IPOD Connections Issue

Ipod Connection and ejection are important step to avoid connection troubles such as "Not disconnect" message, etc. here's how things should be done :

Before you just disconnect your iPod from your computer, you need to properly eject it first. Incorrectly disconnecting an iPod while it is in use can damage data on the iPod and/or the computer's hard disk.

How to eject your iPod from your computer:

1. Quit ALL open applications and stop ALL running process that may involve your iPod. As long as your iPod is connected to the computer, and you have not ejected it from the operating system or iTunes, the "Do not disconnect" message will appear on your iPod. If you are copying files onto your iPod or if iTunes is automatically updating music on it, you will not be able to disconnect your iPod until these tasks finish. So quit everything, even iTunes. Let's start fresh.

2. Open iTunes.

3. Eject the iPod using iTunes:

* Source Window : If iTunes thinks your iPod is still attached to your computer, your iPod will appear in the Source panel. To the right of your iPod is a small gray arrow. Click on the arrow and your iPod should eject. The gray Eject Arrow is circled in red in the image below.



* Eject Icon: You can also Click the Eject iPod button in the lower right corner of the iTunes window, as indicated below. The Eject iPod button appears when you select your iPod in the Source list.



4. Is your iPod is still displaying the "Do not disconnect" screen after you successfully ejected it in iTunes? You can also try to eject the iPod from the operating system level using the Finder (Mac) or My Computer (PC).

* Mac
o Click the Finder icon in the Dock.
o Select the iPod icon on your Desktop.
o From the File menu, choose Eject iPod (Command-E).

* Windows
o Double-click on the My Computer icon on your Desktop.
o Right-click the iPod icon.
o Choose Eject from the menu.


5. If the "Do not disconnect" screen still appears on your iPod even though you're sure you've ejected it correctly, you might be able to just disconnect it.

Please follow these steps first before unplugging the iPod while the "Do not disconnect" is still flashing :

* Listen to or touch the iPod to see if its hard drive is spinning. If the hard drive is not spinning, you can safely disconnect iPod from your computer.

* If the hard drive is spinning, quit iTunes then re-open it. See if your iPod appears in the Source list. If so, try to eject the iPod again.

* If the hard drive continues to spin while displaying the "Do not disconnect" message, reset it, wait 5 seconds and then quickly disconnect it from your computer.

* You can also try shutting down your computer. Sometimes that will make the "Do not disconnect" screen finally go away.


6. When you've successfully ejected the iPod, you'll see this message on iPod's screen: "OK to disconnect"

Other way to copy Music Off Your iPod

If you ever experience hard drive crash and wiped out your entire music collection on your computer?
Here's how to copy music off your iPod or iPhone and back onto your computer.

Requirements:

o Any iPod or iPhone
o A computer with iTunes installed and enough hard drive space to store all the music from your iPod

Fantastic Music & Fantastic speaker system are good combination provided by computer. But when it crash and broken down by virus or something, you might consider to copy your music back to your computer.

You then remember that all your music is still on your iPod, Safe and intact. You plug it in, you mount it to the OS, and then you realize that iTunes only allows the downloading of music from iTunes to iPod, not iPod to iTunes. (This is to prevent the stealing of music, says Apple). Do you really want to spend hours re-importing music, and repurchasing music from the iTMS? We didn't think so.

Luckily for you, there are several alternatives.



Option #1:

Yes you can "rip" music off any iPod or iPhone. There are several applications that make this task very easy. A couple good programs to try are Pod Rescue (rating) or the much cheaper Tune Transfer (rating). Any feature packed application will cost around $20-30.

Option #2:

If you are cheap and want a free solution, you have several options. However please keep in mind that this option is the "hard way" and won't be very easy for the average computer user. If you aren't super savvy with computers, then please try option #1. There are many free or shareware applications for both Mac and PC that will copy the music off your iPod. Mac users can use iPod Viewer or iPodRip. UNIX Savvy Macintosh and Linux users can use command line to pull the music off their iPod. PC users should look for applications like iPOD AGENT or CopyTrans.

No matter what program you use, this is the general "ripping" procedure for coping the music off your iPod:

With a Helper Application:
1. Download a "ripping" program (PodUtil, PodWorks, etc.) and install it on your computer.
2. Make a new folder somewhere on your computer that will have enough hard drive space to hold all the music files from your iPod.
3. Using the ripping application you purchased or downloaded, copy all the music off your iPod and put it into that folder.
4. It's a good idea to archive your music at this point. Burn all your music onto CDs, DVD-ROMs, or copy them onto an external Firewire or USB hard drive.
5. Drag that folder into the main iTunes window. You music will then import into iTunes. This make take several minutes depending on the amount of songs and your computer's processing power.

Without a Helper Application:
Here's a way to quickly get files off a PC iPod without any extra software.
1. Plug in your iPod.
2. From the Desktop, go to My Computer and find the iPod (usually designated by a drive letter. i e. E: or F:)
3. Open the damn thing.
4. Go to Tools > Folder Options > View (the tab) > scroll to Show Hidden Files and Folders and click it.
5. Click OK
6. Go back to your iPod folder/drive, there you will find a new folder called iPod_Control
7. Open it.
8. The Music folder in it will have a bunch of folders named F00, F01 and so on. THEY HAVE YOUR MP3s. Look through the folders to find your stuff.

