Syncing iTunes library between two computers and one backup server…

Now that we are DRM-Free…

I have my computer and my wife’s. I run VISTA, she runs XP.

We have a fileserver running Win2003

I want exact copies of the iTunes library everywhere (on these three machines) and I want it to sync automatically and I want it to show up in the library automatically.

Let me explain…

I buy a song, it downloads to my machine. Automatically it syncs to my fileserver. Automatically it is synced to my wife’s computer and automatically when she opens iTunes, the new song is discovered.

If my wife buys a song, I want to see it too, in the same manner.

What is the best solution?

F both your libraries contain the same music at this present time, I would just dump it up to your server/NAS and then sync it back to the computers. Test it out with some dummy files… Here is the command I would use

robocopy.exe /S MIR x:\sharedItunesLib “c:\documents and settings\userName\Desktop\testDir” /LOG+:c:\pathToStoreLogFile\file.txt

———————————————————————-
ROBOCOPY v 1.96 : Robust File Copy for Windows NT
———————————————————————-

Started : Wed Jan 07 20:10:21 2009

Usage : ROBOCOPY source destination [file [file]…] [options]

source : Source Directory (drive:\path or \\server\share\path).
destination : Destination Dir (drive:\path or \\server\share\path).
file : File(s) to copy (names/wildcards: default is “*.*”).

Copy options: /S : copy Subdirectories, but not empty ones.
/E : copy subdirectories, including Empty ones.
/LEV:n : only copy the top n LEVels of the source directory tree.

/Z : copy files in restartable mode.

/SEC : copy SECurity info (both source and dest must be NTFS).
/SECFIX : FIX SECurity info on existing files and dirs.
/TIMFIX : FIX TIMestamps on existing destination files.

/MOV : MOVe files (delete from source after copying).
/MOVE : MOVE files AND dirs (delete from source after copying).

/PURGE : delete dest files/dirs that no longer exist in source.
/MIR : MIRror a directory tree (equivalent to /E plus /PURGE).

/A+:[R][A][S][H] : add the given Attributes to copied files.
/A-:[R][A][S][H] : remove the given Attributes from copied files.

/CREATE : CREATE directory tree structure + zero-length files only.
/FAT : create destination files using 8.3 FAT file names only.

File Selection: /A : copy only files with the Archive attribute set
/M : like /A, but remove Archive attribute from source files.
/IA:[R][A][S][H] : Include only files with some of the given Attributes set.
/XA:[R][A][S][H] : eXclude files with any of the given Attributes set.

/XF file [file]… : eXclude Files matching given names/paths/wildcards.
/XD dirs [dirs]… : eXclude Directories matching given names/paths.

/XC | /XN | /XO : eXclude Changed | Newer | Older files.
/XX | /XL : eXclude eXtra | Lonely files and dirs.
/IS : Include Same files.

/MAX:n : MAXimum file size - exclude files bigger than n bytes.
/MIN:n : MINimum file size - exclude files smaller than n bytes.

/MAXAGE:n : MAXimum file AGE - exclude files older than n days/date.
/MINAGE:n : MINimum file AGE - exclude files newer than n days/date.
(If n < 1900 then n = n days, else n = YYYYMMDD date).

Retry Options: /R:n : number of Retries on failed copies: default is 1 million.
/W:n : Wait time between retries: default is 30 seconds.

/REG : Save /R:n and /W:n in the Registry as default settings.

/TBD : wait for sharenames To Be Defined (retry error 67).

Logging Options: /L : List only - don’t copy, timestamp or delete any files.
/X : report all eXtra files, not just those selected.
/V : produce Verbose output, showing skipped files.

/NP : No Progress - don’t display % copied.
/ETA : show Estimated Time of Arrival of copied files.

/LOG:file : output status to LOG file (overwrite existing log).
/LOG+:file : output status to LOG file (append to existing log).

Sync iPhone with new computer

I just wiped out my laptop and started over again from scratch - foolishly thinking that my iPhone would simply re-sync up and get all it’s purchased applications from iTunes on the new system…

In plugging my iPhone into the re-formatted computer and going into the applications tab and clicking the sync checkbox for applications, it warns me that:
— — —
Are you sure you want to sync applications? all existingapplications and their data on the iPhone “My iPhone” will be replaced with applications from this iTunes Library
— — —

I had thought my applications purchased list was maintained via my iTunes store logon - but apparently this is not the case?

What do I do? I don’t have a backup of my iTunes library….?

If you are trying to recover items from your iPhone that you have previously purchased and are no longer on your hard drive, you will need to use a program like Senuti or DiskAid to do a reverse transfer. I have used Senuti to restore music files, but I’ve never tried it for apps. If it doesn’t work, DiskAid may be the best option.

http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/23390

http://www.digidna.net/diskaid/

Your application purchases are definetly stored on your iTunes account. You can go ahead and jsut redownload them and after entering your password you will b told that you have already purchase this and it will download again for free.

