Ipod; PC and Sony MP3's

[Easter Bunny]

Can anyone help - I have a number of questions :-

I have had my Ipod for around 2 years and have been getting on ok with it, managed to load all my music into library etc., but I have recently bought an Ipod for my daughter and have just been trying to copy files from my libary to her ipod - the problem is the system does not always recognise - or 'pick up her ipod is connected' and even when it does appear we cannot open her ipod in Itunes to see if anything has been copied on to it, or if we want to delete tracks from it. The only way we can check ther ipods content is to keep disconnecting it from the PC and checking its own memory, but of course you cannot 'delete' files from it that way.

So my quetion is how do I get my PC to recognise her Ipod as being separate from mine but without messing up the connection it has with my Ipod ?

My next question is similar, but to do with a Sony MP3 player of my husbands, which I was hoping to just transfer my files from Itunes library to it, but I cant seem to do this either as th Sony MP3 has its own software - do I have to re-load cd's into the Sony software to copy again ?

My final question is the last two weeks, my PC has become slower and slower - it takes forever just to open a programme ( I have Virgin broadband)
- could it be a virus ? or something else - the Ipod saga maybe ?

A quick response would be great as I cannot seem to give up on it and get on with anything else that I should be doing - like DANCING !!
If you want to PM me that would be great and I can maybe let you have my mobile number.

Regards,
Lesley

[McJester]

First try downloading the latest version of itunes, that might fix your daughters ipod probs

Second, no you can't use itunes with a sony, but hopefully you can just copy the mp3 files out of the itunes directories and use them with sony's rather poor software.

Thirdly download spybot and ad aware and run them, this will see if your system is being slowed down by spyware. Also update your antivirus and run a scan

[pmjd]

First try downloading the latest version of itunes, that might fix your daughters ipod probs
:yeah:
Plus it might be an idea to reset your daughters ipod. Also are you using the same cable for your ipod and hers or seperate ones, always worth a check. From memory Itunes should support upto five ipods on your music library.

Do you know which format you've copied your music into itunes? If it's MP3 then it shouldn't be a problem. Any music bought from Itunes won't work as it's protected and cannot be played on any other player than an ipod.

[Yliander]

Do you know which format you've copied your music into itunes? If it's MP3 then it shouldn't be a problem. Any music bought from Itunes won't work as it's protected and cannot be played on any other player than an ipod.unless you burn it to CD and then rip it back to your computer

[Easter Bunny]

First try downloading the latest version of itunes, that might fix your daughters ipod probs

Second, no you can't use itunes with a sony, but hopefully you can just copy the mp3 files out of the itunes directories and use them with sony's rather poor software.

Thirdly download spybot and ad aware and run them, this will see if your system is being slowed down by spyware. Also update your antivirus and run a scan

Thanks for the help - I have already got the latest version of itunes, so that has not helped.

I have tried copying some albums from itunes to the sony mp3 player as mp3 files and they appear on my 'g' drive, but do not appear or play on the sony player ?
Also yesterday I spent most of the day, loading cd's straight into the sony software (its own library) but it would not even transfer these to the player for some inexplicit reason - I followed the instructions. I am at the point of trying to take it back to the shop, (but not sure if they will give me my money back) and get a mini ipod instead.

I have just put a new anti virus software on my computer ( a free one which was recommended on the forum ) - does this run a scan automatically ? or what do I do to make it run one ?

I will try the other spybot you mentioned, I think we had adware before, but it was stopping me accessing a lot of website so it was taken off I think.

Thanks anyway.:hug:
Lesley

[Easter Bunny]

:yeah:
Plus it might be an idea to reset your daughters ipod. Also are you using the same cable for your ipod and hers or seperate ones, always worth a check. From memory Itunes should support upto five ipods on your music library.

Do you know which format you've copied your music into itunes? If it's MP3 then it shouldn't be a problem. Any music bought from Itunes won't work as it's protected and cannot be played on any other player than an ipod.

Thanks for the advice (the forum is so great is'nt it such nice people come to your aid when you ask them !)

If I reset my daughters ipod - will she lose any music already on it ? I had not thought about the cables affecting it - are they not just a standard cable ? I think she was using the one that came in the box with hers anyway so it should have been ok.

I copied the music in MP3 format and tried importing cds into the sony library yesterday, but niether will transfer to the sony mp3 player.

I have never bought any music from itunes, I only tend to use my ipod as a store for having all my music in one place and on the go for dance weekends and holidays etc - so that's not the problem.

Thanks once again though,
x Lesley:hug:

[ducasi]

:yeah:

Can't really offer much more advice. iTunes should work with both iPods transparently. An iPod though can only be loaded with music from one computer – is there another PC somewhere?

Assuming both iPods are relatively new, they should both be able to use the same cable – so if one works with one cable, the other should work on the same cable.

I don't know much about Sony MP3 players, beyond that I know the software is crap. It should though be possible for the Sony software to be made aware of the music that iTunes has, and thus enable it to be transferred to the Sony.

Slow PCs seem to be a common complaint for people who use Windows.


My general advice which would fix all the problems you have mentioned would be to only buy Apple products. ;)

[Lee Bartholomew]

It should though be possible for the Sony software to be made aware of the music that iTunes has, and thus enable it to be transferred to the Sony.


I think you will find that it is itune that blocks other software from reading it's format.

Will look for the artical after lunch but they recently sued a software company that made software which converts itunes music to mp3

ofcourse you could sort your problems by only buying apple products. Depends on if you have money to burn, don't use any software, don't need any kind of technical support and think you are leading a revolution

[Easter Bunny]

:yeah:

Can't really offer much more advice. iTunes should work with both iPods transparently. An iPod though can only be loaded with music from one computer – is there another PC somewhere?

