How to Restore an iPod Without Losing Data

By Mario Calhoun

i ear buds image by Darrell Sharpe from Fotolia.com

The process of restoring your iPod involves erasing all information on the device and removing the previous configuration settings. In order to restore your iPod without losing data, you can first back up your iPod in iTunes, and then erase the iPod's hard drive and restore the software. Once the iPod is restored, iTunes will give you the option to set up the iPod as a new device on your computer or restore your data from a previous backup. To protect your data, back up your iPod at least once a month.

Click "Go" at the top of your Macintosh screen and select "Applications" from the drop-down menu. Double-click the "iTunes" icon to run the application. For Windows PCs, click the "Start" button in the lower left corner of the screen and click "Programs" and "iTunes."

Connect the iPod to your computer by plugging the iPod cable into the USB port on your computer and into the dock connector of the iPod, located on the bottom of the device.

Click the "Restore" button under the "Version" section, located in the "Summary" tab of iTunes.

Click "Back up" on the pop-up box, and click "Restore" and "OK" once the backup is complete to confirm the restoration of your iPod.

Leave the iPod plugged in until the process is complete, and click the circle next to "Restore from the backup of" and click the drop-down menu in the Device Setup Wizard.

Select the most recent backup date, and click "Continue" to restore your data to your iPod.

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