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I am getting a new laptop in the near future and will be using my iPod in its alter ego, external hard drive, to transfer pictures, word documents, contacts, et cetera from the old one to the new one. My question is: can I do this same thing to transfer the music on my iPod into the library in iTunes when I install the software on the new laptop? (saving the folder all my music is in on iTunes to the iPod icon in *My Computer*)

I think that plugging a full iPod into a computer with an empty library in iTunes will delete all the songs on the iPod.

Anyone done this before? Thank you

1. It will not delete the songs on the iPod if you plug it into an empty computer.

2. I don't think you can transfer the songs the same way, unless you treat them as files just like your photos and documents.

3. There are iPod music transfer programs available, and I think they're free. I personally don't know. But I've heard about them for PCs not Macs.

I'd say Google this topic, there are some helpful sites which deal with it

If you still have your iPod manual, I think there is information in it. Otherwise, check the Apple website. They have extensive help, tutorials, and manuals available. I think when you're on your old computer you can open up your iPod options and change the option that says something like "Update iPod automatically upon plugging." If you turn that option off, then the new iTunes should register your full iPod but not automatically delete it. This is just the best I can remember, so look around some more and see if you find anything agreeable.

It is fairly simple to make sure iTunes doesn't run on auto-sync; just follow the directions above. If you want to transfer music from the iPod itself onto the new computer's hard drive, go to this website if the new computer is running on Windows.
http://www.vonnieda.org/vPod/

If you're running a mac, follow the directions on this website.

http://www.askdavetaylor.com/can_i_tran ... y_mac.html

Or get the program off of this website.

http://macs.about.com/od/ipod/a/copy_from_ipod.htm

Or this one.

http://mac.softpedia.com/get/iPod-Tools/Xpod.shtml

Or this one.

http://www.phonax.com/download/freemymusic.shtml

You should be set to go.

cool

You are not supposed to be able to transfer music files from an iPod to a computer, for copy protection reasons. There are, though, ways around this.

One is, as you are already doing with documents and photos, to load all your music onto the "harddisk side" of the iPod. The iPod will recognize them as files on the disk, but not as songs in the playlist. If you choose this method, I suggest doing the following:

1.) Format the iPod completely. The songs are already taking up space on the drive, and if you erase them, you will give yourself more room for file transfers. MAKE SURE THE MUSIC IS STILL ON YOUR OLD COMPUTER UNTIL IT IS SAFELY STORED ON THE NEW ONE!

2.) Copy all of your music, documents, pictures, and other files onto the iPod. Then plug the iPod into the new computer (disabling autosync), and copy everythingon the iPod to the new computer (drag and drop). If you have a lot of stuff, you may have to do this a few times to move everything.


Your other option, as has been suggested, is to use one of the various programs available to transfer music from the iPod to the computer. For a Mac, there is a great little program out there called iPod.iTunes that I have used. I don't know about programs for PC (but, I do know they are out there).

Hope that answers your question....I definitely reccomend the second option. It is much easier.

-TM