huh. Jon, that's odd. My guess is that some library you have referenced is overriding the Year function somehow. VBA apparently lets you overwrite functions with impunity. At least, if I write the code below:

Sub test()
MsgBox Year(Now)
End Sub

Function Year(bob() As Date)
Year = 2008
End Function

in Excel 2004 on a Mac, it gives the error "Type Mismatch: Array or User-Defined Type Expected" when I try to run test.

Extra reading has shown me (and testing has confirmed) that IF that's the problem, you can solve it by using VBA.Year instead of Year.

That is, the code below correctly returns "2008" instead of an error:

Sub test()
  MsgBox VBA.Year(Now)
End Sub

Function Year(bob() As Date)
  Year = 1999
End Function

It looks like there are programs to allow you to pull the files from the iPod onto the computer

oh, good. I'm not worried about the stuff on the iPod, I'm worried that the stuff on the iPod will overwrite the iTunes.

I'm not worried about the stuff on the iPod, I'm worried that the stuff on the iPod will overwrite the iTunes.

Not a worry. The stuff in iTunes can wipe your 'Pod if you're not careful, but it never goes the other way.

cool. that's what I thought, but I'm often wrong

Thanks for the info, Gris. As I said, I've got it working with DatePart, but that's something to think about the next time it happens.

Not a worry. The stuff in iTunes can wipe your 'Pod if you're not careful, but it never goes the other way.

Um, I'm pretty sure that I've been asked some version of "There's stuff on your iPod that's not on your computer, do want to update the computer?"

I think it does that in case you have stuff you bought from the iTunes store... and that's all it copies over.

It's possible I'm thinking of something else....

Um, I'm pretty sure that I've been asked some version of "There's stuff on your iPod that's not on your computer, do want to update the computer?"

oh, fine, scare me then! I think I should just make sure that "manual sync" is checked, I should be fine.

I think it does that in case you have stuff you bought from the iTunes store... and that's all it copies over.

Yes -- only purchased music, and only after you've authorized the new computer. But it's an addition, not a wiping of the library.