iPod/iTunes tip.

Posted on 1/27/2006 by Dylan Tweney

When you install iTunes for Windows, it defaults to the setting that automatically keeps your iPod in sync with your iTunes library. That means if your computer doesn’t have much music on it, and you plug in an iPod that you’d topped off with music from another computer, all the music on your iPod will get wiped out. Worse, there’s no way to change this behavior without first plugging in an iPod. Catch-22. Stupid, stupid product design.

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  • http://www.silentblue.net quanta

    I agree, although if you press the Shift key while plugging in the iPod, you can override this behaviour (much like it disables AutoPlay for CDs in Windows).

    IIRC, also a dialog box appear asking if you want to “synchronize your iTunes library” if the iPod was not initially registered on that iTunes installation before.

  • http://dylan.tweney.com Dylan

    Thanks for the tip about the Shift key. I didn’t see any dialog box this time!

  • http://www.bbrug.org/blogger.html I.

    Hmm. Do you have this iPod set up to mount as a regular Firewire drive, as well? Or is it just set up for music? Because mine both mount as FW drives, and I’ve never had problems with them getting wiped clean when I connect to somebody else’s computer. I always assumed that that “don’t sync” setting was stored on the iPod itself.

    Maybe it’s a Windows thing. That’s what you get . . .

  • http://dylan.tweney.com Dylan

    My iPod was never set to sync, so if it’s stored on the iPod, the new Windows install of iTunes ignored the setting.

    Mine is formatted as a Windows drive, so I can use it on my Windows laptop -or- on our home iMac. I’ve never had any problems moving it from one to the other, though mostly it just serves as a hard drive on the Windows machine.

    One more bit of trouble: The iMac refuses to let me connect my iPod to it via the USB cable, and I can’t find the FireWire cable now (because of all the construction, it’s a wonder I can find anything at all). Since all the music is on the Mac, I’m hosed until I can find that damn cable.