iPod iTunes won't detect iPod. How do I restore it safely??

[gapagos]

I am using OS X Leopard, iTunes 8 and an iPod nano 16GB (current gen).

I have the bug somewhat described here:
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1410?viewlocale=en_US

My iPod won't show up in iTunes.
It DOES however show up in the Finder (desktop).

Apple's site says:
1. Reset your iPod.
I tried that already.
2. Retry with a different USB or FireWire port.
I tried that already.
3. Restart your computer and make sure you have the latest software updates installed.
I did that already.
4. Remove iTunes software and then reinstall iTunes software from latest versions on the web.
I already deleted iTunes (including iTunes Helper after restart), restarted, redownloaded and reinstalled iTunes.
5. Restore your iPod. See “Updating and Restoring iPod Software” in the user's guide.
This step requires iTunes to detect an iPod. (see here) Since iTunes CANNOT detect my iPod, it WON'T let me restore it.

--> I AM STUCK.

I tried using the disk utility to erase the iPod's partition, but I got the warning:

Erasing a volume will destroy all information on the volume. It will not erase information on other volumes on the same disk.

WARNING: This volume is on an iPod. Erasing the iPod volume will disable some of the iPod functionality.

Are you sure you wish to erase the volume “OWNER'S IPO”

(Yes: "OWNER'S IPO" is the FAT32 name of my iPod, which is FAT32 formatted from my windows PC, and is recognized on my Windows PC iTunes, but I do not have access to that PC here)

I am afraid to use Disk Utility to erase my iPod's partition, not because it would erase all my music (I have it backed up), but because what IF iTunes STILL doesn't recognize my iPod after I erase entirely all its disk??? Then I am stuck with a $300 tiny brick.

Help me please.

Thank you.

And I did search for answers to my problem. Since iPod non-detection is common in iTunes 7 but I am using iTunes 8, and unlike everywhere I see, a restart or reinstall of iTunes didn't fix the issue.

 

[JediMeister]

Just a few clarifying questions: 1) The different port, that is directly to the computer itself, right? Not through an external hub, not through the USB 1.1 ports on the Apple keyboard? 2) Does your iPod recognize its connected to the computer? I.e. Does it say "Do not disconnect before ejecting"? 3) Does said iPod show up in System Profiler when you click on More Info from the About This Mac window? 4) Any chance it could be the port itself? Does anything connected to same port where the iPod is not detected recognized by the system? 5) Try a PRAM reset on the computer without the iPod connected, reconnect it after the restarts and after launching iTunes.

 

[gapagos]

Just a few clarifying questions: 1) The different port, that is directly to the computer itself, right? Not through an external hub, not through the USB 1.1 ports on the Apple keyboard?

Yup. Macbooks are laptops, and I don't use an external keyboard, and they only have USB 2.0 slots. I tried both USB slots directly.

2) Does your iPod recognize its connected to the computer? I.e. Does it say "Do not disconnect before ejecting"?

Yes, and it is charging as it should.

3) Does said iPod show up in System Profiler when you click on More Info from the About This Mac window?

Yes, because as I said, I can read the iPod on my computer as a hard disk.
I see it as a disk drive, with the folders Contacts, Calendar, etc.. just not the mp3s because they're protected by iTunes.

4) Any chance it could be the port itself? Does anything connected to same port where the iPod is not detected recognized by the system?

Not a chance. I have successfully connected a 16GB USB stick, an external hard drive, and a mouse though both USB ports of my macbook, and transfer speeds of these two drives were definitely USB 2.0ish. (i.e 40MB/s)

5) Try a PRAM reset on the computer without the iPod connected, reconnect it after the restarts and after launching iTunes.

What's a PRAM reset, and how do I do it? If we're talking about simply restarting the computer, then starting iTunes, then connecting the iPod, I tried that already even with a fresh iTunes install.

 

[JediMeister]

A PRAM reset is also sometimes referred to as a hardware device reset. In addition to a few other things, it initializes the external ports on a Mac. This refreshes the device connections on the Mac and may allow it to recognize a previously not shown device.

 

[gapagos]

A PRAM reset is also sometimes referred to as a hardware device reset. In addition to a few other things, it initializes the external ports on a Mac. This refreshes the device connections on the Mac and may allow it to recognize a previously not shown device.

