How to Use an iPod as a Backup Hard Drive

When it first appeared, the iPod only came with 5GB or 10GB hard drives. While these allowed users to take their music on the go, it didn't really provide enough space for much else. These days, however, iPods come with hard drives as big as 160GB, which is more than enough room for most people's media collections. One thing you can do with this extra space is use your iPod as a backup hard drive.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Connect the iPod to your computer's USB or Firewire port. Once it's connected, launch iTunes.

2. Select the "Summary" tab and check "Enable disk use," located under "Options." If using the iPod shuffle, set the storage allocation slider indicating the amount of space reserved for audio and data files.

3. Locate the iPod's icon in "My Computer" if you're using a PC. Mac users can use Finder to locate the icon.

4. Double-click the iPod's icon. This should open a window showing you the iPod's system folders, including "Notes," "Contacts" and "Calendars."

5. Drag and drop folders and files from your hard drive to the iPod's window.

6. Eject the iPod in iTunes using the eject button located next to the iPod icon or the bottom right of the page. If using a Macintosh, drag the iPod icon from the desktop to the trash to eject it.

Tips & Warnings

• When using an iPod to move the iTunes library, drag and drop the iTunes Music folder to the iPod, then transfer it to the iTunes folder on the new computer.
• Using an iPod as a hard drive on a Windows PC limits the capacity of files to 4 gigabytes, regardless of the available space on the iPod.

Resources

• Visit Apple's iPod support website.
• Check out this free app that backs stuff up to your iPod.