I have been using it to transfer data from one PC to another. The first PC is a computer I use for work at home and is a Pentium 2 running XP - it always works fine with the iPod. The second is a computer AT my workplace, it’s a Pentium 4 running XP and HAS worked fine with the iPod. Until today.
All I’ve been doing is using the iPod as a ‘device with removable storage’ - which is what each computer recognizes it as when I connect it. Each time (I’ve been doing this for about a year - since I got the iPod) I just:
hook up the iPod to a USB port on the computer, not on a hub.
wait for the iPod screen to say ‘Do Not Disconnect’
go into ‘My Computer’ and look at the area under the heading ‘Devices with Removable Storage’.
On the home computer (P2, XP) this always works and still does. The iPod just appears under that heading, I open it up and start adding/removing files.
At work (P4, XP) it also worked just like that until this morning. Now:
on the iPod screen ‘Do Not Disconnect’ does not come up. Just the ‘charging’ animation
the iPod does not appear under the heading ‘Devices with Removable Storage’.
Or anywhere else.
I’ve reconnected a thousand times, to all the different ports, restarted the machine several times on each port - trying the iPod plugged in before startup and plugged in after startup etc.
I’ve also tried it after getting the iPod fully charged. No help.
I have made no changes to either computer and none on the iPod. The files I’ve put on the iPod are the same type I always put on.
What would cause it to suddenly not register and how can I force the computer to recognize that I’m plugging something into it?
I’d recommend plugging in the iPod and then running the Add Hardware wizard. This seems to detect USB devices that have been plugged in when Windows doesn’t immediately recognize them. Don’t go through the entire wizard, just let it search for devices and wait for the USB device connected chime.
Thanks XWalrus2 - will try it right now.
I should also mention in case anyone else is reading that I’ve tried 4 other USB devices in the same ports and they are all working fine and being detected.
Ok, I tried running the Add Hardware thing with the iPod connected. Nothing - it doesn’t detect anything connected.
It asked me if I had already connected the device, to which I answered yes. It then asked me to choose from a list of devices. I couldn’t find anything that seemed like an Ipod would fall under the category of so I chose ‘Add a new hardware device’. It then gave the option of having the computer search (again) for the the device and install it or letting me choose from another list. I let it search again and it found nothing - so it decided I had to tell it what device it was. Another list of possible devices came up, from which I picked the only remotely relevant one ‘Windows Portable Devices’ which doesn’t sound right, I know.
It had only one type of device under that heading, and it wasn’t something useful, or even remotely like an iPod.
First bring you cable from home and try that, you could have a cable failure.
If that does not do it, conect the unit then go to control panel ->system -> hardware tab -> device manger. See if any of the listed items have either a yellow ! or a red X next to them. if they do, uninstall them (button at top of screen) and then scan for hardware changes. If all look OK then just scan for hardware changes.
Good luck
Multimedia Audio Controller
Network Controller
Video Controller
I uninstalled them and scanned.
It did say it found new hardware, but all it found was those three things again, not the iPod.
It wanted to re-install those three things and I let it start, but it doesn’t have the software to do so - I assume I will need my XP install disc to fix that? Anyway, they all re-appeared on the devices list with their (!)s still there after I said I would Install Later (I don’t have the disc here today).
If I get those installed properly - I assume the reason they had (!)s in the first place was because they weren’t - might that fix the iPod problem?
Oh sorry, should have mentioned - I am using the same cable at home as I am here at work, I only have one. Since it still works fine on the home computer I assume that isn’t the issue. But I did get a friend to drop around to work and bring the cable from his iPod Mini. He will be here shortly, so I will try a different cable then.
Occasionally I’ve had this happen with a various USB devices. Unplug the iPod then go back into the Device Manager in the System Control Panel. Expand the “Universal Serial Bus controllers” entry then remove everything listed. Shutdown the machine, plug in the iPod, start up the machine. After you log in XP should detect the USB ports and everything attached to them then go through the “Found New Hardware” routine.
Notice that I said “usually.” Sometimes it requires something special like tracking down the device driver file on the hard drive then replacing it. That’s never fun. Hopefully it won’t come to that.
Thanks Caractacus, I gave it a try last night and unfortunately had no result. I
might ring apple and have a whinge at those poor people or I might tell the boss that he needs to buy a sexy new computer . 'It’s unfixable! nodding seriously
Thanks for the help everyone, mods may close if they so wish, I think this thread has reached the end of it’s little life.
Does anything ELSE register on these USB ports? USB ports are actually pretty easy to “fry” with a static jolt – it’s possible (not likely) that the controller itself might get taken out, and hence the USB ports are just plain dead.
. 'It’s unfixable! nodding seriously