iPod 7th gen iPod Classic won't connect to or charge from computers

[mightyjabba]

I recently got a partially broken iPod Classic on eBay entirely because I wanted the 7th gen motherboard inside (basically all the other parts were dead including the screen). I was hoping to use it for a flash modded custom iPod. However, after replacing all of the damaged parts, I found that it won't connect to a computer or charge from one, but it will charge from a USB AC adapter or a Firewire cable connected to a computer. Macs don't seem to recognize it at all (it's not even listed under the USB bus under "System Information" but when I plugged it into a Windows machine it said that the "USB device had malfunctioned."

My working assumption is that some of the pins in the dock connector are damaged (the ones that handle USB data transfer, for example) but the other pins are okay. I've tried cleaning the dock connector and looking at it with a microscope but there isn't anything obviously wrong. Is there anything else I can try short of replacing the dock connector, which is too difficult for me to do myself and not something I want to pay someone to do?

I'm considering using a different iPod to load up a disk with music and then transfer it into this iPod, since it can apparently play music and charge just fine -- just not sync. But I assume it would have to be another 7th gen for it to recognize the contents of the drive.

 

[peapody]

Do you have another hdd that you can use to see if it is recognized?

It is possible you have a bad adapter board, or a bad ribbon cable. What flash adapter are you using? I have done about 5-6 flashmods with iflash boards, and had 1 bad one where there was an issue with getting ipod mounted (it would mount for 1 second then jump to ok to disconnect). I performed many troubleshooting steps, interchanging parts and harddrive and isolated it to the iflash board itself. Replacing the just the board and keeping everything else = all worked just fine. Just for your consideration.

That would suck if you can't sync because once you close up that generation it done. It is suck a PITA to open.

 

[mightyjabba]

I don't have a free flash adapter right now so I've just been using actual hard disks (but ones that have worked in other iPods). But it might be worth swapping out the ribbon cable, or trying other disks as well. Thanks.