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stinkinsane68 · Dec 26, 2003, 07:10 AM

I got a 5 gig iPod for Xmas... I love it... it had some songs on it when I got it, and it worked fine. I was at my mom's house, and I used it on her flat panel iMac... worked fine. Brought it home, plugged it into iMax, and it just hangs on hte 'do not disconnect' screen. It also makes my computer unusable whenever it's connected.

Specs: 1st gen iMac, harmoni 600mhz G3 with firewire port (that they ADVERTISE as compatible with the iPod), 512 megs ram, 7200rpm 120 gig drive... I definitely meet the specs. I'm running OSX jaguar... not panther.

I tried running the iPod updater, and it would always lock up when I tried to run it, so I'd have to force quit the updater.

For a while, whenever I plugged it in, it would say an unrecognizeable disk was inserted, do I want to initialize.... but when I clicked initialize, disk util would come up but I couldn't find/see the iPod disk.

So then, I unplugged the iPod, opened the updater, plugged in the iPod... waited for it to lock, then held down the play and menu buttons to restart the iPod.... and the iPod DID restart, and I get a message on my iMac screen "Do not remove device without unmounting it, data could have been lost or damaged". Well that's great, but the thing wasn't showing up in iTunes or on hte finder.... so then after the iPod restarts, I hit 'restore' and it DOES restore the iPod.... so now it's all empty and everything is erased off hte iPod, and it's updated also.

But.... when I plug it in, the iPod just hangs on 'do not disconnect' and the computer hangs on the beginning of opening iTunes....

So I tried opening iTunes BEFORE I plugged it in, and then I just get the beachball, FOREVER, with the iPod just saying "Do not disconnect"

Frankly I'm getting a little pissed off here.... I own a mac, not a windows POS.... it should just plug in and instantly work, dammit.

- Ca$h

Disgruntled Head of C-3PO · Dec 26, 2003, 10:40 AM

Cool name

d4nth3m4n · Dec 26, 2003, 10:50 AM

yo cash, you got the latest itunes? i know this is a first gen ipod, but there might be some **** going on there. you repair permissions lately? try do that and then install the ipod software, not the 2.1, but the update for older ipods. good luck. ****, youre up to your ass with mp3 players, huh? you got the rca the other day too, right?

SupahCoolX · Dec 26, 2003, 01:38 PM

The iPod is only designed to sync with one computer (so you can't just plug your friend's iPod into your computer and take all his music, which the RIAA wouldn't like). Of course, there are hacks around this.
Anyway, I bet the fact that you first synced it with your mom's iMac, then tried to sync it with yours is the source of the problem.
Also, have you tried resetting the iPod? Hold the Menu and Play buttons down for about 5 seconds.

CatOne · Dec 26, 2003, 07:21 PM

Originally posted by SupahCoolX:
The iPod is only designed to sync with one computer (so you can't just plug your friend's iPod into your computer and take all his music, which the RIAA wouldn't like). Of course, there are hacks around this.
Anyway, I bet the fact that you first synced it with your mom's iMac, then tried to sync it with yours is the source of the problem.
Also, have you tried resetting the iPod? Hold the Menu and Play buttons down for about 5 seconds.

Yeah the hack like "manually manage my iPod"? It's not really designed to sync with only one computer.

What you're betting is false. If you have two separate Macs set up to "automatically manage an iPod" then when you plug the iPod into the second computer, it will get completely overwritten. It's *not* the case that nothing will be written. I put songs from my iTunes on 2 or 3 different iPods, and I've pulled songs off multiple iTunes libraries, so that's not the problem.

stinkinsane68 · Dec 27, 2003, 09:26 AM

Yes, I've tried resetting it, it doesn't help. I went back into OS9 and tried it,a nd it works! So maybe it's an OSX only type of deal, man would that suck.

- Ca$h

Tenacious Dyl · Dec 29, 2003, 09:56 AM

This would be your problem. It happened to me :-)

1) Its the first iPod version. 5 Gbs, same as mine.... here is the story.

One fine day, I turned on my iBook (at the time, now have Powerbook) and software-update came up with like 10 things (i had been lazy) So I highlighted them all and clicked download... and wandered off to eat :-)

Came back, restarted the computer like it asked me to, and was playing around around with iTunes and noticed my iPod was plugged in. I looked at the iPod, and it was giving me the "do not disconnect" screen. I thought hrm... must be updating.

