I am running itunes 12 (but it makes little difference as the issue was on 11 anyway)

 

I do a lot of travelling and use a ipad for watching films. My mac book pro has a 160GB hard drive so it doesn’t take long to fill it up.

 

So this is the issue – load a lot of films on the ipad from itunes – no problem.

 

I then remove some or all the films that are on the ipad from the itunes library to make space for new ones.

 

When I next time connect the ipad to itunes it removes any films from the ipad that are no longer in the itunes library. Annoying if I haven’t watched them yet!

 

Every possible “do not sync” setting is disabled on both the ipad and in itunes but it still insists on syncing and removing any films on the ipad that are no longer in the itune library.

 

It is really doing my head in. I also have a Samsung tablet and use Kies for this and perform the same procedure as above with no issues.

 

You might say “use the Samsung then” which is fair enough but I want to control what is on of off of the ipad not Apple!

 

Any ideas?

It's what ITunes does. If it's not in the library it can't exist on the ipad if you are syncing it to a computer. Why not buy a big external hard drive, then put your media library on there?

Why are films being removed from the iTunes library in the first place??

 

Have you rented the films, or are they purchases??

 

Also you have said that every possible "do not sync" settings have been disabled, which meant the iPad and iTunes WILL sync.

It's the DRM, if it's not in your library is not allowed to be on your Ipad. You need a bigger hard drive or an external one.

if you download the film from the itunes store on the ipad it should stay on the ipad until you remove it yourself. Otherwise, buy a larger HDD and fit into the macbook, at 160GB I am guessing its an older MBP so a HDD upgrade should be dead easy.

 

Time machine backup of the whole machine,

Swap HDD

Enter recovery mode, or boot from OSX media, ( you may need to follow an online guide to create a bootable USB for mavericks or yosemite first)

Start the setup process and do a time machine restore of the whole computer.

 

As its only 160GB the whole restore process should not take that long.

Use a different method to put the films on the iPad - i.e. not via iTunes. Then you don't have to worry about adding/removing from iTunes library.

 

Example: http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/how-to/apple/3512138/how-put-films-on-ipad/

Why are films being removed from the iTunes library in the first place??

 

Have you rented the films, or are they purchases??

 

Also you have said that every possible "do not sync" settings have been disabled, which meant the iPad and iTunes WILL sync.

sorry I meant enabled

Picked up a 2tb SSD yesterday. Followed Apples instructions and now have my library there. Just have to remember to plug it in each time I use iTunes.

 

thanks all.