Syncing Your IPod with Itunes without Losing Your Non-Itune Purchases

The problem with Itunes sometimes is synching music that you did not purchase from Itunes. If you change your computer or sync your IPod on one computer and then try to use another one, you will find that Itunes will give you an error message asking if you want to delete files and sync only Itune purchases. I clicked "ok" once and lost all my music that I had not purchased through Itunes, which was about 99 percent of everything I had on my IPod. I was able to get everything back with a little help from Itunes support.

Today I had the same problem after my Windows XP blew up and I bought a Windows 7. I have over a 1,000 songs on my IPod and I was not about to risk clicking "ok" this time. I called Itunes and they were not so helpful this time. They asked if I had any non-Itunes purchases and told me there were a lot of utilities out there and I should Google for them. I haven't tried any of those utilities but I have included links to at least two of them.

For those of you who are not too keen on downloading utilities from unknown websites, there is a way to save your music and get it to sync with your IPod after changing computers. Itunes does offer step by step instructions if you have access to the original computer. But if what if your original computer is dead, dead, dead like mine?

First you need to back up the music on your IPod to your computer:

1. Connect your IPod to your computer. Open Itunes>options>check "enable disk use", click OK.

2. Go to "Start">My Computer>IPod drive

3. Open Tools>Folder Options>View>check "Show Hidden Files and Folders">Apply>OK

For Windows 7: After clicking on your IPod Icon in My Computer, click on Organize>Folders and Search Options>View>check "Show Hidden Files and Folder">Apply>OK

Go to IPod folder>IPod_Controls>Music. Highlight all of your folders, right click, copy. Right click on any empty area of your desktop, pick "New Folder, name it, open it, right click and pick "paste". Wait until all of your folders have been copied. Now you are ready to transport your folders into Itunes

Open Itunes>File>Library>Import Playlist>Desktop>your music folder>highlight all your music folders and they will import.

If you try to sync at this point,you will probably get a message with three options: "Import Purchased Songs", "Erase and Sync", or "Cancel".

You can click Erase and Sync and see if all your music syncs between your computer and Ipod. If only your Itunes purchases are synced all is not lost. Remember you still have your music in the folder on your desktop. Below is the solution that Itunes gave me a while back.

For Mac users click here

Click "Start">My Computer>IPod>Organize>Folder and Search Options>View tab>Show Hidden Files and Folders>Apply>Ok.

Go to your C Drive>Program Data>Apple Computer>Itunes>right click and delete the "SC" file

Go to your recycle bin and delete the "SC file

Go to Start>My Music>Itunes>delete the Itunes Library folder>Move the Itunes Music Library XML file to your desktop

Open Itunes>File>Library>Import Playlist>Desktop>Itunes Music Library XLM file

Now go back to Itunes and click to sync your music. You may still get the three options, but go ahead and click "Erase and Sync". After this, Itunes should recognize your Ipod as authorized and you shouldn't have any further problem syncing all your music.