iTunes for dummies question

[cork1958]

I played around with iTunes for hours yesterday trying to transfer mp3's to a couple ipods but couldn't get a thing to happen.

 

I'm on Windows 7 using the newest version of iTunes.

 

What is the secret to getting this thing to actually do something?! Do I have to put things in a specific folder? Is it supposed to be showing any sign of when it's actually transferring the files? Can I do anything with iTunes without having an account as I do not plan on using their store and do I have to unauthorize the ipods or something?

 

Thank you

 

 

[Brian M. Veteran]

I played around with iTunes for hours yesterday trying to transfer mp3's to a couple ipods but couldn't get a thing to happen.

 

I'm on Windows 7 using the newest version of iTunes.

 

What is the secret to getting this thing to actually do something?! Do I have to put things in a specific folder? Is it supposed to be showing any sign of when it's actually transferring the files? Can I do anything with iTunes without having an account as I do not plan on using their store and do I have to unauthorize the ipods or something?

 

Thank you

1. Add the MP3s into the library (so they are playable within iTunes).

2. Connect the iPod

3. Go to the iPod in iTunes, and go to the Music tab

4. Click "sync music" if it isn't already checked (this only needs to be done once).

5. Either tick "Sync entire music library", or go through selecting what you want on the iPod.

6. Hit sync.

[cork1958]

Doing it that way, I would need to recheck the box for manually managing files, wouldn't I?

 

That's not going to delete anything that's already on the ipod, is it?

 

Thanks for the reply

[darkrats]

I hate iTunes. It's the major reason why I won't buy an apple product.

Android, you just plug in a USB drive and copy/paste the files over to the tablet.

Been looking forever for a product that will copy files to/from an ipod and NOT USE iTunes.

Every program that claims it will do this, needs iTunes installed on your computer.

 

I believe that if you use "Sync" it replaces all files on the device; you'll lose files for sure.

Manually, you can, I think, copy over individual files without wiping the device, but I'm not sure.

 

Then there's the fact that Apple can place files on your device remotely, or delete files without your permission.

I think it was U2 (or some such group) that had one of it's records placed on Apple devices without permission last Christmas.

There have been stories about Apple deleting ebooks or mp3s, remotely, that it thought were not licenced.

 

Apple can be a nightmare if you stray from purchasing stuff from their online stores.

Good luck, anyway!

[cork1958]

I could not agree with you anymore than I already am, darkrats!

 

Biggest POS software I've ever used and hopefully I NEVER have to use that crap again! I generally always try to convince people NOT to buy ipods or ipads and definitely try to convince them NOT to use itunes for anything.

 

Luckily for me, the 2 ipods I was working on weren't mine, and neither of the people who owned them cared to much what happened to their devices as they were both used ipods and full of other people's junk music.

 

Some how, I didn't lose anything off of 1 of the devices but did on the other one although I did the second one the exact same way as the first one.

 

I had done some studying on how to use itunes before posting here and saw things such as Mediamonkey and Yami, or what ever that thing was called, but neither of those did a thing for me. Yeah, I do remember that thing with U2 and how it p***ed a lot of people off. Wouldn't want their music on my device either!

 

Would like to thank Brian M. though even those instructions weren't quite dead on, they got me close enough to figure out the rest.

 

I do believe I convinced the one person to either sell or at least quit using that ipod of his and get as big of a mp3 player as he could find! The other one was my kids and he just has his plugged into his stereo and doesn't use it much anyway other than streaming Pandora. His was mainly my test ipod!

[Lamp0]

I believe that if you use "Sync" it replaces all files on the device; you'll lose files for sure.

Manually, you can, I think, copy over individual files without wiping the device, but I'm not sure.

It doesn't replace "all files on the device", it updates whatever you sync. For example, I have a folder of playlists in iTunes. What ever changes I make in iTunes, will be made next time I sync my ipod. Nothing else on the ipod is changed.

 

 

Then there's the fact that Apple can place files on your device remotely, or delete files without your permission.

I think it was U2 (or some such group) that had one of it's records placed on Apple devices without permission last Christmas.

There have been stories about Apple deleting ebooks or mp3s, remotely, that it thought were not licenced.

 

I have never heard of Apple remotely placing or removing files on their devices.

 

The U2 album was given for free on iCould to all iTunes users. If you had iCould set on your iPod/iPhone to auto download new purchases it would download this free album. That's what annoyed people.

 

My iPod did not download the U2 album.

I have used iTunes & vairous iPods for years. I have never bought a single thing from their store; I have always used my own mp3's. I have never had Apple remotely delete music because it wasn't licenced.

[cork1958]

I used the sync button on the one ipod and it DID wipe out that persons 3300+ songs, which were mostly crap tunes anyway!

 

Luckily, I had 1400+ good tunes on usb sticks that I got on the ipod. Made the guy happy to have that many good tunes versus maybe a few hundred good one's out of those 3300+ ones!

 

Like I said, hopefully I NEVER have to mess with that mess/joke of a program again and I don't care how much anyone else might like that thing!!

[Brian M. Veteran]

I used the sync button on the one ipod and it DID wipe out that persons 3300+ songs, which were mostly crap tunes anyway!

 

Luckily, I had 1400+ good tunes on usb sticks that I got on the ipod. Made the guy happy to have that many good tunes versus maybe a few hundred good one's out of those 3300+ ones!

 

Like I said, hopefully I NEVER have to mess with that mess/joke of a program again and I don't care how much anyone else might like that thing!!

The reason behind this is that you can only sync an iPod with one iTunes library at a time. And to be fair, if you hit sync on a new library, it will tell you "This will erase all content on xxx iPod, are you sure?".

Whilst iTunes isn't the best bit of software in the world, it does it's job. It's a lot better than it used to be - that's for sure. I can sync my phone wirelessly, including taking backups, and I can sync content (including movies) from my home sharing devices.

Apple can't remotely remove "unlicensed" music. There is, I believe, as in most devices, a kill switch so Apple can kill rogue apps (e.g. if a virus somehow got through app-store approval), however I don't believe that's ever been used. Google has used theirs once (http://android-developers.blogspot.co.uk/2010/06/exercising-our-remote-application.html), and Microsoft hasn't used theirs either.