[kevs]

this has happened a couple of times, although last time just playlists were gone. Wondering what it means. thanks.

[ideasculptor]

It has happened to me a couple of times, too. It has only happened when the battery has died, and then I have tried to turn the ipod back on after it has shut down due to low battery. It must keep some of the data structure describing the disk in memory, so running the battery all the way out causes it to forget how the disk is organized. Avoid trying to force a low ipod to start and you should stop having problems. I did.

[kevs]

this is interesting subject.

the i pod should definitely remember everything even if battery goes dead. Even an Apple tech said it's a good idea to drain the battery down all way every month or so.

[ideasculptor]

If I drain it all the way down, it is fine. If I then try to run it again without charging, it will probably be fine. If I try it one more time, it will almost certainly lose everything. This once happened to me 3 days out on a 6 day road trip. I had to drive 2,000 miles without any music. I didn't even have a radio. Just an Ipod.

The bummer is that it will occassionally lose everything that first time you try to play it after draining the battery. but if you accidentally left it playing last time you used it, you may not know that the battery is dead.

--sam

[kevs]

thanks did not quite understand that.

Saying that one drain is ok, but the second drain erases hardrive?

even after a recharge?

what's the logic in all this?

[Xeo]

Originally posted by kevs:
thanks did not quite understand that.

Saying that one drain is ok, but the second drain erases hardrive?

even after a recharge?

what's the logic in all this?

No not after a recharge. It sounds like he is saying that if you try and start your iPod after you've drained the battery, you can lose the data.

Where's the logic? Now that's a good question. It makes no sense for data that's supposed to be on persistent storage like a hard drive to get lost because it loses power. I can understand data corruption if it were writing during a power failure, but loss of the whole thing? That just doesn't add up.

Now, do you actually lose the data? By that I mean, even your contacts and other non-music data that you had on it?

I have a 2G iPod and have never experienced this, and I know very well that I've tried to start playing my dead iPod on multiple occasions.

[kevs]

only music on i pod for me.

last time this happened there were 4,300 songs instead of 10,360

[ideasculptor]

Originally posted by Xeo:
No not after a recharge. It sounds like he is saying that if you try and start your iPod after you've drained the battery, you can lose the data.

Where's the logic? Now that's a good question. It makes no sense for data that's supposed to be on persistent storage like a hard drive to get lost because it loses power. I can understand data corruption if it were writing during a power failure, but loss of the whole thing? That just doesn't add up.

Now, do you actually lose the data? By that I mean, even your contacts and other non-music data that you had on it?

I have a 2G iPod and have never experienced this, and I know very well that I've tried to start playing my dead iPod on multiple occasions.

It has happened to me on 3 separate occasions. I believe my Ipod is 3G, but I don't really know the distinctions. It has 40GB, 4 buttons across the top above the wheel, which doesn't actually move. None of the buttons have any physical feedback (clicks, detents, etc).

I don't know whether I lost other data, since I have never stored anything but songs on my ipod.


If you are curious, try draining the battery overnight. Then try to play the Ipod repeatedly. It definitely won't lose it on the first attempt, but mine will definitely lose all data by the 3rd or 4th attempt to get it to play on a dead battery.

--sam

[rozwado1]

Originally posted by ideasculptor:
It has happened to me on 3 separate occasions. I believe my Ipod is 3G, but I don't really know the distinctions. It has 40GB, 4 buttons across the top above the wheel, which doesn't actually move. None of the buttons have any physical feedback (clicks, detents, etc).

LOL

I've had the same in the past. No other data is lost, just musica. I think it's because the notes and such are stored as a static file, whereas the music information is changing as songs are being played/ratings are being changed. I believe it has to do with the corrupting of that file due to that fact that it's being re-written while the battery dies, or when you're trying to play while it's dead.

I'm surprised that this hasn't been a larger complaint because alot of people only store their music on their iPods. I call them idiots.