I-pod question from the technically challenged

[cubbeegirl]

Ok, here goes, most of you by this time know that I am technically challenged.Hoping some of you smart monkeys can help me out.....

My son has his i-tunes on my computer, now that he has his own computer he has downloaded his i-pod software onto it, but when he plugs his ipod into his computer he gets message telling him that his ipod is connected to another computer . If he downloads music onto his ipod from that computer it takes all the music he already has on it off of his ipod.Can anyone tell me what the problem is and how to fix it?

TYIA

[terryd270]

I think he is kinda stucked to one computer and using the ITunes for that computer to update his IPOD..  I think they do it for a lot of reasons because they want you to purchase the music, movies and stuff from ITunes music store..  So anytime he does an update to his IPOD using ITunes it will used that ITunes to update his IPOD..

Now the trick is to copy his ITunes off of his computer to your computer than both will have the same tunes and they won't erase the tunes that it can't see.. I hope this makes sense..

Another way but I haven't done it this way is to go into preferences and under the tab "Sharing" select updates from playlist and not the entired lib.  Still he will have to have the same playlist on both computers..  

I have a portable drive and I have my Itunes on that so basically that also solves the problem..

But by default it puts all the Itunes under MyDocuments and you kinda have to know what your doing but it can be done..

[terryd270]

I see another way he can have ITunes in two locations and different ones but still he still needs to copy all the files to both computers..  Under the Advance tab he can choose where to locate his ITunes folder.. This is where I have my Itunes folder pointed to my removable drive..  Portable drives aren't that much, he can always do what I do and get a portable drive for his music and stuff..  The bad part is if he forgets the portable then he can't listen to his music on the computer but ususally thats ok because he can listen to it on his ipod..   Hope this helped..  

td

[sharon]

cubbeegirl -- there is a parameter that asks you if you want to automatically 'sync' your itunes library with your ipod whenever you dock your ipod.

Tell your son to set it 'NO' on your pc.

My 'usb port' on my pc is not 'strong' enough for moving music around so I use my husbands pc for that. So I've loaded itunes on his pc -- but I clear the library when I'm done (he doesn't enjoy my wonderful musical tastes).

If I didn't set the 'sync' to NO -- everytime I docked my ipod to his pc, it would wipe out my ipod.

Does this make any sense?

I, too , am technically challenged  BUt I love taking my music with me everywhere I go.

I have the 60gb which will also play videos and show pictures. I have not even figured out how to get the 'album art' to display  

[terryd270]

sharon,

I'm not sure if he is using the other computer to charged his ipod, I think he wants to used both computer and itunes on a single ipod but if not your suggestion would work..

You need to get AV cable and then you can watched your shows and art through a large tv..  The cable runs about $10.00 but you need to goto your video->settings->tv to out.. or it won't go out the AV cable.. I'm not sure if thats what you meant that you haven't been able to look at your art..  I actually used my ipod as another DVD player..  


td

[terryd270]

I was out in LA for some classes and while on the transit system, I noticed everyone had the little white ear plugs in their ears, it was kinda funny..  The whole city must have one..

[sharon]

Thanks Terryd! I will check that out.

And you should really let me know if you ever come down here anymore (the Grove) -- we could meet up for Monkey coffee  

[terryd270]

Sharon, I will one weekend when I get my life a little more organized..  I'm into one of those planning stages in my life and lot of the things I used to do are on the back burner.  Soon..

[GreatOwl]

What they have explained to you is basically correct.  iPods can not be used to transfer music from one computer to another.  As stated, it is because the sharing of music would be just too easy.

I have two computers I switch between.  I have solved the problem by just using a firewire between the two computers and transferring the music and video files that way.  It is not difficult if that is what you wish to do.  

I do not know what types of computers you have so I will not go into the easy instructions here.  

contact me via e-mail if you need help.

[cubbeegirl]

Thanks to all the monkeys for their help,son spent the night with a friend, but will have him read your replies when he returns.
I think what he is trying to do is to use his computer, which has an external drive for all of his music .That will allow me to take all of his stuff off of my computer thus freeing up alot of disc space for me...Hopefully we can work this out as that was our main objective in the first place....

[sharon]

sharon,

I'm not sure if he is using the other computer to charged his ipod, I think he wants to used both computer and itunes on a single ipod but if not your suggestion would work..

You need to get AV cable and then you can watched your shows and art through a large tv..  The cable runs about $10.00 but you need to goto your video->settings->tv to out.. or it won't go out the AV cable.. I'm not sure if thats what you meant that you haven't been able to look at your art..  I actually used my ipod as another DVD player..  


td

 

ok terryd -- I had to run out before. Now that I'm back for a few, I re-read your note more carefully.

