# iPod/iTunes help



## Grosse Fugue (Mar 3, 2010)

A few months ago my computer crashed taking with it everything on my iTunes. One new hard drive later any the computer is fixed(knock on wood).Luckily it was all on my iPod so I didn't loss anything. 

My understanding is that if I plugged the iPod into the computer everything on the iPod would erase. So my question is how do I get what is on my iPod back unto my iTunes without lossing anything?thanks


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

How awful - what a scary thing to happen.

Can't help though. I don't use ipod/itunes just a standard Creative Zen.

Is there an ipod user forum?


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## Conor71 (Feb 19, 2009)

Grosse Fugue said:


> A few months ago my computer crashed taking with it everything on my iTunes. One new hard drive later any the computer is fixed(knock on wood).Luckily it was all on my iPod so I didn't loss anything.
> 
> My understanding is that if I plugged the iPod into the computer everything on the iPod would erase. So my question is how do I get what is on my iPod back unto my iTunes without lossing anything?thanks


Plug your iPod into the computer without starting iTunes (if possible, hopefully you have not set iTunes to start automatically), open My computer and navigate your way to the iPod, explore the iPod contents and explore the iPod Control Folder, next open the Music Folder and you should have a list of folders called F01, F02 etc.. - Next select all the folders and copy them, next create a folder on your hard drive and copy the contents of the iPod music folder to it. Disconnect your iPod and open iTunes, go to File and select the add folder to library option - select the folder you created earlier with your iPod music in it and the contents of the folder should be added back to iTunes, including all tags and artwork as it appears on your iPod, excluding playcount. This can all be quite a lenghty process depending on how much music is in your iPod! - Hope that helps, there are various apps you can download which can do this process too I think but this is the way (slightly convoluted) that I have done it and I know it works, hope it will help you .


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

Sorry to hear this alarming news.

I'm not sure why you heard everything will erase when you plug your iPod into the computer. Mine doesn't. The frustrating thing is all the files are stored on it in a proprietary format and all the file names will have changed to a bunch of letters and numbers, but Conor17's method may work for you. 

To avoid this happening I have a Current MP3 disc folder that I put new mp3's into. When it reaches 632 megabytes or so, I save them to CD disc (and make an ongoing catalog of where they were saved) and then erase them to make way for more. I have never lost an mp3 I wanted to keep and I've been through a couple of hard drive crashes myself.


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## SPR (Nov 12, 2008)

Yes.. Syncing with a new install of iTunes will wipe your iPod. You will get a warning, but yes that it what will happen.

I think your question it how to get the current music back into your iTunes library since you have no backup.

There are utilities out there... One was called PodUtil that can read your iPod data directly, including playlists etc, and copy that data back into iTunes. I used a couple a few years ago, they work nicely. You may have to pay a few bucks, but well worth it.


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## handlebar (Mar 19, 2009)

I have had this happen before and as long as the sync button is not checked, you won't lose it all. There are a lot of 3rd party programs that also read and download the music from your iPod and place it back on iTunes.

While I like iTunes to a degree, it is a pain for classical collectors. It IS getting better though.


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## Krumcito (Jun 13, 2010)

you must to contact with apple services


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## jives11 (Jun 20, 2010)

A slightly different approach

Have you got the old hard drive. A bad sector might mean windows would crash, but doesn't neccesarily mean your data including your music is lost. Either connect the old drive internally or You can buy external caddies which allow you to plug your old drive in an a USB drive. If it's a laptop drive it doesn't even require a separate power connection. Worth trying.

If you can access the old drive , you should be able to re-Add to Library all your old content


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## The Cosmos (Oct 2, 2009)

I hate this entire 'Itunes download/Ipod sync' thing, although I use an ipod myself. Foobar2000 with its ipod component works like a charm! Plus, most of my classical cd's are ripped onto my computer at the same quality as the cd itself (loseless?), and foobar just about supports every format!

Anyways, why would it remove all the files? Does it re-sync automatically, depending on your itunes library?


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## leporello56 (Jul 16, 2010)

Hi there,
This happene to me a while ago. You must *delete iTunes from your computer and then connect your iPod. Go into my computer (on windows that is) and you should see your ipod under devices. You should find your music files in there. Copy them to your music folder.
Hope I helped!*


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