iPod & iTunes: The Missing Manual, Fourth Edition

Chapter 12. Troubleshooting

The iPod is a fairly uncomplicated device, at least compared to towering desktop machines with printers and scanners attached, or even one of your more sophisticated microwave ovens. But a number of things can temporarily trip up your iPod—hard-drive glitches, wonky cables, or a wrong turn at the crossroads where hardware meets software.

At least five hardware generations of iPods, two Mini-Mes, a Nano, and a Shuffle now stalk the earth. Some problems may apply only to certain models, but many of the hardware-oriented issues are universal. You can remedy some problems by simply pressing a couple of buttons, but others require a little more time and effort.

This chapter covers all of the above, and includes a section devoted to troubleshooting the iTunes Music Store. And if you don’t find the answer, turn to the last section, which lists iPod troubleshooting and repair resources.

Apple’s Alphabet: The 5 R’s of iPod Repair

After years of misbehaving iPods to contend with—not to mention misbehaving, irate iPod owners heating up its phone lines and message boards—Apple’s tech support team has come up with a memorable formula designed to fix most iPod/iTunes problems. As posted in the iPod support section of its Web site (Section 12.11), Apple recommends “The 5 R’s” to try in your troubleshooting journey: Reset, Retry, Restart, Remove, and Restore.

Here’s what each R stands for, with more detail:

• Reset your iPod (see below).

• Retry the connection by plugging the ...