The *official* Ipod help thread

[Cool-Beans]

HDD = Hard Disk Drive

This seems very odd. Can you write down all steps you take from the time you rip a CD into iTunes until the time a song disappears. There's got to be something in there that is causing this.

Note that Amity 3 is 100% correct, and he's not saying you're a pirate. His point is that Apple, Microsoft, and the entire recording industry assume you're a pirate until proven otherwise and they take steps based on this assumption. What he was trying to tell you is that if you rip music off a CD and then outside of iTunes move it somewhere else, iTunes will cease knowing about it and it will "disappear" from iTunes even though you made it disappear.

I will note that Amity is correct if you promise not to tell him I said so (figured he was).

Yes, here's what I'm doing now. CDs are alphabetized, so we're starting with ABBA's Greatest Hits. Loading in tracks 1 (Dancing Queen), 3 (Take a Chance on Me), 8 (Winner Takes it All), and 11 (Chiquitita).

Opened little CD drawer in laptop, put in disk.

Double-clicked on ipod (or itunes) icon on desktop, which bring up list of songs on its own, all checked.

Uncheck everything but tracks I want. Can't remember how to move them all at once.

Highlight "Dancing Queen", click file, click import (little box with all tracks listed "track 01", etc.) click Track 01, which now shows up in the "file name" line. Click "open" - it is all there is to click, exept "cancel."

Little box disappears and yellow circle appears next to Dancing Queen in original list. Wavy line moves in little yellow circle. After a while yellow circle changes to green circle with white check mark in it.

Repeat with other songs.

My library in music, songs are now there.

For now.

It did ask me once if I wanted to back them up onto CDs and I said no. I forgot about that. I HAVE them on CDs, I don't need MORE CDs around. Nor do I want to have to always be reloading backed-up songs in...too much fuss for me. Is that a requirement, though, to have a bunch of CDs for my songs? That what I did wrong? (Kids say No, you don't have to do that.)

Now that I'm doing this, I'm going to eject ABBA and put in AC/DC and start loading in Back in Black. Again.

ETA! HEY! This time, for the first time, it asked if I wanted to import Back in Black, so I said yes, and the box went away. Really fast I unchecked the songs I didn't want, and it is now doing it all on its own. What the hell. So, now I've got "Shoot to Thrill", "Back in Black", and "You Shook Me All Night Long," in there just like THAT! And they started playing themselves. I *think* this is good. ???

Please tell me if I'm doing it wrong. (Can I send you some cookies or something? Give you an itunes gift? I really appreciate the help!)

 

[JennyMominRI]

I will note that Amity is correct if you promise not to tell him I said so (figured he was).

Yes, here's what I'm doing now. CDs are alphabetized, so we're starting with ABBA's Greatest Hits. Loading in tracks 1 (Dancing Queen), 3 (Take a Chance on Me), 8 (Winner Takes it All), and 11 (Chiquitita).

ABBA..Well there's your problem..The IPOd simply refuses to put the ABBA on the IPOD..Can you really blame him?



Just kidding.I love dancing queen,but I could not resist an ABBA joke.

 

[Florida_Mom]

Follow these steps:

1) Connect your iPod to your computer

2) Start iTunes (#1 may have done this automagically)

3) Choose your iPod under DEVICES

4) On the options tabs on the main screen choose "TV Shows"

5) Change the "Sync" pulldown to read "all". Right now it probably reads "1 most recent" or "1 most recent unwatched".

Thank you, thank you!!! I will try that!

 

[toddp3]

Please tell me if I'm doing it wrong. (Can I send you some cookies or something? Give you an itunes gift? I really appreciate the help!)

No need for payment Someday just pass it on

Well to that point, things look okay. The question I still have is what happens after that point.

Can you sync what you burn to your iPod? (I think "yes" is the answer here based on previous posts) (Point A)

At what point do you notice the songs missing from iTunes? (Point B)

Do you ever touch the song files on your computer during the time from Point A to Point B?

Lets look at some settings in iTunes...

1) Start iTunes (no need to have your iPod connected to your computer for this)

2) Go to the "Edit" menu (top of iTunes), click it and choose "Preferences"

3) Along the top, pick the "Advanced" tab

4) In the sub-tabs, pick "General"

What is the setting for your "iTunes Music folder location"? (commit this value to memory!!!)

Is "Keep iTunes Music folder organized" checked? (I suggest it should be for organization)

Is "Copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to library" checked? (optional, but if you add music to iTunes from outside of the folder you now know by heart then it could get lost easily - note it can also get lost in the folder, but much harder to do, but that's why I wanted you to commit to memory, see below)

5) In the sub-tabs, pick "Importing"

Based on your post it seems that "On CD Insert" is set to "Ask to Import CD", correct? If not, what's it set to? (because I like automation I use "Import CD and Eject" as it's very efficient if you have a stack of CDs to rip)

Note that "Import Using" is the format choice. By default iTunes will pick "AAC Encoder" and 128kbps. If you want MP3s and slightly higher quality I'd pick "MP3 Encoder" and 192kbps.

