Backup Applications

[Dave.rocker]

Okay so recently iTunes decided to delete EVERYTHING from my library. I tried the backup library, but it didn't work. So I had to find a program that would put all the songs back onto my computer (yes I know they should still be there but if I re-imported they wouldnt have the play count).
So anyways, I want to know if there is a way to backup the applications on my iPod since all the saved games and such will get deleted if I sync my iPod.

[S2_Mac]

This iLounge article on copying content from iPod to computer (http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/articles/comments/copying-music-from-ipod-to-computer/) has everything you need to know...but first you should find out what went wrong.

Are your music files actually gone? Or is the iTunes display just showing no tracks? If the former, you need to look outside of iTunes for a culprit -- iTunes just doesn't delete files willy-nilly.

If the files are still around, but they aren't showing up in iTunes, then your "iTunes Library.itl" file (the actual "library") got hosed. Was a saved copy of this file the "backup library" you tried? What were the results of using the backup? (You should have quit iTunes, moved the current "iTunes Library.itl" out of the "iTunes" folder, and moved the backup .itl file into the "iTunes" folder; relaunching iTunes should bring your library back to whenever that backup file was saved.)

You can use any number of apps to pull stuff off the iPod (see above article), but have a care for how you set it up -- if your music files are still on the computer, you could wind up with a huge number of dupe files. If your library file(s) are truly hosed and all your files still exist, you might just try importing your "iTune Music Library.xml" file (if it hasn't been overwritten to nothing ;-). Start with iTunes quit; remove the current "iTunes Library.itl" and "iTunes Music Library.xml" files from the "iTunes" folder; launch iTunes (which will create a brand new, clean library file), then File menu -> Import and point it to the XML file you just moved out.

If you're happy with those results, you're done. If it didn't work out, just quit iTunes and trash the two newly-created .itl and .xml files from the "iTunes" folder, and start working to pull things off the iPod.

[Dave.rocker]

Thank you for your help, although I have already transfered all my songs back into a new iTunes library (while conserving the play counts). I know that iTunes did not delete the actual files off my computer, although I do not with to re-import those because they will have no play counts.

I have set up a fresh library with all my old songs. My only concern here is to be able to take the applications off my iPod. I wish to do this because there are programs that either have saved settings or games that I do not wish to start from scratch. So it would be immensly helpful if you could tell me a way. (I was thinking through SSH or something along those lines)

Oh and the results of the backup were not good. They always went back to an earlier version of the Library before I added the apps, which is not what I want. I have given up on the backups, although I will probably be making them more often now. This is the third time that iTunes has done this. The other two times were a about a year ago.

[Dave.rocker]

I'm sorry but I'd like to bump this thread.

[rootbeersoup]

Thank you for your help, although I have already transfered all my songs back into a new iTunes library (while conserving the play counts). I know that iTunes did not delete the actual files off my computer, although I do not with to re-import those because they will have no play counts.

I have set up a fresh library with all my old songs. My only concern here is to be able to take the applications off my iPod. I wish to do this because there are programs that either have saved settings or games that I do not wish to start from scratch. So it would be immensly helpful if you could tell me a way. (I was thinking through SSH or something along those lines)

Oh and the results of the backup were not good. They always went back to an earlier version of the Library before I added the apps, which is not what I want. I have given up on the backups, although I will probably be making them more often now. This is the third time that iTunes has done this. The other two times were a about a year ago.

Doesn't Apple let you download the apps again for free as long as you use the same iTunes account?

[jmsfmtex]

Am I missing something? For my back up I just copy the iTunes folder to an external hard drive. Am I not getting everything backed up? Why does this not work?

I wish that Apple would allow a back up to an external hard drive in addition to making a CD backup.

All comments appreciated.

[Dave.rocker]

I'm not sure, but it doesnt really matter. I still have the apps on my computer, but they do not have saved settings or saved games etc.
I would really not like to lose any of these saved games.
Please any help?
I'm thinking of finding these games somewhere inside my iPod with SSH. I found some folders relating to the apps but I cant find in the folders a file with any relation to a excecutable app or a save file.