Syncing iPhone on different computers

[MJ10]

Hi all, I know google is full of this information, but I just need solid confirmation that I am correct... there's just so much stuff out there and it changes so quickly!

So I have an iPhone, which is synced with my laptop at home with music, podcasts, apps, etc etc.

On my work laptop I have my outlook contacts and calendar, and possibly some music that I want to sync with the same iPhone.

I have "authorised" the work laptop and want to be 100% sure that if I sync the work laptop and the iPhone I will not lose all my music and apps etc that have been synced on my home laptop.

What settings to I need to make sure are set, boxes ticked/unticked etc to make sure I keep everything on my iPhone and only add stuff?

Thanks all

[blu-kryztal]

I think there is nothing for you to worry about losing data. As a safe side, you can create a backup copy on home computer. Even if you lose anything when transferring data from work computer, you still have all the data saved on your home computer (My Music > itunes > Media folder).

Just connect your iPhone normally to your work computer. I dont remember the exact location of this but make sure the option "Automatically sync my iPhone" or "Automatically transfer data when iPhone connects" is UNCHECKED. You will be good to go. However im still not sure about calendar and contacts. In my knowledge, all your calendar and contacts will be changed with the ones on your work computer. Rest of the things are pretty easy to handle. (Music can be transferred manually, meaning you can select a particular song to add or delete).

Cheers

[MJ10]

With regards to contacts and calendar... I don't use either when syncing with my home computer. I have about 20 contacts on my sim which should be unaffected I believe.

I believe sutosync is unchecked but I know where to do it if it's not.

And as I understand it you can choose to "not sync XXXX" eg Music, meaning that will remain unaffected... I think!

I did a sync with my home computer last night so might give it a go now at work, then resync at home if anything goes wrong!

[moviedrome]

It always warns you before it wipes anyway. Still not managed to sync my phone to my mac as it wants to wipe everything off

[MJ10]

Can you not do a backup and then try it?

Saying that though, I did a back up from my Jailbroken iPhone 4 and installed it on my new iPhone 4... and it didn't install Facetime... so I have a new non-jailbroken iPhone 4 without Facetime! I'd have to sync it from scratch not a back up to get it! (luckily I don't use it!)

Just selected "Calendar" to sync as a test... everything else is unticked. There was a nice helpful message that popped up, so I think everything will be fine:

[moviedrome]

Backup doesn't do music or apps tho and i have hundreds of CDs I put on my old computer that I really don't want to have to do again.

[iFreeZone]

You have to install FaceTime?

Theres something in the settings to switch it on, Settings>Phone - or haven't you got that option?

[MJ10]

Oh yea... how stupid! Surely a lot of people buy an iPhone wanting to use it... so why isn't it default on?!

I've turned it on, but don't think I know anyone who I can Facetime with... not that I'd want to anyway!

[ryan1087]

Ddid it work? I remember doing something similar, i un-ticked what i didn't want and left those that i did. Also i remember doing something about authorising a computer to link it with an account i have synced on my old pc.

[MJ10]

Yup, it worked! Just ticked "calendar" and "contacts" and now have all my work stuff on there and kept everything from my home laptop!

Don't think I could sync music from 2 computers though. Not 100% sure

[ryan1087]

Don't you tick the particular songs you want to sync?

[MJ10]

Guess so, and then the message (as above) shows up asking if you want to merge or replace... I haven't bothered yet.

[cono1717]

Originally Posted by moviedrome

Backup doesn't do music or apps tho and i have hundreds of CDs I put on my old computer that I really don't want to have to do again.

This sounds really hard to explain over the internet.

On your old PC did you just load the CD's into iTunes on the computer and not an external drive?

If so then all you need to do is go and find your iTunes music folder and then find the folder with all your songs in (they won't be named but it will be the only folder that is really large)

Copy this folder onto your new PC and then in iTunes File->Add folder to library-> (Folder you just copied across) then iTunes will automagically add names and pictures e.t.c

Alternatively if you don't have any new songs on the mac just copy the whole iTunes folder over to the music folder.

That's what I did when I wiped my dad's PC.