One has a computer with the iTunes loaded with music, the iPod loaded with
the iTunes that is on the computer, and a new laptop one wants to load with the iTunes/iPod’s music files. Can one take the iPod and load the files from it onto the laptop, or does one have to do a computer to laptop transfer? How does one do either of these? Thanks!
Added note- The friend who wants to do this is not online so she can’t put her computers into a network.
Wanna bet? She can buy a $5 “crossover” ethernet cable at Radio Shack or CompUSA, hell, I think Target even has them, and hook the two computers directly to each other. Boom: network.
Anyway, I don’t know squat about iPods, but I do know enough about iTunes to know that the 2nd computer will have to be “authorized” (or whatever they call it) to play the purchased music. I think you get like 5 authorizations per subscription.
All she needs is a firewire cable connecting the two. Start one up, then start the other in “Target Disk” mode. One computer will show up on the other as a hard drive. She can then just drag all the files she wants. Here is a “How To”.
Caveat: I did this a year or two ago and I’m assuming the same info applies. I’m pretty sure it does.
Come to think of it. If she has a new computer, there is a way to get ALL her info—apps, files, settings, etc.—from the old to the new. A quick call to Apple Care (1-800-APL-CARE) will take her through it. I think she gets 30 or 90 days for free. Alternatively, if she is near an Appl Store, she can just briing her two laptops in and one of the Geniuses at the Genius Bar will take her through it. And it’s free!
The easiest thing to try first is simply installing iTunes on the laptop and then connecting the iPod. The software will recognize the iPod has songs not in its library, and will offer to copy those songs - this is what happened when I had to wipe my HDD a couple of months ago (though now that I think about it, I don’t recall if it offered to copy the entire library, or just the purchased songs). And yes, the second computer will need to be “authorized”, which just means a sign-on to your Apple account and a couple of mouse-clicks.
Failing that or the computer-to-computer connection, you can actually back up your iTunes library to disc. It’s an option in the File menu. Once you have the disc(s), you should be able to restore the back up on the new machine.
If she has a 5th or 5.5th gen iPod (video) or a nano, it won’t work, as they do not have Firewire support.
From the excellent blog LifeHacker:
The Wired link: Get Your Music Off Your iPod.
WARNING: The Wired page crashed my browser twice while trying to load. I’m on a fairly old computer here, though. And a disclaimer: I haven’t tried the method myself (obviously, as I can’t get the page to load).
Like everyone else has said, it is possible… heres the apple link on how to do it. Simple enough to follow, has pictures of what to look for incase you get confused too, I used this in March and it worked fine.
I was thinkiing that if she had music on her iPod, then it has to reside on her old computer. So she could hook up the two computers via firewire.
This won’t work. Apple is reticent about providing an easy way to copy files from an iPod to a computer, for fear that file-sharers will run amok. You can transfer files purchased from the Apple Store, I believe, but that’s about it. As others have posted a link showing how you can do it, you can see it is possible – Apple would just prefer to discourage it.
As is my standard advice in these threads, I’ll direct the OP to iLounge.
Google was my friend when I needed to back up my iPod in order to reformat it.