Tip #3524 - Common iPod Problems: Fixed
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Q:
Can you give us a little more information on common iPod problems? For
example, the other day, my iPod sort of locked up on me and I can't figure
out how to get it working again. There have been a couple other things
happen too, so please just give us some basic information!
A:
Well, actually, I can even do a little bit better than basic. To be honest,
iPods aren't really all that complicated, but when something happens to
them and they stop working, it could mean the end of the music world for
some of us and we certainly don't want that to happen. So, it's very important
to understand what's going on with your iPod so you can get it fixed as
quickly as possible.
Below, you'll find
four of the most common iPod problems, including the "locking up"
issue mentioned in today's question. The explanations of these problems
really should help out a lot of you music lovers out there. Oh, and of
course, I'm going to give you some tips on how you can go about actually
fixing those problems too. Okay, here we go!
1.) It Locked
Me Out - Like the person who wrote in and asked this question,
I'm sure many of you have run into this same problem too. Your iPod just
locks up and no matter what you do, it will not respond. Well, there are
several things that could cause this to happen. If you carry your iPod
with you while doing various activities, it could put it into a bit of
a shock. For example, exercising, jogging, jumping, dancing and even dropping
it or running it into walls, etc. could cause your iPod to freeze up on
you.
If the iPod is worked
too hard, it will automatically activate its protection controls and it
will just shut down the hard drive. The best thing to do when this happens
is reset the iPod. To do this, hold the Menu and Play/Pause
buttons together for approximately 10 seconds. Now, this method is a little
different for the various types of iPods. If the suggestion above doesn't
work for you, check in your iPod's manual. There should be directions
for resetting your specific type of iPod in there. Once the reset is done,
you will see the iPod name and Apple logo come up and you should be all
set.
2.) Exclamation
Point Madness - Another problem that may occur is an exclamation
point predicament. On your iPod screen, you may see a folder with an exclamation
point next to it and you'll find out that you can't really do anything
with it there. There are a few things you can try to get rid of it.
First, try charging
your battery. It may be too low for the iPod to be able to work. Second,
check to make sure that the software your iPod has is the correct version.
Some iPod models require a specific piece of software and if yours doesn't
have the right type, you won't be able to do anything. You can either
update or restore the software to fix this problem. Look in your user's
manual to find exact instructions on how to do either of those.
Third, your iPod may
just be locked up. Go ahead and reset your iPod, just like we discussed
above. Fourth, you may need to consult some extra help. If the exclamation
point isn't going away, take your iPod back to where you purchased it
from. They should have some tech support there that can help you get your
iPod up and running.
3.) My iPod
is Unhappy - If you turn on your iPod and all you see is a frowning
smiley face, don't panic, but this usually isn't a very good thing. The
first thing you need to check on is to make sure the computer you're using
to hook your iPod up on meets the system requirements of the iPod. If
your computer has an older operating system, etc., you may run into some
more problems. If your computer does meet the requirements, your iPod
just needs to be restored. This, unfortunately, isn't really anything
you want to do on your own, so take it to the store where you bought it
and get some additional help.
4.) iTunes
Isn't Syncing - When you're syncing your iPod with your iTunes
music library, you might end up with an error message that reads something
like "An unknown error has occurred (-36)."
This type of error can happen at any time and on any type of iPod. It
basically just means that iTunes is not able to write the information
you want it to onto the iPod.
There are a few causes
of this, including outdated operating system software. You need to make
sure that your iPod has all of the recent updates. These could include
device connections, which are very important in helping your iPod work
correctly. This could even be caused by Windows updates, so make sure
you check every option.
Another cause could
be a software interference. If certain software interferes with iTunes,
it won't be able to write the files you need onto your iPod. Think back
to what you have installed on your computer recently. If you can think
of anything that may be causing the interference with iTunes, try disabling
it and try your iPod again. Lastly, you might have damaged files. The
-36 error will show up when any of the music or photo files iTunes is
trying to transfer are damaged. If you can find the file that may be causing
the error, try deleting it and then you can reimport it later on.
So, there you have
it. Four of the most common iPod problems. Again, some of these directions
are different for the various types of iPods you may have. If you're not
sure how to do something or if you can't figure something out, be sure
to contact some other help. There are people out there who are experts
in the iPod business and they will be able to help you get your iPod back
to normal. Thank goodness for that!
~ Erin
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