Thank you. I just tried it. It did the expected results (gray screen showing up and CD-rom drive check twice before the normal booting sound and apple logo), iTunes still does not display the iPod device, which appears nonetheless on the desktop.

I noticed, however, that plugging my iPod does launch iTunes. iTunes just doesn't acknowledge its existence.

 

[TraceyS/FL]

Has it ever worked on that computer?

Why did i think that if you had a windows formatted iPod you couldn't use it on a mac?

Like this link says win on mac

 

[gapagos]

Has it ever worked on that computer?

Not that I recall, but I never tried to make it work on my macbook until shortly before I created this thread, anyway.

And the iPod is FAT32 formatted, which should perfectly work under OS X according to Apple.

 

[TraceyS/FL]

I'm having some issues getting the kids nano's to detect (which is why i had opened the thread), but ours is solved by quitting iTunes and letting it launch iTunes - after doing resets on the iPods themselves (i have 2 of 3 doing it).

The account i'm having issues with is a parental controlled account, so well, that is another layer of something.

Hopefully someone can guru up today and give you more info to help.

 

[TraceyS/FL]

I wanted to follow up on this after what i just had happen.

I didin't like the cable that came with the Nano's, it was tight and not overly kid friendly. So, i decided to let them use my dock (version 1 of it btw), and both problem Nano's sync'd right away, first time, no quitting iTunes in between either.

It was like night and day compared to last nights attempts.

So while it might not help you, it did make a difference in the cable area here.

Mine however weren't showing up on the desktop - but iTunes was launching, and the Nano said it was connected - but wasn't.

Hopefully you can get it sorted out soon. And i hope this continues to work for my kids.

 

[gapagos]

I don't have a dock to use.

 

[TraceyS/FL]

I don't have a dock to use.

I figured you probably didn't - but if i hadn't had it sitting here, i would never have tried another cable. Now i'm curious to take either of the other 2 sync cables i have and see if the cable is really the problem.

Do you have a friend you can borrow another cable from and try?

 

[gapagos]

I figured you probably didn't - but if i hadn't had it sitting here, i would never have tried another cable. Now i'm curious to take either of the other 2 sync cables i have and see if the cable is really the problem.
Do you have a friend you can borrow another cable from and try?

No, but the cable used to work fine for iTunes on my home PC (which I don't have because I'm not home), and it works fine to transfer files to the iPod's disk drive on my macbook too (not through iTunes) too, so the cable is fine.

It really is an APPLE SOFTWARE problem.

 

[TraceyS/FL]

No, but the cable used to work fine for iTunes on my home PC (which I don't have because I'm not home), and it works fine to transfer files to the iPod's disk drive on my macbook too (not through iTunes) too, so the cable is fine.

It really is an APPLE SOFTWARE problem.

Thats fine..... i was just trying to help/offer suggestions since i had a similar issue.

I'll bail out now and hope that someone will have some excellent advice instead of my crappy stuff. Not that anyone has had any....

Oh, since it's under warranty - have you called support? i didn't see that mentioned... i hate to do that most times, but sometimes you have too.

 

[JediMeister]

Hey gapagos, sorry to leave you hanging there with no reply for 24 hrs. I found another article on the Apple knowledgebase, hope it helps. Happy new year by the way! http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1461

 

[gapagos]

Hey gapagos, sorry to leave you hanging there with no reply for 24 hrs. I found another article on the Apple knowledgebase, hope it helps. Happy new year by the way! http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1461

Thanks! unfortunately, for OS X 10.5 it says:
"Insert your Mac OS X 10.5 install disc."

... and that disk is at home, where my home PC is. So I don't have it. sigh...

I'll try when I'm back home, but at this point it'll be mostly meaningless since I'll connect my iPod to my working home PC anyway.

 

[gapagos]

I tried using an iTunes Alternative called Floola to manage my iPod and well, ****, it still doesn't work.

After I save the info of my FWID for my iPod Nano 4G, the program simply crashes.

I tried using Yamipod, and there, when I enter the FWID, the "OK" button, simply nothing happens and the OK button is still there like a dumb duck.

What the **** is wrong with this crap.... urgh... I'm really tired of this garbage.

PS: I'm not calling Floola/Yamipod garbage. I'm calling iTunes' DRM system garbage, as it's most certainly the #1 reason for all of this.