Tips To Storing Data On Your Ipod
January 7th, 2009

Become An Ipod Expert

For the most part, your iPod is simply a device that plays stored data. The three main formats that you can save data on your iPod are: vCard, iCal or vCalendar, and Notes. In order for you to store data on your iPod, you need to have the iPod already connected to your computer. Now, if you open My Computer, you should see that your iPod is on there as IPOD. Not IHOP, IPOD. Double-clicking this icon will open up a folder. Within this folder are the sections where you are able to store data on your iPod. If you open the iPod Control folder, you will see your songs and iTunes information, like your playlists. The Notes folder is where your text files are stored. These text files can be read in your iPod's Notes section, hence the folder named Notes. If you want to, you can also create folders inside your main Notes folder if you wish to divide up your notes in some way. The Contacts folder is where all of your contacts information is stored.

Apart from these normal storage functions, you can also use your iPod as a storage drive. The drive will be a hard drive or a flash drive depending on the model of your iPod. Using your iPod as a storage device, you can store and transfer data files. Using your iPod as a storage device is simple. First, simply connect your iPod to the computer if it is not already. Then, if iTunes does not automatically open, go ahead and open it. Then open iTunes Preferences. If you are using Windows, click on the Edit option and then on Preferences. If you are on a Mac computer, you will simply just choose Preferences from the iTunes menu. Now you can click on the iPod button. For most of the iPod models, except the iPod shuffle, you will click on "Enable disk use" or on "Manually manage songs and playlists". Either should allow you to use your iPod as a drive. By selecting "Manually manage songs and playlists", iTunes will not update your iPod automatically.

However, if you wish to have iTunes automatically update your iPod, and then click on "Enable disk use" instead of "Manually manage songs and playlists". If you are using an iPod shuffle, check the "Enable disk use" option and set your Storage Allocation slider to the amount you would like to be used by your audio files and the amount you would like to be used for your data files. The iPod disc icon should now appear on your desktop, as well as in Finder windows and in My Computer. If you double-click this icon and drag files from or to your iPod's window, you can copy them. You are done; make sure to eject iPod before disconnecting it from the computer. Your iTunes library on your computer holds all of the music that you have encoded from your music collection. On the default settings, iTunes automatically copies songs from your library to the iPod. But, when you use your iPod as a storage device, you cannot see songs that iTunes copies from your iPod to the Finer or My Computer folder. This is normal for it to do, so do not be alarmed. Using the Finder or My Computer, you are not allowed to copy songs from your iPod to iTunes or to your computer. This synchronization is between your iPod and the computer and is only one-way: from the iTunes to your iPod.

If you would like to copy pictures from your iPod to the computer, make sure that your iPod is still in Disk Mode. If it is not, put it in Disk Mode. Now, if your iPod is still connected to your computer, open iTunes. Then, select your iPod from the Source list. At the bottom of the iTunes Window, you will find iPod Options, click on it. Check the "Enable disk use" option if it is not already. Now, iPhoto and/or Image Capture will be able to get pictures from your iPod.

These simple tips and directions will allow you to use your iPod with more versatility and will help you get the most out of your iPod

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