Thanks, AskStudent!!

I've had this 2nd-gen iPod sitting around since it decided to start acting erratically in 2006. I just didn't have the heart to trade it in and instead got a new nano a while ago. I've saved this iPod because there are a few (read: 2,721) songs on it and I know that I didn't happen to have all of them backed up to DVDs.

I HAD them backed up to my last job's drive just before the iPod went kaput, but then I had to leave the job pretty suddenly and there wasn't enough time for me to pull everything off the computer before I left.

I have an extraction program on the 'pod that worked for my mac, but not on my (current) work PC. After a little digging, I am happy to thank the people at AskStudent for reporting a procedure to extract your songs to your PC from the iPod using only iTunes and Windows settings. It can be viewed here.

And for the record, all of this has been done to retrieve ONE song: Lost Vagueness, Utah Saints. Most likely the most elusive track I have ever looked for. It was found in 2004 and placed on the iPod post haste, but never backed up properly. I am certain there are more songs on the big white machine that are in that same category, but that's the only one I absolutely KNEW I needed to get into my current library.

And I'm listening to it now :)
happy girl!