Nano - Battery not charging through USB

I don't think it's your Ipod but probably the computer's USB ports. I assume you have already tried all your USB ports and non of them have worked. If this is the case try another computer or if it's nearby an apple store for them to look at it. Do you have any other USB devices that would take power from the UCB ports? (network adapters anything that doesnt have it's own plug or battery?)

Well if you give up already you get one free call to this number 1-800-275-2273 or you could take it to an Apple store (I would recommend going to an Apple store if possible for sure)

Well... I just found out that my Dad's Black 2GB Nano is doing the same thing.

Got it, connected it to his Windows computer, set it up, synced some songs, disconnected.

Then I plugged it into the USB power brick that my Mom uses for her Shuffle. He let it charge over night... HOWEVER he didn't look to see if it said it was completed.

He told me that it played for a few hours then it went dead.

I looked at it and it just kept telling me to plug it in. Well, I plugged it into my iBook and it showed it was charging... left it go for 1.5 hours, what Apple says will charge it to 80%. It didn't charge it at all!!!

After a few mins I got OS X to see it, I restored the software and made it a Mac ipod... still wont charge...

Stumped I used my USB 2 dock cable from my 60GB iPod, still no joy. I tried using my iBook, my G5, the Apple power brick from my Mom's Shuffle... still nothing.

I then decided to plug in my Firewire dock cable. Yada yada i got the screen saying it doesn't sync via firewire...

BUT GUESS WHAT... a few mins plugged in, I unplugged it and the battery indicator showed that it had a little charge, where as before nothing.

What gives!? I can't charge my Dad's nano with USB!? I'm kicking myself for ordering this direct from Apple. I should have gotten it at a store in case it was faulty.

So right now I'm charging it with my firewire dock cable... but this aint going to fly.

This thing is going right back to Apple.

Follow up on my issue...

I called tech support. The tech kept trying to blame it on my dad's computer, my iBook, and my PowerMac G5 for not having "high powered usb 2 ports".

He just didn't understand that I can charge my Shuffle, and 60GB iPods on my iBook, and PowerMac... BUT also charge it using my Mom's APPLE USB iPod power brick.

The nano just wont charge using USB 2, not even with the Apple USB iPod power brick that clearly states that it is compatible with the nano.

I've tried a number of Apple supplied USB 2 cables, and the nano just wont charge when connected to any USB 2 ports. I even went as far as to plug it into my high powered usb 2.0 Belkin hub that will charge my Shuffle and 60GB iPods!!! Still no joy.

I wanted a new unit, so I wanted to talk to his supervisor since he wasn't helping me at all, just beating around the bush. I got bumped up to the Product Specialist level, and that gentleman wasn't helpful either.

They wanted me to send it in for repair, but they believed that noting was wrong since it would charge with Firewire... I SHOULD NOT have to buy a firewire cable and brick to charge it, when it ships with a USB cable and says will charge with my hardware (which IS compatible per the specs for the nano) and Apple USB power brick for iPods. I wish Apple wouldn't have started to move away from Firewire I firmly believe that it is a superior connection in many respects.

Not wanting to get tricked into support again (had an issue with my 23" Apple display that NEVER got fixed) I said NO. Once something gets into the support system, its mine forever, and this is brand new (like 3 days old), it doesn't work as advertised, its defective, I want to return it per my 14 day return option from the Apple store.

I called the tele sales dept, and spoke to another gentleman and he looked at my case number from phone support, and asked how I could be helped. At first I wanted a brand new unit... then I changed my mind, I wanted my money back so I could buy a nano locally, that way if it does the same thing I can return it to the store and show the person how ticked I am. And I'm unfortunate to live in an area without an apple store, so CompUSA will have to do.

So... Apple is sending me a shipping label and this dead ipod (no charge what-so-ever because I can't charge it via USB) is going back to Apple.

For those who are going to say why not just charge via a firewire cable... re-read this post... I explain why I shouldn't have to buy another cable. I have compatible hardware per the specs... the nano just wont charge...

