Ask iLounge 6-28-07

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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:

How do I set my iTunes to manual mode without having my iPod plugged in to my computer, so I can ensure that my music won’t be erased by a blank iTunes library?

- Stefanie

Unfortunately, even though it’s set through iTunes, the “manual” setting is actually a setting for the iPod itself. Therefore, there is no way to change this setting without connecting your iPod to your computer.

Keep in mind, however, that iTunes keeps track of which iPods are associated on the basis of your current library, not your current computer. So if you’ve reformatted your computer, or otherwise completely deleted your entire iTunes installation, iTunes will recognize your iPod as belonging to a different library when you connect it, and will prompt you with a warning message to ask whether or not you want to erase it and sync to this new current library.

Simply select “Cancel” in this dialog box, and the automatic synchronization process will not occur. Your iPod will be left connected, however, so you can then access it through iTunes and put it into manual mode by selecting it in the iTunes source list and checking the appropriate box:

The only time you do need to be concerned about automatic synchronization is if you’ve erased content from your existing iTunes library (ie, deleted tracks from directly within iTunes). In this case, connecting the iPod will cause an automatic sync to run, since you’re using the same iTunes library that your iPod was originally synchronized with. In the event that you need to avoid this, you can override the automatic sync by holding down the CTRL+ALT keys on a PC (CMD+OPT on a Mac) while connecting the iPod. Keep these two keys held down until you see the iPod appear in the iTunes source list, and the normal iTunes automatic synchronization process will not be run. You can then switch the iPod into manual mode as shown above.

One other point to note: The “manual mode” is a setting that travels with the iPod, rather than a setting specific to the iTunes library. Once you have enabled manual management of your iPod, it will remain in manual mode on any computer you connect it to, unless you manually turn it back off.

I am planning to get a new computer, and will be copying my iTunes Library to an external hard drive. I use the checkboxes in the song list to turn off songs I don’t want to listen to. How can I keep the unchecked songs that way when I get my new computer?

- Michael

The simple answer in this case is to ensure that you also copy the iTunes library database to the external hard drive as well, and then transfer this back to your own computer.

By default, the iTunes library database is found in your My Music\iTunes folder on a PC, or your Music/iTunes folder on a Mac.

Within this folder several files and sub-folders may appear, but the key component is the iTunes Library.itl file. This file contains all of your metadata that is not stored within the tracks themselves, such as rating, play count, last played time and checkbox state. This file also includes all of your playlists, as well as other information, such as tracking the iPods that are associated to a particular library, and the synchronization status of those iPods.

If this will be a one-time transfer to a new computer, the simplest solution is to shut down iTunes on your old computer and then copy the entire content of the “iTunes” folder to the external hard drive. You can then connect the external hard drive to your new computer, and copy the “iTunes” folder back to your My Music folder on the new computer. Once you start iTunes, it will read this database file from this default location, and everything should work in much the same way as it did on the original computer.

If you want to keep your iTunes library database on the external hard drive along with your music, then you can tell iTunes to use a different path for this file by holding down the SHIFT key (Windows) or OPT key (Mac) when starting iTunes. Keep holding it until you see a dialog box similar to the following:

You can then select the “Choose Library” option and browse to the path of the “iTunes” folder on your external hard drive. Once this has been changed, iTunes will default to this path each time it is launched unless you change it again by following the same procedure.

Is there a way to stop iTunes from lowering the track volume of songs when I add files to my music library. Because of this when I add songs from the iTunes folder to my phone, they are a lot lower in volume. Also my burned CD’s seem to have the same effect. What can be done about this?

- Matt

iTunes should not normally reduce the volume on imported tracks by default unless the “Sound Check” feature is enabled. In this case, iTunes will apply a volume normalization setting to any CDs that you import in order to ensure that the volume of all tracks is balanced (so you do not get frequent volume changes when listening to mixed playlists, for example).

The Sound Check option can be enabled or disabled under the iTunes Preferences menu, on the Playback tab. If Sound Check is disabled, then new tracks imported will not have any volume normalization data added to them, and any data in existing tracks will also be ignored (although it will be left in place).

Note that there is also a separate setting for whether or not Sound Check is used when burning audio CDs from your iTunes library. The Advanced, Burning tab under iTunes preferences has a setting for whether or not Sound Check data should be used when burning audio CDs.

