CopyTrans frequently asked questions

  • My iPod is not detected / recognized by CopyTrans.
    Please go through this checklist and email us if the problem remains:
    • Verify that your iPod is properly connected to the PC and turned on.
    • When your iPod is connected to your computer, try to close and reopen the program.
    • Try to connect your iPod to your PC using another USB port.
    • If you normally connect your iPod to your computer through a USB hub, try to connect your iPod directly to your computer.
    • Try to connect your iPod to another computer to see if the problem comes from the computer or from the iPod.
    • If your computer is a Sony VAIO, please try these hints.
    • Our programs do not recognize Mac formated iPods. To check if your iPod is Mac formatted, browse your iPod menu as follows: Settings->About->Format and have a look at its formatting. If you don't see "Format", and "Model" is the last info shown in your iPod's screen, you'll know it is Mac formatted. If it is Mac formatted you will need additional software to read it such as MacDrive (won't work for the iPod Touch and iPhone).
    • Have a look at these Apple hints.
    • Try to reset your iPod as per these instructions (this will not modify its contents).
    • If you are using a virtual drive software on your computer, deactivate it to avoid any attribution letter conflict.
    • iPhone & iPod Touch users: make sure your iPod is turned on and that you have typed its pin code if any. Add CopyTrans to your firewall's "Allowed applications". (Re)install iTunes so the drivers allowing Windows to interact with your iPhone or iPod Touch are installed.
    • If none of the above hints helps, please indicate us the program the problem occurs with and download this program, run it and click the "Save log files" button to create an archive named "CopyTrans_Suite_Logs.zipped" containing all our programs log files. You will find the file on the Desktop, please attach it to your next email.
  • I want all my songs to end up in the same destination backup folder / I want my backed up songs to be organized into sub-folders according to their album or artist.
    When CopyTrans states that it is ready for backup, you can customize the way your songs will be organized in the destination backup folder as shown in this picture.
  • Why can't I recover my smart playlists?
    Smart playlists are not stored inside the iPod but within iTunes. The explanation is that iTunes decides, based on your smart playlists settings, what songs it should add to your iPod. The iPod will contain those playlists but as regular playlists. When you recover your iPod contents to iTunes, the playlists will therefore show up as normal playlists.
  • Why isn't CopyTrans recognizing some songs' names?
    Song names are contained in small structures attached to the file itself. These structures vary in design and it's possible that a specific format is not implemented yet. Just let us know if that is the case. Some files are actually not music files. Therefore, they do not contain these tags. Those are easily recognizable by their small size (check the Size column). In any case this doesn't have any impact on the overall backup.
  • Why does CopyTrans change the songs' filenames during backup?
    iTunes transfers the songs to the iPod in a way that allows your iPod to handle large amounts of data quickly and easily. When CopyTrans states it is ready for backup, you can customize the way CopyTrans renames your songs during this process. Check this picture out!
  • My songs do not play in iTunes nor sync with my iPod.
    You need to authorize your computer for your iPod songs. To do so, click Authorize in the Advanced menu of iTunes. For more detailed information visit this page.
    Otherwise, you may have moved the songs to a different folder after the backup, which prevents iTunes from playing them. Go to iTunes->Edit->Preferences->Advanced->Change to adjust the path to the new location.
  • I get a message stating that I need iTunes 4.6 or above.
    First, uninstall iTunes; then restart your computer (don't skip this). Once you have done this, you can download iTunes again and install it back onto your computer!
  • CopyTrans is considered a virus or a worm by my anti-virus software.
    This sometimes happens when new versions come out.
    We systematically inform security software makers of our new releases. Although, some take several days to update their databases. This is why we recommend the awarded and free AVG.
  • I'm able to backup some songs or one playlist at a time, but larger backups cause problems.
    This may either come from an insufficient RAM memory (we recommend 512 Mb, though 256 Mb is generally enough) or, more probably, one song may have been corrupted and this causes the whole backup to fail. In this case, you may want to give a try to CopyTrans Doctor.
  • The backup fails after 237 or approximatively 250 songs.
    You might have downloaded the zip version of the program, which is reserved to advanced users, because its installation is slightly more complicated.
    Please download this version, which is safer and easier and install it as per these instructions.
    If you wish to stick to the zip version, make sure to extract both files contained in the zip to the very same location (folder).
  • I get an error message stating that my iPod database is corrupted.
    iPod corruption usually occurs if you have used an alternative program (= not iTunes) to manage your iPod or if your iPod was unplugged during a synchronization.
    Our iPod repair tool, CopyTrans Doctor, is able to fix most iPod corruption problems.
    Just get if from here, run it and, if, at the end of its diagnostics and repairs, it reports that your iPod still contains problems, send us the log it generates so we can investigate the problem and provide you with an adequate solution.
    If CopyTrans Doctor is able to flawlessly fix your iPod, try a new Backup to iTunes with CopyTrans.
  • I get an error message stating "Failed to start communication with iTunes".
    This means that iTunes is not properly installed on your computer.
    To solve this problem, uninstall iTunes, restart your computer, download iTunes again and reinstall it.
  • I receive a message stating that my iTunes settings are incorrect.
    These instructions will help you.
  • My iPod is Mac formatted. Can I still use CopyTrans?
    Yes, you can. Make sure you run MacDrive before you run CopyTrans. Then, follow this procedure.
    If you don't feel like buying an additional product like MacDrive, you can back up your iPod to your Mac with xPort. Then, you'll be free to format your iPod to PC. This will allow you to add music from either a PC or a Mac.

    To determine if your iPod is Mac or PC formatted, go to your iPod's Settings->About->Format.
    If you don't see "Format" and if "Model" is the last info shown on your iPod's display, you'll know it is Mac formatted.
  • I am a Mac user ; will I be able to use your products?
    If you are using a Mac computer, you will, unfortunately, not be able to use our products. You will have to use xPort instead.
  • Keep a Mac and a PC synchronized / Move music between a Mac and a PC!
    If your iPod is Mac formatted, start by reading the previous topic.
    • To transfer music from your iPod to your PC, follow this procedure.
    • To transfer music from your iPod to your Mac, use xPort.
    • To add songs from either a Mac or a PC to your iPod, use iTunes.
  • Can I import songs to my Mac that were backed up using CopyTrans on my PC?
    This is possible as long as you made a Backup to folder.
    The .xml file generated by CopyTrans during the Backup to Folder contains a "path" for each song that corresponds to its location in the backup folder on the PC computer. When on a Mac, this path is different and iTunes can't locate your songs when trying to import them into your library.
    To correct this path, proceed as follows:
    • Add a song to your library (on your Mac)
    • In iTunes, click File->Export Library
    • Open the .xml file that this will generate in a text editor like Text Edit and copy the path
    • Open the .xml file generated by CopyTrans during the backup and replace (Cmd key + H or R) all the paths by the one you have just copied
    • Finally, import your backed up songs to iTunes as per these instructions.
    As this is a pretty tricky procedure, you can submit us the two .xml files and we will do the editing for you.