# iPod tech support; synching someone else's with my music **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 26, 2010, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ipod-tech-support-synching-someone-elses-with-my-music/526563 "2010-01-26T20:58:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ipod-tech-support-synching-someone-elses-with-my-music/526563/1 "2010-01-26T20:58:58Z")
How to do this? Some bastard, may he rot in hell, stole my iPod Nano. I still have all my music in itunes. My sister gave me her old iPod Nano. Now, how do I get MY music onto THIS iPod? It sure as hell isn’t easy to figure through iTunes. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ipod-tech-support-synching-someone-elses-with-my-music/526563/2 "2010-01-26T21:03:56Z")
The first time you connect it, iTunes _should_ display a popup saying “this iPod is currently synced to another library. Syncing to this library will cause all the existing music to be erased. Do you want to proceed?” (or something like that). Then you either say “no” (as I do when I connect my iPod to my work computer - I just want to charge it up, not sync it), or “yes” (as I did once when I needed to set up an old iPod that had last been synced to our old computer). If you’ve said “no” already, there is likely a way to turn it back to on so you can sync. Not sure what that is, however. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ipod-tech-support-synching-someone-elses-with-my-music/526563/3 "2010-01-26T21:12:32Z")
Can’t you just select the music (click first song, \ click last song) and drag the music from iTunes to iPod? ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ipod-tech-support-synching-someone-elses-with-my-music/526563/4 "2010-01-26T23:42:39Z")
What Mama Zappa said. If that doesn’t work, you can always try resetting the iPod. > **[Learn how to force restart your iPod](https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204307)** > > If your iPod isn't responding, try forcing it to restart. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ipod-tech-support-synching-someone-elses-with-my-music/526563/5 "2010-01-27T00:17:14Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > The first time you connect it, iTunes _should_ display a popup saying "this iPod is currently synced to another library. Syncing to this library… I find it safer to to actually open iTunes _before_ hooking up the iPod, going to the Preferences window and making _certain_ that the “Prevent iPods and iPhones from Synching Automatically” check box (9.0.2) is checked. To synch manually, click on you new iPod’s icon in the Device list (just above playlists in the main iTunes window). That’ll bring up a summary of your iPod’s state in the main window. At the top of that summary is a tab that says “Music”. Click it. That’ll get you to a bunch of different ways to set up a manual synching. You’ll be able to select specific artists, playlists etc. Synching **will** delete any music that’s on your new iPod. There’s a way to save that to your library _before_ you synch. I think it’s been discussed here previously, but maybe the DMCA prevents us from legally talking about it? ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ipod-tech-support-synching-someone-elses-with-my-music/526563/6 "2010-01-27T02:48:33Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Now, how do I get MY music onto THIS iPod? It sure as hell isn’t easy to figure through iTunes. Do you want to also keep the music that’s already on there? Then UNcheck sync, and just drag and drop your music onto your iPod’s icon in iTunes.