iPod music extraction help.

Can't offer much advice here. Ummm. Unless you want to pay money for a program that you only will ever use once or twice or looking for a free one that works with your model and make and risking malware if you're really unlucky, which could be more time consuming then doing it by hand if your files had great metadata to begin with. You could try looking at iTunes folder under the iPod_Control folder maybe one of the files contains references to what's on there. If you have a modern operating system you can just copy and paste it on your computer hard drive (use the whole iPod) and use the operating system's feature to read metadata and seperate that way, if you used good metadata it should be quicker (album art will make it even quicker to do this by being visually easier to reconigaze), otherwise your stuck to listening to each file and sorting that way. This doesn't work with DRM (fairplay) protected music (extension .m4p) although they can copied just fine you won't know what it is outside of iTunes.

In the future you should keep music on your computer and back that up, too. Makes it easier to transfer to a new iDevice, then the crap some people do, like put on iPod and delete the original file. You're asking for a lot of problems doing that. And no you don't have to enable sync your iPod, just keeping the originals without syncing is less work involved than most people realiaze.

Recommended renaming albums:
Artist - Album (folder)
In folder (track number using double digits)

Recommended renaming for singles or orphaned songs
Artist - Track Title

Note: When done with an old iDevice for good, it's a good idea to write zeros to it.

 

Not sure if this is going to help you any further, but I could mention a few other programs you could try...

CopyTrans Manager (free, claims to be compatible with all iPods except Nano 6G, and you don't have to install the all-in-one program it naturally bigs up more, just grab the zip version instead. Also, this is my personal program of choice for media transfer duties.)

YamiPod (free, but ancient and not updated for newer models, though your Mini should be old enough to be friendly with it.)

Sharepod (free, but only with the older version 3 (found at the bottom of the page). The newer 4.0 is more "freemium" (from what I've read about it) and according to the FAQ the newer version needs to have iTunes running in the background, pretty much negating the point of using an alternative program to begin with. I remember using v3 and know it should run independently.)

Let me know if any of these suggestions help.

 

Do the iPod Control bit, and copy the folder to your desktop. Open iTunes, then go to Edit > Preferences > Advanced > General and check “Keep iTunes Music folder organized”. Import the folder from your desktop into iTunes. Profit.

 

Corrupt file possibley.

 

A quick google search didn't turn up anything on Piracy protection involving the iPod mini. I think it's a curropt mini most likey.

You could try the diagnostic mode on the iPod that may be able to tell you what's going on:

"Menu" and "Select Center Button" - Restarts it, as soon as you see the apple logo hold "REW" and "Select"

More info: http://www.methodshop.com/gadgets/ipodsupport/diagnosticmode/index.shtml

According to a screenshot you posted: YXMZ.mp3 is likely corrupt. You could just open it and see it plays all the through on your PC or MAC, if not then trying deleting it and see if the copying resumes. "in directory: F08"

 

The I/O tests and Memory tests "press menu".

If you have a firewire cable you can auto test by pressing rew, otherwise manual test by pressing menu.

 

Shit, forgot about that. Yeah, didn't really think about that as I tend to keep stuff backed up on the PC anyway and just delete stuff off my iPod Classic & iPhone 4.

Are these errors popping up the moment you try to run them? Just test ran them myself (albeit without plugging anything in) and they seemed fine. SharePod even leaves a log file behind so you could consult that and see if it's anything like missing DLLs that need to be installed or whatever.

 

Have you tried using linux? I don't seem to remember having any problems getting stuff off and on my ipod mini and using sound converter to change the old encrypted .aac files to .flac.

 

Get linux. You can run most of them from a usb stick now without having to install to hard drive if you don't feel like commiting to a hard drive install. If you can't get anywhere with windows, it could be worth a shot.

 

what overlord said, although knoppix should be noted for being specifically optimised for running from a usb.

Also, I'm getting my technophobe mum on to linux via Lubuntu, since LXDE is similar in appearance to the old Win95 set-up and is beautifully functional in its simplicity.

 

Your Hard Drive failed a scan? No wonder why you're having problems. LOL. Umm. Doesn't matter if it's solid state or an old fashion mechinical one, they fail eventually (mechinical ones usually fail the quickiest in a portable device). It usaully very difficult to pull files off a Hard Drive that's starting to fail. iPod ones are usually subject to a lot of mechinical shock and it takes it's toll eventually although they are built to withstand a lot of it, those tiny drives start clicking and need to be tapped just to get an extra amount of life, but that can damage it too. As for the solid state flash models, everytime you listen to a song or skip a song or change the volume it's usually another write-cycle somewhere on there and that can take it's toll, especially if you're changing the contents too much (too much syncing) (though you have to one hell of a heavy user and don't think you still have working battery as the flash models should outlive several batteries under repeated heavy use), it be more board flexing that would damage it. The other thing is maybe the partition is corrupt.

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