i-pod logistics??

sully · #1 (**permalink**) Jul 02, 07

hey quick question regarding my i-pod nano. I want to erase all the tracks on it and reload a bunch of new stuff on, but i there are 3 or 4 tracks i don't actually have. Is there a way for me to extract these tracks and place them on my harddrive? someone mentioned i might have to use another program to extract it from i tunes or the i-pod?

any insight would be appreciated

impure · #2 (**permalink**) Jul 03, 07

i don't believe you can upload from your ipod to any device.

.LxT · #3 (**permalink**) Jul 03, 07

If you have a Mac grab Senuti, it's what you're looking for.

If you have Linux drilldown to /[mountpoint]/.Music/ and try to browse around. I think amaroK and/or GTKpod have the functionality you require anyway.

On Windows there are a sleuth of programs like Senuti, only I can't quite recommend one since I haven't used any. Some are free, some are not, but it's definitely do-able. I think you can also enable disk mode on the iPod, go in it through Explorer after Windows mounts it and enable "view hidden files and folders" in the Tools > Folder Options menu and you should see the .Music folder. Thing is, iTunes changes the names of the tracks so you need an application that reads off the mp3 tags [you can probably load all of those songs in Winamp or Windows media and then get the info of the ones you need to recover.]

HTH!

Filo · #4 (**permalink**) Jul 04, 07

use the latest version of winamp pro... search any torrent site for a full cracked copy

you can extract and load onto the ipod... i never use itunes any more

ebbomega · #5 (**permalink**) Jul 04, 07

Go into My Computer, your ipod should be listed as a block device. I don't know the exact directory but there should be some "music" dir that has all the mp3s. Change the view so you can see details, and it should show the artist/title/album/etc. stuff, so you can track down the song. Keep in mind that the filenames are all different so don't go by those.

The files themselves aren't encrypted, it's just that the iPod indexes the files so that you can't just click-and-drag the files onto the device. Kinda lame if you ask me and it's the number one reason I'm not interested in buying iPods anymore.

.LxT · #6 (**permalink**) Jul 04, 07

Quote:

Originally Posted by ebbomega

The files themselves aren't encrypted, it's just that the iPod indexes the files so that you can't just click-and-drag the files onto the device. Kinda lame if you ask me and it's the number one reason I'm not interested in buying iPods anymore.

Not to discuss the merits of iPods vs other mp3 players, I guess I'd be biased, but:

The indexing/library on the iPod is why the thing is so snappy[1] and why you can have all those features like album art, play count, ratings, dynamic [smart] playlists, chapter markers on m4* files etc

Sure, if you don't use them then the iTunes + iPod combo you're forced to use is annoying [and I can relate, having first used my iPod under Linux] - but if you're trying to make the most out of the device... I'm under the impression that most other large mp3 players do the same, though [Creative and Sansa], but I'm not sure.

I suspect that once more and more [hopefully all] labels switch to DRM-free tracks, Apple will throw away the name-jumbling and probably make it easier to extract songs back from your iPod. Until then, though...

[1] The large iPods suffer from hard-drive access lag - they would be as snappy as the solid-state based iPods otherwise.

</end.of.geeky.rant>