iTunes question

Okay so a while back I reformated Windows, and I was too lazy to reinstall iTunes and mess with all that shit, so I just hadnt updated my iPod in a while. Well, now I want to, I'm finally sick of what I have on there, but when I installed iTunes, the only thing I can really do is start from scratch by syncing my iPod with my new empty iTunes Library.

It says that the iPod is synced with a different Library (the one from before formatting windows) but I know that before reformatted it would take what was on my iPod and Library and just merge them, instead of clearing what was on the iPod to make it exactly like the Library.

I guess I'm just wondering if there's any way around this besides downloading a program, backing up the music off my iPod, reuploading it into iTunes, and putting it back onto the iPod.

So you still want it to sync, or do you want to manage it manually? Did you try unchecking "Sync Music"?

Also, there's no way to merge the library with items already on there using sync. If a song is removed from your library which is also synced on your ipod, it will be deleted.

iTunes 7 allows you to restore iTunes purchases from your iPod into your iTunes library, but not your own rips.

You need to use a 3rd party iPod utility, like Anapod, Yamipod, WinAMP, etc. to copy your iPod library to your PC, then iTunes should be able to import that PC folder back into its own library.

BTW WinAMP 5.3 integrated the iPod plugin into the product itself. I use WinAMP as my primary media player, and it's a great iTunes alternative for managing your iPod library.

[quote787a3eeab2="dmorris68"]iTunes 7 allows you to restore iTunes purchases from your iPod into your iTunes library, but not your own rips.

You need to use a 3rd party iPod utility, like Anapod, Yamipod, WinAMP, etc. to copy your iPod library to your PC, then iTunes should be able to import that PC folder back into its own library.

BTW WinAMP 5.3 integrated the iPod plugin into the product itself. I use WinAMP as my primary media player, and it's a great iTunes alternative for managing your iPod library.[/quote787a3eeab2]
For iPod to PC transfers, I recommend Ephpod, it's free, or at least a free trial. Ephpod's free trial allows iPod to PC transfer. Anapod's trial doesn't. I don't have experience with the other two programs.

Yamipod[=http//www.yamipod.com]Yamipod is freeware too, and does much of the same stuff. It's been around a long time. I tried Anapod, Ephpod, and Yamipod years ago, and honestly don't remember which of those I preferred. I wound up dumping all of them and using pretty much just WinAMP with its iPod plugin, and iTunes itself, for all of my iPod music library duties.

OOKAY. After going through anapod like ten times, then to yamipod, and a lot of lot of stress, I got all my songs taken from my ipod back onto my computer and back into my iTunes Library.

Now that the new library matches my ipod, when it asks me if I want to "Erase and Sync" which is "replacing the contents of this iPod with the contents of the iTunes Music Library" I was going to go ahead and let it do it, since they are the same.

Then I thought about something Will syncing to my iTunes library only sync the songs, videos, playlists, etc, and leave all of my backed up files on the hard drive thing alone, or will it clear off those too? I have a lot of important files and pictures and such backed up onto my iPod using the disk feature, so I dont want it to clear those off when it clears off the songs.

No, syncing in iTunes doesn't touch data saved via the Disk Mode. Now if you do the iPod Restore thing, that WILL wipe out everything. Syncing only affects those media files that iTunes manages, and then only those you enable for syncing.