IPOD trouble, download files from it.

[RyougaZell]

So here's the thing...

As a few of you are aware, my last computer died on me summer of 2008. I bought a new one, which I have been using since the end of 2008. And in the same time frame I have found myself unable to update my ipod.

Crappy software from Apple won't allow me to 'import' my lists, because the music files aren't in the same folders. Thus, if I connect the IPOD it would erase all my music.

I need to download all the files from the IPOD before I can update it again, yet the free software I have found, which would allow me to download the songs, Yamipod, will not download more than one folder at the time, which in turn would take forever... and would requiere to reorganize everything again in order to reupload. Seeing as Im very lazy... I haven't done this in a full year. Yet.

I've considering buying a license of CopyTrans, which would allow me to download every folder and song list intact, which would not make me re-organize all again, Just drag and drop. But I have been cheap and have not decided to throw out the 20 dollars for a license of a program I would be using just once.

Does anyone know a good program, like Copy Trans, that would allow to download everything in just a click, in folder and with its playlists intact, and that may be free?

Or im just screwed and should throw out the 20 dlls already?

[poopdeville]

There's got to be some open source software to do this. I'll take a look around.

Edit: Basically, you don't need any software to do this. Connect your ipod, and open the ipod in "My Computer". Copy the music directories out. They'll have funny names and might be hidden (I don't remember the name structure off hand), and be disorganized. But it doesn't matter. Put them on your computer somewhere, and import them into iTunes. Set iTunes to automatically organize your music library, and it will deal with re-organizing your mp3 collection on your computer. You can then replace the library on your ipod with a hopefully identical library that you can sync to.

If you're using a Mac (or Linux), this same idea applies. http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/articles/comments/copying-music-from-ipod-to-computer/

[RyougaZell]

Won't that import everything however it falls? I've noticed that the folders you mention aren't organized as you uploaded then, but rather a very random way.

Also, my imported list, from the dead computer, has every path of the origina folders before the crash. Hundreds of them. Once I though of editing the XML, to have them list the new main folder where I would crash everything. But I soon gave up, after noticing I would be forced to modify over 3,000 paths, manually, one by one.

I also had over a 100 different playlists... and I fear that just uploading them all will plant them however they fall.

[poopdeville]

Yes, it will import everything as a disorganized mess, but it will use the ID3 tags to figure out the artist/album name and organize it. You have to change your iTunes settings to "Keep iTunes Media Folder Organized" (in the Advanced section). Set that first. If you set "Copy files to iTunes Media folder when adding to library" you can just import straight from the iPod, and your music in the "iTunes Media folder" will be organized by artist and album. You can uncheck these later if you want, but they're what will do the work of organizing your stuff.

The article I linked to describes your options for stuff like playlists in detail.

[RyougaZell]

That where the main problem comes into effect then. More than half of the songs I have don't have the artist/album tags.

Oh well. Thanks for the help though dude.

[darkshadow]

That's the price you pay for going the iPod/iTunes route ;[.

[samsonlonghair]

Try using Floola (http://www.floola.com/modules/wiwimod/index.php?page=download_win). You should be able to select all your mp3s then copy them all to a location on your hard drive. Easy.
One problem: Floola isn't compatible with itunes 9. If your version of Itunes is up-to-date, you'll have to uninstall it, download an old version (http://www.oldversion.com/iTunes.html) of itunes and run that version before you try to run Floola. Hopefully your version of Itunes isn't up-to-date. If you're running itunes 8.something you're already set.

[darkmetal505]

Don't know if you still need help for this, but SharePod (http://www.getsharepod.com/) lets you download files fromy our ipod onto the comp.

[RyougaZell]

Don't know if you still need help for this, but SharePod (http://www.getsharepod.com/) lets you download files fromy our ipod onto the comp.

I still haven't bought the Copytrans licence. Does Sharepod allow to download the full content of the IPOD, alongside playlists, in one go? Freeware?

I'll check it.

[Munsu]

Have you looked into Anapod Explorer?

[RyougaZell]

Anapod looks to have all Im looking for, but sadly their trial edition doesn't support it all. I'll try the SharePod darkmetal posted and if it doesn't work, I'll get a license for Anapod. It costs the same as CopyTrans, but it has way more things. Thanks for the tip Munsu.

[Munsu]

Anapod looks to have all Im looking for, but sadly their trial edition doesn't support it all. I'll try the SharePod darkmetal posted and if it doesn't work, I'll get a license for Anapod. It costs the same as CopyTrans, but it has way more things. Thanks for the tip Munsu.
Find a crack for it... I think you need a key generator, and when you go to register I think you click offline, and insert the key given. Something along those lines, it was a while back.

[RyougaZell]

I never found one for CopyTrans. I'll check for Anapod though, maybe it will be easier to find. Thanks again for the tip.