iPod Transferring iTunes Library from PC to Mac(?)

Batman Jr. · 07-15-2011, 01:30 AM

I wonder if anyone can help me with a problem I'm having trying to switch my "official" iTunes library from my work computer (Windows XP) to my home one (iMac). I haven't been able to find any answers via a search of these forums or a wider Google search, but if there's an existing thread that addresses this I'd be glad to be pointed to it.

What happens is that when I connect my iPod Classic to the iMac, I get a message saying (in essence) that the contents of my iPod will be deleted. I've tried to copy over the iTunes library file from the PC to the Mac using an external hard drive, so that I could then designate the iMac as the official "home," but, if I've done that portion correctly (not a certainty, by any means!) what shows up in the Mac music folder is not a complete copy. Part of the issue, I'm sure, is my being in the early learning stage of differences in the two operating systems. Please let me know if this description isn't extensive enough, and thanks in advance for any assistance.

Steve Werner · 07-15-2011, 10:04 AM

I think a better place to ask is in the Apple Support forums which are generally helpful for this kind of issue. Here's the one for iTunes for Mac:

https://discussions.apple.com/commun...itunes_for_mac

Batman Jr. · 07-15-2011, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Werner

I think a better place to ask is in the Apple Support forums which are generally helpful for this kind of issue. Here's the one for iTunes for Mac:

https://discussions.apple.com/commun...itunes_for_mac

Thanks for the tip, Steve; I'll give that a try. I'd seen some suggestions that didn't quite solve my issue in the general Apple support forum, but maybe this specific iTunes one will be more fruitful. Take care.

sadievan · 07-15-2011, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Batman Jr.

I wonder if anyone can help me with a problem I'm having trying to switch my "official" iTunes library from my work computer (Windows XP) to my home one (iMac). I haven't been able to find any answers via a search of these forums or a wider Google search, but if there's an existing thread that addresses this I'd be glad to be pointed to it.

What happens is that when I connect my iPod Classic to the iMac, I get a message saying (in essence) that the contents of my iPod will be deleted. I've tried to copy over the iTunes library file from the PC to the Mac using an external hard drive, so that I could then designate the iMac as the official "home," but, if I've done that portion correctly (not a certainty, by any means!) what shows up in the Mac music folder is not a complete copy. Part of the issue, I'm sure, is my being in the early learning stage of differences in the two operating systems. Please let me know if this description isn't extensive enough, and thanks in advance for any assistance.

Go to the ilounge forums.

http://forums.ilounge.com/

When I transfered from one PC to a new PC they helped me out. I can't remember all but I had to transfer the library .itl files etc so my playlists would still be intact. Very knowledgeable forum over there.

Carol

jocampo · 07-15-2011, 03:57 PM

Hi Batman,

I think this is someway related to what I was doing with my wife's iTunes library recently. We do have two iPads 2 plus an iPod Classic and I wanted to use one iTunes library only. I am not an expert, but this is what I've found during the 5+ hrs I invested fixing my issue.

I think that "offically" you can only sync with one iTunes library. You can use several devices with one iTunes library though. If the device detects that you have synced with a different one, will ask you to wipe out content and upload. You will say NO! What I did or what you need to do, is for the one you want to use at home or being the primary, you select upload purchases instead. Once done, you will transfer whatever you have on your iPod or iPad and keep it on the laptop.

Now, in terms of sync, I think you can also opt for what to sync and what not. If everything is checked, like songs, every time you plug your iPod or iPad will try to sync or upload all the stuff you have locally ... the result? You end wiping out your iPod or iPad content.

The way I transfer my songs and mix that with my wife's was this:

-I imported the songs via iTunes using a SAMBA share (you can share a folder on Windows too) This is because my songs were on a Linux server
-Once imported on my primary, my Mac air on this case, I will see the content or songs, but of course, they are not locally yet.
-Click or select all the songs or content and select "consolidate"

After a few minutes or hours (depending of how many songs you have) the content from one iTunes share will be copied to the second one. And the destination or primary will have all your content there.

To keep in mind:

You need enough permissions on source to be able to copy, browse and share via iTunes from the second computer. That was a problem for one of my songs/folders.

If you library is big, consolidate by chunks. Sort by added date and work in batches

Say hi to Robin from me ...

Batman Jr. · 07-15-2011, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sadievan

Go to the ilounge forums.

http://forums.ilounge.com/

Carol

Quote:

Originally Posted by jocampo

Hi Batman,

I think this is someway related to what I was doing with my wife's iTunes library recently. We do have two iPads 2 plus an iPod Classic and I wanted to use one iTunes library only. I am not an expert, but this is what I've found during the 5+ hrs I invested fixing my issue.

Say hi to Robin from me ...

Carol & jocampo,

Thanks for the suggestions; I'll give these a shot when I get home and report back. Appreciate it! (P.S. jocampo, I'll pass your greeting on to the Boy Wonder - you'd think as a member of "Gen. Tech." he could've figured this out, huh?

)

sadievan · 07-15-2011, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Batman Jr.