Well I left again for food, came back... about 40 minutes later and the iPod was STILL 'updating'. I thought something is fishy... whats going down... and went to unplug it, and it was VERY hot. Not burn me hot, but much much much hotter than it ever has been / should be. So I immediately unplugged it and called apple.

They were like... well uh.. yeah. And gave me the usual "well try this first" speech. And told me to call back later.

Of course the thing was fried, I called back later. And was told that there was a bug, that in the first version of the iPod 2.0 software update, that it would install the 2.0 software on a original iPod which can only handle the 1.3 software.... causing problems. They told me to send my burned up iPod in, and they would send me the new 10 GB one (they were the same price,... it was easier than asking for the 'money back option')

So the tech support put me through to the last person I needed to talk to, to set up this whole transaction. And she was mean.

She was like, well you bought a 5 gb, we'll give you a 5gb replacement. I was like... well I was offered my $299 back, and your new 10 gb is $295.... she wouldn't listen.

So, in the end, they sent me an empty box overnight airborne, i put the iPod in it, sent it back overnight, and got my brand new 5gb replacement a few days later.

A lot of work for a stupid bug... but they did their part to fix it.

Perhaps your computer too had the bug in the software update, and put 2.0 on your 1.3 only iPod. Call support :-)

benb · Dec 29, 2003, 02:50 PM

Originally posted by Tenacious Dyl:
So the tech support put me through to the last person I needed to talk to, to set up this whole transaction. And she was mean. She was like, well you bought a 5 gb, we'll give you a 5gb replacement. I was like... well I was offered my $299 back, and your new 10 gb is $295.... she wouldn't listen.

And you couldn't take the $299 and buy the thing yourself?

Tenacious Dyl · Dec 30, 2003, 10:20 AM

Well, don't think me that stupid. ;-) The first tech support guy said I had 3 options:

1) New 10 GB iPod, send in broken
2) Refund
3) Repair the one I have

The lady I talked to next said my only option was to trade it in for a new 5gb, if they couldn't easily fix the 5gb I sent. I persisted, and kept bringing up the other options, but she wouldn't listen.

Either she was being a Biatch, or she was following Apple's actual policies, and the first man on tech support was not. Who knows.

andi*pandi · Dec 31, 2003, 12:50 PM

cash, I had difficulties with ipod and the harmoni. It used to freeze up the imac, I had to unplug the ipod. It ultimately killed the imac, I think.

Deal · Dec 31, 2003, 03:17 PM

If it's working in OS 9 then I would bet it's just a problem with software in OS X (fixable problem, mind you).

As said above, first repair permissions. If that doesn't work...

Make a new user and log in. Try to sync. If it works, great. Go back to he previous user and wipe out iTunes prefs and try again.
( find them in user>library>Preferenses>
trash all: com.apple.itunes.XXX ) Also try taking all iTunes library's out. (remove the file iTunes from home>Music). Keep in mind, all your songs are in there. Put them someplace safe. Make iTunes build a new one.

If a new user doesn't work, trash everything above and iTunes itself. Then redownload it and install.

Hope that works.

busket68 · Jan 6, 2004, 09:49 PM

I'll give it a go. Thanks so far.

- Ca$h

busket68 · Jan 6, 2004, 11:29 PM

Well, considering the thing doesn't ever SHOW UP in OSX, I can't set permissions for it. I created a new user, and nothing is different. I just installed a brand new iTunes, nothing changed. I'm about to try delethign the things you said.

- Ca$h

busket68 · Jan 6, 2004, 11:51 PM

Still won't work. This SUCKS.

I have a harmoni, which ADVERTISES itself as being fully compat with OSX and iTunes and iPod.

I have an iPod which claims full compat with OSX.

IT SHOULD WORK.

This just pisses me off. VERY unlike apple for this to be so retarded. If I had this problem on a PC I wouldn't be surprised, but this is just ridiculous.

- Rob

Parky · Jan 7, 2004, 09:47 AM

He meant you should 'repair permissions' on your OSX system drive, not the iPod.

Go into the Applications folder and then the Utlities folder and fine the Disk Utility application.

Select the drive that has OSX on it in the left hand column and make sure the 'First Aid' tab is selected.

You should now be able to 'repair disk permissions' on the hard drive, this may fix your OSX problem.

Ian

busket68 · Jan 7, 2004, 08:32 PM

Tried that. Still no worky.