How can I manage my audiobooks so that when I am listening to an audiobook and then I decide to change off and listen to something else, music or otherwise; when I return to listen to my audiobook again I have to remember which track I was on and the exact amount of time that has expired. Is there a way to listen to an audiobook, leave, and then return to the spot where you left off?

- Joe

iTunes and the iPod offer a feature whereby any track can be set to “bookmark” its playback position when you stop listening to it. While this is obviously most useful for audiobooks, it can actually be set on any audio or video track in your iTunes library.

To tell iTunes and/or the iPod to save the playback position for a specific track, simply modify the track properties in iTunes by selecting the track in question, and choosing File, Get Info. The “Remember Playback Position” checkbox can be found on the “Options” tab.

Once this setting is enabled, not only will the iPod and iTunes retain the current playback position in these tracks, but will in fact even transfer this bookmark information between devices—so if you leave off five minutes into an audiobook on your iPod, and then sync your iPod to iTunes, you will be able to pick up right where you left off in your iTunes library, or even on another iPod (after syncing the other iPod to your iTunes library, of course).

Note that this only works within individual tracks, however. If you’re using audiobooks that are made up of more than one track, and want to maintain a reference to the tracks you’ve listened to, this can be done with a smart playlist to track the “Play Count” field of your audiobook tracks, and exclude those you’ve already listened to.

To create a smart playlist, simply choose File, New Smart Playlist and fill in the criteria that you would like the smart playlist to use. For an audiobook playlist, you can likely filter by a field such as the album or artist name, depending upon how you have your audiobooks tagged in iTunes. Beyond that, simply set the “Play Count” criteria to zero, and your smart playlist will automatically exclude any chapters from that audiobook that you’ve already listened to.

If the space on your iPod is limited, you can even use the “Limit” option in the smart playlist to only load in a few chapters of each audiobook at a time.

You can then start listening to the audiobook by using the smart playlist. As you listen to each chapter or segment, it will be marked as “played” (the play count will be set to 1), and will therefore disappear from the smart playlist the next time you load it. The chapter you are currently listening to should therefore always be the first item in the playlist for that audiobook.

I bought a new iPod and am giving my old one to my granddaughter. Is there any way I can change the name of the iPod?

- Maren

If you’re giving away your iPod, your best option is actually just to use the iTunes “Restore” feature to return the iPod to its factory settings. This will erase everything on the iPod, returning it to the original settings that it was using when it originally came out of the box. When your granddaughter then hooks up the iPod to her iTunes library for the first time, she will be presented with the standard new iPod setup wizard, which will give her an opportunity to name the iPod and choose her own synchronization settings.

To restore the iPod, simply connect it to your iTunes library, select it in the left-hand source list, and then choose the “Restore” button from the Summary tab:

Note that if you don’t want to erase the content on your iPod, but rather just want to change the name, this is certainly possible as well. To do this, simply double-click on the iPod in the iTunes source pane. The name will change to an editable field, and you can simply type in a new name for the iPod.

Note that in this case, the iPod will be renamed and will retain all of your content. However, if you’ve been using automatic synchronization against your own iTunes library, your granddaughter will be prompted as to whether she wants to erase the iPod when she first connects it to her own computer. If she selects “Erase and Sync” any content that is already on the iPod will be removed and replaced with what is in her own library. If she wants to retain any content that you may have loaded onto the iPod for her, she will need to switch it into manual mode, as described in the first question above.

I tried hooking up my iPod with iTunes and there was an error message saying “file required for syncing is not there.” I ejected the iPod by clicking on the eject button and then restarted computer to reconnect the iPod and all my songs are gone! I also cannot copy new files into the iPod.

Where the main screen of iTunes used to have a blue bar indicating current file storage, the bar is now ORANGE.

Can you help me understand what happened and if there is a way to fix it?

- Kyle

The most likely problem in this case is that your iPod library database has become corrupted, and iTunes (and the iPod) therefore no longer recognize any of your music files, even though they may still be physically stored on the iPod’s hard drive or flash memory. Since iTunes can no longer read the iPod index database to find the music, it assumes that all of the files that are still stored on the iPod fall into the “other” category, since they cannot be identified as anything else.

