Malfunction of iPod "pause" and "hold" functions

Factual Questions
1

My 20GB iPod has worked like a charm for almost a year now. However, recently, it keeps pausing the music when I put it in my back pocket, no matter how gently I lower it in (I wear kinda baggy shorts in the summer; these aren’t skin-tight shorts). I’m sure I’m not accidentally bumping the pause button (>II) at the bottom of the control wheel. Using the tiny “hold” sliding switch at the top does no good; it still stops and the pause indicator (II) appears in the upper left corner of the display.

Very frustrating. What gives, O iPod-savvy Dopers?

2

Sounds like it’s Going Home. Try a reset, and failing that reinstall the iPod software on it (note this will wipe it). If they don’t help I’d say it was a hardware problem, get quotes to see if it’s worth fixing.

3

Perhaps check the earphone port-thing? I know that mine pauses automatically regardless of whether I have the hold switch flipped if my earphones come out. Maybe yours are loose?