Assuming both iPods are relatively new, they should both be able to use the same cable – so if one works with one cable, the other should work on the same cable.

I don't know much about Sony MP3 players, beyond that I know the software is crap. It should though be possible for the Sony software to be made aware of the music that iTunes has, and thus enable it to be transferred to the Sony.

Slow PCs seem to be a common complaint for people who use Windows.


My general advice which would fix all the problems you have mentioned would be to only buy Apple products. ;)

Well we were hoping to use her laptop to store music and download to her ipod as well as from my main pc - but sounds like from what you have said -this is not possible ? Although I have managed to duplicate all my itunes library on my pc at work via the hard drive on my ipod - but I have not tried transferring files from the second pc yet.

As you will see from my latest post - I still have not managed to put anything on the Sonly MP3 player even straightforward imported cds, so I am inclined to agree with that sony software is crap and not as user friendly as itunes.

Thanks for the advice.:hug:
Lesley

[McJester]

I have tried copying some albums from itunes to the sony mp3 player as mp3 files and they appear on my 'g' drive, but do not appear or play on the sony player ?
Also yesterday I spent most of the day, loading cd's straight into the sony software (its own library) but it would not even transfer these to the player for some inexplicit reason - I followed the instructions. I am at the point of trying to take it back to the shop, (but not sure if they will give me my money back) and get a mini ipod instead.

I have just put a new anti virus software on my computer ( a free one which was recommended on the forum ) - does this run a scan automatically ? or what do I do to make it run one ?



You need to import the mp3 files into the sony software rather than copy it directly on to the player, there is also a peice of software you can download from the sony website called mp3manager ( or some thing like that) tha lets you im port files straight to the player ( which model is it btw)

As for AntiVirus, depends on the software involved, but it is usually a good idea to run a full system sweep once it is installed.

Regards

McJester

[Easter Bunny]

You need to import the mp3 files into the sony software rather than copy it directly on to the player, there is also a peice of software you can download from the sony website called mp3manager ( or some thing like that) tha lets you im port files straight to the player ( which model is it btw)

As for AntiVirus, depends on the software involved, but it is usually a good idea to run a full system sweep once it is installed.

Regards

McJester

Yes I have managed to import some of the files (as MP3) into the sony software library (but not all appear strangely ?) but its not then even transferring from the library to the player, even when I try importing cds straight into the sony library. Sorry I cant tell you the model at the moment as I am at work and I have left it at home. It just plugs straight into the PC like a memory stick without a cable.

regards,
Lesley

[Lynn]

You need to import the mp3 files into the sony software rather than copy it directly on to the player, there is also a peice of software you can download from the sony website called mp3manager ( or some thing like that) tha lets you im port files straight to the player ( which model is it btw) Is this specific to Sony or other MP3 player brands as well?

I don't have an MP3 player but recently borrowed one and put music on it simply by plugging it in like a memory stick and using Windows Explorer. I was able to put the music I wanted into folders, move them on and off the MP3 player etc. Incredibly easy and quick.

I didn't need any software specific to the MP3 player. Is this normal? It was so easy, it would put me off buying any brands that did need specific software.

[ducasi]

I think you will find that it is itune that blocks other software from reading it's format.

Will look for the artical after lunch but they recently sued a software company that made software which converts itunes music to mp3
Nonsense – iTunes keeps the music in the format it was created in – MP3, AAC, whatever – the files are there on the disk for other programs to use if they want to...

In addition, iTunes keeps it metadata library, with file locations, playlists and the like, in a openly documented XML file for other programs to use.

DRM music downloaded from the iTunes store cannot be used by programs that don't use Quicktime, but that's no different from music bought from Sony's music store (only playable with Sony software or hardware) and Microsoft's (ditto.)

[Easter Bunny]

Is this specific to Sony or other MP3 player brands as well?

I don't have an MP3 player but recently borrowed one and put music on it simply by plugging it in like a memory stick and using Windows Explorer. I was able to put the music I wanted into folders, move them on and off the MP3 player etc. Incredibly easy and quick.

I didn't need any software specific to the MP3 player. Is this normal? It was so easy, it would put me off buying any brands that did need specific software.

No I don't think it's normal to every MP3 player - for instance I bought a really cheap one for a fiver ! in Tesco and managed to put music on that from my itunes library through windows explorer as MP3 files without any problems at all - I think its just this Sony one I have causing me the problems and it was a lot more expensive.

[McJester]

No I don't think it's normal to every MP3 player - for instance I bought a really cheap one for a fiver ! in Tesco and managed to put music on that from my itunes library through windows explorer as MP3 files without any problems at all - I think its just this Sony one I have causing me the problems and it was a lot more expensive.

There are a log of generic memory stick type MP3 players that work just by dragging and dropping in explorer. Tends to be the ones with a larger capacirty have to use intermediate software. I know Sony and Apple both do, don't have experience of other large capacity makes.

I really hated the sony software when I got my HD5, but once I got the MP3 Manager ( which does the converting and packaging on the fly ) it has become soooo much better.

[ducasi]

Dragging and dropping files doesn't allow you to make up playlists, while software like iTunes, Windows Media Player, and whatever the crap Sony has all do.

[Lynn]

Dragging and dropping files doesn't allow you to make up playlists, while software like iTunes, Windows Media Player, and whatever the crap Sony has all do.I can make up a folder with all the tracks I wanted, in the order I wanted them. I can then select to play one folder, all folders etc, either in order or shuffle.

Ah, I see the problem now, in order to have a different playlist, using the same tracks, I'd need to load them on again in a different folder, therefore the track would be on twice.

I have Windows Media Player - I guess I can use it as well with the MP3 player, just haven't tried that yet (as I said, don't have my own MP3 player yet, just borrowed one for a week or so).