Reuniting an iPod with its paired iTunes

April 24, 2007 4:04 PM

I have a question about syncing an iPod to a Mac it was previously paired with. (It's a bit like this question, but 2007-style.)

Basically, I used to sync up with a Mac Mini (10.3) using iTunes 7.1.1. I had quit the job and didn't think I was going to be using this computer any more, so I deleted my Library and moved on. Of course, it didn't occur to me to uncheck the automatic-sync option, because I thought I was leaving here for good.

BUT, now I'm working here again every now and then, and it would be nice to manually manage a few things on my iPod. However, I'm scared to death to attach it to the machine because it'll try to sync up with an empty library.

In older versions of iTunes, this wasn't that big of a deal...I'd just go under Preferences and then iPod and choose not to sync. But version 7 seems to store that preference on a screen that only comes up when I actually connect the iPod, which would be much too late to do me any good.

So is there anything I can do? In that previous question, someone mentions holding down ctrl-shift to override the sync, but no way I'm doing that until at least three of you swears it works.

RTFQ: I'm not asking about getting the data off the iPod and back on the hard drive. All the music is backed up on DVD-ROMs and I know all about Senuti. I only want to know how to get my iPod connected to this machine again--without automatically deleting all my music and playlists and metadata--so that I can then manage it manually. Thanks!

posted by Ian A.T. to Technology (4 answers total)

Response by poster: (It just occurred to me that I could create a new User Account for this machine and attach the iPod when logged in there. Would this work? Is there another solution that's more, I don't know, elegant?)
posted by Ian A.T. at 4:14 PM on April 24, 2007

When you plug your ipod into the computer, iTunes won't just automatically start deleting your beloved music. There will be a little pop up asking 'Would you like to sync this iPod with the music on this computer?' Click 'no', then you'll have access to the iPod's preferences and you can do with it what you like!

(at least thats how it works with windows computers.)
posted by baserunner73 at 5:25 PM on April 24, 2007

Response by poster: That's true, IF this were a machine I'd never synced with before. But this machine is paired with the iPod...as far as the computer knows, I just haven't plugged my iPod in for awhile. It's still set to automatically update my iPod...and now, the library's empty.
posted by Ian A.T. at 5:33 PM on April 24, 2007

Best answer: Hold down the command and option keys as you plug in the iPod, and it will mount in manual mode.
posted by SomePerlGeek at 9:09 AM on April 25, 2007