The Best Free iPod to PC Transfer Program

[dano420]

I'm wondering what the best free program is for transfering music from an iPod (mines a 4G 60GB photo) to a PC is. Other features like PC to iPod transfer and media library support would be nice too, but mainly I'm lookin for iPod to PC. Any help the collective iLounge wisdom could bestow upon me would be greatly appreciated!

[tsupersonic]

Sharepod is great, it's free I think, google it.

[Jim101]

Is anyone using "Sharepod"? It appears from the site that it plays with any iPod and any Windows operating system....
Any opinions? I guess you can move data with it as well..

Thanks,

Jim

[Dancar]

I basically happy with iTunes except for one withheld feature: copying files from an iPod to a Windows PC.

I've a bit scared from messages here about various 3rd Party programs messing things up and rendering an iPod unreadable from iTunes.

What is the best way to transfer music from an iPod to a PC without risking screwing up iTunes/iPod?

[chasevern]

Originally posted by Dancar

I've a bit scared from messages here about various 3rd Party programs messing things up and rendering an iPod unreadable from iTunes.

What is the best way to transfer music from an iPod to a PC without risking screwing up iTunes/iPod?

Dude, those are my thoughts EXACTLY. Some of the stuff I've seen about 3rd party programs scare me, and I'm looking for something RELIABLE that will work on my computer here in my dorm that runs Windows 98, but at home I use Windows XP and I'm a long way from home.

[Jim101]

I'm going with IPod Agent....Looks to be the best.....

Jim

[MOCKBA]

Copy to PC program usually do not modify iTunesDB so have to be safe.

[GadgetGuru72]

Originally posted by Jim101
I'm going with IPod Agent....Looks to be the best.....

Jim

iPod Agent is the old name. It's now called PodPlus and is created by Purple Ghost Software, an offshoot of the company that originally created iPod Agent.

I'm using PodPlus and I think it's fantastic.

[Jim101]

Gadget,

Yes that is what I meant....It appears to be the most organized and does what I am looking for, may have to buy it...

Thanks,
Jim

[iMacc]

PodUtil is great also. Been using it now for about a year with no problems at all.

[chasevern]

I'm considering YamiPod. (I use Windows 98SE in my dorm.) I just hope it doesn't make my iPod unrecognizable in iTunes when I get back home.

[isanity]

I tried using Yamipod, but couldn't work out how to use it with my pod (5G). It also has lots of scary warnings about its chances of destroying your music collection, which is refreshingly honest, but rather off-putting.

I used Podplus with no problems recently- it only reads from the ipod, so it can't mess up your database. The only trouble is it's shareware; the free trial is one month, I think.

[chasevern]

Yeah, I couldn't get YamiPod to work with my 5G video iPod either. Something is telling me not to use that program. It just gave me errors. Problem is that I have to have iTunes to get PodPlus to work, and I'm on Windows 98SE.

[661]

I tried YamiPod with my nano. Not sure what all it mucks with, but I did notice it puts a folder with several files on your iPod. Every time I try it... the nano says, "do not disconnect" the entire time iTunes is up. Whether it's updating or not.

Restoring the nano to 1.0, reloading my tune library, and then updating to 1.1 fixes the problem.

YamiPod ain't ready for prime-time, imho.

[chasevern]

It's a good thing that YamiPod wouldn't work with my iPod then. I got two options:

1. Just use Anapod Explorer trial until I can buy it, since it appears to be compatible with iTunes.

2. Get my songs, put them on CD-RW, when I go home, put them into my computer, import to iTunes, and put them on the iPod.

I'm considering option number two. These third party programs are scaring me.