So, I'm a truthful monkey, and I will tell you I didn't even know I had a 'video' and settings' path  

I have enough trouble loading my cd library onto the gadget



GreatOwl -- I will have to hire you to teach me a class

I have a Dell dimension desktop that is a few years old. Non of my USB ports are considered 'hi speed'. I can load my cd's into itunes on my dell, but I can't move them over to the ipod.

I'm techncially challenged enough, that I thought I just needed to buy a hi speed hub (to plug into my non hi speed usb port) But I like the hub anyway

I bought my dh a sony vaio -- the fj series I think -- the one more inclined for media. I load my cd's there and can move them over to my ipod that way. (But then I clear the library).


DH bought me the bose speaker for my home office, and my ipod barely leaves the dock there.

I find this model not so friendly for toting around. I had asked for the nano, but I'm not complaining. It holds over a weeks worth of music! It does have an arm strap that dh also bought me -- but I think the nano must be easier for that.

Thank you both for being patient and explaining things so that I can understand

(now, I have to go back to hurricane preparation)

[LouiseVargas]

I'm a technology person and know how to do a lot of things, but my iPod outsmarted me. My son bought it for me around Xmas 1992 and I was horribly resisted to it. What do I need it for? If I want to hear CDs, I have a portable CD player. He said it's more than a CD player you take to the beach. I let him set it up and teach me iTunes. He said, "The more tunes you put on your iPod, the more valuable it is and the more invested in it you are." He said he used his in the car, at home, and at work -- he got speakers and the whole Radiology department was crazy about it.

After I while, I got used to it, loaded my favorite CDs and bought special tunes from iTunes. Life was good. Then suddenly, the battery would not hold a charge. They told me to return it and they'd send a replacement. With the second iPod, things went well for a while but then I had the battery problems again. After the one year warranty runs out, you have to pay about $30 per phone call to them. They asked me if I was interested in a two year service contract for $60. Since I had already paid $60 for two problems, I snapped up the two year contact since I knew my iPod was quirky. Yep, the third iPod's battery went dead and they sent me my fourth one.

The fourth one seems to be ok but I have not visited iTunes, nor synched my iPod to iTunes in a long time. I am also VERY concerned on what is currently safe to download. I bought the Neil Diamond "12 Songs" produced by Rick Ruben but read on the news that if you downloaded this Sony CD, it would ruin your iPod. I'm sure there are many more like this. On the Neil Diamond CD there was no warning. I know that for sure because I spent 1/2 hour doing research with the music man at Amoeba records.

So .... my technology knowledge is not on par with the lastest iPod stuff.

As I said above, the iPod is smarter than I am and I will continue to buy that two year service contract for as long as it's available.

If you hear anything regarding "blocked CDs which will ruin your iPod, please let me know ASAP.

[cubbeegirl]

I'm a technology person and know how to do a lot of things, but my iPod outsmarted me. My son bought it for me around Xmas 1992 and I was horribly resisted to it. What do I need it for? If I want to hear CDs, I have a portable CD player. He said it's more than a CD player you take to the beach. I let him set it up and teach me iTunes. He said, "The more tunes you put on your iPod, the more valuable it is and the more invested in it you are." He said he used his in the car, at home, and at work -- he got speakers and the whole Radiology department was crazy about it.

After I while, I got used to it, loaded my favorite CDs and bought special tunes from iTunes. Life was good. Then suddenly, the battery would not hold a charge. They told me to return it and they'd send a replacement. With the second iPod, things went well for a while but then I had the battery problems again. After the one year warranty runs out, you have to pay about $30 per phone call to them. They asked me if I was interested in a two year service contract for $60. Since I had already paid $60 for two problems, I snapped up the two year contact since I knew my iPod was quirky. Yep, the third iPod's battery went dead and they sent me my fourth one.

The fourth one seems to be ok but I have not visited iTunes, nor synched my iPod to iTunes in a long time. I am also VERY concerned on what is currently safe to download. I bought the Neil Diamond "12 Songs" produced by Rick Ruben but read on the news that if you downloaded this Sony CD, it would ruin your iPod. I'm sure there are many more like this. On the Neil Diamond CD there was no warning. I know that for sure because I spent 1/2 hour doing research with the music man at Amoeba records.

So .... my technology knowledge is not on par with the lastest iPod stuff.

As I said above, the iPod is smarter than I am and I will continue to buy that two year service contract for as long as it's available.

If you hear anything regarding "blocked CDs which will ruin your iPod, please let me know ASAP.

OMG Louise, you just lit a light bulb in this blonde head of mine, I bought that two year service contract for my son , being a teenager and all I figured it might come in handy,,, If all else fails I will try to get my moneys worth out of it....