If you want to turn off playback during ripping then uncheck "Play songs while importing or converting".

I suggest checking off "Automatically retrieve CD track names from Internet" only if you have a constant internet/broadband connection. Dialup users shouldn't use this.

Checking off "Create filenames with track number" is a great idea for organization.

Once you make changes based on my suggestions, then click "OK" and they will be set. If you want to back out, then click "Cancel".

Now... since we're in this holding pattern until you actually loose music, let me show you how to check if those files are actually gone. Generally speaking iTunes won't delete files unless you tell it to, and by default it provides a dialog box when doing this. Very often, even if it disappears in iTunes it's still on your hard drive.

So, remember that folder you're supposed to have memorized?

If you used both the "organization" options I referenced above, your life in finding and re-adding missing files will be easy.

All you'll need to do is open Windows Explorer (or the Mac equivalent) and go to that folder. Surf down by Artist, then Album, and then song and see if the file is there. If it is there, then double clicking it should automatically add it back into iTunes.

If you loose files again from those you just ripped, post here, and try and think of anything in the interim that might have caused the problem, so we can figure this out.

And you're not alone in your liking of ABBA.

 

[Taylor]

Kind of off the subject, but I just got a Nano for Christmas. I love it with the exception of the wired headphones. I search online and found a bluetooth adapter that clicks into the bottom and also bought a set of bluetooth stereo headphones. Now I can list to music without wires. Excellent. I'm not sure why Apple doesn't offer a built in Bluetooth.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

Just chiming in to say I love my little iPod Shuffle that I got for Christmas . I am still learning how to use it fully. I was just wondering as I was working out this morning while listening to a Splash MOuntain ride-thru... "Am I the dorkiest guy at the gym?"

 

[Fitswimmer]

I was listening to my Disney's Greatest Hits CD Saturday at the gym too!! I always smile at the people around me because if they ever knew what I was listening too they'd probably fit me for one of those little white jackets that have no sleeves.

 

[Amity 3]

Kind of off the subject, but I just got a Nano for Christmas. I love it with the exception of the wired headphones. I search online and found a bluetooth adapter that clicks into the bottom and also bought a set of bluetooth stereo headphones. Now I can list to music without wires. Excellent. I'm not sure why Apple doesn't offer a built in Bluetooth.

it's an interior space issue with the Nano. our Macbook and iMac have built-in wireless and bluetooth.

I'm sure the next generation of video iPods will support it.

 

[Amity 3]

I will note that Amity is correct if you promise not to tell him I said so (figured he was).

no need, I know I'm right 100% of the time.

 

[toddp3]

The iPhone (well likely won't use that name since Cisco owns it) will likely have it as these days cells all have Bluetooth.

 

[cruisnfamily]

Got an ipod shuffle question.

First the background. We have 2 computers, 2 nanos, 1 older version shuffle which just arrived for Christmas. We have all three ipods set to "manual" not "autosync". Each nano has a "home" computer but can be plugged into the other computer and songs can be added to it from the other computers itunes...no problem.

We plugged the shuffle(it's new) into 1 computer, did our thing, and then took it over to the other computer to get music out of that itunes and it wanted to erase it! It looks like the shuffle can't play on 2 different computers like the nanos can...is this true? Or did my husband set it up wrong? He assures me he took it off of autosync but I haven't actually checked that.

So, what say all you experts?

 

[Amity 3]

not to complicate things, but adding files to your iTunes library copies them. every song you copy maintains it's original target. so if you have 200 songs in your iTunes library, you actually have 400 songs on your hard drive.

iTunes mirrors the media you use and install onto an external device.

 

[Amity 3]

Got an ipod shuffle question.

First the background. We have 2 computers, 2 nanos, 1 older version shuffle which just arrived for Christmas. We have all three ipods set to "manual" not "autosync". Each nano has a "home" computer but can be plugged into the other computer and songs can be added to it from the other computers itunes...no problem.

We plugged the shuffle(it's new) into 1 computer, did our thing, and then took it over to the other computer to get music out of that itunes and it wanted to erase it! It looks like the shuffle can't play on 2 different computers like the nanos can...is this true? Or did my husband set it up wrong? He assures me he took it off of autosync but I haven't actually checked that.

So, what say all you experts?

the new shuffle will only link to one iTunes library. migrate the other files to that computer, and you'll sync up.

