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03 Feb 08 - 06:38 AM (#2252188) Subject: Tech: Ipod not being recognised From: GUEST,Herge I'm having real problems trying to connect a new ipod and new phone to XP Every time I try and connect my ipod to my computer says Cannot install this hardware There was a problem installing this hardware Ipod An error occurred during the installation of this device The data is invalid Another Ipod i have still works fine when connected via the same cable and USB port. Any suggestions - I have followed all the suggested fixes given under apple support Cheers |
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03 Feb 08 - 08:22 AM (#2252248) Subject: RE: Tech: Ipod not being recognised From: JohnInKansas There should be an icon on the Startup bar at the bottom right of your screen in WinXP, that looks like a small gray bar with a green arrow above it. If you click once on the icon a small menu should "rise up" showing what removable USB devices the computer thinks are connected. (If the little menu doesn't come up for you, you can double-click the icon and get a regular small window with the same info.) If an iPod is listed, the computer thinks that the first iPod you connected is still there. This may prevent you from connecting a different one to the same USB port. For anything that's shown on the little menu, you should always click on the item and tell the computer that you want to disconnect the device before you pull the plug. If you don't do this, the computer thinks the original device is still there and just isn't saying anything. If you reboot with neither iPod connected, the computer should clear the port so that the first one you plug in is the one that the port is assigned to. You might want to try rebooting the computer with no iPod connected, and see if it will recognize the one that you're having problems with when you plug it in first after the reboot. This is probably the most common cause of problems with USB devices with WinXP, and usually is solved by consistently using the icon (called the Safely Remove Hardware icon) before unplugging a USB device. If it's not this, then it's probably a Microsoft plot to destroy anything "Apple-ish." Since I don't mess with hardware of that kind much, someone who owns one may be needed to give you more specific help. John |
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03 Feb 08 - 08:50 AM (#2252258) Subject: RE: Tech: Ipod not being recognised From: GUEST Hi The new ipod is not recognised in the Safeky remove window. Tries re-booting no use same message appears. Any other suggestions? Herge |
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03 Feb 08 - 08:52 AM (#2252260) Subject: RE: Tech: Ipod not being recognised From: wysiwyg I have persistent but sporadic trouble with anything I plug into the 4 USB-2 ports my techie "installed" for me on the back of the puder, where they will refuse to recognize anything connected for long periods of time and then they'll surprise me with a print job left in the queue. The printer is the only thing left attached back there now. It's a royal pain in the neck to get back there, and the next time I go there it will be to yank that last connection. As long as I use the 2 older USB ports on the front of the puder, no worries. I don't know if it's driver or hardware associated, and I don't care anymore-- I just use the front and go on with my day, because I don't trust my techie anymore after he "sold" me several expensive "surefire" fixes for other issues, plus the "speedup" of the existing rear ports. I don't really care how fast the ports work! I just want them to WORK, so I am just going to install a cheap USB hub on the front. ~Susan |
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03 Feb 08 - 09:45 AM (#2252287) Subject: RE: Tech: Ipod not being recognised From: peregrina I had similar but not identical problems with a mac and ipod that had been working fine for years; sometimes the computer recognized the ipod, sometimes it didn't even show up as connected, wouldn't sync...etc. The problems mysteriously went away after I tried a few low-tech fixes. I don't even know which one did the trick: blowing dust and dirt out of cables/ports, using firewire instead of USB, then USB again, trying to restore the ipod's settings (that didn't work at first), then updating i-tunes version, finally, numerous resets on ipod, and deleting the most recently added music tracks (now they're on again & obviously weren't the problem, but defective tracks can play havoc)... Mac user groups (MUGS--find a local one by google? ) will often help non-members with one query; though people might make comments about using a PC, it's very likely that there will be members running both systems who can make helpful suggestions. |
