Well, yeah, it kind of is pretty much all of my fault. Like I said in the OP:
*" I understand you have to draw a line at some point…"*Meaning that I realize that Apple (et al) have to have boundaries on this kind of thing. What’s one day more, and one day more after that, and so on, and so on. At some point there needs to be a definitive line drawn in the sand that says, ok, you’re on your own. I guess I wish that Apple would have a better system to handle this after one is out of the warranty coverage. I’d be happy to pay for service to get this fixed (of course, for Apple, that service would cost $249.00 + 6.95 shipping/handling. At that point, I could go to Circuit City and buy the exact same 3g 40GB iPod for $267.00 plus tax. It’s not really a deal there when I’ve spent $500+ tax a little bit over a year ago.).
The two main authorized Apple repair place in my area don’t do iPod repair. Apparently, Apple has limited the info given to these places because the iPod isn’t ready for outside techs to work on. (At least, that’s what the two places told me.)
So, yeah, I’m pissed I’ve got a possible $500.00 paperweight. Hopefully this part of my OP: I’m not saying I’m without responsibility here, …I had no idea that reinstalling the Apple iPod software with it plugged in would’ve screwed it up in any way. I hope that will help some other iPod owner from fucking up theirs too.
As for The Truth, maybe I didn’t word it as properly as should be expected in the OP, but the sentiments were there. That I fucked up the iPod, that Apple’s warranty doesn’t help me 10 days after it’s over, and I was also looking for help to fix it if anyone else knew how. I’m complaining because this is where we do it on Straight Dope. Are my complaints completely justified, rational, and exceptable? Not really, but sometimes it feels good to vent, bitch, moan, gripe, and just plain get mad. You’re more than welcome to complain about my complaints as well. It doesn’t bother me any. You might wanna drop the swagger, it’s a bit unbecoming even if this is the pit.
Have you tried posting at a mac forum?
There are quite a few out there to choose from.
A co-worker’s i-pod was not syncing and someone on a board told him that it was because of the i-sight. He unplugged the i-sight, and wouldn’t you know, it worked!
You should know: the iPod is essentially just a standard hard disk, plus a skinny little disk operating system (the software you’re trying to reinstall). Minus the OS, it’s still a hard disk full of your MP3 files (assuming you didn’t erase them). You should be able to access it as an external hard disk, mount it on your Desktop (or whatever the PC terms for that might be) and drag the files off with your mouse.
I wish. When the iPod wasn’t working to begin with, I look in Windows Explorer to see if the MP3s were still there (you can do this by clicking on “Show Hidden Files”) and they were already gone. The restore program should erase everything on the hard drive and then put back the iPod’s firmware. The restore program did well cleaning off the hard drive, unfortunately, something is hanging it up from putting the firmware back on. I read here that I should try and reformat my iPod to FAT32 but when I follow the instructions, it doesn’t give me that option (it doesn’t give me NTFS either, it’s just a blank dropdown menu…)
No one comes here looking to be abused, you silly cur. And while vitriol is permitted in the Pit, just because you can ladle heaps of abuse on someone, doesn’t mean that a) you should or b) that it’s warranted.
Actually, I’ll retract this comment since some people do come to the Pit looking for abuse, whether or not they know it themselves. We usually call those people morons.
He’s a Windows user. This was a Windows meltdown that he “fixed” with his iPod attached to the computer.
And something in Windows fuxored the iPod.
And this is somehow Apple’s fault, because they didn’t predict and warn him that attempting to fix his broken Windows §OS with the iPod docked might fuxor the iPod.
Maybe because most people know that if you’re fiddling with your OS, you unplug all your peripherals first.
Maybe because the folks at Apple make it their business not to fill their brains with the arcane and esoteric ways of the Windows §OS.
Dude, you screwed up. This is not Apple’s fault. This is not the iPod’s fault. Your anger is woefully misplaced.
Don’t be dissing Apple. I bought it when it was 18 and now it’s, what, 58? At this rate, I’ll be able to retire soon!
I realize that Apple won’t offer free tech support since the warranty has expired, but will they offer it on a pay basis.
I also want to say that the laptop I bought my husband last Xmas went kaput last week. It had 10 days left on the warranty when he called. HP fixed it for free AND paid for shipping.
Similar story: I have a Sony 5-disc CD player I bought in 1991 (paid $225). Just three weeks shy of the warranty’s expiration date, the main chip went south. Took it in for repairs and (knock wood) it has been trouble free ever since.
