two iPods with the same library, Converting to AAC to Apple Lossless, Corrupt iPod errors, Sound Check and Crossfade, Exporting from iMovie to iPod and Apple TV formats, Copying from DVR to the iPod

5-31-07: iTunes Plus DRM-free music, Using iTunes songs in Windows Movie Maker, Storing notes on the iPod, Restoring the iPod, Synchronizing Watched TV Shows, Adding music from a second library, Viewing iPod menus on a TV screen

5-24-07: Storing artwork on an external hard drive, Nike+iPod kit and treadmills, Setting up a new iPod with an existing library, Using the iPod as an alarm clock, iTunes fails to transfer all tracks to the iPod, Syncing selected items to iPod, Identifying iPod models

5-17-07: Converting e-books for iPod, Problems Syncing Selected Playlists, Normalizing volume between tracks, iTunes truncating long filenames, Sorting tracks properly within albums, Pausing and remember playback position on the iPod

5-11-07: Video conversion: iPod vs Apple TV format, Automatically adding music to iTunes, Finding iPod-compatible music online, Organizing tracks on the iPod, Bluetooth speaker accessories, iHome speakers

5-3-07: Tagging content for your Apple TV, Organizing your Music Videos, Duplicate copies of your iTunes library files, Using the Universal Dock line-out, Problems restoring your iPod, Power adapter compatibility, Unlocking your iPod's volume limit

4-27-07: Transferring purchased content between iTunes accounts, FireWire/USB connections, External batteries, Problems turning off iPod, Sharing iPods on the same computer, Sorting tracks when importing CDs

4-19-07: iPod widescreen mode, Transcoding lossy formats, Locating missing music files, Assigning artwork to multiple tracks, Transferring iTunes purchases, Playing single tracks

4-12-07: Converting DVDs to iPod, Resetting Screen Lock, Moving an iTunes library to a new computer, Deleting songs manually from an iPod, Compatibility with overseas accessories, Finding accessories for the 5G iPod, Speakers for charging a 3G iPod

4-5-07: Playing iPod through iTunes, Preventing Apple Remote from controlling Universal Dock, Resetting iTunes authorizations, Transferring podcasts from a secondary computer, Finding music by composer tags, Sorting tracks on the iPod Shuffle

3-29-07: iPod photo transfer performance and accessories, Sorting photos on iPod, Syncing music and contacts from two different computers, iTunes video storage and formats, Converting AAC to MP3, Burning MP3 CDs

3-22-07: Album artwork and Other storage on the iPod, Storage size of iPod Games, Multiple iPods on the same computer, Etymotic Earjacks, Charging iPod while recording audio, Syncing TV Shows to iPod, Properly Tagging Albums

3-16-07: Converting Windows-formatted iPods for Mac use, Importing Calendar and Contacts from Outlook, Moving iTunes content to another hard drive, Recovering Playlists from iPod, Recording Lectures, Calculating iPod Storage

3-10-07: Understanding the new sort fields in iTunes 7.1, Smart playlists and rating preference, RSS feeds for new iTunes content, Checkboxes and synchronizing music to small iPods

2-22-07: Hiding the iTunes Store from view, Restoring iTunes' "Recently Played" smart playlist, Restoring an iPod's missing free space, Using third-party A/V cables, Apple TV and Wi-Fi network protocols, Authorizing iPod games

2-1-07: Windows Vista iTunes issues, Music Video organization in iTunes, Removing songs from Shuffle play, Sorting albums by year

1-17-07: iPhone Questions, Apple TV Stereo Connections, Car Stereos with USB ports, Now Playing screen on TV, Locating playlists a song belongs to, Playing podcasts sequentially

12-29-06: Charging iPod video with old AC adapter, Identifying iPod generations, Preventing iTunes from accessing the store, Accessing and playing video with DLO HomeDock Deluxe, Nike+iPod Sport Kit compatibility

12-14-06: Searching the comment field in iTunes, Buying an aux-in cable for the car, Making a recent top 25 playlist, Multiple genres per song, Radio Charts in iTunes

12-9-06: Gifting specific items from the iTunes Store, Linking to photos from the iPod's Notes feature, Properly listening to iPod music in loud places, Using Mac-formatted iPods with an XBOX 360

12-1-06: iTunes visualizers, Programs stored on iPod, Converting music en masse, Charging second-generation iPod shuffle, Adding chapter markers to videos

11-23-06: iPod deals, Continuously playing videos on iPod, Getting replacement iPod manuals, Finding size and playtime of a group of tracks, Fixing podcasts that reset iPod

11-16-06: Extracting audio from videos, Transferring albums to iPod easily, Using iTunes Store gift cards, Dealing with a scratched iPod backing, Recovering contacts from iPod

11-10-06: Volume limit on iPod shuffle, Preserving On-The-Go playlists between syncs, Storing Audiobooks in proper iTunes library, Apple Lossless on iPod shuffle

11-3-06: iTunes Store displayed in foreign language, All tracks begin where they were last stopped, Converting tracks to mono in iTunes, iPod wakes up and plays tunes on its own, Greatest Hits album won't show on iPod

10-26-06: Loading TiVo/DVR TV Shows on iPod, Accessing iTunes music with a Media Center PC, Leaving an iPod in the car, iPod Hi-Fi remote control, Tagging tracks just added to the library

10-20-06: Disc capacity & song quality tradeoff, iPod sleep behavior explained, Ordering albums by year on iPod, Using an iPod while charging via USB, Restoring a deleted playlist in iTunes

