Q: Windoze has suddenly decided to disconnect my iPod as soon as iTunes recognises it
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Mar 23, 2016 8:42 AMby turingtest2,The regular playlist is the bucket that you throw the "keep it in my my library but don't sync to my device or play at random" stuff into. The smart playlist then automatically holds all the music that isn't in that other bucket. It is easier than making two manual operations.
You don't have to do it this way, but doing so insulates you from accidental changes to the clicked status that you're using at the moment. There are a number of current threads that suggest a bug possibly related to use of the iTunes Store where previously purchased and unchecked items become checked independently of the user.
You add and remove items from regular playlists using drag & drop or delete. With smart playlists the rules determine what is included. You can edit rules or properties as needed. Your library may have some of the Original Smart Playlists that iTunes ships with. Top rated, for example, adjusts itself if you change a track rating.
tt2
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Mar 23, 2016 9:04 AMby Dirty Li'l Monkey,So, using that arrangement, if I digitise some of my old Vinyl/Cassettes, and import them into iTunes, they will automatically enter the Smart Playlist?
Next question, having followed your instructions to create the Regular playlist from the Excluded Smart playlist, can I just "Delete" the original "Excluded Smart playlist"?
The two OTG playlists that have somehow appeared in iTunes don't appear on the iPod, selecting Menu > On The Go, just shows the instructions on how to add items to the OTG playlist.
I will download and set up the SyncToy software, but for expedience and the purposes of this re-install of iTunes, would just taking a copy of the iTunes folder suffice?
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Mar 23, 2016 9:22 AMby turingtest2,Dirty Li'l Monkey wrote:
So, using that arrangement, if I digitise some of my old Vinyl/Cassettes, and import them into iTunes, they will automatically enter the Smart Playlist?
Yes.
Next question, having followed your instructions to create the Regular playlist from the Excluded Smart playlist, can I just "Delete" the original "Excluded Smart playlist"?
Yes.
The two OTG playlists that have somehow appeared in iTunes don't appear on the iPod, selecting Menu > On The Go, just shows the instructions on how to add items to the OTG playlist.
I rarely use these. I think what happens is that any OTG playlist you make on a device gets synced back to the library on the next sync. I would expect it to be selected for syncing so it stays on the device as well. If you rename the playlist in iTunes that new name would sync back to the device. Perhaps they don't get selected automatically, or perhaps you unchecked them in the past. You can delete any playlist that you don't want or need.
I will download and set up the SyncToy software, but for expedience and the purposes of this re-install of iTunes, would just taking a copy of the iTunes folder suffice?
Yes, a copy of the iTunes folder is fine as a backup. SyncToy makes the process of updating such a copy faster since it only copies over changes. I've heard tales of people deleting say a 500Gb backup folder and then copying the 500Gb source over again when they've perhaps only added two or three albums since the last backup. They running the risk of something failing while they have no backup, it takes ages, and they're unlikely to spot any unintended deletions in the source library before mirroring those deletions to the backup.
tt2
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Mar 24, 2016 8:12 AMby Dirty Li'l Monkey,OK, Smart playlist created, "iPod Songs"
Regular playlist created "Excluded".
iTunes folder copied to external drive as back-up.
iTunes and associated removed as per your instructions without incident, and re-installed, everything seems just as it was before, ..which is good, I thought!
Sadly not, I have the same problem, plug in iPod, its screen shows do not disconnect, Windows detects and opens Autoplay menu.
iTunes recognising ithe iPod triggers Autoplay to close and my iPod screen to revert to the "Menu" screen followed by the familiar iTunes message:-
"Unable to sync as iPod cannot be found".
The only thing which has changed is that the Device Manager now says under "Storage Volumes" > "Generic volume":-
This device cannot start. (Code 10)
Click 'Check for solutions' to send data about this device to Microsoft and to see if there is a solution available.
Following the above instructions in true Windows fashion returns sweet F.A.
Just leaves you wondering whether it's doing anything at all until your patience is exhausted and you abandon it!
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Mar 24, 2016 8:19 AMby turingtest2,What AV software are you running? Does iTunes see the iPod if you temporarily disable it? In some cases you may also need to reboot the computer.
If you open the services control panel (click the start button and type in services.msc) is the iPod service running?
Does it help to put the iPod in disk mode before it is connected?
tt2
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Mar 24, 2016 8:37 AMby Dirty Li'l Monkey,I'm using AVG Free ver. 2016.0.7441 since mid January which is before I had "revived" my daughter's cast off iPod!
Disabling it has not changed the situation, Windows Autoplay stillgets there first and it all goes "Mammaries Aloft" once iTunes recognises the iPod!
