Help! Lost my iTunes library. How to re-backup my 3GS?

[timharris1980]

Hi

My PC HD crashed
I did a fresh install of XP
I then reinstalled iTunes (i have no backup of my library)

I want to do a sync to get everything from my 3GS backed up again
AND
copy new music that I have since downloaded onto my 3GS
BUT
it gives me the message it won't allow me to manually sync it unless I wipe it and resync with my "new" PC

Is there anyway around this at all?

I have lots of apps, videos, contacts and photos om my 3GS that i dont want to risk losing.

Please help!

[elmosettle]

i'm pretty sure its all gone. Sorry!!

[Mickeylittle]

Tim, have you authorized your PC in itunes for your account? This is crucial! With your phone plugged into your PC open itunes and click on store on the top menu bar and then click on authorize PC. This should get you back going however any music or videos you purchased from them are going to be gone. You can try contacting them and seeing if they will push them back out to your account, they do have that ability, so be nice but don't try to take no for an answer! They can do it but may need some complaining on your end to get it done so don't give up!

Get a jump drive if you don't have one and copy itunes data to it after you get squared away for any future crashes.

[Picazzo]

Always remember the backup...:dft012:wink

Next time - your iTunes files are stored here (http://www.everythingicafe.com/forum/iphone-software/app-back-up-question-56720.html#post537347) on Windows..

[scudder]

Look up Tansee for iPhone/iPod on Google ($18 but well spent) it restores your stuff back to the PC from the iPhone.

[Mickeylittle]

I checked out Tansee and can I say "no way!" For $20 you can buy their software to transfer purchased music and video, $20 more get another of their products to transfer SMS, $20 more and you can transfer photos, and finally $20 more and you can transfer your contacts! So for $80 and four separate programs you can transfer all the stuff from your iphone to your PC. Talk about scalping!

1 program for $20 should do all of this!

[nagyg]

Try SharePod - it is free and will backup your songs ....

[timharris1980]

hey everyone.. thanks for your posts

mickeylittle, i found that i hadnt authorized this pc. so i went ahead and did this. and it said that it was the 2nd of 5 available authorisations. (this is the only computer i had previously authorized).

this step didnt change anything though. i still get the warning messages of "syncing with this library will delete everything on your phone blah blah"

any more ideas???
surely it cant be this hard! it all just seems so fiddly when it really should have been made to be an easy step!

help!?

[Mickeylittle]

With your phone hooked up and itunes open look about half way down on the left and see if your phone is there. Then right click on your phone and hit transfer purchases. After that I'm not sure what else you can try.

[dMAXIMOb]

This subject came up a week or so ago. I haven't tried it yet, but it was suggested to use i-funbox, found here: http://www.i-funbox.com/
You should be able to copy iTunes files(your music/videos) to your PC.

See the thread here:http://www.everythingicafe.com/forum/iphone-3gs/cant-add-song-from-another-computer-without-deleting-everything-57014.html

Edit: Apple sees your computer as a separate machine(since you wiped it clean). If it makes you feel better to see only 1 authorized there is a way to unauthorize all computers in iTunes. Then start over on your 'new' machine, you won't have to change your account info.