Saving photos from old iPod running iOS 6?

[Brian G Turner]

One of my daughters has an old iPod that's unable to update past iOS6. She's got a lot of images saved to it.

However, I can't find how to save them from it to her PC.

When the iPod is plugged in to the PC, the iPod does not show as a connected device.

All we have so far is iCloud - but that has only saved 200 of her images to her Photostream, and she's got a couple of thousand she'd like to save.

Anyone got any suggestions on how we can download/save her images?

 

[Dave]

When the iPod is plugged in to the PC, the iPod does not show as a connected device.

Is that the same on all PCs, laptops? Is it damaged, or just old? Try another PC or laptop. Those iPods are really just expensive memory sticks and it shouldn't matter that it has an old OS if you are just copying jpg or png files. It is the songs that are encrypted. Unless I'm mistaken, in which case I defer to someone more knowledgeable.

 

[Brian G Turner]

It is a somewhat old and battered iPod. Even then, I would have expected it to show as a device in Windows Explorer when plugged in. Certainly iTunes still recognises it.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

Those iPods are really just expensive memory sticks

No, they are not. The communications is proprietary. That's also why almost no Apple gadgets have removable SD cards.

Most apple gadgets are "walled" unlike ANYTHING else. Generally only iTunes can be used rather than USB Storage.
iTunes is notoriously buggy.
Try iTunes on a newer Mac.

 

[Dave]

Generally only iTunes can be used rather than USB Storage.
iTunes is notoriously buggy.
Try iTunes on a newer Mac.

If you read the question again, it was about saved images not the iTunes. The only way to get iTunes off is by using iTunes, but that isn't the issue here. The issue is that it is broken. The files may be corrupted.

 

[Culhwch]

I think you misread Ray's post, Dave. Ray isn't talking about removing iTunes, but using iTunes to get the photos off the iPod. That would be my suggestion as well. In my experience, Apple devices don't work like USB sticks or Android devices, which you can plug into your PC and access their memory through File Explorer as if it was just another drive. I don't know why Apple insist on not doing it this way, which to me seems so much more user-friendly, but I do believe Ray is correct - you'd need to use iTunes to copy the photos off. But try Googling it, Brian, hopefully someone has found a workaround, or written some software that isn't iTunes that will do the job.

 

[Dave]

Sorry, I see why it might be different if the photos were stored using iTunes. I was thinking that I take photos from my iPhone5 to my Windows 8.1 laptop almost everyday just by cutting and pasting them from one folder to another, but they were stored there using the camera or copied from other Apps. I still think the fact that the iPod isn't being recognised as a device is the real problem here, and surely that is likely to still be the problem whatever method is used?

 

[Brian G Turner]

I think it's a case that the iPod is broken - when it's connected to a computer, there's no option at all to open the device folders - the device isn't even listed as connected.

Still works in iTunes, though, but there are no image save options in that.

However, it looks as though we may be able to do a backup to iCloud, which should hopefully save all her images. We won't know if it's worked, though, until she gets a new one!

 

[Culhwch]

Gosh, what a palaver. I have a quick fix for you, but it might not be popular - buy a non-Apple device next time!

 

[Phyrebrat]

are you using a Mac or PC? I'm confused. I'm assuming Windies. If Mac, then open iPhoto as that's where photos are handled.

Have you tried a hard reset? (Menu button pressed up and centre button depressed for about five seconds)

You could try plugging it into other PC and see if you get the unrecognised prompt - at least then you'll know where along the chain the problem is (iPod, cable, or PC)

Finally; have you tried opening the saved photos on iCloud using an iPod, iPad or iPhone? Then you can see what's saved.

pH

 

[Mirannan]

Might be a software issue on the PC, perhaps. It might be worth uninstalling and reinstalling the driver software or the exchange program on the PC.

Second idea; might be a defective cable. Connection issues like this often are; if you have an iPod yourself and the cable is compatible, try that?

 

[Brian G Turner]

Ha! Nothing worked - then last night my daughter accidentally clicked on "Upgrade to Windows 10" and couldn't stop it.

This afternoon she plugged her iPod into her PC - and it recognised it! And asked her if she'd like to download all the photos from her device. So she did. She's happy, now.