iPod Avoiding autofill with Shuffle.

[JPA]

I just bought my 1st iPod, a 512 mg Shuffle. I am using Windows XP SP2. My iTunes and iPod software are all up-to-date with most recent versions.

I want to charge the iPod battery without updating the music on it. As soon as I plug it into a USB port, it opens iTunes and starts an auto-fill, but I just want to recharge battery. I can go to the iTunes iPod options and deselect "Open iTunes when this iPod is attached", but if I already want to have iTunes open, that doesn't help.

I tried to ask this on the Apple website bulletin board but I can't create an ID or log in there. I enter information; then just come to a blank screen.

 

[mkrishnan]

Mmm...this is a dilemma. If you can do without autofilling, then I think there's a solution:

- Plug the Shuffle in and let iTunes launch.
- Go to iTunes prefs, and then the iPod pane.
- Select the option at the bottom to manage manually.

The video here describes how to do this in detail.

But if you *want* autofilling when you want it, and you want to be able to have iTunes running, but not have it happen when you plug the shuffle in...hmmm...you might be out of luck. I don't see an easy way to have automatic updating, but have it not happen, even when you plug the Shuffle in and iTunes is already running.

 

[IJ Reilly]

That's not how it works with my shuffle. Once the shuffle is autofilled for the first time, it doesn't autofill the next time you plug it in unless you click on the autofill button. When mine is filled, iTunes reports "iPod update is complete. OK to disconnect" when it's plugged in.

 

[Nickygoat]

That's not how it works with my shuffle. Once the shuffle is autofilled for the first time, it doesn't autofill the next time you plug it in unless you click on the autofill button. When mine is filled, iTunes reports "iPod update is complete. OK to disconnect" when it's plugged in.

The same happens on my girlfriends Shuffle, on her XP laptop.
Just checks to see if there are updates to be installed and then charges.

 

[IJ Reilly]

The other way of dealing with the charging issue is to use the eject button in iTunes to unmount the shuffle. The shuffle will still charge but it won't appear in iTunes.

 

[JPA]

Thanks for all your replies so quickly.
I guess it isn't really doing an auto-fill each time as I first thought. It does say "Updating iPod", then very soon "Update complete", I guess without actually doing any updates. I guess I misinterpreted that as starting an auto-fill, because I wasn't expecting it to do or say anything about updating, and I have no idea what the "updating" would be doing, except that it seems to automatically delete anything from my Shuffle that is no longer in my iTunes library. That seems an unnecessary nuisance - I can't imagine why I can't keep a song on my Shuffle if I have deleted it from my iTunes library. Well, I suppose I probably can keep them but just haven't figured out how yet. I guess I'm complaining too much before I have spent enough time learning it.

Mmm...this is a dilemma. If you can do without autofilling, then I think there's a solution:

- Plug the Shuffle in and let iTunes launch.
- Go to iTunes prefs, and then the iPod pane.
- Select the option at the bottom to manage manually.

The video here describes how to do this in detail.

iTunes does not show that "Manually manage songs and playlists" option shown in that tutorial for the Shuffle (at least for mine). A different interface is shown for the Shuffle a few pages later in that tutorial despite the earlier part saying it is for iPods - it seems it should say for "iPods except for the Shuffle".

 

[mkrishnan]

it seems it should say for "iPods except for the Shuffle".

Sorry... I should've watched the whole thing!

 

[WildCowboy]

The updating that occurs when you first plug it in is in fact just making sure that everything is synchronized between the files on your Shuffle and iTunes. I don't know anything about it automatically deleting stuff that's no longer iTunes...I don't think I've ever done that.

But if you've modified any of the tracks through iTunes (changing any of the ID3 tags...fixing capitalization, changing genres, etc.), it will update it on your Shuffle as well. It is also transmitting the play count data back to iTunes.

 

[JPA]

The updating that occurs when you first plug it in is in fact just making sure that everything is synchronized between the files on your Shuffle and iTunes. I don't know anything about it automatically deleting stuff that's no longer iTunes...I don't think I've ever done that.

But if you've modified any of the tracks through iTunes (changing any of the ID3 tags...fixing capitalization, changing genres, etc.), it will update it on your Shuffle as well. It is also transmitting the play count data back to iTunes.

Thanks for clarifying that, WildCowboy. That all makes sense and is good to know. I just hadn't realized it was going to be doing that. I like to understand what's going on.

As far as deleting from iTunes library, I guess that's something I normally would not be doing so it really isn't an issue. I've just been doing it a lot now because I have all my music in MMJB (MusicMatch) and am experimenting with different ways of getting it to iTunes library. Once I am satisfied with it, I guess I would not expect to delete from iTunes library and want to keep it on iPod.

 

[IJ Reilly]

The updating that occurs when you first plug it in is in fact just making sure that everything is synchronized between the files on your Shuffle and iTunes. I don't know anything about it automatically deleting stuff that's no longer iTunes...I don't think I've ever done that.

Actually I'm not sure this is quite right. With a "standard" iPod set to automatically synchronize, your iPod will be updated to reflect any changes (additions or subtractions) you've made to your iTunes library since the last time the iPod was connected to the computer. With the shuffle's limited capacity, iTunes instead selects randomly from your iTunes library and loads the music files to the shuffle until it's filed.

 

[frankblundt]

i'm sure there's preferences available for all this. The iTunes Helper can be told not to open iTunes when you plug it in and iTunes can be told not to auto anything on it until you ask it to (although i think it does go through and update your playcounts and so on regardless) - i'd check the particulars for you but my Shuffle's dead awaiting resurrection.