Itunes from desktop to laptop

dollydishmop

Hi all

Please help. my brain is getting fried.

Have an 80Gb Ipod Classic

Have a desktop pc, running Windows XP, itunes version 8.x.x.x.x and all my music etc

Have a new laptop, running windows 7, just installed itunes version 9.x.x.x.x and no music.

desktop has cd-rw drive, but I have no blank cds
laptop has dvd-rw, but I guess that's irrelevant.

I only have dial-up, so can't go downloading programmes left, right and centre (hubby downloaded latest itunes version on his work pc for me, shhhh!)

But I do have an external hard drive, running FAT 32 system, that I can plug into either laptop or desktop.

How do I get my itunes library, as seemlessly as possible, from desktop to laptop, please?

Tried to 'export' library, via iTunes File > Library > Export....but that just generated a 7.5Mb .xml file, which didn't seem right, as there's over 30Gb on the iPod ?

fuelinjection

You can use the iPod itself to copy the files onto the new laptop.

I downloaded SharePod from the internet after some advice and you don't need iTunes, just use Sharepod to use your iPod as an external hard-drive.

copy all the contents into a temporary folder then i opened iTunes on my new laptop and import all the songs and videos into iTunes from your temporary folder.

I also had to authorise my new computer with iTunes in order to download any songs I had bought again.

dollydishmop

OK, thanks for that - a dumb question or two, whilst I wait an hour and a half for sharepod to download :rolleyes:

Just to make sure I'm even doing that bit right...downloading that is...

Is sharepod something that runs via the pc, or run via the ipod?

i.e I'm downloading it onto the desktop pc right now, but do I need to disconnect, try and get the laptop connected to t'internet and download it to the laptop instead?

Is there really no way to utelise my external hard drive?...so I don't have to spend an hour and a half downloading some software that I'll probably never use again?

time42play

I copy my entire iTunes folder - library files, music, videos, apps etc- to my external drive. Then I can either copy it to another computer or just open the library on the external drive from a different machine. It also means I have a backup in case something goes wrong!

dollydishmop

Well, unless I'm being really thick (which I have to say *is* most likely <blush>) Sharepod looks to have been a waste of time...I've clearly downloaded it to the wrong pc, but that's ok...I can move it to the laptop via the external hard drive...but Sharepod doesn't bring up any of my movies, videos, games, or any of the podcasts I've saved....just music...and there's more to my iPod than music?

Will try time42play's idea...and see how much of a mess I can make of that

fuelinjection

dollydishmop wrote: »

Well, unless I'm being really thick (which I have to say *is* most likely <blush>) Sharepod looks to have been a waste of time...I've clearly downloaded it to the wrong pc, but that's ok...I can move it to the laptop via the external hard drive...but Sharepod doesn't bring up any of my movies, videos, games, or any of the podcasts I've saved....just music...and there's more to my iPod than music?

Will try time42play's idea...and see how much of a mess I can make of that

No you are not being think !

When I ued Sharepod I could not see my podcasts but they get copied anyway when you select "Copy all". I assumed that my podcast s and stuff were lost and I would only have music but when I imported it all to- everything was back to normal again. When you connect an iPod to new computer you basically wipe everything off the iPod so check that all your stuff is there before you delete the temporary folder.

Asking questions is not being think - Apple have made this a pain so that you cannot just use the iPod to copy your music to all your friends.