I need iPod help (because I've been living under a rock and think it's still 2001)

[chrissigrl]

I think having problems with iPods has fallen by the wayside. I can recall back to the days when you couldn't check your RSS feed without somebody lamenting the "Sad Mac" icon, randomly crashing desktops, and corrupted files. But these days? I guess I missed the hip time to have iPod problems, but I'm having them now.

I haven't even needed to update my ipod in forever. I was working on a show some time last year, and somebody on the crew took my pod home overnight and added at least 8Gigs of stuff to it, and I haven't had to add stuff to it since then. Over the weekend one of my funnest friends made me a "Cheer Up/No Need for Heartache/Happy time!" mix CD, which I would love to put into my Ipod.

...except I CAN'T, because my iTunes and my computer have decided that they want to pretend my ipod doesn't exist. I plug it in, little Pod is all like "DO NOT DISCONNECT, I'M IN!" and iTunes doesn't do squat. I restart. I open and close. I do all kinds of stuff, and nada.

I'm wary to screw around too much because about 85% of the stuff in the little pod are either from an old computer that's gone (from my parents), or from this random crew guy a year ago who gave me one biometric shit ton of cool music and I havent' talked to him since, so the stuff I have now could be lost forever with no way to get it back.

Anyone have any ideas? Options for back up? Something that isn't too super complicated that might save the music I have now while still enabling me to listen to Britney Spear's "Womanizer" (Track #4) in peace?

Any info that isn't "Go see the Mac Geniuses"* is very, very appreciated.


*I won't go to the Mac Geniuses. I hate them.

Comments

[wolfhaus.livejournal.com]

Have you tried resetting your iPod? Hold down the center button and menu for like ten seconds, until the Apple logo comes up. This takes care of a lot of anomalous problems I've had with iPods over the years.

[chrissigrl.livejournal.com]

I've done that. The pod might be on the way out -- the one time my computer recognized it, it gave me a pop up that said something to the effect of, "iTunes recognizes there is an iPod attached, however, we cannot connect"... does that mean a reformat? Is there anyone to pull the files out of my pod into an extrenal HD or anything? (is this something people do?)

[shekb.livejournal.com]

That happened to me like a week ago. Couldn't do anything but revert to the original settings (tried re-installing itunes and the whole bit), which, yeah, means formatting it. I think it's something to do with how itunes talks to the ipod in a different way now. There might be another way to fix it, but I wasn't too hard up for one since all my music is on the computer.

However, there are a bunch of non-itunes programs out there that also hook up with your ipod and that will let you get your music off of it. Depends on whether you use mac or pc as to which ones they are.

[chrissigrl.livejournal.com]

well, at least I'm not the only one living large like 2001.

I'll even pay for a program at this point, just so I dont' have to start all over again, which would suck. Any reccomendations you have, I'm down.

[shekb.livejournal.com]

I have a PC and the only one I can remember is yamipod.

[chrissigrl.livejournal.com]

Yamipod?

we are sure this isn't some type of futuristic legume?

it's ok, I only speak pee cee. I'm old fashioned and I like it that way, dammit.

[shekb.livejournal.com]

No, it is a thing: http://www.yamipod.com/main/modules/home/

[thejetzer.livejournal.com]

If your iPod can connect to your computer and create its own drive in "My Computer", then you should be able to grab the music off, which would be a good idea, since iPods will be fine one minute, and an expensive paperweight the next.

The music is under hidden folders on the iPod so you'll have to turn on the ability to see hidden folders:
-In the window for My Computer, or the drive, click Tools
-Click "Folder Options"
-Click the "View" tab
-Then on the list, click "Show hidden files and folders"
-Click OK

[chrissigrl.livejournal.com]

Hi, I might call you frantic later on, trying to do this. I have a new-in-the-box external HD (same kind you hooked up on my 'rents computer in the summer).... I was thinking of dropping the files direclty on to that, because my iTunes and all that is on Frankenstein, not the new Lappy. Can you do that? um... is it hard to do that? As far as the instructions are concerned, most people are like, "Yeah... plug in the external HD and just drag and drop, but how could it be that simple?

Pee Ess: Your Address. I losted it (I think).

[thejetzer.livejournal.com]

It is as easy as drag and drop if both the external HD and the iPod are plugged in at the same time and you have two separate windows for each. However, if the folders you are copying are hidden, after you copy them, go to the external, right click on the folders, select "Options" and then uncheck the "hidden" checkbox (it might ask you to apply to all subfolders and files, or just apply to this folder... you want to apply to all subfolders and files)... then click OK.

My address is on the book of faces.