Diagnostic Mode Tests for newer iPods:

NTF
Memory
IO
Power
Accessories Test
SysCfg
Reset

Tests Expected result :
(To cancel a test, just press the MENU button)
NTF:

Run the Autotest and it will do the following:

* Graphic self test
* SDRAMQuicktest
* Checksum
* RTC
* USBtest
* Keytest
* Wheeltest
* Headphonedetect
* Accessory Test
* ChargeADC
* Backlight (brightness)
* Color

Memory:


The Memory tests include diagnostic procedures for your iPod's SDRAM, IRAM and FLASH memory.

SDRAM: The RAM memory test. The SDRAM Fulltest will take several minutes. A successful pass result is "SDRAM OK."

IRAM: Not sure exactly what this test does. It takes several moments to load before running a quick test and rebooting your iPod.

FLASH: This test will do a checksum test of your iPod's flash memory.
IO:

Comms: This tests the communication ports of your iPod including USB, FireWire and Remote. If the Remote is not connected to your iPod at the time of the test, you can expect a NG (no good) for the HP (headphone-port).

Wheel: This option has two tests, Keytest and Wheeltest. Push each button once to pass the Keytest. The Wheeltest just gives you a coordinate of where your finger is on the Click-Wheel.

LCD: This option has two tests, Backlight (0 to 255; 128 is the default) and Color. Much like a VRAM test, the Color test will run through a series of colors, patterns and gradients.

HeadphoneDetect: This test checks the Hold Switch and Headphone port.

HardDrive: This option has four tests.

* HDSpecs will tell you everything from hard drive temperature to serial number.
* HDScan scans your iPod's hard drive. This is a great way to see if you have a healthy iPod and if your hard drive is fragmented. This test will take a few minutes so be patient.
* HDSMARTData returns SMART data for professional repair applications and personnel.
* HDRW tests the ability of your hard drive to RW (read and write data). A FAIL result probably means you need to get your hard drive replaced.

Audio: This option has two tests. Playback plays an audio sample to make sure your iPod can produce sound. MIC tests your iPods ability to record audio.
Power:


A2DTests: This test has multiple sub tests.

* PhilipsID checks the power system of your iPod
* A2D lists a series of A2D (analog to digital) tests.

Status:


Status displays the status of several of your iPod's key systems.

* Sharp: LCD screen
* HP: headphones. Are they connected? [0 = no, 1 = yes]
* FWPWR: FireWire power. Is your FireWire cable charging your iPod?
* USBPWR: USB power. Is your USB cable charging your iPod?

SysCfg:


SysCfg: System Configuration.

This lists your iPod's hardware version, serial numbers, and part number.

Diagnostic for older IPOD(1G to 4G)

You can run the following tests on older iPods.

A. 5 IN 1 E. REMOTE I. OTPO CNT M. FLASH
B. RESET F. FIREWARE J. LCM N. OTPO
C. KEY G. SLEEP K. RTC O. HDD SCAN
D. AUDIO H. A 2 D L. SDRAM P. RUN IN



Expected Tests Result :

• A. 5 IN 1: This runs the following 5 tests at once (J through N as listed below): LCM, SDRAM, RTC, FLASH/CHECKSUM, and FIREWIRE/FW ID. If you have a 3G iPod, at the end of the test, your buttons will now play a series of sound effects.
• B. RESET: Can your iPod reset? Run this test and find out.
• C. KEY: After you start this test, you need to press all the buttons on your iPod within 5 seconds. If you don't do it fast enough, it will fail.
• D. AUDIO: Plug in headphones, but don't expect an electronic rendition of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. This test checks the audio subsystem. You will see a message that says "0X00000000 DONE" if your iPod passed the test.
• E. REMOTE:
• This will test your iPod's Remote if you have one. Plug it in or the test result will be "RMT FAIL".
• F.FIREWARE: Checks your iPod's FireWire port. A successful completion of the test will return "FW PASS".
• G. SLEEP: Will put your iPod to sleep. You will need to reset your iPod to wake it back up.
• H. A 2 D: Tests the iPod's power. Your results should look something like this: "3.7V 0X000000E2 CHG OK FW 1 BAT 1". The results will be different depending if your iPod is plugged into your computer, a wall outlet or is just running off battery power.
• I. OTPO CNT: Tests your scroll wheel. Results are returned in hexadecimal.
• J. LCM: The LCM is your iPod's screen. Keep pressing the "Select" button to toggle through several pattern tests.
• K. RTC: Tests the iPod's built-in "Real Time Clock".
• L. SDRAM: The RAM memory test. Hopefully it will tell you "PASS"
• M. FLASH: Your iPod has built-in Flash memory that stores firmware information. This test will tell you what Firmware version you have installed.
• N. OTPO or
• Wheel A2D: Tests the A2D (analog to digital) input of your iPod's scroll, touch or click-wheel. You need to reset your iPod to exit this test.
• O. HDD SCAN: Scans your iPod's hard drive. This is a great way to see if you have a healthy iPod. This test will take a few minutes so be patient.
• P. RUN IN: Tests your iPod's chip sets continuously.

