SERIOUS PROBLEM...PLEASE HELP!!!

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SERIOUS PROBLEM...PLEASE HELP!!!

Okay, so my iPod has been having a few issues lately and I want to know if anyone has any idea what's wrong with it.

A few days ago I was getting the "Please wait, very low battery" message constantly. I know my iPod was charged so I don't know why it kept saying that. Every time I plugged it into the wall, it wouldn't charge so I tried charging it in my iHome, which seemed to be working. The problem is, the iPod isn't charging right. I can keep it in the iHome for hours, and it always says it's charging. Then as soon as I take it off the iHome, it says it's charged. If I put it back into the iHome, it says it's charging again.

On top of that, when the iPod isn't plugged into anything, I can still use it, but the "Charged" icon stays on the screen 24/7. When I turn it off, the screen turns off for about 3 seconds and then the "Charged" or "Charging" icon shows up (it varies) and the screen is not lit up. So my iPod basically never turns off, so the battery ends up dying.

I've reset my iPod countless times, and restored it a couple times, and nothing seems to fix it. There have also been times when neither my iTunes nor my computer recognize my iPod. I think I've come to the conclusion that it needs to be in disk mode, but I've never had that problem before.

If anyone has any idea what the problem is, please let me know. Or if you've had a similar problem...I hate to think I'm the only one experiencing this.

I've thought about going to an Apple store to have them look at it, but my warranty is up. I do, however, have a warranty with Best Buy, but I'm not completely sure what it covers. I really don't think there's a problem with the battery, I mean, it holds a charge, but my iPod just refuses to shut off. Not to mention, my iPod doesn't seem to recognize when it's actually charging and when it isn't.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Message was edited by: Breane

Message was edited by: Breane

Dell Inspiron E1405, Windows XP, 30 GB 5th Gen. Video iPod

Posted on Jan 28, 2008 8:53 AM

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Answer 1

Breane Author

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Jan 30, 2008 3:25 PM in response to Breane

Okay, things just got worse. My iPod is now going through this process in which it does the following:

Power On (I was listening to music)
"No battery power remains, Please connect to a power source"...or something like that. (but the iPod is, in fact, plugged into the wall)
Power Off
"Please wait, very low battery" (without backlight)
Power Off
Apple Icon (without backlight)
Off
"Please wait, very low battery"
...and it goes through that process endlessly.

I can feel crap moving around in there and it's making all sorts of clicking noises as if it's trying to start up, but just can't.

I seriously need to know what is wrong with this thing. Not only am I having all the old issues, but now I have new ones to deal with.

PLEASE HELP!!!

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Answer 2

Jan 30, 2008 3:48 PM in response to Breane

Welcome to the Apple Discussion Boards!

It is possible that the iHome isn't giving the iPod the charge it needs. Let your battery drain all the way down, so that the iPod doesn't respond at all. Then charge your iPod thru your computer for a minimum of 8 hours until the battery shows it is fully charged (this could take as long as 24 hours).

Important: Make sure that your computer doesn't "go to sleep" during this time. You should also turn off any energy saving modes. The goal is to keep energy flowing to your iPod from the USB port, and sleep mode or energy saving mode often turn the USB ports off.

Once the iPod battery is fully charged; restore the iPod again. If this doesn't fix your problem I would recommend taking your iPod to your local Apple store or service provider. They will be able to confirm if the iPod has a problem beyond with these steps can fix.

I hope this helps you today. Have a great day!

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Answer 3

Breane Author

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Jan 30, 2008 4:26 PM in response to AppleGirl08

The thing is, there have been many times where my battery has been drained completely and is unresponsive, but that hasn't seemed to help. I really don't think there's a problem with the iHome, for that's the only thing that seems to be able to get my iPod running again. I mean, there have been times where my iPod won't do anything at all...not even reset, and that's when I plug it into the iHome, and it starts running again. I have left it plugged in for hours until it said it was charged, and even after I unplug it, it still says it's completely charged (the battery indicator still has the "plug" icon in it. I can play the iPod for hours, and it never goes away.