Carol & jocampo,

Thanks for the suggestions; I'll give these a shot when I get home and report back. Appreciate it! (P.S. jocampo, I'll pass your greeting on to the Boy Wonder - you'd think as a member of "Gen. Tech." he could've figured this out, huh?

)

On a side note, you can get your songs off your iPod classic. Make sure in iTunes to check add songs to iTunes when adding files to library or something like that. Not at my computer right now. It's in edit\preferences\advanced. When you connect your classic to your computer go to windows explorer. You will see your classic listed. In the file structure there will be folders with your music. They are listed like 00, 001, etc. You won't be able to make sense of them but if you copy those to iTunes they will import. I did this a few years ago for my son. I copied the folders to the desktop first and then imported to iTunes. You won't have your playlists or anything though.

HTH
Carol

Batman Jr. · 07-16-2011, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jocampo

Hi Batman,

I think that "offically" you can only sync with one iTunes library. You can use several devices with one iTunes library though. If the device detects that you have synced with a different one, will ask you to wipe out content and upload. You will say NO! What I did or what you need to do, is for the one you want to use at home or being the primary, you select upload purchases instead. Once done, you will transfer whatever you have on your iPod or iPad and keep it on the laptop.

Hello jocampo,

I'm testing this now. When I connect the iPod, however, I get the, "Do you want to erase and sync?" message, but the only options are "Yes" and "Cancel" (i.e., I don't see any option to decline and then upload purchases, etc.).

Quote:

Originally Posted by jocampo

Now, in terms of sync, I think you can also opt for what to sync and what not. If everything is checked, like songs, every time you plug your iPod or iPad will try to sync or upload all the stuff you have locally ... the result? You end wiping out your iPod or iPad content.

The way I transfer my songs and mix that with my wife's was this:

-I imported the songs via iTunes using a SAMBA share (you can share a folder on Windows too) This is because my songs were on a Linux server

Not familiar with a "SAMBA share"

, but it sounds like it may be the answer to moving my library from work to home so that I can designate the home computer as the "primary." I'll update progress later. Thanks.

Batman Jr. · 07-16-2011, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sadievan

On a side note, you can get your songs off your iPod classic. Make sure in iTunes to check add songs to iTunes when adding files to library or something like that. Not at my computer right now. It's in edit\preferences\advanced. When you connect your classic to your computer go to windows explorer. You will see your classic listed. In the file structure there will be folders with your music. They are listed like 00, 001, etc. You won't be able to make sense of them but if you copy those to iTunes they will import. I did this a few years ago for my son. I copied the folders to the desktop first and then imported to iTunes. You won't have your playlists or anything though.

HTH
Carol

Hi Carol,

Do you know what the analogous procedure would be for Mac? I'm trying to switch the primary library from a PC to a Mac, and I don't see the "File/Preferences/Advanced" tab as would be seen on Windows. BTW, I have checked iLounge briefly, but want to test your and jocampo's ideas first, as well as to follow the time-honored advice to RTFM (again)

in hopes that that will do the trick

.

jocampo · 07-16-2011, 07:42 PM

Batman,

Just make a share for your PC .. change the iTunes library on Mac, different folder and then import using the share as source. That will create the iTunes library for you.

Once the files or songs are on your Mac iTunes, then select import. What import is going to do is duplicate or move your files from PC to Mac.

Batman Jr. · 07-17-2011, 02:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Batman Jr.

Hi Carol,

Do you know what the analogous procedure would be for Mac? I'm trying to switch the primary library from a PC to a Mac, and I don't see the "File/Preferences/Advanced" tab as would be seen on Windows. BTW, I have checked iLounge briefly, but want to test your and jocampo's ideas first, as well as to follow the time-honored advice to RTFM (again)

in hopes that that will do the trick

.

Never mind - found it...

Batman Jr. · 07-20-2011, 03:31 AM

Well, I thought I had it licked. I finally got the copy from my external hard drive to show up in the Mac iTunes correctly (i.e., with all the proper songs, podcasts, apps, etc.), BUT all the songs and many of the other items had an exclamation point in front of them (a subsequent Google search suggests I should have called it a "dreaded" exclamation point). Clicking on these items produced a message saying, "The song could not be played because the original file could not be found. Would you like to locate it?” At which point I seem to have returned to square one. This appears to be an issue going back to at least the advent of the iPod, judging by the multitude of blog posts, forum discussions, etc. I've run across trying to find a solution (jocampo, I can completely empathize with your five-hour plus time investment, and can raise you five more). Oh well, 2:30 a.m. here - guess I'll give it another go tomorrow (Ain't life grand?

).

sadievan · 07-20-2011, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Batman Jr.

Never mind - found it...

Sorry I didn't respond earlier. For some reason I wasn't getting notifications of posts.

Anyway another place to check for help is Kim Komando's site. Do a search on her site for transfering iTunes Library.

www.komando.com

Here is a link to a page she has for transfering iTunes library on a PC. Maybe of some help to you.

http://www.komando.com/tips/index.aspx?id=9609

Carol

Batman Jr. · 07-20-2011, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sadievan

Sorry I didn't respond earlier. For some reason I wasn't getting notifications of posts.

