iPod & iTunes: The Missing Manual, Fourth Edition

iPod Hardware Problems

If your iPod syncs up fine to the computer and seems only to misbehave when you’re out trying to listen to your Rockabilly Workout playlist at the gym, the problems could lie within the iPod itself.

The iPod Keeps Freezing Up

Inside the iPod spins a busy hard drive, just like the one inside a desktop computer, (unless, of course, you have a Nano or a Shuffle tooting along on its quiet chip of flash memory). Still, software can trip over itself, and hard drives have been known to freeze, crash, and lock up when you least expect it—and the iPod’s is no different.

Rebooting (resetting) usually thaws a freeze, so grab the iPod and reset it as described on Section 12.2. But if a simple reset doesn’t solve the problem, read on.

Restoring the iPod Software

If the iPod still freezes up again after you reset it, restoring its software may help smooth things out; see Section 12.10.4.

The iPod Won’t Turn On or Wake Up from Sleep

Some days you just don’t want to get out of bed. In its own way, the iPod has days like that, too. If you’re pushing its buttons and nothing’s happening, run through this troubleshooting checklist:

• Make sure the HOLD switch isn’t on. Yes, this is obvious, but it’s surprisingly easy to overlook in a panic. If it’s on, slide it so that the orange band doesn’t show, and then try to turn on the iPod again.

• Check your battery charge. Even if you’re sure you recently charged it up, your iPod could have gotten bumped inside a backpack or purse and run itself ...