How to clone an iPod for backup? Many apps don't work! help please

[wpc33]

I tried cloning my 80GB 5G to a partition about 83GB large.

SuperDuper & Disk Utility stalled at less than a MB copy speeds. 10 hours on SD, and nowheresvile

TuneTech popped up that I needed to "rebuild" before. Did it. Still the same problem. Thankfully the repairs didn't hurt. DiskUtility verified afterwards.

CarbonCopyCloner stalls in the same way as the first two.


What is the matter? The destination volume is formatted as MacOSExtended(Journaled).

Please help. I have to clone my iPod before a repair
Thank you

[edalzell]

Why do you need to clone it? Isn't all the relevant data already on your Mac/Windows machine?

[wpc33]

No, I have AIFF up the wahzoo on my mac. I re-encoded them to mp3 for my iPod. I don't auto-synch my music. I've got over 500GB of tunes on the comp.

I need to clone it so I don't have to re-encode, re-organize, or anything like I did last time I got a repair. That took me 4 days of work to get this iPod back in shape.

[edalzell]

the iPod will play AIFF files...why encode them? Also, why not encode them to your HD, add them to their own iTunes playlist then either sync only that play list or manually do it from iTunes?

Regardless, to get data off of an iPod, look for a tool like senuti (http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/14982/senuti).

[wpc33]

the iPod will play AIFF files...why encode them?

I've got over 500GB of tunes on the comp.

Also, why not encode them to your HD, add them to their own iTunes playlist then either sync only that play list or manually do it from iTunes?


So I don't have 10000 dupe songs in my Library.


Regardless, to get data off of an iPod, look for a tool like senuti (http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/14982/senuti).

I'm looking to clone the drive, not rip tracks

[DeltaMac]

I'm looking to clone the drive, not rip tracks

Senuti is not track-ripping software - it is designed to transfer your iPod library back to iTunes. Create a new, blank library in Itunes, and start Senuti. Once done, you just back up that library to an external drive. Done, and you have a complete backup of your iPod music. If you need to re-do your iPod, just use your back-up library to sync to your iPod.

[wpc33]

Senuti is not track-ripping software - it is designed to transfer your iPod library back to iTunes. Create a new, blank library in Itunes, and start Senuti. Once done, you just back up that library to an external drive. Done, and you have a complete backup of your iPod music. If you need to re-do your iPod, just use your back-up library to sync to your iPod.
I'm trying to clone here, not create a whole new system and alter-ego my way through backups.
How can I be the only one who ever wanted to treat their iPod drive like any other and back it up simply?

[DeltaMac]

So, I suppose you are not willing to even try software that is designed for the special use of backing up an iPod, when you asked for something that will 'treat their iPod drive like any other and back it up simply'.
And, of course, the iPod is not 'like any other hard drive', is it? It is heavily cached during use, which may explain the poor performance with ordinary backup methods. Its hard drive runs only intermittently in normal use.
Senuti works in a similar fashion to iTures, except backwards (hence, the name). Special purpose software, written for one purpose, to transfer your Ipod music (complete with playlists) back to your hard drive, ready to go as an iTunes library should be. How is that different from your goal?

[wpc33]

How is that different from your goal?
I have senuiti and I've used it. I just want to do something like superduper would do so I can regularly do a smart update to my backup without re-ripping&overwriting the whole shabang each time.
I appreciate your advice though. Senuiti isn't capable of a weekly or so update like that is it?

[wpc33]

I ran first aid consistently and everything's cool.

It just boils down to, is the iPod supposed to transfer at 1MBps because it's an ipod and not a good sata drive?

Oh, BTW, senuti rips at the same slow speed for me. Is it that slow for you? I ripped a 53MB mp3 and it took about a minute. Similar math as my aborted cloning attempts

[J Christopher]

Have you tried using the command line?

cp -R /Volumes/iPod_Name/ /Volumes/Partition_Name/

The above command is a modification of a bash command for copying the songs from an iPod into a named folder. I have not tested it, so use it at your own risk. Particularly, I am not sure that -R will be sufficient to keep iTunes happy, and I'm not 100% sure about whether the forward slash following "iPod_Name" is necessary.

Obviously you will need to replace "iPod_Name" with the name of your iPod, and "Partition_Name" with the name of your drive partition.

[DeltaMac]

You update your iPod every week?
I don't think I have re-synced my 80GB in more than a year, but then I don't have any special setup, just music of every variety - no real need to backup the iPod itself.
Maybe someone else can chime in here...

I've never timed Senuti, I just let it run - last time was all 80 GB - took about 12 hours, if I recall correctly.

[J Christopher]

I just want to do something like superduper would do so I can regularly do a smart update to my backup without re-ripping&overwriting the whole shabang each time.

That sounds more like syncing, not cloning. That being the case, I would recommend exploring the power (and learning the syntax) of rsync.

Hint: "man rsync" in a Terminal window.

[wpc33]

Thanks guys. I've learned through my testing and your help, that no matter what software I use, I get download speeds of 1Mbps or less. The hardware is all good, unless the cable can somehow degrade the speed yet still work, slowly.

[J Christopher]

…no matter what software I use, I get download speeds of 1Mbps or less. The hardware is all good, unless the cable can somehow degrade the speed yet still work, slowly.

What kind of speeds do you get transferring music to the iPod? Have you tried different ports?

If you are doing or planning on doing a lot of transfers, I would recommend using a FireWire connection.

[morespace54]

Thanks guys. I've learned through my testing and your help, that no matter what software I use, I get download speeds of 1Mbps or less. The hardware is all good, unless the cable can somehow degrade the speed yet still work, slowly.

I say do both. Use Senuti for the first complete backup. Add a Smart Playlist (recently added) then use Senuti to *only* backup tracks from that Playlist. Then RSYNC the resulting folder with your backup folder. Using Terminal should let you go waaaay faster than the Finder copy. If you manage to set-it up the way you want, you could even write a Applescript (or else) and let it work automatically via Cron or special applications like "Do Something When" when you mount your iPod.

I know, it sounds like re-inventing the wheel but really, that's what your looking for, re-inventing the wheel for your special need!