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Mar 24, 2016 9:10 AMby Dirty Li'l Monkey,Hi tt2, I'm so sorry to be mithering you so much with these never ending pleas and I appreciate your tenacity and help!
It's just plugged in and showing the "charging" screen at the moment.
Disk mode:
...unplug first? Then "Select + Menu" until Apple Logo shows, then immediately "Select + Play" until screen shows disk mode "Tick"?
Ahh! Prevent syncing is already ticked is that the default setting since I've re-installed iTunes, 'cos it used to scnc automatically before?
...OK, Windows Autoplay always got there first, but closed and allowed iTunes to connect, ...'til the recent misbehaviour!
Does this revelation change things or shall I proceed with these instructions?
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Mar 24, 2016 9:26 AMby turingtest2,See if these steps help to prevent auto-play.
- Click on the start menu and type “Auto play” in the search box then press enter.
- Scroll the results down until you find your iPod name.
- Select “No action” from the drop down list
With the device connected in disk mode and showing in Windows Explorer are you now able to sync from iTunes on demand?
tt2
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Mar 24, 2016 9:54 AMby Dirty Li'l Monkey,Using Vista and typing "Autoplay" in the "Run" box in any format:- "Not Found" , eventually found it in "Control Panel"!
Never seen that interface before, still think it's a bit of a "blunt tool"!
My iPad is there and a Samsung phone I gave away in 2009, ...but no sign of my ipod, or my current phone!
Checking the dropdown list of optional actions against my iPad, (currently set to "ask me every time" though I don't recall autoplay poping its head up when I connect my iPad), there is no option that would invoke iTunes, or anything remotely useful! ...blunt tool!
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Mar 24, 2016 11:16 AMby Dirty Li'l Monkey,Success, ...I think.
It has finished syncing, and viewing the iPod in iTunes, (if you know what I mean), I have noticed the following:-
Settings
Summary page:- The checkbox for "Open iTunes when connected" is unticked and greyed out.
All other boxes are active but only "Sync only ticked songs" is ticked.
On My Device:
Music: 406 songs 1.1 days.
Audioibooks: Shows my two books, one as 22 individual chapters, the other as 13 seperate CD's.
(Not sure if that's normal but not a problem, as I expect neither book will actually show up in "Audiobooks" when I detach the iPod!)
iPod Songs (think that's "smart" as it has the "Gear icon"): 365 items 1.3 days.
(The above Item count includes one of the books, 22 chapters, so not sure what the discrepancy is between the "Songs" count and this.)
There are also a few duplicates which have slipped through despite my efforts Grr!
Think I'll need your guidance to trim those off without causing mayhem!
First though, I need to know how to safely detach my iPod from the PC and to return it to normal function.
Will It be possible to get back to a situation where I can just plug in the iPod without having to go into disk mode?
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Mar 24, 2016 2:40 PMby Dirty Li'l Monkey,Needed to shut down the PC so not knowing the right way, I disconnected from iTunes with iPod still connected to the PC in disk mode.
Then noticed the iPod Disk mode screen said at the bottom, "OK to disconnect", so I unplugged it.
Had to Google "how to exit disk mode".
Couldn't resist trying once more to connect in "normal" mode, but the problem persists.
Hope I've not one any harm.
Will it ever get back to normal?
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Mar 24, 2016 2:50 PMby turingtest2,See Audiobooks on ipods to get them to show up correctly. When the iPod is connected there should be a checkbox that allows it to show as a hard drive when connected to Windows. This may ensure iTunes always sees it even if you don't flip it into disk mode. I don't know why that is broken at the moment. If you type services.msc in the start menu search balloon check that iPod service is registered and running. Changing the start-up mode to automatic if it isn't already might help.
tt2
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Mar 24, 2016 4:15 PMby Dirty Li'l Monkey,Thanks for coming back to me, I'll have a read about Audiobooks, the trust I did no damage disconnecting whilst the iPod was still in disk mode!
Tomorrow I'll have a look for that "hard drive" checkbox and also ensure that iPod service is running.
How do I know if it's "registered"?
The Device Manager message is now a "Code 10" which is "This device cannot start", googling that seems to indicate driver problems but I don't understand if that is the USB Driver, or the driver inside the iPod, ...if that's possible, I have found a site - Solvusoft which offers up to date drivers for this 2nd gen mini, however I noticed the link is to something called "driverdoc", which I'm not sure about!
In any event, I wouldn't know how to install it anyway...does it install in my PC, or in the iPod?
All the questions, I am so sorry, you must have more to do than mess with this!
I was thinking that I might try connecting this iPad to the PC tomorrow, but I'm scared it might mess it's connectability up too!
