Why can't iTunes read iPod when plugged into the computer?

[time]

Any advice or similar experience to share?

[Splatted]

your ipod or someone elses?

I don't have an ipod, but my understanding is that you can only connect one person's ipod per pc. This is to prevent sharing of songs, I presume.

[Strong Eagle]

Really need more information.

Do you mean that your PC/ITunes does not even see the IPod as attached? In this case, it is probably a corrupt IPod which means you will have to reload IPod software (which will remove all stored songs), then upload songs again from ITunes.

If you are connecting someone else'e IPod to your PC in the hopes of downloading the music from it to your computer, it cannot be done (at least not with the standard software) for the reasons Splatted mentioned... copy protection.

[Saint]

If you are connecting the iPod to the PC via an USB hub it wont be recognised anymore. Contact it direct to the PC's USB

[Plavt]

If you are connecting the iPod to the PC via an USB hub it wont be recognised anymore. Contact it direct to the PC's USB

I have no difficulty connecting mine via a usb hub.

[time]

SE, yes the PC/iTunes doesnt even detect the iPod when connected. There was no problem before, just one fine day, the PC decided not to recognise the iPod anymore. I dont know why. Help....

[Strong Eagle]

SE, yes the PC/iTunes doesnt even detect the iPod when connected. There was no problem before, just one fine day, the PC decided not to recognise the iPod anymore. I dont know why. Help....

Plug in the IPod. Bring up Windows Explorer. Does it appear at all in the list of "disk drives and cd roms" under My Computer?

If not, I would try another computer and another cable. Regardless of whether ITunes is installed, your IPod should show up as a device.

If it does show up as a device, then almost certainly you will need to reinstall IPod software then reload songs.

If Ipod does not even show up as device you have a hardware problem... the cable or a device failure itself.

[ksl]

SE, yes the PC/iTunes doesnt even detect the iPod when connected. There was no problem before, just one fine day, the PC decided not to recognise the iPod anymore. I dont know why. Help....

This is quite a common fault, when a driver is lost or corrupted.

Even though XP is supposed to detect all plug and play hardware, if a driver is corrupt, it will not detect the hardware.

Nothing wrong with the ipod or cable....although there was a fault with the installer on earlier versions.

If the driver is knackered, it will not detect a storage device...
If the driver is okay, it will detect a device even though it may not recognise it is an ipod.

If there is a specific Ipod driver to install for the ipod, then that is the problem, because it cannot communicate, with the PC, that is even without the software being installed for Itunes.

If you list your Operating system version, and ipod version, I am quite sure I can fix it!

If you have reformatted at all, it will need the installer to kickstart the factory settings

If you have a 1st or 2nd Gen iPod, you can still download a valid updater from Apple. Make sure you get the 1.3 Updater. If you have a 3rd Gen iPod, you have to use the 2.01 Updater that should be on your CD that came with the iPod. It is no longer available for download and not distributed.

[time]

Thanks for all the advice. It's a 2nd gen nano.

[ksl]

Thanks for all the advice. It's a 2nd gen nano.

You are not supplying the information requested, to identify the problem, do you get any error message like this:


"The iPod "Customer's iPod" cannot be updated. An unknown error occurred (-50)"
"The disk could not be read from or written to"
"The iPod "Customer's iPod" could not be restored. An unknown error occurred (1418)
"The required disk could not be found"

If so the XP may have a digital signature error, with the drivers used. It effects all ipods and itunes 7.X windows XP
The solution is here:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html ... c19d091da7

[time]

There is no error message. The iPod just doesn't show up on the left panel of the iTunes program on the computer. It doesn't even detect the iPod.