 

[Cool-Beans]

No need for payment Someday just pass it on

Well to that point, things look okay. The question I still have is what happens after that point.

Can you sync what you burn to your iPod? (I think "yes" is the answer here based on previous posts) (Point A)Yeah, never had a problem there.

At what point do you notice the songs missing from iTunes? (Point B)I don't know. One day, I'll bring up the itunes site and they're just gone. The songs I bought from itunes stay, they others are gone. I dunno why. If it happens again, I swear to God, I'm done with it. Feel like a bobo for even trying again now.

Do you ever touch the song files on your computer during the time from Point A to Point B? I don't think so. I really do as little as possible and avoid trying exta things...so I doubt it.

Lets look at some settings in iTunes...

1) Start iTunes (no need to have your iPod connected to your computer for this)

2) Go to the "Edit" menu (top of iTunes), click it and choose "Preferences"

3) Along the top, pick the "Advanced" tab

4) In the sub-tabs, pick "General"

What is the setting for your "iTunes Music folder location"? (commit this value to memory!!!)Are you joking? It's a long string of things with \ between them. should i copy that into word and save it? Will I need to know that someday?

Is "Keep iTunes Music folder organized" checked? (I suggest it should be for organization)It wasn't, but is now.

Is "Copy files to iTunes Music folder when adding to library" checked? (optional, but if you add music to iTunes from outside of the folder you now know by heart then it could get lost easily - note it can also get lost in the folder, but much harder to do, but that's why I wanted you to commit to memory, see below)Not checked. Should I check it?

5) In the sub-tabs, pick "Importing"

Based on your post it seems that "On CD Insert" is set to "Ask to Import CD", correct? If not, what's it set to? (because I like automation I use "Import CD and Eject" as it's very efficient if you have a stack of CDs to rip)I picked Ask to Import...I like my computer to be polite and not go doing things I don't want.

Note that "Import Using" is the format choice. By default iTunes will pick "AAC Encoder" and 128kbps. If you want MP3s and slightly higher quality I'd pick "MP3 Encoder" and 192kbps. I have no idea what that means. But I picked MP3 Encoder and 192 kpbs.

If you want to turn off playback during ripping then uncheck "Play songs while importing or converting".

I suggest checking off "Automatically retrieve CD track names from Internet" only if you have a constant internet/broadband connection. Dialup users shouldn't use this.

Checking off "Create filenames with track number" is a great idea for organization.

Once you make changes based on my suggestions, then click "OK" and they will be set. If you want to back out, then click "Cancel".

Now... since we're in this holding pattern until you actually loose music, let me show you how to check if those files are actually gone. Generally speaking iTunes won't delete files unless you tell it to, and by default it provides a dialog box when doing this. Very often, even if it disappears in iTunes it's still on your hard drive.OK, so I did the stuff. Hopefully I won't lose my songs again.

So, remember that folder you're supposed to have memorized? Uh, Ok.

If you used both the "organization" options I referenced above, your life in finding and re-adding missing files will be easy.

All you'll need to do is open Windows Explorer (or the Mac equivalent) and go to that folder. Surf down by Artist, then Album, and then song and see if the file is there. If it is there, then double clicking it should automatically add it back into iTunes. That's very cool. I'll go copy that string of stuff somewhere that I'll be able to find it! Thank you sooo much!

If you loose files again from those you just ripped, post here, and try and think of anything in the interim that might have caused the problem, so we can figure this out. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!!!!!!

And you're not alone in your liking of ABBA.

I wish you'd let me give you an itunes gift. IRL, I'd just get it and hand it over, but I can't. You have my undying gratitude.

 

[Cool-Beans]

no need, I know I'm right 100% of the time.

Knew I'd regret that. One time out of 6,482 isn't 100%. Give you an inch, you take a mile. No more inches for you! It'll be a cold day in your future home before I say you're correct again.

 

[Amity 3]

Knew I'd regret that. One time out of 6,482 isn't 100%. Give you an inch, you take a mile. No more inches for you! It'll be a cold day in your future home before I say you're correct again.

I'm quite proud of the inches I have.

 

[Cool-Beans]

Kiss my grits.

 

[Thistle]

Oh yea!! A place I can get Ipod help!

My Nano just hates to turn off. I've followed the directions on the apple site to reset it but it still doesn't like to turn off. Any idea?

 

[Cool-Beans]

Oh yea!! A place I can get Ipod help!

My Nano just hates to turn off. I've followed the directions on the apple site to reset it but it still doesn't like to turn off. Any idea?

Press and hold the bottom of the circle thingy. The play/pause thingy.

That's how mine works, anyhow.

 

[Thistle]

It worked! Wow, thanks!!


*goes off feeling like a dope*