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03 Feb 08 - 10:47 AM (#2252324) Subject: RE: Tech: Ipod not being recognised From: JohnInKansas There are a whole bunch of sites offering advice on iPod connection problems, so apparently it's not a rare problem. One site, more or less at random, is at Methodshop.com and seems to offer a fairly systematic way of working through difficulties. As I don't know the site, I can only say that it appears more logical than the "run in circles scream and shout" approach that appears at some others. I don't see anything specific to trying to use more than one iPod with a single computer, so either it's not a problem or few people can afford more than one iPod(?????). A question about "which sex is your iPod" at the above site points out that Mac and PC iPods must be differently formatted, and if your "unfunctional" iPod is a "Mac formatted" one, it will have to be reformatted to work with a PC. Installation of an "iPod" program appears to be a requirement. This is in addition to and separate from the program you use to get stuff to put on it. I don't see comment on whether installing the program once lets you use multiple iPods, or whether each iPod requires its own installation. Even if the same program is used, you may have to do separate setup specific to each device to satisfy the DRM police. If any paperwork came with your iPod, then RTFM would be a good thing to do. If you found it abandoned in a gutter somewhere without instructions, recognize the special effort required in adoption of an unwanted orphan object. John |
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03 Feb 08 - 04:44 PM (#2252649) Subject: RE: Tech: Ipod not being recognised From: Rowan A question about "which sex is your iPod" at the above site points out that Mac and PC iPods must be differently formatted, and if your "unfunctional" iPod is a "Mac formatted" one, it will have to be reformatted to work with a PC. This also applies to USB memory sticks; although the icon may appear on the "foreign" desktop the computer may declare it empty or its contents nonfunctional. Additionally, last night I had the experience of both my daughters wanting to recharge their iPods on my Mac at the same time. I have a 4-port USB hub connected so the physical connection was no problem, but the insertion of an iPod into anything Mac causes iTunes to start up. No dramas there but, because they have access to their mother's computer (we share responsibility for them but from different addresses) iTunes will (frequently) indicate that the iPod is synched with "another computer" and "Do you want to change synch?" The latter will erase the iPod's contents and, unless you "Agree" or "Cancel" you can't get on with what you want to do. Because I don't want to modify their iPods and they are usually just recharging the batteries I "Cancel"; this allows the recharging to proceed but removes the icon from the desktop and, if I want to get it redisplayed I must shut iTunes down. remove the iPod(s), restart iTunes and then re-insert the iPod(s). I have no idea whether Windows behaves the same way but you might check it out. Cheers, Rowan |
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04 Feb 08 - 10:43 AM (#2253168) Subject: RE: Tech: Ipod not being recognised From: M.Ted I think the "which sex..." question is the right one to be asking. If your iPod is formatted to work with the Mac, you'll have to open it on a Mac to straighten things out--If there is an Apple Store near you, it might be easier to have the "Mac Genius" do it--but if not, find a friend with a Mac and work from there--but read up on how to do the reformatting before you plug in-- The way that iPod is set up to work through iTunes is just plain stupid--no reason at all why I shouldn't be able to simply upload music files into iPod without the need for copying them into iTunes first. Now I've got to keep 80gb or more of music on my laptop for the three iPods synched to my computer, and that is some trick, given that I have an "old" 20gb-- Rowan--for peace of mind, as well as convenience, I suggest simply getting one of the Belkin charger/power adapters so you can recharge without connecting to a computer. You can also charge the iPod while it's plugged into a a radio or powered speaker-- |
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04 Feb 08 - 11:00 AM (#2253178) Subject: RE: Tech: Ipod not being recognised From: Bernard Another way to recharge a few devices is to use a USB hub with its own power supply (wall wart). Occasionally USB 2.0 ports can 'crash', even though USB 1.1 devices will work in them. The 'official Micro$haft fix' is to power down the PC completely, disconnecting the mains cable. This is because some mainboards keep 5v available to USB ports even when 'switched off'. Reconnect the mains, power up, and the USB 2.0 miraculously starts working again... well, it did for me! But yes, it does sound more like a PC/Mac problem. Daft, really! |
