For the past couple months, every time I plug my iPad 2 into my laptop, I'm getting a warning that the iPad "is synced with another iTunes Library. Do you want to erase the iPad and sync with this iTunes Library?" warning.

I am syncing only this iPad and only to that laptop. I don't understand why this is happening, but it's frustrating and time consuming to have to set up my iPad again every time I want to sync. I haven't even plugged in my iPod to sync since I got my iPad, because I'm afraid the data will be erased.

Any thoughts on how to get my iTunes to recognize that it's syncing with the same iPad every time?

Thanks,
Linda

Originally Posted by LaCornista@verizon.net

For the past couple months, every time I plug my iPad 2 into my laptop, I'm getting a warning that the iPad "is synced with another iTunes Library. Do you want to erase the iPad and sync with this iTunes Library?" warning.

I am syncing only this iPad and only to that laptop. I don't understand why this is happening, but it's frustrating and time consuming to have to set up my iPad again every time I want to sync. I haven't even plugged in my iPod to sync since I got my iPad, because I'm afraid the data will be erased.

Any thoughts on how to get my iTunes to recognize that it's syncing with the same iPad every time?

Thanks,
Linda

You are syncing to the same iPad, (slap me for being pedantic) but you are syncing to a different iTunes account. The iTunes account name is discreetly displayed in the, I think, top right of the iTunes window. Somehow, I generated three or four different ones. Did you install a new version of iTunes recently?

Thanks for the response. Over the years, I seem to have accumulated 3 different Apple IDs. I didn't realize that until a lot of back and forth with iTunes Support regarding why my iPad was missing items that are on my iPod. Since accounts can't be combined, i do have items purchased from the older account names in my iTunes Library, but my iTunes Store is sitting in my main and current account name that I set up when I got the iPad. I didn't realize I was setting up something different from what ihad been using.

So, are you saying that unless I delete all items purchased prior to getting my iPad, I will always have the error message and have my iPad erase and sync on each sync? I guess i'm confused because my iPod wasn't having the same issue, and it has content from both the previous 2 accounts. This has not always been the case. It's a recent unpleasant development.

I install the iTunes and iPad updates as they pop up. I'm about to update my iPad software, but I wanted to sync first.

Thanks,
Linda

Ugh! I just looked at my iPad, and everything is all messed up. My folders have emptied themselves back to individual apps, and a lot of my apps are missing now. I spent so much time organizing all my apps into folders and fitting everything into 2.5 screens.

I went back to the sync settings and saw the missing apps had unchecked themselves, so I just checked everything again and will sync.

This is very distressing. I need this not to happen every time I sync :-(

Now that everything is messed up, I found the problem. ITunes is on my external drive, which was off when I first tried to load iTunes. I turned on the drive but didn't see iTunes had created a new library when it couldn't find the real one.

I still have to set everything up all over again. Then I'll experiment to see if this still happens when the right library is open.