iPod Troubleshooting

This article will help you resolve various issues which occasionally occur on iPods - if you have a problem which isnt listed here, please let me know at james AT pimp-my-ipod DOT com.

• "When I try to turn on my ipod it makes a whining sound and you can feel it kind of shaking to try to work but then it dies. the battery is fully chanrged and everything...what could be wrong with it and/or how do i fix it?"
• "How do you reset an iPod?"
• "How do I convert videos to an iPod compatible format?"
• "Help! My iPod has frozen!"
• "I Get an 'iTunes -69 Error' when copying songs to my iPod"
• "Is there a way to add songs to my iPod all at once?"
• "How do you put a song on repeat in itunes?"
• "I had to do a system restore - how do i get my itunes back to put songs on and off ipod?"
• "My ipod screen just keeps saying apple.com/suport/ipod. whats wrong?"
• "How can I make my iPod connect to iTunes?"
• "What are some replacements for the cheap $30 iPod headphones that I could get?"
• "What advantages does rock box have over iTunes?"
• "When I separate songs by album on iTunes, it lists songs from the same item separately - how can I resolve this?"
• "I can't delete podcasts from my iPod in iTunes!"
• "Some of the song that im tryin to put on my desktop says that the parameter is incorrect.what do i need to do?"
• "I've forgotten the screen lock combination on my iPod - please help!"
• "What alternatives are there to iTunes?"
• "I purchased some songs from iTunes but they are not going on my iPod"
• "My iPod screen is broken - can I replace it?"

 

"When I try to turn on my ipod it makes a whining sound and you can feel it kind of shaking to try to work but then it dies. the battery is fully chanrged and everything...what could be wrong with it and/or how do i fix it?"
If its shaking it points to a hard drive problem which is rarely a good thing.
Try taking it to be repaired (if you google ipod repair you'll get a few replies). If the cost comes to around £40 or so you may want to consider just getting a new one.
If this is the case, before you get a new one open the ipod up (not sure how but there should be guides) and usually the hard drive 'spindle' is out of place, in which case you can just pop it back into place.

"How do you reset an iPod?"
Just hold Menu and Select for about 10 seconds until your screen flashes to the "Apple Logo"!

"How do I convert videos to an iPod compatible format?"
We reccomend you use this software: http://www.dotalex.com/?p=8. It converts most video format for iPod use and keeps a great quality!

"Help! My iPod has Frozen!"
If your iPod has frozen (screen not moving, buttons not responding etc) then hold menu and select (centre button) for about 10 seconds. At some point the iPod will turn off and reboot itself. It will flash the Apple logo and then it should be fine.

If this happens persistantly, then plug it into your computer, make sure it has the latest firmware (basically an operating system for your iPod) and for good measure give it a Restore in iTunes.

"I Get an 'iTunes -69 Error' when copying songs to my iPod"
When this happens, it means one or more files which should go on your iPod have been moved since you last synchronised, or it has been corrupted, therefore unreadable, so iTunes cannot find them.

To locate the unavailable file(s), try to synchronise the iPod as normal but watch the top panel in iTunes which lists all the songs it is transferring - when the error occurs, make a note of the last file it mentioned, and chances are it is the corrupted / missing file. Remove the file and continue.

If you have a problem with your iPod which isnt listed here please contact me using the form below and I will do my best to help you resolve your issue!

"Is there a way to add songs to my iPod all at once?"
Is there a way to add a group of songs to my iPod all at once? I am not talking about the syncing option or manually dragging and dropping one song at a time. I want to know how to add maybe 10 or more songs to my iPod all at once instead of manually dragging and dropping one song at a time.

"How do you put a song on repeat in itunes?"
Just look at the bottom left and you'll see 4 buttons - click the 3rd one along twice and it will play that song over and over (click once and it will repeat playlist)

"I had to do a system restore - how do i get my itunes back to put songs on and off ipod?"
You can download iTunes from this link:
http://www.apple.com/itunes/overview

Also if you use this software: www.copytrans.net, you can copy songs FROM your iPod and TO your PC!

"My ipod screen just keeps saying apple.com/suport/ipod. whats wrong?"
You have nothing to lose now! So you will need to open your iPods casing to reveal the hard drive.
What has happened is the "arm" of the hard drive has stuck (think of an old record player, they had a spindle - same thing)

There are some instructions on this forum: http://forums.ilounge.com/showthread.php... which explain how to open it.
Good luck!

"How can I make my iPod connect to iTunes?"
This happens to me frequently!
First, reboot your iPod (hold menu and select for 10 seconds)
Then reboot your computer
Now try it
If still nothing try using a different USB port or plug a different device into it to check that it works.

"What are some replacements for the cheap $30 iPod headphones that I could get?"
Sennheiser or Creative are probably the best for that price range.
Look for features such as "Anti tangle wires" or volume control!

"What advantages does rock box have over iTunes?"
The main advantage is that it uses less resources on your computer therefore easier to run in the background, quicker to start etc!
You can download it from www.rockbox.com

"When I separate songs by album on iTunes, it lists songs from the same item separately - how can I resolve this?"
Try drag / dropping each song into the album - It does it on mine but that solved it
i.e. if you have 1 album with 4 songs (lame album but still...), choose one song and drag drop all the others into that "album"

"I can't delete podcasts from my iPod in iTunes!"
If you are automatically managing your music (i.e. itunes synchronises it when you plug in) then make sure you have clicked "synch".
If not them you may want to Restore your iPod through iTunes

If you are doing it manually (i.e. you drag drop files onto your iPod) you will have to delete them off your iPod tab in iTunes, not just the library

"Some of the song that im tryin to put on my desktop says that the parameter is incorrect.what do i need to do?"
This can mean one of two things:

1) Check your iPod battery - for some reason it being low causes problems in song transfers
2) One or more songs from the folder you are drag/dropping is missing / corrupt and it messes up the whole transfer
If this is the case, when it is transferring look at the iTunes screen and the last song it says it is transferring before it cancels is the one which is corrupt

"I've forgotten the screen lock combination on my iPod - please help!"
Plug the iPod into your computer and press "Restore" in iTunes (under the tab for your iPod) and it will reset everything and re-synch all your songs ! (including, of course your code)

"What alternatives are there to iTunes?"
Hi there are a number of "itunes alternatives" - some of these are mentioned here: http://www.simplehelp.net/2007/07/08/10-...

Usually they are better than iTunes in the sense they use a lot less system resources.

"I purchased some songs from iTunes but they are not going on my iPod"
Hi, when in iTunes click the tab for your iPod and a screen should come up with a picture of your iPod and various information.

There will be a tick box saying "Manually Manage Music". Check this and click Apply.
Now you can manually drag and drop the songs onto your iPod and it should work !!

"My iPod screen is broken - can I replace it?"
Hi, if the screen is broken you will have to get another one - there are no replacement screen services.
You may be able to get a replacement under warranty / insurance however.
You can get a shuffle for around £60 now though so it won't set you back *too* much!