How to Upload Music From an iPod to a New PC
- 1). Set iTunes and the iPod to manual update mode by opening iTunes in your old computer, connecting the iPod to an open USB port, clicking the "iPod" icon to the left and selecting "Manually manage music and videos" from the options in the "Summary" tab. This enables the iPod to be in disk mode. Click "Apply" at the bottom right to save this setting.
- 2). Consolidate the files in your iTunes library by clicking "Edit" at the top, and "Preferences" and the "Advanced" tab. Note the location in your hard drive of your iTunes library and check the box next to "Copy files to iTunes media folder when adding to library." Click "OK." With this setting, any content added will be saved to that folder.
- 3). Click "File," then select "Library," "Organize Library" and check "Consolidate Files." Click "OK" to consolidate your existing library into that same folder.
- 4). Check the amount of free space on your iPod's drive by first clicking the various tabs in the "Library" menu ("Music", etc.) and seeing at the bottom how many gigabytes each folder contains and adding them up. Then click the "iPod" icon to note the amount of space remaining. If more than half the drive is free, your library can be moved without first erasing files currently on the iPod. If not, some or all folders must be removed first.
- 5). Click "Music" or any of the other folders in the "iPod" menu to see the contents stored in that folder. To erase files, highlight selected files of click "Edit" and "Select All" to erase all the files. Click "Delete" and then "Yes" when it asks if you're sure you want to proceed to erase the files.
- 6). Close out iTunes and open a window to locate the iTunes folder in your hard drive, most likely in "My Music." Click "My Computer" and look for the drive your iPod is connected to (likely E or F). Drag the iTunes folder to the iPod logo to transfer the contents of the folder to your iPod. Re-open iTunes when transfer is complete and click the "Eject" button next to the iPod logo before disconnecting it from your old computer.
- 7). Install and open iTunes on your new computer. If iTunes is already installed and you have music stored, consolidate that music to an iTunes folder as you did with your old computer. Then open the "My Music" folder and drag the iTunes folder to your desktop.
- 8). Connect the iPod to your new computer and click "My Computer" to find the iPod logo. Double click the logo to open the folders within and drag the iTunes folder to the "My Music" folder on your hard drive. Open iTunes to see that the transfer has been completed. Click "File" and "Add Folder to Library" and find the iTunes folder on your desktop (if applicable) to add those files back into iTunes as well.
- 9). Close iTunes and drag the iTunes folder from your iPod's storage to the recycle bin to eliminate that folder and free up the space in your iPod's memory.