On Friday I wrote about syncing iPhone with multiple computers. Reaction was… interesting. Some believed me, others didn’t. So I thought a quick video might demonstrate what I’m talking about. And so I made one.
The video shows me syncing my iPhone with three different computers, for different data types. A Power Mac G5 stores my iPhoto library, a Mac mini stores my music and videos, and my MacBook stores my contacts, calendars, bookmarks, and podcasts.
Click on the image above to see it — on your iPhone OR computer.
I did not view the original post in detail but I will add that I have been syncing with two computers. My home computer for my music library and videos and my work computer for my contacts and schedule. Have not had any problems though a key thing to point out is that you can only have one master library.
Obviously, your solution works because you're syncing different types of media in different locations.
For me, the big one would be to add podcasts on a machine at the office that arrive during the day from a different machine. If I had the exact same subscription list in 2 locations, and synced the exact same podcasts in either location, that should work just fine, right? Of course, I'd have to remember to keep the list of which podcasts I've listened to (I delete listened ones) in sync as well.
I suspect iTunes and the iPhone don't bother matching up podcast episode IDs or anything and just resync all the episodes over again, starting from scratch, even if identical episodes already exist on the device, right?
Obviously. Because, um, that's how it works.
Sure, it would be nice if syncing were even more flexible. No argument here. But that's not something that works right now. It kills me that I can't add a stray MP3 file I download at work until I get home -- unless it happens to be in a podcast feed somewhere
But at least I'm not forced to copy all music, videos, and photos I want to sync onto my MacBook just so I can get it to sync.
You know, I spent the better part of my Sunday trying to get this to work with only two macs. I even tried doing just Info on one and media on the other (what I really want is Info/photos and the rest on the other). For some reason I just could not get it to work. What would happen every time I synced the Info computer is that it would erase all the media. Pretty frustrating.
Sounds very frustrating. On the Info computer did you make sure that all the other sync boxes in all the other sync tabs were unchecked?
Yes, I did uncheck all the appropriate boxes. I have a feeling I may have to reset the phone somehow to get this to work. So I'm wondering if you began your iPhone life in a multi-sync world. In other words, maybe the iPhone gets "trained" in a certain way initially to sync with one or many.
So, is it possible to sync from contacts from a Mac and photos from a Windows machine?
Thanks - my main beef with the iPhone so far - BUT I have tried your suggestion and I keep getting erased because I get the message "The iPhone xxxxxx is synced with another iTunes library. Do you want to erase this iPhone and sync with this iTunes Library?
An iPhone can be synced with only one iTunes library at a time. Erasing and sync ........." Why am I getting this message and you did not!!?? I am going from my G5 at home to my G4 book which has different media -----HELP!
Thanks.
@deyer: Look at you original iTunes when the phone's plugged in there. Are all the boxes on all the tabs checked? Or only some of them? I'm trying to figure out what puts some iPhones into monogamous mode, while others like mine will sync with anything that's got a USB port.
JS-
did get it to work last night - not as easy as the video, but close. Had to consider that music and tv shows where the same and could only use the media on the G5 to transfer, leaving all other tabs unchecked. Then went to the powerbook and, with the music and video unchecked and the info and podcast checked, I was able to keep the video/music from the G5 on the iPhone and load the contacts, etc. from the powerbook! What has happened to drag and drop! Hopefully this will be resolved soon. I have asked Steve if he also doesn't own more that one computer with different info he would like to put on his iPhone. He has not replied.
Thanks.
@deyer: Great news! So after unchecking tabs on the G5, you were then able to get the powerbook to sync. Cool -- thanks for the report. I do wish they made it more easy, but at least it's there!
JS-
I had unchecked the other tabs - the key was to have music AND video marked as one "unit" to make it work. If I wanted to have video on one computer and music on another, I do not think that would work.
Thanks again for your pioneering spirit!
I solved my problem. Before I had actually synced my iTunes Library data files across computers and also synced most of my music. This morning I decided to try creating a new library on the Info/Photos only computer and it absolutely worked. Like a charm. Hallelujah!
My issue:
sync Entourage calendar at work.
sync iCal at home.
Doesn't work. It's very frustrating to merge all these calendars all the time. If it would only support the check, say "Entourage" calendar for home, and the "My Events" folder at work.
Sigh.
I can't get this to work for the life of me. I'm trying to sync with two computers: a Windows XP laptop at work (just want the Info tab), and a Mac at home (for Music, Photos, Podcasts, Videos). No matter what combination of things I check, plugging into the Windows box results in a wipe of all multimedia files from the iPhone.