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04 Feb 08 - 12:31 PM (#2253239) Subject: RE: Tech: Ipod not being recognised From: JohnInKansas Bernard - That fix for a reset of everything is known as the BRS method and was well known on the first "mainframes" since well before DOS. BRS = Big Red Switch IBM always had a "main power" switch, and it was always red and prominently located. A competitor, whose name is forgotten, attempted to popularize the "ICOS" switch as a replacement, but it never seemed to catch on with the users (there probably were fewer than 50 users at the time?) ICOS = "In Case Of Smoke" - of course. John |
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04 Feb 08 - 04:45 PM (#2253482) Subject: RE: Tech: Ipod not being recognised From: Rowan Rowan--for peace of mind, as well as convenience, I suggest simply getting one of the Belkin charger/power adapters so you can recharge without connecting to a computer. You can also charge the iPod while it's plugged into a a radio or powered speaker-- Thanks, M.Ted; I knew that but my daughters are both adolescents and seem to follow the rule 'What's yours is mine and what's mine is mine too.' As it happens, daughter #1 has one of those Belkin chargers (probably at her mother's) and Apple have (apparently) set up iPods so that, if you charge it in anything other than a charger sold by Apple, a logic switch in the iPod is reset so that it won't instantly do what you think it should. She worked out how to get around this marketting ploy but I don't know the detail as I'm yet to even bother with iTunes, let alone iPods. iTunes came with the OS and it mostly keeps out of my way for what I want to do so I let the girls use the computer how they want when I'm not on it. Cheers, Rowan |
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04 Feb 08 - 06:23 PM (#2253571) Subject: RE: Tech: Ipod not being recognised From: Bernard John, the 'BIG RED SWITCH' doesn't exist on many modern PCs (certainly not on this one), as well you know. Instead, the 'switch' is a button with momentary contacts which merely tells the mainboard to instruct the power supply to go to its 'power down' state. This does not, therefore, reset such things as USB ports which still have the 5v supply present. Unless I disconnect the power cable completely from the mains (the PSU has no switch), the USB ports do not get a cold reset, despite how it may appear. The reason why the 5v rail needs to stay active is simple... the mainboard uses it to request 'power on' from the power supply when you depress the 'on' button. |
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04 Feb 08 - 07:42 PM (#2253628) Subject: RE: Tech: Ipod not being recognised From: JohnInKansas Bernard - Naw, what's on the computer is just a panel switch. The BRS is the external main power thing. Some of us, who remember that sometimes the Big Red Switch comes in handy, have a surge suppressor/outlet box with a smaller, but functionally equivalent switch conveniently located close to each device we run. . . . just in case the BRS method is still needed. Very much less frequently since WinXP (and even Win2K), there still are occasional times when a shutdown just sort of goes dead with a glimmer of non-functional life still showing - but nothing happening. With four computers, three scanners, four printers, and an array of external hard drives, switches, router, etc., it's necessary to plan the layout to be able to hit the right BRS sometimes, to selectively disconnect any individual cases. Most computers still can be "forced" past a shutdown hangup by pressing and holding the on/off switch for a few seconds, which forces a bypass of the normal save and close programs shutdown, but it's still necessary to uplug or switch off to get the keep-alive stuff full off, and quite a few of the other accessory items benefit from having an external switch in a handy location. And it's always best to disconnect the power externally before opening a case on anything. John |
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05 Feb 08 - 11:44 AM (#2254116) Subject: RE: Tech: Ipod not being recognised From: Bernard Yup... I decided to fit mine with one of those radio controlled remote doo-dads, as the mains plug is somewhat inaccessible. I've got one on my cable box, too, as that needs a system reset rather more often than I'd like... but that's another story! |
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05 Feb 08 - 11:13 PM (#2254740) Subject: RE: Tech: Ipod not being recognised From: wysiwyg OR you can plug the whole shooting match into an appropriately-rated extension cord, and when you really want a shutdown you just yank that sucker outta the wall. ~S~ |
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18 Feb 08 - 04:53 PM (#2265673) Subject: RE: Tech: Ipod not being recognised From: wysiwyg I finally was able to pick up an expansion/hub for the USB department today, and it came in silver-colored plastic-- isn't that nice? It will match the duct tape I'll use to affix it to the puder case. :~) ~S~ |