Anyway another place to check for help is Kim Komando's site. Do a search on her site for transfering iTunes Library.

www.komando.com

Here is a link to a page she has for transfering iTunes library on a PC. Maybe of some help to you.

http://www.komando.com/tips/index.aspx?id=9609

Carol

Thanks, Carol; I'll give it a try this afternoon.

sadievan · 07-20-2011, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Batman Jr.

Thanks, Carol; I'll give it a try this afternoon.

Your welcome.

Good Luck. I hope you get it worked out.

Carol

07-15-2011, 01:30 AM	#1
Batman Jr. Unstoppably Curious Posts: 287 Karma: 7676 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: USA Device: Kindle 3/Fire; BB Z10; enTourage eDGe/Pocket eDGe; iPad4/iPod touch 5	Transferring iTunes Library from PC to Mac(?) I wonder if anyone can help me with a problem I'm having trying to switch my "official" iTunes library from my work computer (Windows XP) to my home one (iMac). I haven't been able to find any answers via a search of these forums or a wider Google search, but if there's an existing thread that addresses this I'd be glad to be pointed to it. What happens is that when I connect my iPod Classic to the iMac, I get a message saying (in essence) that the contents of my iPod will be deleted. I've tried to copy over the iTunes library file from the PC to the Mac using an external hard drive, so that I could then designate the iMac as the official "home," but, if I've done that portion correctly (not a certainty, by any means!) what shows up in the Mac music folder is not a complete copy. Part of the issue, I'm sure, is my being in the early learning stage of differences in the two operating systems. Please let me know if this description isn't extensive enough, and thanks in advance for any assistance.

07-15-2011, 03:57 PM	#5
jocampo Layback feline Posts: 3,034 Karma: 6980745 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: USA Device: Oasis 2nd gen, Sony DPTS1, iPad Pro 10.5"	Hi Batman, I think this is someway related to what I was doing with my wife's iTunes library recently. We do have two iPads 2 plus an iPod Classic and I wanted to use one iTunes library only. I am not an expert, but this is what I've found during the 5+ hrs I invested fixing my issue. I think that "offically" you can only sync with one iTunes library. You can use several devices with one iTunes library though. If the device detects that you have synced with a different one, will ask you to wipe out content and upload. You will say NO! What I did or what you need to do, is for the one you want to use at home or being the primary, you select upload purchases instead. Once done, you will transfer whatever you have on your iPod or iPad and keep it on the laptop. Now, in terms of sync, I think you can also opt for what to sync and what not. If everything is checked, like songs, every time you plug your iPod or iPad will try to sync or upload all the stuff you have locally ... the result? You end wiping out your iPod or iPad content. The way I transfer my songs and mix that with my wife's was this: -I imported the songs via iTunes using a SAMBA share (you can share a folder on Windows too) This is because my songs were on a Linux server -Once imported on my primary, my Mac air on this case, I will see the content or songs, but of course, they are not locally yet. -Click or select all the songs or content and select "consolidate" After a few minutes or hours (depending of how many songs you have) the content from one iTunes share will be copied to the second one. And the destination or primary will have all your content there. To keep in mind: You need enough permissions on source to be able to copy, browse and share via iTunes from the second computer. That was a problem for one of my songs/folders. If you library is big, consolidate by chunks. Sort by added date and work in batches Say hi to Robin from me ... Last edited by jocampo; 07-15-2011 at 03:59 PM.

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07-15-2011, 10:04 AM	#2
Steve Werner Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 24 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: San Francisco, CA, USA Device: iPad	I think a better place to ask is in the Apple Support forums which are generally helpful for this kind of issue. Here's the one for iTunes for Mac: https://discussions.apple.com/commun...itunes_for_mac

07-16-2011, 07:42 PM	#10
jocampo Layback feline Posts: 3,034 Karma: 6980745 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: USA Device: Oasis 2nd gen, Sony DPTS1, iPad Pro 10.5"	Batman, Just make a share for your PC .. change the iTunes library on Mac, different folder and then import using the share as source. That will create the iTunes library for you. Once the files or songs are on your Mac iTunes, then select import. What import is going to do is duplicate or move your files from PC to Mac.

07-20-2011, 03:31 AM	#12
Batman Jr. Unstoppably Curious Posts: 287 Karma: 7676 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: USA Device: Kindle 3/Fire; BB Z10; enTourage eDGe/Pocket eDGe; iPad4/iPod touch 5	Well, I thought I had it licked. I finally got the copy from my external hard drive to show up in the Mac iTunes correctly (i.e., with all the proper songs, podcasts, apps, etc.), BUT all the songs and many of the other items had an exclamation point in front of them (a subsequent Google search suggests I should have called it a "dreaded" exclamation point). Clicking on these items produced a message saying, "The song could not be played because the original file could not be found. Would you like to locate it?” At which point I seem to have returned to square one. This appears to be an issue going back to at least the advent of the iPod, judging by the multitude of blog posts, forum discussions, etc. I've run across trying to find a solution (jocampo, I can completely empathize with your five-hour plus time investment, and can raise you five more). Oh well, 2:30 a.m. here - guess I'll give it another go tomorrow (Ain't life grand? ).