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Imola Ghost

macrumors 65816
Mar 21, 2009
1,142
12
How'd you do this previously?

I travel a lot and even though my iTunes library [contacts & music] is the same on both my 27" iMac and my 13" MBP, iTunes would always want to delete or whatever when I connected it to a different computer.

I wished they'd make it easy so I could essentially sync with as many computers as I feel is necessary. I mean that's the key word is sync and I'm sure plenty of people use multiple computers to keep up to date. Think about if I use one computer for work and need to sync my calendar for work and then want to sync my personal computer for calendars.
 

savestheday

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 10, 2010
11
0
How'd you do this previously?

I travel a lot and even though my iTunes library [contacts & music] is the same on both my 27" iMac and my 13" MBP, iTunes would always want to delete or whatever when I connected it to a different computer.

Check the link I posted in my first post.
 

Shifty88

macrumors newbie
Aug 30, 2010
26
0
Doesn't Apple consider most people might have a desktop and a laptop?

I'm trying to figure out how to sync to my laptop for when I go on the road so I don't have to erase my iPhone each time I change computers.

Is this possible with iTunes 10, or any other program out there? I used to use Winamp to manage my iPod on multiple computers.
 

Imola Ghost

macrumors 65816
Mar 21, 2009
1,142
12
Isn't the word sync used to make sure everything [several computers in this instance] is all "synced" up?

We should easily be able to use several computers to sync our phones. I've been using my macbook pro to sync because I hate having to deal with deleting photos and what not just because apple thinks you shouldn't be able to.
 

fasttimes

macrumors newbie
Aug 3, 2010
22
0
Hi all,
I've been able to sync my iPhone with multiple computers previous to iTunes 10 using the following method (HexEdit, iTunes Library.xml)

http://www.andrewgrant.org/2008/03/30/how-to-sync-an-iphone-with-two-or-more-computers.html

As of iTunes 10, I believe this method is broken. Does anyone have any new method of fixing this? Thanks ahead of time.

Ok, I got it working on both Mac and PC. Here's the solution.

1. On the "extra" machines that you are having the problem, uninstall iTunes and delete everything in the directory that has the iTunes Music Library.xml and iTunes Library.itl files.

2. Install iTunes 9.2 (find all versions for Win/Mac here)
http://forum.gsmhosting.com/vbb/archive/t-1028451.html

3. Follow the procedure in the guide above to replace the persistent ID.

4. UNPLUG YOUR IPHONE

5. Start up iTunes and make sure that auto-sync is TURNED OFF.

5. Plug your iPhone in. If you look at your iPhone's app page you should be able to check the "sync" checkbox and not get the message about removing your old apps.

6. Right click the iPhone and transfer purchases.

7. You should be able to sync on both machines now with iTunes 10

8. Say out loud "Steve Jobs is a douchebag" 10 times.
 

runrabbit

macrumors newbie
Feb 13, 2010
2
0
iTunes 10 fix?

Hi-
Thanks for the fix (i.e reverting back to iTunes 9.2) but once I've edited the files and got the syncing to work can I then upgrade back up to iTunes 10? Anyone do this?
 

splodge

macrumors newbie
Oct 14, 2010
2
0
I also reverted back to iTunes 9 on my 2nd computer and got this working, at least for PC (I'm on PC not Mac) to iPhone, but is there any way (using iTunes with these edits) to get my music off my iPhone and onto my 2nd PC? I have both computers' iTunes set to "Manually manage music and videos" on the Device Summary Tab.
Yes I know I could transfer my music from one PC to the other PC using a portable hard drive, or whatever, but I'm just thinking of some situation where I want to backup my iPhone or didn't think ahead of time to copy the music I wanted, etc.
Note that I have almost no music bought from iTunes; most of it is ripped from our CDs.

Thx, ..Roger
 

seifer333

macrumors member
Aug 29, 2010
45
0
can't seem to get this to work....

1. When I follow the original page, unchecking "manually managing my music and video" will prompt a screen that says "this will delete all your application". I checked no

2. When I follow fasttimes's suggestions, syncing the apps actually removed all of them from the iphone. It doesn't transfer the app to the 2nd computer, but it transfer the empty app from the 2nd computer to the iphone (ie erasing all my apps).

Any suggestions?
 

noahsnyc

macrumors regular
Sep 27, 2003
138
0
Los Angeles
Can we confirm that we have to downgrade to version 9 and not just rock the hex?

What if we mirrored an iTunes library?

I have mine on an external and want to simply plug it into a laptop as opposed to my desktop. Can it sync under those circumstances or will the actual application of iTunes ruin that even if the library is a mirror?
 

stimpson

macrumors newbie
Dec 29, 2010
5
0
Good question. Anyone have the answer?

