iPod Crashing - will resetting help?

[IJ Reilly]

My 3G iPod crashes with increasingly frequency. Usually, this happens when it's been asleep for a few hours at least -- it doesn't wake up, but reboots. When this happens, the battery always indicates a reduced charge, as if it's been awake for part of the time even though it hasn't. Until recently this had never occurred when it was on the dock charging.

Today it crashed while it was on the dock overnight. Even more oddly, when I restarted it, I saw a weird horizontal line flickering on the display. Sleeping the iPod and waking it a couple of times cleared the display artifact. Obviously, something is not well.

Two questions:

1/ Has anyone seen these symptoms before?

2/ Will resetting the iPod cure them?

 

[musicpyrite]

I'd try reinstalling the iPod OS, if that doesn't fix it, there there is someting physically wrong with the iPod. If the latter happens just go to an Apple store to return it, or get a new one..... maby it'll be a 4th gen

 

[IJ Reilly]

I'd try reinstalling the iPod OS, if that doesn't fix it, there there is someting physically wrong with the iPod. If the latter happens just go to an Apple store to return it, or get a new one..... maby it'll be a 4th gen

There's no way that I can find to "reinstall" the iPod OS. Do you mean reset it?

 

[Jovian9]

There's no way that I can find to "reinstall" the iPod OS. Do you mean reset it?

I think he means run the iPod Software Updater (2004-04-28). When doing this it should give you the option to reset/restore your iPod. But this will erase the contents of the iPod so make sure you still have the music available to put back onto it.

 

[IJ Reilly]

I think he means run the iPod Software Updater (2004-04-28). When doing this it should give you the option to reset/restore your iPod. But this will erase the contents of the iPod so make sure you still have the music available to put back onto it.

I guess so. I recently discovered by searching the AppleCare support forums that part of this behavior is normal. Apparently the 3G iPods are supposed to go into deep sleep after 24 hours (some say 48). It's an undocumented "feature." Seems to me it happens more quickly than that, but I haven't kept very close track.