10-12-06: Displaying singles in iPod's Artists menu, Party Shuffle not advancing tracks, Two+ iPods on one computer - revisited, Finding songs not in any playlist, Returning to beginning of iPod shuffle playlist

10-5-06: Only one song plays at a time in iTunes, Playing interactive booklets, Resetting iPod's language, Shuffle anywhere on iPod, Isolating MP3 songs from AAC

9-28-06: Suppressing 'Explicit' tags in iTunes Library, Restoring the 'Purchased' playlist, Differentiating 5G 30GB models, Album Artist on iPod, Just for You in iTunes 7

9-21-06: Splitting "hidden" tracks from other songs, Multiple iTunes libraries, Movie trailers in the iTunes Store, iTunes-fetched artwork on iPod, Isolating Music Videos from songs in iTunes

9-13-06: iTunes 7 issues: Preserving library upon upgrade, Authorizing games for iPod, Audio severely distorted with static, Album artwork retrieval problems, Enhanced podcasts menu

9-7-06: Reverting to former iPod software updaters, iPod crashes and loses library, iPod not storing advertised song capacity, Cleaning out one's iTunes Library safely, Deleting Album Artwork en masse

8-30-06: Unchecked songs in smart playlist, Connecting iPod to car Aux-In jack, Deleting songs from iTunes, Filling iPods completely, Playing only one song in iTunes

8-25-06: Quickly erasing duplicate songs, Replacing iPod's front panel, Excluding videos from playlists, Using albums in smart playlists, Album art missing from iPod

8-17-06: Tags disappearing on play, Third party headphones on iPod, eAAC and eAAC+ codecs, Creating random batches of songs with smart playlists, Transferring iTunes Music Store tracks

8-9-06: Size of Smart Playlists, Changing an iPod's file system format, Backing up iTMS video purchases, iPod not automatically disconnecting, iPod shuffling problems

8-2-06: Airport Express not working under "Multiple Speakers", Tuning radio remote in 0.1 increments, Ordering albums properly, Video podcasts on older iPods, Multiple album artwork files per track on iPod

7-27-06: Exclamation marks near playlists, Artist column on far left of library?, Songs in multiple playlists, No options in for iPod slideshow music, Song numbering in iTunes' Library

7-20-06: Speaker icon next to currently-playing song, Sound lost in one headphone channel, Finding songs not in any playlist, iPod mini shuffling by album, Removing contacts and calendars from iPod

7-13-06: Maximizing battery life, Slideshows from an iPod nano, Trouble with iPod's volume meter, Powering two devices from one car power port, Smart playlists and sort order

7-6-06: Custom EQ on iPod, Viewing large text files on iPod, Buying an iPod from overseas, Finding iPod setup files online, Lossless vs. Lossy audio files

6-28-06: Unlocking an iPod, Creating a list of albums in iTunes, Restoring missing menu items on iPod, Converting video to iPod, Increasing the iPod's volume

6-21-06: Preserving select podcasts, Locating tracks in playlists, Automatically ejecting iPod after transfer, Microphone for iPod mini, Tracks missing when browsing via "Artist"

6-15-06: Backing up Smart Playlists, Using 4-pin Firewire ports, Viewing hidden data in iTunes, Recording direct to iPod from cassette, Synchronizing a folder of files between computers using iPod

6-7-06: Browsing albums by Genre, Fixing "Library Locked" message in Mac iTunes, Using generic AV cables for iPod TV display, Finding a simple iPod mount for the car, Transferring iTunes Library to a new Mac

5-31-06: Converting WMV video clips to iPod, Party Shuffle on iPod, Burning an MP3 CD from WAV files, Best iPod for running?, Identifying unknown track information

5-25-06: Independent left & right volume controls, Serial numbers on iPod installation?, Dealing with two-disc albums, iPod shuffle headphone jack problems, and the latest new iPod rumors

5-18-06: Organizing Compilations on iPod, Using the iPod's Notes features, Transferring large amounts of photos via iPod Camera Connector, Removing extra Album Art images from songs, Resolving discrepancies between iPod and iTunes smart playlists

5-11-06: Creating a simple, kid-friendly iPod interface, burning multiple playlists at once, viewing iPod photos on an Xbox 360, including multiple genres in one smart playlist

5-4-06: Videos not displaying on iPod, Using the iPod's power adapter overseas, Creating a "Most Played this Month" playlist, Editing iTunes-created playlists on the iPod

4-28-06: iLounge Week in Review podcasts, Creating iPod videos, Made For iPod, New and unpublicized additions to the iLounge site, Publicizing your company to the iLounge community

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Comments

1

I have recently quit using Vista and went back to XP by clean install. I then downloaded itunes 7.2 for windows XP along with loading my old itunes library to MY Music file from an external storage device. All my playlists are correct. However, I am able to play only a few songs from the lists. An exclamation point appears in front of the unplayable songs. When clicking on the unplayable songs in my lists a message appears “ The song could not be used because the original file could not be found. Would you like to locate it? “ I go through the time consuming task by locating the song which reults in the ability to play it. Is there a way around this procedure which will make all songs playable without going through this time consuming task? It will take forever to restore all my lists on a song by song basis.

Posted by Turk on June 3, 2007 at 6:45 AM (PDT)

2

Itunes is erasing my library. when i want to play a song a window appears saying the song XXX could not be used because the original file could not be found”
this happen to cds i have burned into my library, itunes songs i PAID FOR and mp3s i get from xtorent? it is also happening to my freinds library.
can you please explain why this is happening and explain the proper protcal to saving music . thanks i have learned allot from your advice before -p

Posted by piaf on May 3, 2008 at 1:13 PM (PDT)

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