Ipod Diagnostic Mode

If you suspect there is something wrong with your iPod, you can switch it to diagnostic mode to determine what the problem may be.

1. You need to restart your iPod before putting it into Diagnostic Mode. Check that your hold switch is off by sliding the switch away from the headphone jack. You should not see any orange. Toggle it on and off to be safe.

2. Press and hold the following combination of buttons simultaneously for approximately 10 seconds to reset the iPod.

* iPod 1G to 3G (scroll & touch wheel iPods): "Menu" and "Play/Pause"
ipod

* iPod 4G+ (includes Photo, Nano, Video, and Mini): "Menu" and "Select Center Button"
ipod

* iPhone & iPod Touch: "Menu" and "Sleep Button"
iphone

If you iPod is't listed here, please see this page for more info.

3.The Apple logo will appear and you should feel the hard drive spinning up. Press and hold the following sequence of buttons:

* iPod 1G to 3G: "REW", "FFW" and "Select"
* iPod 4G+ (includes Photo, Nano, Video, and Mini): "REW" and "Select"

You will hear an audible chirp sound (3G models and higher) and the Apple logo should appear backwards. You are now in Diagnostic Mode. Don't worry, running these diagnostic tests will NOT damage or corrupt the data (music, photos, playlists, videos, etc.) on you iPod?

4. Navigate the list of tests using "REW" and "FFW". The scroll wheel will not function while in diagnostic mode

How to transfer music from iPod to computer?

Yes, We can transfer music between iPod and computer in a one-way street:
with iTunes, you can only transfer music from computer to iPod.

However, sometimes, you have to transfer music from iPod to computer, eg. when your computer system crashes or hard disk fails. Then, unfortunately, you will lose all your songs which you may have spent tens of hours collecting, downloading and organizing, and all your personal settings, including playlists, ratings and play count, will disappear forever.

Inspite of the data kept in your iPod, you can not freely transfer iPod content to your computer. And, once you sync with iTunes, all your iPod content will be removed.

How to transfer them safely from iPod to computer or iTunes instead of losing them?

iPod Transfer Studio can transfer your ipod music to your computer

IPod Transfer Studio is an easy-to-use windows program, which are currently assisting hundreds of thousands of iPod users transfer music from their iPods to computer.

Why they choose iPod Transfer Studio?

• Easy to use - Transfer from iPod to computer is as simple as a couple of clicks.
• Free to try - you can take a free trial before you purchase.
• Powerful backup - Transfer music to computer or import into iTunes while keeping your ratings for each song.
• Playlists preserved - All your playlists can be transferred back into iTunes.
• Play count support - Save your play count to help you create a smart playlist. For example, you can make a playlist including all the songs played more than ten times.
• Thoughtful search - You can search for music on your iPod by song, album, artist and playlist.

How to copy music from my computer to my iPod?

iPod offers three ways to transfer music from your computer

. You can select one of the following update modes from the iPod Preferences menu in iTunes:

1. Automatically update all songs and playlists. This is the default mode, in which your entire music library, including playlists, is automatically synched to your iPod. If the music library on your computer exceeds the iPod storage capacity, iTunes will offer to choose a selection of songs to sync to iPod.

2. Automatically update selected playlists. With this option, iTunes automatically copies only the playlists you have selected to iPod when you connect it to the computer. This option can be selected by accessing the Music tab of the iPod settings.

3. Manually manage music. You can also choose to transfer music to iPod manually. This allows you to drag and drop individual songs and playlists from iTunes to iPod. You can find this option by accessing the Summmary tab of the iPod settings.

If the number of songs on your computer exceeds the capacity of the iPod, Apple's "AutoFill" feature within iTunes will select the number of songs, audiobooks, and podcasts that fit on the iPod as directed by the user or at random.

You can also configure your iPod to appear as a hard drive on the desktop -- with the exception of the iPod touch models (although third-party software is available) -- and manually drag files of any type to the iPod. Music files copied to the iPod in this way won't play on the iPod, without first copying them to a computer and importing them into iTunes, but this is useful for backing up or transporting any type of file. Please refer to "Using Your iPod as a Storage Drive" and "Putting iPod Into Disk Mode" from the Apple support Site for more information.

Also see: How can I transfer or copy music from my iPod to my computer?

How can I transfer music or files between computers using the iPod? How can I move my iTunes music from my old computer to my new one using the iPod?

To transfer music or files between computers, you will need to use your iPod as a hard disk (please note that the iPod touch models officially do not support disk mode, although third-party software is available). In disk mode, you can effectively drag any file to the iPod, disconnect the iPod, connect it to another computer, and drag the file from the iPod to the second computer.

Please refer to "Using Your iPod as a Storage Disk" from the Apple Support Site for detailed instructions on how to copy legally acquired music from one computer to another using the iPod. For moving music to a new computer specifically, please refer to "Moving Music to a New Computer".