[QUOTE=stpauler]
So, yeah, I’m pissed I’ve got a possible $500.00 paperweight. Hopefully this part of my OP: I’m not saying I’m without responsibility here, …I had no idea that reinstalling the Apple iPod software with it plugged in would’ve screwed it up in any way. I hope that will help some other iPod owner from fucking up theirs too.
[QUOTE]
err… RTFM. I don’t have my iPod handy, but I’m almost 100% sure that it came with documentation that specifically said that the iPod shouldn’t be plugged in until after the software is installed.
Not quite. It does give that as a step to put the software in and *then * attach the iPod, but no, it doesn’t specifically say not to. Sure, they can’t think of everything and my ignorance on detaching peripherals while screwing with the software and OS is to blame. It’s not like I haven’t said that I’m not without fault before in this thread. A couple times too!
On a brighter note, I’ve followed **Black455’**s advice and did the soft and hard resets and it worked. My iPod is up and dancing again. I want to thank all of those that have helped me get this done too, Black455, wheelie, and Bad News Baboon!!! Many, many thanks!
Now to decide if the iPod’s going up on eBay while I look for another MP3 player to create new grief…
I have no idea if this is related or not, but I’ve mucked around with my TiVo some, one step of which involves installing your TiVo hard drive in a PC. They strongly warn against booting Windows while the TiVo drive is attached, as Windows puts some file or id tag on all hard drives it finds which will fuck up the linux TiVo drive. My guess is that Windows thought your iPod was an external hard drive and gave it the same treatment.
Of course, I have no idea how to fix it. But this might give you something more specific to search on…
Yes, the Pit is the place for vitriol and hostility, but it is most often reserved for topics about which the poster feels passionate. It’s not, I believe, intended for juvenile little shitstains who can’t get enough of an erection in their tiny nipple-sized dicks to fuck their mothers as they would wish, so they instead have to act like brain-dead little smegma-drooling twats and spew pointless impotent attacks at the unsuspecting, just so they can reassure themselves that they’re Powerful Whipping Dudes instead of tiny, insignificant lumps of peanut-filled fecal matter and oily, pock-marked flesh pounding retardedly on a keyboard in a desperate attempt to get attention.
So there’s a difference. Please make a note of it, and enjoy your stay.
So, who are you to judge which topic I may or may not feel passionately about ?
As an example, some people here apparently feel passionate about some dead, insignificant terrorist, while I happen to like Apple & Macs, so that’s why I replied to this thread to begin with. The rant had no basis in reality, and the blame for this problem was not properly directed.
The real title for this thread should have been “Fuck you M$, and fuck my own incompetance.”
You may now return to typing your incest inspired short stories, that you seem to be so fond of. Are they from memory or are you making them up ? Regardless, I find them most amusing.
You’re an idiot. I see by your posts that they’ve all been in the pit. And they’re all spewing this same bullshit. Your reality is different from the world’s. Good luck with that. And your most likely short time here.
In your excitement to flame someone, you ignored the facts, which isn’t welcome in the pit or anywhere else. If the ipod had been physically damaged, obviously the ipod would have required out of warranty service.
However, what stpauler needed was technical support, as witnessed by the fact that the ipod is now working after a hard reset. It’s true that Apple also limits person to person support, but they place no limits on their self help resources, and a reasonable customer service person should have pointed the caller in this direction or offered the purchase of a single ‘support incident’. BTW, free person to person support ends after 90 days, not 1 year.
Having worked at Apple when the iPod came out, I must say they can be persnickety little buggers. Indeed, the hard hard hard reset will pretty much work unless you’ve physically damaged it.
That one year rule was occasionally hard and fast, occasionally thin as paper. If someone said “Look, I realized this problem was there last month but I had to fly to England for my grandmother’s funeral”, we were inclined to let them go. Problem was, we got bennies for selling the ACPP and got reamed if we didn’t try when we could.
They probably would have done that troubleshooting with you. For about fifty or sixty bucks. Worth it? Not really, since it’s pretty much all in Apple’s kbase.
Then pit something you’re passionate about. Don’t just insult an OP for the sake of doing so. This ain’t your average flame forum. We can call each other donkey punchers, but there’s a general respect among even the most adversarial posters. (Trust me on this, I know)
I see what you were saying in the first response, but you just looked juvenile by stating your case while giving a gratuitously nasty slant to it.