Message was edited by: Breane

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Answer 4

Jan 30, 2008 6:19 PM in response to Breane

Four questions:
1. What does the iPod do when you connect it to your computer? (What does the screen show? Does it maka any noise? ect)

2. How long does it take your computer to fully charge the iPod?

3. Does your iPod show up in iTunes?

4. What kind of operating system are you using? Apple or Windows? XP Home, XP Pro, or Vista? Which Service Pack?

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Answer 5

yoitsme

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Jan 30, 2008 6:31 PM in response to Breane

i have the same problem and i really do not knw how to fix it

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Answer 6

yoitsme

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Jan 30, 2008 6:34 PM in response to AppleGirl08

applegirl i really need ur help

my i pod is fully charged,
my ipod doesnt evne connect to my computer,
it doesnt show up on itunes,
and im useing windows,
also it makes this weird noise when i turn it on and then it tells me to go to www.apple.com/support/ipod every 5 seconds

please reply

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Answer 7

Jan 30, 2008 6:45 PM in response to Breane

Breane

I'm so glad that I can try to help you this evening. Is it possible that the cable isn't working? When you plug the iPod in to the computer does the iPod's screen change? Does is say it's Connected or Charging?

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Answer 8

Breane Author

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Jan 30, 2008 7:33 PM in response to AppleGirl08

I am using a Dell with Windows XP.

When I plug the iPod into my computer, the iPod screen does not change (it still shows the "Charged" icon, which stays on the screen all day until my iPod eventually dies). After about 2 minutes, it says it's charging, but iTunes does not recognize it, nor does my computer.

If I put the iPod in Disk Mode, iTunes recognizes it, and my iPod syncs. The iPod Summary window says my software is up to date. After I unplug the iPod from my computer and take it out of Disk Mode, i reset the iPod. The iPod works like it normally would, except that the battery icon in the top right of the screen has the picture of the plug in it which isn't supposed to be there...it should just say the battery is full. While my iPod is in use, that plug stays in the battery icon 24/7. When I "shut" my iPod off, the display turns off for about 3 seconds, and then the "Charged" screen shows up (the one that shows up when the iPod is actually plugged into something). The thing is, the screen isn't really off. If I scroll my finger on the click wheel, as if to adjust the volume, the screen lights up. So my iPod is never really off, causing it to die within a few hours.

I haven't tried using my computer to charge the iPod, so I can't tell you how long it takes. I will leave it plugged in overnight and let you know what happens.

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Answer 9

Jan 30, 2008 7:53 PM in response to Breane

Thank you for the great information Breane!

It sounds like the most likely problem is a battery has reached "the end of it's road" so to speak. Since you mentioned the Best Buy warranty, I think you should visit them and see what they can do to repair the battery. There is a chance that is could be a communication problem with your computer, but since you said that don't normally charge it on your computer we can safely assume that this is not the issue.

There may also be some firmware problems, but these can be corrected by a restore once you get the battery fixed.

I wish I had a better resolution for you, but I do wish you the best of luck.

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Answer 10

Breane Author

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Jan 30, 2008 8:00 PM in response to AppleGirl08

I'm pretty sure my Best Buy warranty covers the battery, so I will go there and hope for the best. Thanks for your help! It is much appreciated.

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Answer 11

Breane Author

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Feb 2, 2008 1:53 PM in response to Breane

So, I went to Best Buy today and talked to Geek Squad about my iPod. The guy I talked to said he thinks it's the dock in my iPod (the part that everything gets plugged into). It makes sense, I guess, but he also said it could be the battery. So I guess I'm just going to send it in and see if they can get it fixed.

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Answer 12

Breane Author

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Feb 13, 2008 8:47 AM in response to Breane

I got my iPod back from Geek Squad today. They said there was nothing wrong with it and all they did was reload the software. So...I don't know what the problem was, because I restored it twice and it didn't help at all.

It seems to be working fine right now...but we'll see how long that lasts.

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Answer 13

Breane Author

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Feb 13, 2008 2:37 PM in response to Breane

Ok...I am seriously about to lose it. I tried syncing my iPod and it got halfway through the songs and then a box popped up saying the iPod couldn't sync because it couldn't find the folders or something like that. And now my iPod is right back to having all the same problems it had before. I really do not know what to do with this thing.

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Answer 14

Breane Author

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Feb 23, 2008 7:18 PM in response to Breane

I got my iPod back from Geek Squad...again. They replaced the battery and it seems to have fixed the problem.

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Answer 15

Feb 24, 2008 11:01 PM in response to Breane

So what was the final result of this because as I was reading the first post, I thought that I had actually wrote that because I am currently having the same exact problem...ihome and everything. I've changed the batter, restored it, restarted it, everything....what am I to do now??

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