So I downgraded to iTunes 9.2, and was able to edit and sync to my PC and Macbook. Checked for upgrade, and it showed 10.X. I selected ok, and it went through the checking for software process, and then stopped and said no update available. Tried several times and it will not upgrade.
 

millhouse1979

macrumors newbie
Jan 17, 2011
2
0
Ive managed to sync to Macs (Hackintosh and Macbook Air) both running iTunes 10 quite easily.

All I did was make sure the computer currently syncing my iPhone 4 (the Hackintosh) had the Manually manage music button checked. I then took my iTunes music folder and copied it to a thumb drive and dropped it into my Macbook Airs music folder.

None of the actual music was copied as i store all the media on a separate internal hard drive on the Hackintosh.

I then opened up iTunes on the air, deleted all the music (as none of it was on the air anyway) dropped a new album on the iTunes on the Air that wasn't on the Hackintosh, and synced. Worked no problem, didn't take anything off the iPhone.

I then plugged the iPhone back in the Hackintosh, dropped another new album in iTunes and synced it to the iPhone and it worked fine.

Very simple i know... but seems to work!
 

kenaroni

macrumors newbie
Jan 18, 2011
6
0
Ok, I was able to get my iPhone syncing with multiple libraries on iTunes 10, with two Intel iMacs (home & work). Long story short, I just replaced the ENTIRE iTunes Music Library.xml file and the "iTunes Library" file.

Like everyone, I tried editing the iTunes Music Library.xml file and the iTunes Library file, changing the persistent ID, to match with my home iMac, but no luck. So I wondered what would happen if I just trashed both of those files on the second Mac and replaced them with the two files from home? It works! When I started up iTunes on the second Mac, the "Manually manage music" box was already checked under my iPhone preference tab.

But if you do this, upon starting up iTunes after the swap, you will see your first computer's music listed and most of it will not be found of course. So the thing to do is to "select all" songs in iTunes, hit DELETE, and it will ask if you want to also move the original files to trash or keep them? Choose "keep songs" because you might have some in there that are the same as from home. Now open your actual iTunes music folder on this second computer, do "select all" on the album folders and drag them all into the iTunes left column at top, then let go. Give your Mac a few minutes to process the songs and add them back to its database. This might seem to freeze up your Mac for a few seconds but it will soon start churning.

PLEASE back up your iTunes data files and all your music before trying this! Disclaimer: doing this might cause you to lose playlists you already made on the second Mac, and maybe other things. My only goal in this was to be able to add songs to my iPhone from a second Mac, so I can only speak for that. And I don't use Windows so I can't help you there.
 
Last edited:

awesomator

macrumors regular
Jul 10, 2008
159
0
Thanks dudes. You guys are the best. I logged on to ask this same question then bam first thread is what i was going to ask.
 

Schatte

macrumors newbie
Apr 4, 2011
1
0
Caution with iPhone 4.2.1

I just follow the beautiful tuto of fasttimes.
It doesn't work with my iPhone 4.2.1 because iTunes 9.2 says "you need to upgrade iTunes to 10.1 to use this device" when I plug my iPh...

If someone have another idea !
Thank's
 

yellowdog22

macrumors newbie
Jan 31, 2005
5
0
i have it working

Hi, I have it working with itunes 10.2.1 and an iphone runnign 4.3.2
I simply followed the guide to remove itunes 10 on my second mac, install 9.2 and the run the library id swap with the id from my main mac. When I connected the iphone it said i need itunes 10. So i downloaded it. Installed. And then followed the remainder of the Fasttimes users guide..

5. Start up iTunes and make sure that auto-sync is TURNED OFF.

5. Plug your iPhone in. If you look at your iPhone's app page you should be able to check the "sync" checkbox and not get the message about removing your old apps.

6. Right click the iPhone and transfer purchases.

Its working fine...
 

Ninjoe

macrumors newbie
Apr 30, 2011
1
0
Here is the easy way

1. Back up your iTunes Library and iTunes Music Library.xml just in case you screw things up beyond recognition.
2. Copy the latest "Previous iTunes Library" to where the iTunes Library file was. Presumably the latest one will be the one from right before you "upgraded" to 10.2... Remove the date string so it just reads iTunes Library.
3. Follow the method previously described to change the persistent ID in the .xml file using a text editor and in the previous Library file using a hex editor.
4. Start iTunes.

It will take a minute to update your library and voila your persistent ID is fixed!
You will likely lose any changes that you made since February or whenever it was that you upgraded iTunes.

(This is all on Mac OS but it should work on a PC with the same principle)

Cheers
 

thebaronrouge

macrumors newbie
Sep 1, 2011
1
0
Works from Windows to Mac

Long story short, I just replaced the ENTIRE iTunes Music Library.xml file and the "iTunes Library" file.

In case anyone's interested I can confirm copying these 2 files from a Windows 7 PC running iTunes 10.4.1 to a Mac running Lion and 10.4.1 (surprisingly) works a treat. Backup the originals first would be a good idea though.
 
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