Infuriatingly, iTunes does not remember from one time to the next that I've only checked off the items in the Info tab on the Windows machine; each time I plug it in the check marks are restored on Music, Podcasts, and Video. The only thing that's safe are Photos. Moving back to the Mac, it seems to remember that I don't want to sync contacts/calendars, but for some reason those settings do not seem to persist on Windows.
Anybody else have success trying a similar sync setup? I can't imagine I'm the only one who needs to sync work stuff on a Windows machine, and fun stuff on a Mac. :)
JS
You know, it's the simple things that make you nuts. If it was complex, you could eliminate choices and get to the bottom of things, but with only one or two choices my iPhone synching is driving me crazy.
At home I've got a DualCore iMac. Synch is set up with nothing in the info tab checked; one selected playlist in the music tab; one photo library selected and no videos. So I synch nearly 5 gig of music and go to the office.
At the office, I've got a DualCore MacBook Pro. First time to the office, I check off synching all address books; synch ical; no photos; no podcasts; no videos. Hey look, selected playlists are checked - wonder where that came from. I go to de-select snch music and i get the message "Are you sure you do not want to synch music? All existing songs and playlists on the iPhone will be removed". Really... I click don't synch and apply and yes, my music is gone.
Well, back to the home machine. Info is unchecked, Ok, that's right. Wait a minute, music is unchecked. Recheck music and select the playlist and repeat the synch process. Five gig later I've got contacts and music. Hmmm, must have been a quirk.
OK, next day back again to the office. Plug in the USB and you guessed it, iTunes wants to wipe out the music again.
I keep pressing "check for updates" and praying. Any clever ideas?
I have exactly the same problem as John. The iPhone has no problem syncing with calendars at my office and at home. The music syncs at home and is wiped at at teh office. I've tried not syncing music at teh office witheth same result as John. I've tried setting up an empty Playlist with teh same name as the one at home - zappo. Very frusrtaring.
It looks like what you must do is:
Plug in and turn off all syncing. Yes, this might wipe your media. You'll re-sync later.
Plug it in to a computer that has your music and video. Set THEM to sync, just them.
Then move to another computer and try to sync other stuff. It _should_ work.
The iPhone gets monogamous if you try to set it up to sync everything, then try to make it not sync everything at a later time.
OK, I think I've found out how to get this working - after 2 months of trying everything I've seen on these and other forums. No matter what I tried, or what sequence of the day I attempted, whenever I tried to sync my iPhone to my "work" computer (only want contacts and calendar synced), all my videos, music and photos would be erased from my iPhone.
The trick for me that finally worked was to trash all the files in my user->Music->iTunes folder (note, I already had my music from my work computer transferred over to my G5 where all my Media lives). Make sure you have all your Music backed up or already transferred to your "home" computer (where you want all your Media synced to your iPhone).
Once I did that, I launced iTunes on my work computer to start clean with new preference files, etc. Now I am happy to report that my iPhone is no longer monogamous - I can sync Media with my home computer and calendars/contacts with my work computer.
Hope this helps others who've been pulling their hair out trying to get this to work and not understanding why it works for some and not others.
higgy
OK, in case this helps anyone I was getting similar problems with my laptop (MBP) and iMac getting confused when syncing music and videos. Turns out at one point in the past I had simply copied my entire iTunes directory between the machines (and registered them properly with my 5 licences :-) ) but this makes the iPhone think they ARE THE SAME iTunes LIBRARY. Key point here is that iPhone connects, does some sort of check that the iTunes library it thinks it syncs with is present, then attempts to do that action. So, my resolution was to trash the library file (but not the XML) as per an Apple support article (search for corrupt iTunes or something) and then when iTunes re-opens it re-creates the library file with all your music in it but a new id. My iPhone now thinks they are two separate libraries and hence lets me say music and video on one, only contacts and email on the other.
So, if you are getting problems, maybe don't blame the sync, maybe it is you who are confusing the iPhone!
@Mark
The only problem with your theory is the iPhone didn't pay $450 for me, so therefore I have the right to confuse the damn thing. There should really be a drag and drop feature - case closed.
Nevermind the fact that I cannot sync my music from multiple computers on my iPhone (which is really freaking lame!), Why-T-F can't I at least PLAY my music that's on my iPhone from iTunes on a different computer(s)????
How do I sync my music on my iphone to itunes? I keep getting a message that ask me if I want to erase and replace the itunes library.
I have a new laptop because my laptop was stolen.
I bought an iPhone recently 2nd hand from a friend and when i connect it to my iTunes (he was using a Windows PC and i use a Macbook Pro) it tells me that the iPhone was previously synchronized with another itunes and if i want to erase & resynch??
I have a lot of software in it that i use from the previous owner plus it already has the 1.1.3 firmware in it, so i was wondering when they mean erase does that mean "erase to factory defaults", does it mean ii'm going to lose everything i have in it??
Thanks in advance
Regards