[MichaelJPR]

My daughter got a new iBook for Christmas. Before I could stop her, she loaded a couple of CD's into iTunes on the laptop and then plugged in her 1st gen iPod. Her 700 + songs on the iPod got overwritten by the couple dozen songs that she loaded into the iBook. Here's what we've got:
-iTunes on her iBook has two or three CD's loaded into it. Her iPod matches her
iBook.
-Our family iMac has her entire library on it.
-When I connect her iPod to the family Mac, nothing happens - it says, "do not disconnect, but I don't believe that it's updating - , and "update iPod" is grayed out in the menu.

Can anyone help? What we want is to restore her entire library to her iPod from the family iMac. Then, we'd like to dump those tunes into her new laptop.

I'd be grateful for any help that you might be able to give me.

Mike

[new newton]

It doesn't work that way. The iPod can only use the library from one Mac. Copy the songs to her iBook over the network.

[robby818]

I would start fresh. Using the ipod software update program downloadable from apple's website reset her ipod to factory condition (do this from the ibook and dont connect the ipod to the imac again.) then network the ibook and imac together using an ethernet cable. Make sure you have the same versions of iTunes on both Macs. Copy the following files and folders (listed in parantheses) from the iMac to the ibook:

Macintosh HD/Users/YOURUSERNAME/Library/ (iTunes folder)

Macintosh HD/Users/YOURUSERNAME/Library/Preferences/ (com.apple.iTunes.eq.plist and com.apple.Itunes.plist)

Macintosh HD/Users/YOURUSERNAME/Music/ (iTunes folder)

Finally and most importantly copy the folder containing all of your music files from the iMac to the ibook. (I'm not sure of the default location of these files as I have moved my music files to a secodn hard drive) As with the other files and folders save to the same location as on the imac.

At this point itunes on the ibook is identical to the imac. now just connect her ipod to the ibook and synch. you may have to authorize her ibook to play some songs which you downloaded from the itunes music store. finally re-import her 2 cds

[Randman]

Also, manually manage the iPod (a Mini, right?).

[MacmanX]

Why not just restore the iPod on the iMac, set it (the iPod) to be used as a disk and put the iTunes folder on the iPod. Then you could copy that folder to the iBook. It would be easier than networking the two Macs, and you could then set the iPod up to sync with the iBook. That way, your daughter could add her music to her iBook and it would automatically sync to her iPod.

Cheers!

Edit: This is the same thing that Robby818 is suggesting, but this way you don't need to network the two Macs.

[robby818]

BTW, if you do not have a router yet, you should seriously consider getting one. It makes networking a lot easier and if you have broadband it is a must. i'm currently using a netgear mr814 to share a dsl line and network five home computers including a wireless laptop. it cost me $15 or so, well worth it. I have found that it is the best way to move several GB of data quickly and reliably. If moving a lot of data (>1 GB) i usually plug my laptop into the router bec files transfer a lot more quickly through a cable.

[Randman]

If both computers are AirPort-enabled, you could also set up a wireless network.

[MichaelJPR]

I used my firewire hard drive. I was so fixated on the iPod/iTunes coordination problem that I didn't even think about simply moving the files. Thanks for your help.

Mike