Helps me with teh iPodz!

Rattlehead

New member
I recently had to COMPLETELY reinstall Windows onto my computer. I decided that Vista is a load of shit, so I downgraded (read:upgraded) to Windows XP. If I install iTunes and sync my iPod (it's a 6th Gen--Classic) will all of my songs and videos be deleted off of my iPod? I've got a crapload of stuff on there; hardly stuff that I want to lose.
 
yes, unfortunately, your ipod can only register with one itunes to "sync"
and will most likely see this newly installed copy as a... well... new copy.

Here's a tip though, I'm not sure how to do it, but where ever you go to change ipod settings in itunes, you can make your ipod a mass storage device, then you can sync it with ANY player...regardless if it's the same one or not.


ugh, i hope that's right. i was doing guess work on a friend's ipod because he wanted to use WMP and he told me that it worked setting the ipod as mass storage.
 
In my experience, it asks and says "this iPod is synced to a different library."

You'll get an option to transfer purchased music to the new library, if memory serves.

Also, you can enable it as storage device, open the drive in Windows Explorer, and you should be able to drag and drop any non-DRM music directly into iTunes.

If I recall correctly.
 
If you're not using DRM'd music....

Download a program called SharePod. It lets you recover all the content from your iPod. While simply dragging and dropping all the files from the iPod will kinda work, SharePod will actually organize the music for you much closer to how iTunes organizes it.

If you don't use SharePod, all your music will be (4 letters).mp3 or aac -- and those are, I believe, in the hidden folder iPodControl. I always say screw it and just use SharePod to recover the music.
 
If you're not using DRM'd music....

Download a program called SharePod. It lets you recover all the content from your iPod. While simply dragging and dropping all the files from the iPod will kinda work, SharePod will actually organize the music for you much closer to how iTunes organizes it.

If you don't use SharePod, all your music will be (4 letters).mp3 or aac -- and those are, I believe, in the hidden folder iPodControl. I always say screw it and just use SharePod to recover the music.

If you have "Let iTunes organize my music" checked off in the options, any music file with ID3 tags you drag and drop into iTunes will automatically be copied to your library in a directory based on the artist and album title.
 
Yeah, all of my music is non-DRM'd and encoded in Apple Lossless. I have no clue if the latter will effect my chances of success, but I'm guessing DRM will.
 
AAC is a lossy compression (i.e. random data is tossed out irretrievably to lessen file size--i.e. the audio quality is permanently damaged). MP3 is another form of lossy audio compression.

ALAC is lossless compression (the file size is lessened without compromising audio quality). Other examples of lossless audio formats are FLAC and WAV (although WAV isn't really compression, to be honest).
 
AAC is a lossy compression (i.e. random data is tossed out irretrievably to lessen file size--i.e. the audio quality is permanently damaged). MP3 is another form of lossy audio compression.

ALAC is lossless compression (the file size is lessened without compromising audio quality). Other examples of lossless audio formats are FLAC and WAV (although WAV isn't really compression, to be honest).

Wait...a lot of my music was originally in MP3 format, and I kept getting audio clipping when the volume was turned up. Me, being the audiophile that I most proudly am, was rather annoyed by this and decided to convert my entire library (400 or so songs, mind you) into a lossless format, just for the hell of it. Surprisingly, I get no audio clipping now, even when the volume is maxed out.

I'm now posed with another question. Could audio clipping (see here for definition) qualify as "permanent damage to audio quality"?

Ah, one more thing. Is the fact that WAV is uncompressed raw audio data, as mentioned by Wraith, the reason that the files are so damn huge?
 
Yep, as mentioned:


Lossy compressed

mp2
mp3
mp4
ogg
wma
aac
atract1, 3 and 3plus
musepack

Loseless compressed

alac
flac
atract advanced lossless
ape
shorten
wacpack
ac3

Loseless un-compressed

wav
 
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Hm, one day I ought to do just that...try them all with a few test tracks and see what my results are. I have a feeling it'll vary from track to track though on which particular codec is best.
 
I know that I've said this a lot, but I just wanna thank all of you for helping me out. It seems like the other few forums and threads within those that I lurk are epically trolled to death. You guys have been really helpful in answering my questions, and I appreciate it.

Wow. That was just totally out of character for me (i.e.: not sarcastic, cynical, or otherwise smartass-ish). Sorry. It won't happen again, I promise. >=D
 
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