iPod to PC/Mac – written tutorial

Here’s a quick guide to protect your content from being deleted by iTunes if you have added music and video to your player from a computer other than the one you originally used to set it up.

The videos tutorials for a Windows formatted iPod or iPhone can be found here and the Mac ones here

In order to safely reconnect you iPod, iPhone or iPod Touch to your PC or Mac follow these instructions:

  1. Open iTunes
  2. Windows – Go to: Edit > Preferences
  3. Windows – From the window box that opens select, Devices
  4. Mac – In iTunes sidebar, in the section labeled “Devices”, select your iPod/iPhone.
  5. Check the box that says Prevent iPods, iPhones and iPads from syncing automatically.
  6. Now you can connect your player to iTunes.

Copy contents to PC:

If you want to copy the contents of the player back to your PC then follow these instructions:

  1. Download and install Sharepod from here: http://www.getsharepod.com/
  2. Connect your player and wait for it to be recognised.
  3. Copying – There are four ways to copy files from your iPod.
  4. Select the tracks you want to copy, and click the “Copy to PC’ button at the top of the window
  5. Select the files you want to copy, and drag them into a folder on your PC.
  6. Right click on a playlist and select ‘Copy to PC’. This will copy all the files in the playlist.
  7. Click “Backup iPod” or copy the main playlist. This will copy all the files in all playlists to your computer.

Copy contents to Mac:

If you want to copy the contents of the player back to your Mac then follow these instructions:

  1. Download and install PodToMAC from here
  2. Once downloaded, double-click and drag-and-drop the Pod to Mac software to your Applications folder.
  3. Connect your iPod to your OSX computer. Close iTunes if it opens.
  4. Open the Pod to Mac software. Your iPod should be automatically detected.
  5. Click the “Automatic Transfer” button. This will transfer all your music and your data and will organize it automatically in iTunes.
  6. If you want to transfer all your tracks, they should be preselected by default and you can click the “Transfer Checked Tracks” button to proceed. If you only want to transfer a few individual tracks, deselect all and mark the check boxes next to the files you wish to transfer before clicking the “Transfer Checked Tracks” button.

The tutorial videos to all of the above can be found here

Please note (not relevant for iPhones)  that when you add content from more than one computer using iTunes your iPod settings in iTunes need to be changed, so that the “Manually manage music and videos” box is checked. This will stop your iPod automatically syncing.  To learn more about this click here.

Remember: An iPod can easily be dropped or damaged. Always back up!

If you’ve got any questions or want help contact us here