Unfortunately if you don’t have a backup on iTunes then you will have to download them all indivdually from the store, you want be able to restore from a backup as these were stored locally on the computer. The same is true for your songs…

iTunes newbie - how to export playlist to MP3 player

Newbie on iTunes. Maybe I’m dense. Maybe I give Apple too much credit. All I want to do is buy songs and export them to my Creative Muvo MP3 player. I set the default in Edit->Preferences->Advanced->Importing to MP3 format so I assume the songs I purchased are stored as MP3 in my playlist(s). But I absolutely cannot figure out how to get the music down to my Creative player that I have connected via the USB cable.

I have been through many posts on both iTunes Help and in EE so please, unless you know of a specific post that describes exactly what to do, do not offer more links - I’ve read them and they don;t help me.

Thanks,
CF

1. All music files purchased from the iTunes store are AAC format and NOT MP3 and are encoded by Apple.
The Importing MP3 setting is for when you encode your own CDs ONLY!!! The MuVo will NOT play AAC files and so you will need to convert them to MP3 or WMV (which will remove the copyright protection and hence is regarded illegal but you can find out how to do it in many other locations .. not from me though)

2. In iTunes preferences under the Advanced settings if you have the “copy music to Library” then all purchased and imported songs will be in your iTunes Library folder.
This folder is located in My Documents/My Music/iTunes/iTunes Music … or on the Mac username/Music/iTunes/iTunes Music
If there is no music in there.. apart from your purchased music .. you can use the Consolidate Library command to copy all music into the iTunes Music folder. Music will be ordered by Artist/Album
If you can’t find the music search your entire PC for *.AAC

I am guessing that you’ve a PC? As iTunes will ONLY sync with iPods you can use another program such as Windows Media Player to sync with the MuVo. In Media Player just point it at the iTunes Music folder and import all the Music. Now when you plug in the MuVo it should see the MuVo and allow you to copy the music over.

If you’ve a Mac then tell us and we can cover that.

How copy mp3 to iPhone without iTunes?

Here’s the situation…

I’m on a road trip. My PC at home has iTunes on it and it’s what I usually sync my iPhone with.

My laptop does not have iTunes on it. Few questions…

1. If I install iTunes on my laptop and sync my iPhone will it copy the MP3’s from my iPhone to my laptop? Or will the iPhone be purged of all the MP3’s because the laptop has nothing?
2. I downloaded a MP3 from a website (legit MP3) and want to copy it to my iPhone. Any way to do this easily without having to download/install iTunes onto my laptop?

Thanks!

Ok, here goes:

1: If you install iTunes on your laptop, and sync, the iPhone will be cleared of all music and will try to sync the music that the laptop has to it.

Due to Apple trying to keep record companies happy, you can’t go grabbing tracks off the iPhone and into iTunes.
*You might find other software that will do that, but iTunes will not*

2: Reportedly, you can use other methods to copy songs to your iPhone, such as:
Winamp: http://www.hackint0sh.org/forum/f128/18458.htm
I’m sure there are more if you search….

RobertNZana - the short answer is NO you cannot do what you want (at least not legally)

1. The iPhone is tethered to a specific copy of iTunes on a specific computer (Mac or Windows). This is the ONLY computer you can connect the iPhone with for installing applications or copying music. Anything else you get on the iPhone would be from the iTunes Store online.
Therefore installing iTunes on your laptop WILL NOT help as it will only allow you to see the music already on your iPhone and it will not even allow you to copy it off your iPhone.

2. The link provided by LectricX will only work on hacked iPhones. There are lots of links out there on how to do it and the pros and cons of the whole process. The bad news is that hacking the iPhone is also best carried out back on the original computer where the iPhone is linked to iTunes. Doing so now will also result in the likely loss of all the music on the iPhone and with no means to restore the music …

iTunes - controlling order of tracks and play order

iTunes - anyone know how to get the songs in the main library, within a particular album, in the track order I want. For example, I have an album of a particular show captured off a commercial CD, but two of the tracks could not be read by my Matshita Drive (see prior question on that issue) - so I bought the two tracks from iTunes Store - but now can’t get the new tracks to go in the right order - even with album title correctly identified (which is important if want the “story” from the show to go in proper sequence).

I managed to do a workaround by creating a playlist - putting in track numbers - and sorting on track numbers.

Is there anyway to do this WITHOUT creating a playlist - with the info “sorting function”. … short of changing the names of the tracks by putting numbers in front of the name?

Will be capturing many, many hour of LP’s, cassettes and reel-to-reel in my project, and will have the same “order” issue whenever dealing with an unofficial compilation.

Thanks for any assistance

You have to edit the tags of the tracks in the album. Do as follows:

- Create a playlist of all the tracks from the particular album (sounds like you’ve already done this).
- Highlight all the tracks in the playlist and press Apple-i - you will normally be asked if you want to edit information for multiple items. Say yes.
- Under ‘Track Number’ on the right hand side, change the last digit (’of’) to the total number of tracks. Click OK to save changes.
- Now change the first digit of ‘Track Number’ for each track individually so they’re all numbered in the correct order.

iTunes will now know which order to play the tracks in.