# itunes says it will replace everything on the ipod with stuff from the computer. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 6, 2010, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-says-it-will-replace-everything-on-the-ipod-with-stuff-from-the-computer/552796 "2010-09-06T14:45:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-says-it-will-replace-everything-on-the-ipod-with-stuff-from-the-computer/552796/1 "2010-09-06T14:45:09Z")
I have installed itunes fresh on a computer. I want to transfer everything on an ipod (apps, music, movies) to that computer, but when I plug it in, itunes seems to imply that it will simply remove everything from the ipod (says all items on the ipod will be replaced with items on the computer) There’s nothing on the computer, so the implication is that it will remove everything from the ipod. How do I go about this so that the ipod doesn’t lose everything? ---
**Author:** ![silverfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e480ec/32.png) [@silverfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silverfish)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-says-it-will-replace-everything-on-the-ipod-with-stuff-from-the-computer/552796/2 "2010-09-06T15:09:57Z")
You might try Poddox. I haven’t used it myself, but from the description, it seems to be able to copy files manually from your ipod to your computer, among other things. The link is [here](http://www.poddox.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-says-it-will-replace-everything-on-the-ipod-with-stuff-from-the-computer/552796/3 "2010-09-06T18:43:55Z")
You’re trying to copy stuff from the iPod to the computer? That’s what you seem to be saying. Yeah, iTunes doesn’t let you do that, because if you want to do that, you’re clearly an evil pirate copyright offender yadda yadda. I’ve heard that a program called senuti (iTunes backwards) is good for doing that, but I haven’t used it myself. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-says-it-will-replace-everything-on-the-ipod-with-stuff-from-the-computer/552796/4 "2010-09-06T20:53:56Z")
[Apple’s explanation.](http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1202) IIUIC, it says before you try anything you have to hit “cancel” on that first dialog and then go into settings to change modes to “Manually Manage Music & Media”, disabling auto-sync (iTunes is default-set to have the content resident in the computer override the content in the attached device); plus, if you want to transfer contents downloaded from iTunes you’d also have to set up the receiving computer as an “authorized” location for the same iTunes account that created the original library (done through the iTunes Store). Won’t work on Shuffles or iPhones. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-says-it-will-replace-everything-on-the-ipod-with-stuff-from-the-computer/552796/5 "2010-09-07T01:52:38Z")
Thanks guys. I authorized the account. One extra thing I did (not sure if I needed to or not) was transfer purchases from ipod. It looked like it was going to remove all the apps otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-says-it-will-replace-everything-on-the-ipod-with-stuff-from-the-computer/552796/6 "2010-09-07T04:28:07Z")
That was smart of you. You definitely want to transfer purchases first. Do I take it that direct disk access to iPod is no longer available? That’s what I did for a friend–I just copied all the songs out of the appropriate folders (\iPod\_Control\Music\F\*) to a temporary folder on the desktop, dragged them into iTunes, using the organize library function to rename them back to their proper names, and then synchronized with the iPod. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-says-it-will-replace-everything-on-the-ipod-with-stuff-from-the-computer/552796/7 "2010-09-08T03:12:48Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > That was smart of you. You definitely want to transfer purchases first. > > Do I take it that direct disk access to iPod is no longer available? That’s what I did for a friend–I just copied all the songs out of the appropriate folders (\iPod\_Control\Music\F\*) to a temporary folder on the desktop, dragged them into iTunes, using the organize library function to rename them back to their proper names, and then synchronized with the iPod. One of the websites I went to said that. But direct access doesn’t seem to be available on windows. At best windows can access the photos (and or movies taken with the camera if it’s an iphone) ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-says-it-will-replace-everything-on-the-ipod-with-stuff-from-the-computer/552796/8 "2010-09-08T04:30:26Z")
I have the same problem. I have been downloading apps via the ipod directly rather than being able to download them on itunes, then transfer them to the ipod. Aside from that though it hasn’t been a problem. But it can be kind of a headache since the ipod isn’t as user friendly or fast as itunes on a pc. That only works for adding new apps though. I don’t know how to take music/video from the ipod and transfer it to a PC. Senuti, like someone else said, is something to look into. ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-says-it-will-replace-everything-on-the-ipod-with-stuff-from-the-computer/552796/9 "2010-09-08T05:25:34Z")
Sounds like you’re running now, but just for later information: The “correct” solution (by which I mean what the programmers intended) is to copy the iTunes library from the old _computer_ to the new _computer_, authorize the new one, then let it re-sync (which might delete everything from the iPod, but will then turn around and put it back). _The computer is always the owner of content in the iTunes universe_, the iPod is just a consuming device for it. (Even when you purchase an app or music using the iPod itself, it will transfer ownership to the computer on the next sync). A lot of folks either don’t understand that model or don’t like it–but using as intended is relatively easy, and trying to do it the other way is a pain, so it’s easiest just to live with it. ---
**Author:** ![vinniepaz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b4bc9f/32.png) [@vinniepaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vinniepaz)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/itunes-says-it-will-replace-everything-on-the-ipod-with-stuff-from-the-computer/552796/10 "2010-09-08T13:54:52Z")
Is there any solution if the old computer/iTunes install is gone, and the new computer hasn’t already been authorized?