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My iTunes is empty, I just installed it, I've always used an iPod Manager to manage my iPod

How can I sync my photos without iTunes having to erase everything on my iPod since my iTunes is empty?

and I've got auto-sync disabled

Thanks

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  • Given that this question is about interfacing an iPod with a computer (no idea if it's a mac or PC), this should qualify as computer related.
    – Ivo Flipse
    Feb 22, 2010 at 7:51

5 Answers 5

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Your iTunes is complaining because the library persistent ID on the iPod is different than the library persistent ID in the iTunes Library. This ID is randomly generated when iTunes creates a new library (such as the first time you run it), and it prevents (for example) my iPhone from being automatically wiped and synced with my friend's iTunes content if I plug my iPhone into their computer to charge it; rather, the "Do Nothing or Wipe+Sync?" dialog pops up to prevent that.

What you need to do is: (1) Quit iTunes (2) Determine what the library persistent ID is in your iPod. Perhaps this is displayed in your third-party iPod manager? If not, you'll have to troll through the iPod_Control folder on the iPod and hexedit the database file on it to determine the ID. (3) Hexedit the iTunes Library file (iTunes Library.itl on Windows, IIRC) and replace the ID therein with the one in your iPod (4) Launch iTunes

Now that I've thought about it a bit more, this might actually cause the content of the iPod to be replaced with what's in iTunes without warning upon executing step 4. If you move your music from your third-party iPod manager into iTunes first, this shouldn't cause too much trouble, but to maintain your playlists and ratings (which would be crucial for me) you might want to use a tool like Senuti to pull everything out of your iPod and install it into iTunes. If you're going to follow this route, do NOT synchronize the library IDs as above.

Note that it will be a royal pain to keep alternating between your third-party stuff and iTunes, so pick one and go with it. (iTunes isn't that bad. Really.)

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Sounds to me like your problem is not with the ipod but with iTunes. You say you just installed iTunes so did you install on a new PC and now you want to copy the files (music, photos) across? Or did you reinstall on same computer and lose your settings?

It is possible to move your iTunes library around on your computer or even between computers. The link below explains details about moving your files around and then resyncing the iTunes library.

LifeHacker: Move iTunes library

If you follow these procedures you can get iTunes to recognise all your files again and not be 'empty'. You can then plus your iPod in and sync as you were before

If you don't have access to the files from your old computer then what you need is an iPod management app to copy the files off the iPod onto the computer. Once you have them on your computer add them back into iTunes and then you can sync again. There is a list on Wikipedia shows lots of free apps you can use for the copying back to computer. I can't post the link as I am new here but go to Wikipedia and search for "Comparison of iPod managers"

The only one I have used and could recommend would be Media Monkey which is also an awesome media library management program

Good luck

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You can sync with multiple iTunes libraries with MultiTunes on a jailbroken device. Also if you transfer your old itunes library.itl and itunes library.xml file to your new library then your ipod can sync without being erased. If need be you can also transfer all your music movies and pictures ect off your ipod onto your computer then sync. Here is a guide with more information if you want to read more:

http://appducate.com/2013/01/sync-an-ios-device-to-multiple-itunes-without-erasing/

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After iTunes pops up it will ask you if you want to erase and sync click no or cancel Go down to your iPod name mine is Mike So I click on Mike, then go down to manually manage Music and Videos After you do that there should be an arrow next to your iPod's name click that and you'll see Music Movies TV Shows.......

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You can use SharePod for music and iPod Image Extractor for pics to copy the files from your iPod to your PC. Then add the files in your "new" iTunes and sync...

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