Recover songs from an iPod

Recover songs from an iPod

This guide outlines methods to recover accidentally deleted music files from a computer using an iPod, including third-party software, Mac Terminal commands, and Windows hidden file settings.

So you have accidentally deleted your favorite music files from your computer. No worries—they can still be recovered. The only problem is that downloading hundreds of music files all over again will waste a lot of time. If you have an iPod, you definitely have a better option. Simply copy the music files from your iPod to the computer. After that, you can enjoy the same music as if the songs were never deleted. There are many ways to recover songs from an iPod; below are some of them:

• Use third-party software. This is the easiest option to recover music from an iPod. Simply download a copy of your chosen software, install it, and use it as instructed by the creator. There are numerous applications that will assist you through the task. Most are paid, but there are a few free applications.
• SharePod is a free application for this purpose. It works with all iPod versions but is compatible only with Microsoft Windows. iRip and TuneAid are paid applications that can be used with all iPod versions on both Mac OS and Windows. There are still many applications similar to these. Shop around, compare features, and choose the best. Most third-party applications have trial versions so you can try them before purchasing the full version.
• Use Mac’s Terminal. Music files in an iPod are hidden in a secured folder. Use this technique to recover the songs from the hidden folder while using a Mac computer. However, this method requires the iPod to be in “disk mode.” So this will not be useful for iPod Touch because it has no “disk mode” function.
• First, launch the Terminal, which can be found at /Applications/Utilities/Terminal. Type the following command: cd /Volumes/[YouriPodName]/iPod_Control once the Terminal is running. Replace the [YouriPodName] with your iPod’s name. Then type rsync -r Music "/Desktop so that the music files will be copied to the Desktop. Wait for the command to complete. Check the Music folder on the Desktop. Drag it to the iTunes icon, and iTunes will begin importing all the songs.
• Recover hidden files with Windows. Set Windows to show hidden files. Go to “Start” and then “Control Panel.” Enable Classic Mode first. Go to “Folder Options” and then to the “View” tab. Search the list for “Show hidden files and folders” and check its box. Click “Apply” and “OK.” Connect the iPod to your computer but cancel syncing with iTunes. Open the iPod folder, which is easily recognizable because of the iPod icon. Look for the iPod_Control folder. There, you will see the Music folder that contains all the songs in your iPod. Copy it to your hard disk.

The songs can now be used in any way you want. They can now be added to the iTunes library. Open iTunes and go to the “Advanced Preferences.” Check the box labeled “Copy Files to iTunes Music Folder When Adding to Library.” Now go to the “File” menu and choose “Add Folder to Library.” Locate the freshly copied Music folder from the iPod and select it. iTunes will add the songs from that folder to its library.

Your situation can still be considered lucky, as it is easier to recover songs from an iPod than from a corrupted hard disk. There are still ways, even for a corrupted iPod, to recover songs. There are applications and services available for this purpose. All you need to do is choose the best for your recovery needs.