What is the check mark for?

[bushes]

I have all check marks next to every song. What's it for and how do I use them? How do I remove them? Thanks

[dcmacnut]

There's no way to remove the checkmark box. Clicking on a checkmark will "turn off" a song. Those songs are then skipped over during playback. Also, you can set up playlists and your iPod to only update "checked songs."

Their main purpose is for songs you want to keep in your library, but don't want on your iPod. I have Christmas songs that I keep on my computer, but I only sync them to my iPod during the holidays. My library also is larger than my iPod, so I "turn off" songs that I like enough to have on my computer, but not enough to have them on my iPod.

[Westmar]

Ok then...here's a question from an idiot. I didn't understand the entire "check mark" thing when I first purchased my iPod (a good instruction manual from Apple would be rather helpful when you spend this much money on an item) so I ended up UN-checking all of my songs as I put them in iTunes. I don't suppose there's any "one-click" way to go back and put the check mark by all 3,700 of them, is there? (fingers crossed)

[dcmacnut]

Ctrl-click on Windows and Command-Click on a Mac. Cheers.

[Westmar]

dcmacnut...

I can't thank you enough. You've made life with an iPod worth living. Thank you SOOO much. Seriously.

[San Diego John]

Originally Posted by dcmacnut

Ctrl-click on Windows and Command-Click on a Mac. Cheers.

Thank you. Thank you. 11,293 times, thank you.

[slblack]

-Also, you can set up playlists and your iPod to only update "checked songs."-

How do you do this?

[S2_Mac]

How do you set up playlists and your iPod to only update "checked songs"?

With the iPod connected to iTunes, click the iPod's icon to select it; the iPod's Sync Settings page will appear in the main part of the iTunes window. In the "Summary" pane, put a checkmark in the box for "Sync only checked songs" (or something like that), then click the Apply button.

At this point, only checkmarked tracks will sync to the iPod. Note that this setting does not prevent unchecked tracks from being added to playlists; it simply prevents unchecked tracks -- regardless of their source -- from being synced. Another note: unchecked tracks will not automatically play in iTunes; that is, if the second track in an iTunes playlist is unchecked, iTunes will play the playlist's first track and then skip over the second track and start playing the third track.

Unless you have a specific need for this feature, you're p'bly better off not using it. Syncing only checked tracks is an old, legacy setting from the days when iTunes wasn't smart enough to be able to sync selected playlists to iPods. These days, it's much easier to go to the Music pane of the Sync Settings page and set the iPod to only sync selected playlists.

[viper69]

Originally Posted by S2_Mac

These days, it's much easier to go to the Music pane of the Sync Settings page and set the iPod to only sync selected playlists.

How do you do this? I went up to the Music menu of my Nano, and the radio button for "selected playlists..." is grayed out. I can't select it.

Entire music library is selected.


This may be because iTunes was first configured when I only had 60gig iPod. Now I have a 16gig Nano, and I need to the Nano to sync with a particular playlist only. Right now I do it manually, by deleting the current Nano list, and then adding new songs onto the playlist in iTunes, and drag/drop the new larger list onto the Nano.

Surely there's a better way?

I should note, I use the same list w/my iPod 5G too.

[kornchild2002]

It's because you have manual sync turned on. Turn off manual syncing and those other auto-syncing options can be selected.

[viper69]

Originally Posted by kornchild2002

It's because you have manual sync turned on. Turn off manual syncing and those other auto-syncing options can be selected.

Thanks, I wonder why I turned off manual syncing?? It's been so long I can't remember.