I've got a black 4 MB nano.

I just got off the phone with tech support having waited 40 minutes to get a live person. At t+1min, the voice recognition system failed miserably, and at t+30min, the guy I spoke to said it's a battery problem and you'll have to send it in for repair which will take 7-10 days.

Mind you I just bought my new nano this weekend and only used it 1 time for a period longer than 5 minutes. Since then I've been struggling to troubleshoot. My USB ports are strong, the wires are fine, a full MB of music downloaded in good time, and I get a charge signal for the first few minutes, after letting the battery die completely. After that it stops. It charges little more than will play back one song in its entirety, even if I leave it alone for 24 hours (yes, with the computer on and awake).

After one play, I will have to take it to Apple San Francisco to see what they'll do--possibly charge me for a restocking fee if I want to return it--or they set up a repair for me, either of which will take 7-10 days. I haven't enjoyed it long enough to miss it for that long -- I'd rather just return it and write it off as a defective product. Too bad my first Apple product turned out to be a miserable failure.

If things work out otherwise, I'll let you know.

Success!! I went to Apple and the Geniuses accepted me graciously despite not getting there in time to make an appointment for a place in the queue. They were able to swap me out with a new one, and might I say, with fabulous service.

Not sure if this will work for everyone but I found a solution for my battery not charging.

I purchased my nano less than 2 weeks ago and it kept dying despite being plugged into my computer as well. Just like all of you.

It wouldn't take a charge or anything and I noticed a lot of faint clicking coming from the nano when plugged in. I left it plugged into my computer all night and I awoke multiple times to discover it was totally dead!

I did end up figuring this one out though...

For some reason I found if you gently re-adjust the connector to the nano up and down when its already plugged in it starts charging again--and no clicking noises!

Wow, I am really glad to hear this because everything yall are saying has happened to me, no help from apple on the phone, and nothing is working with my battery! I will be sure and go by an Apple store and try for an exchange.

I seem to have a similar problem but it is a bit more intermittent. Sometimes it charges and sometimes it does not. I am wondering whether I am doing something wrong ?

When I connect my Nano to my Dell laptop via USB, I get the do not disconnect message (and in the top right corner a small charging icon appears) after a while iTunes starts up and any changes to my music are successfully downloaded. When I get the prompt to say I can disconnect , I disconnect the iPod using iTunes. I would then expect the charging to start but it does not or should I not disconnect it ?

I have a 60GB iPod Video and am having the same problems with charging via USB (plug in, itunes starts, charging icon displays about 1 min then iPod turns itself off). I am trying to troubleshoot my USB port settings and will pass on anything I find....please do the same.

I was very happy with my iPod until I discovered the charging problem and after reading about the extra charges fir a wall charger 😟

i'm having the same with my 2gb iPod nano. i put it in the usb port(in the computer not the keyboard) and after like 30 seconds it goes back to the "music, extras..." screen. my neighbor has an iPod shuffle that isn't charging either. i tried all of the ports and none of them seem to work, although the first day i got it, it fully charged. so now i'm wondering, is it a problem with the iPods or the computer ports?
also, when i buy a song from itunes and try to drag it into my ipod, it doesn't download on to my iPod. the only songs that worked were from cd's. i'm really confused.

i'll try hooking it up to another computer in the mean time.

Apparently, my charging issues are related to the USB settings in Windows. My guess is that after logging in, Windows is configuring the USB for a lower power setting which is incapable of charging the iPod. I'm not sure why my laptop is configured this way and don't see how to change the USB settings without admin rights. However, if I do not login and stay at the Windows 2000 login screen (ie before Windows drivers are loaded?), it will charge the iPod fully.

Anyway, I may try to troubleshoot the USB settings because I'd like to be able to charge while using iTunes but for now, I'm just glad to get a charge. There seem to be quite a few work arounds to the USB charging problem but this one worked for me so maybe it will work for other users.

Toshiba Tecra M2 Windows 2000