iPod won't sync?!?!

Question
"The other day, I had to reload all of my music to itunes (because last week we had to have the computer restored to its original settings?) and then I plugged in my ipod and the computer detected that it was there but it said it had to restart and that didn’t work so I just ejected it and unplugged it. So then last night, I plugged it in again and the computer recognized that something was plugged in but nothing came up on itunes so I could not sync my music. Then I tried to eject it so I clicked “Safely Remove Hardware” but it said something like “Can’t remove device, try again later”. So I left it plugged in overnight. This morning I tried again but it will still not allow me to remove it, although the ipod screen doesn’t say “Connected – eject before disconnecting”, it is just the normal music screen. So now I don’t know if I can unplug it and if/how to sync my music."

Answer
Well, this issue likely goes into the realm of iPod/USB issues (clearly, right? :) ). Many times, as mentioned in the previous iPod inquiry, USB devices will just refuse to "let go" when you try to unplug them. Sometimes this is caused because the device was removed without choosing "safely remove hardware" from the taskbar. Sometimes it's not. In this particular case I'd bet that it was the iPod locking up while connected, then causing the OS to malfunction. Likely the OS is seeing that the device is there; however, since the device's USB port is locked up (on the device itself) it is not receiving any response from the device. This causes the OS to say, "Ok, I am getting no response. I can't remove this device or it may cause issue as it's currently not responding and must be doing something." Obviously that's giving a non-human entity a human voice, but you get my drift.

My initial advice would be for you to turn off the power to your iPod while it's connected to the computer. Restart the computer and unplug the iPod while the computer is going through the boot process (after the POST beeps, you can disconnect it). When the computer comes up, it should come up with no device listed as being on the particular port. Turn the iPod back on, wait for the iPod's OS to boot and you are readily able to choose music, etc. Once the iPod is live go ahead and plug the cable into the iPod and then into the computer. The OS should then detect a device plugged in which will initiate the driver for the iPod's mass storage device. Open iTunes once you see the bubble in the systray say your iPod is connected and see if iTunes recognizes it.

If all of this fails, you can always follow the links right here to find out if there is something further wrong with the iPod. ALWAYS start with a troubleshooter, DON'T restore your iPod unless you know for sure that it's a problem with the iPod or have exhausted all other avenues... This restores it back to when you pulled it out of the box and you'll lose all of your songs. Of course, if it's the data on the little drive that is causing the issue, THIS would be a likely solution.

Use Apple's 5 Rs Troubleshooter

Use the following link for iPod sync issues.

If you're running a Mac, all of this document may apply to you. If you are running Windows, likely just SOME of the document will apply to you.

All in all, an iPod or other MP3 device may be a music player but in the end it is really just another USB storage device (think USB flash drive!) that happens to have an OS (operating system) that can send music/videos/etc. to the speaker port/screen. It follows the same rules, regulations and reality that the rest of the devices follow.

I hope this takes you in the right direction and solves your iPod connectivity issues. As always, I'm happy to help and love teaching and sharing knowledge with others! :)

Take care.