# Using an Windows formatted ipod on a Mac



## Pat McCrotch (Jun 19, 2006)

Hi all,

I just bought a refurb ipod nano as a gift and wish to stuff it full of music and give the ipod+music as a gift. My friend owns only PCs in her household and will use the ipod with a PC only. I own only a Macbook and when I plugged the ipod into my computer for the first time it stated it was formatted for Macintosh.

I want to format the ipod for use with windows so that my friend can use iTunes but I still want to put music on it from my iTunes library on my Macbook. Is this at all possible? Also, please recommend a course of action for how to format the ipod into FAT32 (windows) format. I read in the apple forums that I shouldn't use the updater included on the apple site, rather, I should use the updater included on the disk that is included.

thanks in advance and happy new year!


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## Iwantamac (Sep 25, 2006)

*i-Pod help*

Take a look at the "Restore" feature in i-Tunes. From memory, it allows a choice between Mac formatted and Windows. I used it to switch my i-Pod from Windows to Mac and also used the Apple downloads with no difficulty when I stupidly ran it out of juice by mistake. Also, check the Apple i-Pod help. I know that real men only read the manual when all else fails but every once in a while is O.K.


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## Bjornbro (Feb 19, 2000)

It's _iPod, iTunes_. Just spreadin' the love here, people.

Iwantamac is right. Windows iPod to Mac is okay, Mac iPod is a no-go.


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## jimjones (Sep 9, 2004)

Macs can read/write both windows and mac formatted ipods, so you'll be fine if you can format (restore) it to windows. You have to use the restore function in the current itunes. The problem, I think, is that you can only restore to windows formatted on a windows machine, and mac formatted on a mac -- i'm not sure how you can windows format it on a mac. good luck.


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## Demosthenes X (Sep 23, 2004)

I'm surprised no one has mentioned this...

As soon as you friend plugs the iPod into her own computer, it will erase all the music on it. Unless she's never going to update the music, or knows the backdoors to take music OFF an iPod, you can't really give music as a gift without them losing it.

That said - you can still format it for Mac, and if she does know the backdoor methods, they'll still work on her PC. The one thing she won't be able to do with a Mac-formatted iPod is use Disk Mode.


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## smellybook (Aug 31, 2006)

*Demosthenes X's right, ipod's can only be linked to 1 computer*

and 1 itunes music library at a time, save yourself alot of trouble and go to her house and format it there, then load all the music into the ipod from her computer.


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## bmovie (Jan 18, 2003)

smellybook said:


> and 1 itunes music library at a time, save yourself alot of trouble and go to her house and format it there, then load all the music into the ipod from her computer.


Thats not true. I have my ipod and i can plug it in at work and at home - both have a different library. I can add and delete songs as I wish.


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## smellybook (Aug 31, 2006)

*really, when i tried that it said that my ipod was linked to*

another library, hmmm I'm gonna try that again, thanks for the tip,


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## Demosthenes X (Sep 23, 2004)

bmovie said:


> Thats not true. I have my ipod and i can plug it in at work and at home - both have a different library. I can add and delete songs as I wish.


That shouldn't be the case, nor is it standard operating procedure. Do you have your iPod set up to manage syncing manually? I've never tried it, but that might just work!

But still - if you expect the iPod to autosync, it's linked to one library.


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## djstp (Mar 10, 2006)

Demosthenes X said:


> That shouldn't be the case, nor is it standard operating procedure. Do you have your iPod set up to manage syncing manually? I've never tried it, but that might just work!
> 
> But still - if you expect the iPod to autosync, it's linked to one library.


when you hook up an ipod to another peecee or mac that is not the home library, itunes will tell you that the ipod is linked to another dynamic library, and do you want to associate it with this library. if you say yes, the ipod's contents will be deleted and replaced with the current itunes library.

if you say no, it will put the ipod into manually manage songs and playlists


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## Pat McCrotch (Jun 19, 2006)

Thanks for all the replies. I'm not very experienced in the use of ipods but from what I've seen, as long as you don't use the sync option for music, you can add and remove music without totally deleting everything on it.

I'm going to try to restore the ipod to a windows format on my Mac partition first and if all fails, I'll just install iTunes on my Windoz partition and restore it using the windows version of iTunes. I just didn't want to go through the incredible hassle of having to burn a few CDs to get the music I want to either my windoz partition or her computer.

In the note I will include with her gift, the first line will for sure read: DO NOT USE THE MUSIC SYNC OPTION in bold lettering!

Thanks all, I'll keep you posted when I attempt this.


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## bmovie (Jan 18, 2003)

djstp said:


> when you hook up an ipod to another peecee or mac that is not the home library, itunes will tell you that the ipod is linked to another dynamic library, and do you want to associate it with this library. if you say yes, the ipod's contents will be deleted and replaced with the current itunes library.
> 
> if you say no, it will put the ipod into manually manage songs and playlists


that is exactly what happens....and what I do. Why would you want to do full sync anyway. That only limites you to one machine. I like to have my music at home and different music at work.


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## genexxa (Jun 10, 2006)

I'm also using my iPod at home and at work without any problem.


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## Demosthenes X (Sep 23, 2004)

bmovie said:


> Why would you want to do full sync anyway.


I do a full sync because my iPod has more storage than my computer... I can just dump all my music to it. Manually managing music only ever seemed useful if you've got a Nano and more music than HD space.

Mind, I only have one computer, too, so...


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## Bill Baroud (Jan 31, 2005)

My reply might sound stupid but is it legal to give a copy of your music to someone else?


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## Bjornbro (Feb 19, 2000)

Bill Baroud said:


> My reply might sound stupid but is it legal to give a copy of your music to someone else?


While no question is stupid it can be redundant.  One can only make a copy of music they own. If they give away a copy, the original better go with it _and_ the original owner will have to forfeit any copy they own.


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## irontree (Oct 28, 2006)

why not just burn a data cd or dvd (ISO format) with the tunes you want to give on it. All the person has to do is then copy them from the cd to the iPod... easy solution


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