# HELP! Can I upload from my Ipod to Itunes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 9, 2004, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-can-i-upload-from-my-ipod-to-itunes/263830 "2004-09-09T22:19:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2004, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-can-i-upload-from-my-ipod-to-itunes/263830/1 "2004-09-09T22:19:21Z")
Spyware and Malware (and the hamster) ate my computer. Gone. All my data. All my files. All my MUSIC! But I still have my music that is on my iPod. I went to sync them up, hoping I could upload instead of download, but I couldn’t figure it out. I aborted the process, because the message it gave me seemed to indicate it would erase my Ipod and replace it with the itunes library (which is of course empty). Is there any way to upload my Ipod to dump the songs into my Itunes? I have spent hundred of dollars at the ITunes store (not to mention the time uploading my CD collection). Please help! ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2004, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-can-i-upload-from-my-ipod-to-itunes/263830/2 "2004-09-09T23:21:10Z")
Hint: When asking for computer help, mentioning which operating system you’re running is helpful. You can’t do it with iTunes, but you can with some third party apps. Check out [iPodlounge](http://www.ipodlounge.com) for some options. On a Mac, try [iPodRip](http://www.thelittleappfactory.com/application.php?app=iPodRip). It’s available as a free trial and I used it successfully. I don’t use my iPod with my Windows box, so I can’t suggest a program there, but iPodlounge has some listed. It should be noted that I cannot vouch for iPodRip correctly uploading music purchased from the iTMS; I only used it with mp3s. ---
**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2004, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-can-i-upload-from-my-ipod-to-itunes/263830/3 "2004-09-09T23:26:38Z")
> [@iamthewalrus(:3=](#): > > Hint: When asking for computer help, mentioning which operating system you’re running is helpful. Since he mentions spyware and malware, 99% it’s a windows box 😉 ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2004, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-can-i-upload-from-my-ipod-to-itunes/263830/4 "2004-09-09T23:53:23Z")
And I see **Dog80** beat me to it on the rebound 😉 ---
**Author:** ![hightechburrito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f6c823/32.png) [@hightechburrito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hightechburrito)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2004, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-can-i-upload-from-my-ipod-to-itunes/263830/5 "2004-09-10T05:45:23Z")
For a Windows box, you can use [ephpod](http://www.ephpod.com). When you run it, you choose your iPod from a list of devices, and the option needed is someting like “search iPod for lost Music”. Let that go, then ctrl-A to select all, and copy and paste into a directory on your new machine. ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2004, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-can-i-upload-from-my-ipod-to-itunes/263830/6 "2004-09-10T07:39:15Z")
For the Mac, there’s freeware apple script called ipody which will go from your ipod to your deskbound machine, but it is quite slow. ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2004, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-can-i-upload-from-my-ipod-to-itunes/263830/7 "2004-09-10T18:45:24Z")
Thanks for the help, guys. It was a PC. Sorry for my cultural arrogance! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![octothorpe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b77776/32.png) [@octothorpe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octothorpe)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2004, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-can-i-upload-from-my-ipod-to-itunes/263830/8 "2004-09-10T19:05:00Z")
**watsonwil** If you uninstall iTunes, and jack your iPod (USB or Firewire) to your computer, Windows will see it as just another removable storage device (i’m assuming that you’re using XP). After connecting, just look in Windows Explorer (right-click on ‘My Computer’ and choose ‘explore’), double-click the iPod icon (or possibly ‘removable disk: ‘x’’) and drag and drop all .mp3 files to whatever folder you like. I had the exact same thing happen to me and that was how i recovered my music without having to find a 3rd party utility. Alternately, it may be possible to go into iTunes and disable the automatic sync function (i believe you choose ‘manual transfer’ or something) which will prevent the sync without having to uninstall iTunes. Fiat Lux, # ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2004, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-can-i-upload-from-my-ipod-to-itunes/263830/9 "2004-09-10T20:13:47Z")
For **octothorpe** ’s suggestion to work, you’ll need to change the settings on your Explorer to show the hidden files. (Under “Tools”-\> “Folder Options”-\>"View-\>unclick “Hide protected operating system files”.) I’ve got my iTunes set up now that I don’t have my library synched with 3gen iPod. It’s so much nicer now that I don’t have to keep those tracks on my computer and have more hard drive space. The odd thing is, my mom bought a 4gen iPod and I couldn’t figure out how I set it up to do that. Has the technology changed with the 4g or am I just being forgetful? (Windows XP for both of us) ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2004, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-can-i-upload-from-my-ipod-to-itunes/263830/10 "2004-09-11T07:28:47Z")
> [@octothorpe](#): > > Alternately, it may be possible to go into iTunes and disable the automatic sync function (i believe you choose ‘manual transfer’ or something) which will prevent the sync without having to uninstall iTunes. That definitely does not work on the Mac… ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2004, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-can-i-upload-from-my-ipod-to-itunes/263830/11 "2004-09-11T13:23:36Z")
Yet another day I am happy to be a Doper. I was able to use **Octothorpe’s** method and salvage all the files! Unfortunately, I had already started when **stpauler** posted and didn’t see his valuable input. I eventually figured it out, but hitting “refresh” on the browser would have saved me 5 minutes of tinkering! Thanks a ton! Viva la Cecil!