How to Copy Songs Directly From Your iPod to Your PC
Copying songs directly from an iPod to your PC is an easy process, but there are some limitations. It depends on how your iPod's storage drive is formatted. For example, if your iPod was formatted for a Mac operating system, you cannot transfer music to your PC without "restoring" your iPod -- which deletes all your music. The iPod touch is also not able to transfer music. If your iPod is formatted for a PC, you can copy songs to your computer by changing its settings in iTunes to enable it as a storage drive recognized by Windows. You can then access the storage drive in "My Computer" and drag and drop the desired songs onto your PC.
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Instructions
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Visit "Apple.com/itunes/download". Click the "Download Now" button on the left side of the screen and wait for iTunes to finish downloading to your PC. Double-click the ".exe" program file and follow the on-screen instructions to install iTunes on your computer. Choose to transfer your current iTunes library to the new iTunes library, agree to the terms of use, and then open iTunes.
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Connect one end of your connector cable to your iPod, and the other to your computer. Wait for iTunes to recognize the connection. Cancel the automatic sync process, if needed.
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Make sure your iPod is formatted for Windows by clicking your iPod's icon, listed on the left side of iTunes under the "Devices" column. Press the "Summary" tab at the top of the screen and click "Settings." Scroll down to the bottom of the window. If the last item in the list is "Format: Windows," your iPod is formatted for Windows. If the last item contains serial numbers, it is formatted for Mac OS computers.
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Exit the "Settings" screen, and click the "Summary" tab.
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Click the "Manually Manage Music and Videos" box in the "Options" portion of the screen. This automatically selects the "Enable Disk Use" option.
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Click "OK" when prompted by the "Disabling Automatic Update Requires Manually Unmounting the iPod Before Each Disconnect" screen. Click the "Apply" button in the lower-right corner of the iTunes iPod window and wait for your iPod to switch from "Automatic" use to "Manual."
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Quit iTunes. Click the "Start" button in the lower-right corner of your computer's main screen, select "My Computer" and double-click your iPod's icon.
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Double-click the enclosed "Music" or "iTunes" folder in your iPod's contents. Highlight the files you want copied to your computer and drag them to your Desktop or to a designated folder where you want your music stored. Wait for your files to copy.
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Tips & Warnings
Highlight multiple items in your iPod's music folder by holding down the "Ctrl" key on your keyboard and clicking your files' icons. Highlight multiple adjacent items by clicking the first item in the list, holding down the "Shift" key on your keyboard and clicking the last item in the list so all items between are highlighted.