If you’ve been using automatic synchronization and have all of your music and other media content in your iTunes library as well, then the fastest and easiest solution is to simply perform a “Restore” on the iPod. This will reformat the hard drive or flash memory on the iPod, erasing anything on it, and rebuilding a new iPod database in the process. You should then be able to resynchronize all of your content back to the iPod.

If your music is only on your iPod, however, and you do not have backups anywhere else, you will need to access the iPod in “Disk Mode” in order to copy these music files back off the iPod and onto your hard drive. Unfortunately, since the iPod database is corrupted, many of the utilities that would normally work to recover your music won’t be able to help you in this case, as they rely on your iPod database in much the same way that iTunes and the iPod itself does.

You will therefore have to manually go into your iPod via Windows Explorer or Finder (Mac), and go into the \iPod_Control\Music directory. All of your music and video files will be stored under this directory, although they are not stored in any organizational manner that would make sense to a human. The good news, however, is that you can copy them all out manually back to your hard drive, and then import them into iTunes. Since iTunes uses the internal tag information to identify files rather than the directory and file name, it will be able to sort this all out for you, and the tracks should be imported with their proper name, artist, album, and other information. The only data that you will lose in this case is your playlists, ratings, and play count data, since this information is only stored in the iPod’s internal database, and not within the files themselves.

Note that if you cannot see the \iPod_Control folder when accessing your iPod through Windows Explorer, you may need to turn on the option in Windows Explorer to display hidden files and folders. This can be found by selecting Tools, Folder Options from any Windows Explorer or “My Computer” window menu.

In Mac OS X you can get access to the hidden iPod_Control folder in Finder by selecting Go, Go To Folder from the Finder menu bar, and then typing in the full path to it, which will look something like /Volumes/your iPod name/iPod_Control.

This is one of many possible reasons why it’s always a good idea to keep your music backed up somewhere other than on your iPod. The iPod is not intended to be a device to serve as the only repository of your music, as it is a portable device that can be lost or damaged.

I bought a used fourth-generation iPod and it only came with the USB cable. I’m missing the iPod CD with the driver. Do you where I can buy that CD or is there anything else that i can do so that my computer will recognize the iPod?

- Cristina

Actually, there are no iPod-specific drivers, per se. Everything you need can be obtained within the latest version of iTunes from Apple’s Web Site. Simply go to http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/ and get the version of iTunes appropriate for your operating system (Windows or Mac) and then install it on your computer.

Once you’ve done this, connect the iPod, and it should simply appear within iTunes and be ready to go.

If you’ve installed the latest version of iTunes, and the iPod is still not appearing when you connect it, you can try using a different port or USB cable. It would also be a good idea to check for more information on Apple’s Support site at http://www.apple.com/support/ipod/ or post more information in our iLounge Discussion Forums.

Note that most of the support issues concerning iPod USB connectivity are the same across all models of iPod, so troubleshooting steps in this area that are related to the fifth-generation iPod with video will apply equally to the fourth-generation iPod as well.

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Ask iLounge Archives:

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

See the rest of the Archives...

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

10-31-08: iPod charging accessory compatibility, Adding tracks to multiple albums, Removing pre-installed games, Transferring contacts from iPod touch to a second computer, iPod touch accessory compatibility, iPod synchronization to a new computer

10-24-08: Importing folders with M3U files, AV cables with 2008 iPods, Moving iTunes libraries between computers, Unknown albums after importing music, Newly added tracks don't show up on iPod

10-17-08: Backup up your iPod, iPods and viruses, Using an iPod on Mac and Windows, Managing photos on an iPod manually, Adding iTunes Shared Music to iPod, iPod video out

10-3-08: Displaying lyrics on iPod touch, Calculating playlist sizes, Transferring tracks to iPod in manual mode, Purchasing older iPod models, Using iPhone without phone service, Shuffle modes

9-26-08: iTunes HD TV episodes showing up twice, Shure MPA-3C and iPod touch, Synchronizing iPod to a new iTunes library, Problems updating iPhone applications, Managing iTunes media files on an external hard drive, Managing multiple iPods on one computer

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8-29-08: Disabling data on iPhone 3G, iTunes Plus and Apple Backup, Deleting photos from iPod, iPhone v2.0 and TV Out accessories, Consolidating multiple iTunes libraries, Restoring iPod touch from backup