It only works with OS9 so far. With X, itunes 'opens', but it never FULLY opens, I just get the little black arrow underneath the iTunes logo in the dock. Then the iPod says "Do not disconnect" for ever and ever. If I unplug the iPod, iTunes opens all the way (but sometimes slightly ****ed up, it'll open and instead of brushed aluminum its black and white ala hypercard looking), and I get an error message that says I removed a disk without unmounting it first, and it could be damaged.

- Ca$h

busket68 · Jan 7, 2004, 11:05 PM

Another thing: When I try to use the iPod updater, it says "iPod connected but not mounted to the desktop", and when I hit reformat, I get an error code.

- Ca$h

tomfoolry · Jan 8, 2004, 04:43 PM

There's been a lot of discussion about this problem on the Apple iPod forums... and it seems to happen to all models of iPods and computers.

My mom's 5 gig was having this problem too, and I finally solved it by trying a different firewire cable. Hope that helps.

busket68 · Jan 9, 2004, 07:26 AM

This sucks. I think I'm going to sell this stupid thing.

- Ca$h

busket68 · Jan 9, 2004, 06:04 PM

HELP!

- Ca$h

busket68 · Jan 13, 2004, 11:11 PM

>bump<

tomfoolry · Jan 14, 2004, 01:46 PM

Have you tried a different firewire cable? I've heard from a few people with problems identical to yours that a new cable can help.

busket68 · Jan 18, 2004, 10:17 AM

No offense, but that's just stupid.

Look, the iPod works in OS9. It also works fine on my mom's iMac. So somehow the cable is bad only in OSX only on my computer?

- Rob

qnxde · Jan 18, 2004, 06:03 PM

The problem is probably with the harmoni - the OS X firewire drivers sound dodgy - do other firewire devices mount and work fine with it under X ?

busket68 · Jan 19, 2004, 09:37 PM

I use my DV cam without any issues. It works fine....

- Ca$h

tomfoolry · Jan 20, 2004, 01:29 PM

Originally posted by busket68:
No offense, but that's just stupid.

Look, the iPod works in OS9. It also works fine on my mom's iMac. So somehow the cable is bad only in OSX only on my computer?

- Rob

It's definitely a bug with OS X iTunes being picky about the firewire cable. With my problem an external hard drive worked fine with the firewire cable, but the iPod did not.... and it worked fine on my Powerbook. But changing the cable *definitely* fixed it.

Some other advice from the Apple forums:

- Unplug all the cables from your computer ( including power ) and leave it turned off for about 5 minutes. This is directly from an apple knowledge-base article about firewire problems and seemed to help my problem to a degree. I could plug in the iPod without it freezing, but couldn't transfer any songs.

- Wipe the ipod and sync it on another computer.

- Make sure part of the iTunes window is off the screen before plugging in the iPod. Some guy on the forum swore that this helped.

Any or all of these may sound "stupid" but it doesn't cost you anything to try, unless of course you enjoy being stuck with a lame iPod. *shrug*

busket68 · Jan 25, 2004, 11:08 PM

I've tried all of this to no avail. The iPod works perfectly on my mom's fp iMac g4, and my friends G4. The cable is NOT the problem. Please someone help. Maybe if we look at processes?

I plug it in, and ipods OPENS, but not all the way. It hops up and down and has the black triangel underneath the iTunes graphic in the dock, but it never FINISHES opening. It's like it gets stuck.

- Ca$h

wataru · Jan 25, 2004, 11:44 PM

TRY A DIFFERENT CABLE.

busket68 · Jan 25, 2004, 11:48 PM

IT ISN"T THE ****ING CABLE. This CABLE has worked perfectly on my mom's iMac, and a friends G4.

- Ca$h

busket68 · Jan 25, 2004, 11:56 PM

Nevermind! I GOT IT TO WORK! WOOOHOOO I AM THE ****ING MAN!

- Ca$h

NOT Misanthrope · Jan 26, 2004, 12:22 AM

Originally posted by busket68:
Nevermind! I GOT IT TO WORK! WOOOHOOO I AM THE ****ING MAN!

- Ca$h

So post the steps taken, ****.

(three threads on the matter and you won't even bother to give us a resolution?!)

Electric Zombie · Jan 26, 2004, 12:28 AM

Originally posted by busket68:
Nevermind! I GOT IT TO WORK! WOOOHOOO I AM THE ****ING MAN!

- Ca$h

Now you can buy 30 songs on iTunes with the money you saved.

tomfoolry · Jan 26, 2004, 11:20 PM

Originally posted by NOT Misanthrope:
So post the steps taken, ****.

(three threads on the matter and you won't even bother to give us a resolution?!)

I bet he finally tried a different cable