ERROR MESSAGE "The Ipod cannot be synced!The required disk cannot be found"

Heres my problem:

1. im using a trackpoint instead of a USB mouse, so im not sure how im going to disconnect it in order to sync itunes with my shuffle.

2. My shuffle doesnt appear in explorer, just in itunes.

3. i tried the dll restore thingy (regserv stuff), but all it does is shut down my computer (for some freakish reason)

This bug really *****! argh! i hope someone can help me with this... 😀 thanks.

Ok. I can sync it now. All I did was use System Restore.
I read the message from Apple via a link from this thread and it said that
it mustve been caused by malware from changing my desktop themes and stuff.

Hehe. 😀

Success! After countless hours the last two months, trying everything in the support database, 2 replacement iPods, install/uninstall itunes multitudes of times, d/l batch file, tried the mouse on/off thing, etc. etc. etc. It's working. There was ONE special person high up in tech support that discovered if any of the songs imported into your itunes database have a corruption - then this problem will occur over and over and over. First, I ensured my main computer has the current iTunes version and I have another computer that has an older version of iTunes on it. I had downloaded the ipod restore utility as a separately running program and restored my 2nd gen iPod to factory defaults. I got the 2 iPod shuffles in question (1 2nd gen shuffle and 1 original version) synced up on a separate computer running an older version of iTunes. BTW, itunes was set to not automatically load up all songs. Both iPods synced, but no songs uploaded. Then I put the ipod into the main pc, running the current itunes, and it synced! NO SONGS UPLOADED. Then doing 10 songs at a time uploading, we loaded music on, until we came to a corrupted song, which recaused the "Ipod cannot be synced!" error. Deleted that song from the library and computer.Resynced the iPod to the other laptop, running older version of iTunes, then plugged it back into the main pc. Then reloaded the library onto the ipod 10 songs at a time. No other songs were corrupted. Did the same thing with the first generation ipod. Both work fine now. Note: When importing songs from CD's I now have the error check box in the preferences section checked. It takes longer to import the songs BUT less corruptions. I hope this helps someone.

Good job finding the problem!

I have found that you don't necessarily need to disconnect/reconnect the usb mouse in order for the synchronization to start. After reading your post and "resolving" my issue with your quick fix, I thought to myself "What if you aren't using a usb mouse to begin with" via laptop. So I kept the mouse unplugged and used my touchpad to begin the process. Of course it did not start up properly, so I plugged my mouse in and you know the rest.

As a second test I kept my mouse plugged in and started the sync with the same results, but instead of unplugging the mouse and plugging it back in, I plugged my usb gps in and viola, sync started.

I also have my laptop on a docking station and performed a third test. Did the usual sync, but this time I plugged a usb connection into the back of the docking station, and process started normally.

So it seems that you can plug in ANY usb connection and the update process will work. Also, I synced up with my playlists for all of these tests. So for all of those that have a desktop and don't feel like crawling behind it to unplug your mouse, just plug something into the front ports and "in theory" it should work!

OHMAIGAWD
THIS POST HAS SAVED MY CHRISTMAS!!!
Thankyou so so so so Much everyone who posted on this 😀
Its christmas Eve and i cant thankyou enough.
Apple realy need to do something about USB drivers
*HINT HINT FOURM MODERATOR*
After countless efforts and at one point, being renderd to resort to translating asain text.
My Ipod Went From "Pek chau fwung ting don chauuuu"
To my music which i love
Thankyou again.
Josstin.
...oh and the meracelous conclusion was the usb changing then mouse thing, i have no idea how you did that, and its one insanely righteous discovery ;D

Peace xXx

I have to do the usb thingy but I use a USB Drive. It's the only way I can get my daughters Shuffle to work when loading songs to it.Did the three R's and it IS the only way to get it to work?? Is ther a older version of itunes that anybody has tried? Or is everyone up-to-date with the 7. version of itunes?I'm new to this ipod stuff so if there's anything else I should need to check let me know! Thanks!

Would using an older version of iTunes be an option to resolve this problem?

I found a website that has older version of all the apple software and I have some on a disk from past reinstals of XP. I hate to go through the mess of uninstalling and digging through all my DVD of stuff to find the older versions of itunes but if there is no one else that has tried it,I guess I'll give it a shot. I'll get back and let everyone know it the past versions work.But heres the site for the older version of itunes...http://oldapps.com/itunes.htm

Hi everyone,
so i just got an ipod shuffle yesterday and the same thing was happening for me. i tried all the solutions already posted on here such as unplugging the mouse and accessing it through a file and nothing was working. i am using my itunes for my ipod shuffle as well as my regular ipod so i figured why not try plugging in my ipod and my ipod shuffle and try it. well it worked right away so if you have another ipod try plugging that one in at the same time.

Do you have a Mac or a PC? According to Apple iTunes for Windows can't deal with two or more iPods simultaneously...

I find that the Autofill function at the bottom of the page copies the songs that are checked in my library over to the shuffle. Synch does not work.

Dimitrij's solution worked for me as well. Start adding songs, disconnect the usb mouse, wait a few seconds and reattach it. Then iTunes starts adding the songs to our iPod shuffle.

I tried updating to iTunes 7.5, did the .bat stuff, reinstalled the drivers for the USB, etc. and still couldn't get my new shuffle to sync. Since I'm using a laptop with a touchpad I didn't have a mouse so I plugged a printer into an open USB.

After iTunes was open and I had plugged in the Shuffle and it was listed in the left pane, I hit "Autofill" (iTunes hangs up at this point...arrows in the circle next to the Shuffle name do not turn)and then plugged the printer into the USB. Then in the top window, iTunes said it was syncing. At that time, I unplugged the printer and iTunes continued to sync all the songs from my playlist.

Thanks for all the great tips here.

I have windows xp and it read both of them at the same time

I tried using an older version of itunes 7.4.3.1, and restored the ipod, seemed to do the trick, sync fine and musics playing!