Getting apps back to itunes?

I recently had a hard drive failure in MacBook. Replaced the drive and decided to do a fresh install instead of using my backup. Question how do I get my downloaded apps back to itunes? If I choose sync it says all the apps on the phone will be lost and replaced with the ones from itunes (which is none). So how do I get them back? Download individually?

You could move your entire "Music > iTunes" and "Home > Library > iTunes" folders onto your new Mac. That should give you your old backups and iPhone profiles.

This has me baffled also, as I ordered a new MBP and an iPod Touch at the same time. The iPT arrived a week before the new Mac and I got impatient as you do with any new Apple device, so started using it on another computer with iTunes. I payed for and installed a bunch of apps through that computers iTunes, now I'm on my new Mac, I can't find a way to sync apps that are on my iPT back to iTunes which has no apps.

It works with music purchased through the iTunes Store, as you need to "Authorize" it when you connect the iPT to a new machine for the first time. It should also be the same for apps, but sadly it is not, hopefully there is a way as it has disabled using the app store for apps on my Mac.

Well from what I have found on the apple site you can back up by going to: File>Library>Back up to disk.

This is suppose to back up everything then when you get your new mac you import or restore (not sure how to though). I went ahead and erased my old backup to backup my new drive so I guess I can't use this method...

Not sure if the OP got this figured out, but the way to do it is fire up iTunes then connect your iPod Touch/iPhone. In the sidebar your device should show up, right click on it and select "Transfer Purchases" which will transfer all your free and paid for apps that you have into your iTunes library. Now you can start syncing again without loosing apps from your iPod/iPhone.