8-22-08: Cleaning up applications in iTunes, Playing back all songs on iPod, Excluding podcasts from Smart Playlists, Bookmarking tracks, Playing tracks back at a consistent volume level

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8-8-08: iPhone and SIM card contacts, Syncing iPhone contacts, Hiding SMS previews on iPhone, Playing iPod touch on secondary computer, Syncing photos to iPod, Resuming interrupted iTunes WiFI Store downloads

8-8-08: iLounge Editor-in-Chief Jeremy Horwitz responds to reader questions on all things iLounge, including technical issues related to iPhone 3G, and behind-the-scenes editorial issues

8-1-08: iPhone Edition: Switching between apps, Car charging accessories, Activating older iPhone models, Sending MMS, App Store in wrong language, Excel and A2DP support

7-25-08: MobileMe on iPhone for Calendars only, Buying iPods for International use, Voice recorders for 4G iPods, Free Music for iPod, Problems transferring purchased content to iPod, Playing AAC files in Windows Media Player

7-18-08: Ask iLounge iPhone v2.0 Edition: Installing apps on multiple devices, Converting videos for iPhone 3G, Activating first-gen iPhones, Saved photos on iPod touch, Push e-mail support

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

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

Next: Instant Expert: Secrets & Features of iTunes 7.3 (Updated)

Previous: All Things iPhone

Comments

1

i have a 60 gig ipod and just bought another of the same i have tranfered all my songs but i want to transfer all my playlists which i have many with lots of tracks in them. how can i transfer the playlists to my new ipod without having to do each track individually

Posted by johnny l on June 28, 2007 at 7:06 PM (PDT)

2

How do I setup my new ipod nano? instructions say connect directly to computer not using a USB port. the connection cable is for a USB port.

Posted by heinyj on July 2, 2007 at 6:26 PM (PDT)

3

My computer with my old iTunes recently crashed down and I was unable to get it fixed. I synced my iPod onto a different iTunes that was already being used. So I can’t have my iTunes showing unless I plug my iPod in, and the other iTunes isn’t being used. I want to know, is there a way I could switch mine to the library that is already there and make the other one only come up when it is being plugged in?

Posted by alltimelowlove on August 25, 2007 at 5:58 PM (PDT)

4

first i want to say that i am sorry i am thick as wood.
my request is very simple i suppose…i want to replace the music i have on my mini with new music.
i created a folder on an external hard drive and to it, added about 925 songs. i wish to replace what i have on my mini now with these new songs…sounds simple???
i have been trying to upload these songs for 2 hrs and i am not able to do so…
can someone spare some time for an old geezer and offer me some help??
thanks if you can..
morty

Posted by mort on October 4, 2007 at 10:50 PM (PDT)

5

this is me again, ol’ mort. looking at the Help this is what i see:
To add songs to iPod manually:
Connect your iPod to your computer.

When the iPod icon appears in the iTunes window (under Devices), select it.

If the Summary pane is not showing, click the Summary tab.

Select “Manually manage music.” (If you have an iPod that displays video, the checkbox says “Manually manage music and video.”)

Click Music (below Library, on the left side of the iTunes window) and then drag songs and playlists to your iPod.

i get no iPod icon and i see no summary pane in the itunes software…so i am really stumped..can anyone help me??
thanks
mort

Posted by mort on October 4, 2007 at 11:26 PM (PDT)

6

Hi-Please can you tell me if there are any problems i should be aware of with transferring my itunes library from my old xp equipped desktop,to my new vista home premium eqpd laptop.Also,what is the best way to connect the two computers for a high quality,fast transfer.
Lastly,and please excuse my grey haired ignorance, what software do i use? should i let itunes do the transfer,or leave it to windows?

Many thanks in advance for any help you can give,regards p.n.

Posted by paul newham on August 2, 2008 at 10:06 AM (PDT)

7

I have an 8 gig ipod nano that I have always synched with itunes. I have loaded all my cd’s into itunes and also purchased from there. I was on vacation and ran into a Dj who had alot of music on a laptop. He allowed me to loaded tons of his music onto my ipod. If I synch now itunes will think they are all illegal and not accept them. Is there a way that I can get all those songs into itunes and be able to keep everything and still sych etc…?

Posted by Dr. K on November 10, 2008 at 6:55 PM (PDT)

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