Help ! Cannot get tunes from computer to new Ipod

[Doug 55]

Hello,

 

I've been trying to get my first music loaded into a just purchased iPod mini. Loaded the iTunes software from the provided disc, followed instructions to get it upated to the latest.

 

The iTunes program / window seems to come up and work OK and I can get the music from a CD onto the computer as "MPEG-4 Audio File".

 

The system recognizes the iPod being connected and it is now fully charged. The iPod display just flashes "Do not disconnect" continuouly and there is no indication of music being transferred vs. the instructions imply default is the iPod will check the music library (LOL, two whole CDs worth at this time ;-) ) and automatically add anything that is not already in the iPod.

 

I went away and left the iPod hooked up for hours this morning and it was still flashing away "Do not disconnect" and there is no music transferred to it .

 

I've tried using the eject command before unhooking the iPod and a complete computer powerdown and reboot with the 'pod connected from the beginning.

 

The owners manual doesn't say much - just: "When you connect iPod mini to your computer, iTunes opens. Follow the simple onscreen instructions to tranfers songs and playlists to iPod mini"

 

I don't get any "onscreen instructions" per se, just the iTunes main menu

 

 

I tried selecting the iPod, going to the import command to "manually" select an album to upload. That works to the level of the album (name "Too Marvelous" in this example") but does not show the song names and does not allow 'MPEG-4 audio' as a viewing option

 

 

TIA for any advice ! ! !

[steve.foote]

Couple of things, Doug.

 

#1, make sure you have the latest version of iTunes and firmware for your iPod.

 

#2, make sure you check each song you want to transfer to the iPod.

 

#3, I usually hit the 'Autofill' button to load my iPod Shuffle. It takes care of everything else for me. It randomly selects as many songs that are checked as I have space for.

[bonerpart]

Click on "File" (upper left on your screen) then click on "export song list"

[sgendler]

Definitely make sure you have the ;latest versions of both iTunes and the ipod software. Various versions are incompatible with each other, which is what I suspect you are suffering from.

 

Ignore anything anyone tells you about autofill unless you have an ipod shuffle, since the autofill feature only works on a shuffle (stupidly!)

 

You can get the ipod to automatically sync, but autofill is a feature whereby iTunes selects a random subset of your library and installs it on the ipod.

 

If things still don't work after upgrading software, try the following.

 

First, try just right clicking on the name of the ipod and selecting the 'synchronize ipod' option (it may have a slightly different name. I don't have an ipod handy to check, but the function should be obvious). I have seen some ipod's which required that you manually do the first synchronization and then functioned correctly after that.

 

Note that your ipod will say 'do not disconnect' until you click the 'eject ipod' button, whether it is done synchronizing or not. It is important to hit the eject button before disconnecting or else some of the tracks that were copied might get 'lost.'

 

 

If manually telling ikt to synchronize doesn't work, try the following:

 

With the ipod connected, go to the ipod tab in the preferences window (right click on the name of the ipod and selecting 'ipod options' will get you there). Now de-select the checkbox which will says something about automatically updating the ipod whenever it is connected. This means you will have to drag songs and playlists over to the ipod (don't worry, you shouldn't have to leave things like this).

 

Now reboot your computer (just to be on the safe side. Feel free to try it without rebooting).

 

When it comes back up, run itunes and connect your ipod (or leave it connected during the reboot, but I suggest disconnecting during reboot and reconnecting after you've run iTunes this first time). Once your ipod shows up in the left hand list, drag some songsfrom the library onto the ipod icon in the left hand panel. At this point, you should definitely see some evidence that data is being copied (look in the little panel in the center of the title bar of the window).

 

Once the songs are done copying, click the eject button of the ipod (the little triangle looking thingy next to the name of the ipod). Wait until the ipod no longer says 'do not disconnect' (it may take as long as a minute!) and then disconnect it.

 

Reboot again, just in case.

 

Once it comes back up, connect the ipod and go back to the ipod options panel. Re-select the box that says to automatically synchronize the ipod. Close the ipod options panel. Now right click the name of the ipod and select 'synchronize ipod' or something with a similar sounding function. You should see it copy some tracks, assuming you didn't copy them all onto the ipod the first time.

 

Note: it will always say 'do not disconnect' until you click the eject button, even if it is done synchronizing.

 

Not that 'exporting the song list' writes an XML text file to your hard drive and will definitely not synchronize anything to your ipod.

 

--sam

[Doug 55]

"22:30 PST UPDATE"

 

First off - a Very BIG thanks to all who gave advice so far ... things are getting mo' better I am listening to 'pod tunes even as I type

 

I did the "upgrade to latest" for the 'pod and iTunes then stumbled into a tutorial mini-movie at the Apple support site and saw how to *finally* get tunes on the 'pod via drag and drop ... nothing like what my (POS ?) owners manual indicated but - so it goes.

 

It's a start anyhow and I can see (er, hear) what all the hoopla is about ... if something Katrina-like hits the PNW (earthquake would be our version?) my emergency evacuation kit so far includes: (1) 2004 GS ( 2a) camelback w/water (2b) camelback w/ good scotch (3) iPod w/extra power pack (4) oh yeah ... some kind of food

[rdsmith3]

I had the same problem with my wife's I-pod. To make matter worse, our dog chewed up the manual, so I could not RTFM. Yes, that is true.

 

It seemed like the problem was that the software was configured to update the Ipod automatically, but it did not. I had to manually tell it to update. Even now, it does not always update the Ipod automatically. Sometimes it does, sometimes it does not.

 

My conspiracy theory is that the software does not work so well with music from CD's because they want you to pay $1 per song to download music.

[Kermit_Karl]

I think that I see the problem -- your playlist has too much Celine Dion. That's got to cause some constipation in the system somewhere. :-) :-)

 

Not a bad Blues section, though.

[BFish]

thought that was your wife's 'pod with all the celine dion songs on it. enjoy!

[Doug 55]

I think that I see the problem -- your playlist has too much Celine Dion. That's got to cause some constipation in the system somewhere. :-) :-)

Knew I was in trouble the moment I saw that in the post but time didn't allow re-doing the screen capture, upload etc. since I was supposed to be out power washing the deck (manly man work ) before the last of Seattle summer-ish weather gets away

[hANNAbONE]

pROBLEMS....

 

ah yeah - there it is...

 

 

cELINE dION