afraid to connect to unused itunes on other computer...

[kmcelsius]

one time i tried to connect my ipod to a virgin download of itunes, one which had been installed on another computer. to my horror, my ipod immediately erased itself, so as to match the contents of the 'empty' music library on the new computer.

i had to manually re-scan all my cds, as i didnt have a hard drive big enough to contain all the stuff--the very reason for getting a new computer, in part, in the first place.

i had wondered if this might happen. after all, there was no way to set the new version of itunes for 'manual update' UNTIL it had made first contact with an ipod--the ipod tab in itunes preferences is blank until an ipod is connected. so i just decided to risk it.

now i need to do it again. i have a brand new version of itunes on another computer. ive never had my ipod talk to it. i can see that i cant yet set the program for manual update. and im thinking that if i plug my ipod into this machine, it's going to get erased again. this time i have MOST of the mp3s backed up. but STILL. either this design is ######ed, or i am. i dont want to have to go and repopulate my ipod if connecting it erases it. i still have organization issues and tagging problems, and i just really want this to be easy.

if i connect the ipod to the new itunes, theres nothing i can do, right? it will erase itself before i have time to click 'manual update only!'

[atreyu]

Actually, any recent version of iTunes now prompts you when you attach an iPod synced to another computer. You get a dialog box that says something like "This iPod has previoiusly been synchronized to another computer. Do you want to replace the songs and playlists on this iPod with the songs and playlists on this computer?" Just click "no" -- then bring up the iPod prefs and select "update iPod manually."

This is the behavior I've always seen on my 60gb 5G. Can anyone else verify this for other iPods?

[ArtDamage911]

yeah i actually connected my iPod to a friends computer with a complete different itunes play list and it did prompt me. not to worry though i have all of my music backed up so no worries here.

[kmcelsius]

this is, i guess, a 3g or 4g. i think 4.

but it was never synced, not even to my current computer. is that a problem?

[kmcelsius]

what i mean is that this ipod has never been synced to any computer. and two posts above, atreyu tells me that itunes tells you ""This iPod has previoiusly been synchronized to another computer. Do you want to replace the songs and playlists on this iPod with the songs and playlists on this computer?"...

not sure if i would get this 'chance,' being that my ipod has never been synced. dont wanna make a wrong move here. looking for a concrete reassurance...

[moriond]

This is covered in the FAQ menu you can find under Help! in the titlebar of this page. To override auto sync when you connect your iPod, hold down the Shift + Ctrl Keys (for Windows) when you connect your iPod to the computer, following these instructions (http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/faqs/answers/how-do-i-stop-the-ipod-from-auto-syncing-when-connected-to-itunes-if-i-auto/). You can then change your preferences to manual sync (to be on the safe side) until you decide how you want your sync options set.

(atreyu's answer is correct, too. But if you want to be doubly sure . . .)

[snowdog99]

this is, i guess, a 3g or 4g. i think 4.

but it was never synced, not even to my current computer. is that a problem?

An iPod that had never been synced would have no music on it and therefore nothing to lose by syncing with an empty library. If it has music on it it MUST have been synced at some point.

[kmcelsius]

??? snowdog, i drag my music manually into itunes, then i drag it onto the ipod icon. at no point has my ipod checked with itunes and matched its contents automatically to the itunes library...which i thought was the definition of syncing.

thanks moriond. that is just what i needed to see!

[snowdog99]

However you do it, the iPod has still been "associated" with a computer - you can choose not to call it syncing, that's just semantics.