Help!!! iPod won't sync with iTunes, iTunes freezes!

I have the same problem with an 80GB. It is basically a 1.33 GB ipod super nano at the moment. I have tried everything suggested - restore, reset etc etc. I have the most up to date itunes software etc etc. It is really ******* me off.

about 2 years ago, i experienced similar problem. using a fairly old classic ipod, i had no trouble syncing with the version of itunes that i got when first got the ipod. eventually, i responded to invitation to download a newer (and supposedly better) version of itunes. once i did this, i could no longer sync.
i tied all the measures some of the other responders tried-no success. so i went back to the older version, and the problem was solved. you should know that i could not find a source within apple to re-download the older version. with a google search for the particular version, i found a source.

the only drawback is that some of the songs that i want to download from itunes
require an up to date version of itunes. i don't know if the latest version of itunes will be compatable with my older model. eventually, i will try it on someone else's computer who has a current version of itunes.

I seriously hope Apple gets word. This has been the most frustrating issue ever. Seems like every ipod i have owned has had an issue with the hard drive failing and such. Makes me wonder why I go back every time! Anyways my new 80gb was won from my company. I'm using Mac OsX, recently updated itunes 8.0.2, with 1.1.2 firmware.

I also have tried everything endlessly from restoring 20 million times, performing hard reset, disc mode (etc), checking for fragments, using different OSx/computers, even downgrading firmware AND software to the original before my ipod stopped functioning to no avail. A lot of users on here have been experiencing the same problem.

Seems like since my itunes and firmware auto-updated, I am no longer able to add more than 2 gb of files onto my expensive paper weight.

Hoping to bump this topic in hopes someone has found an answer, besides heading to the "genius"... where they'll probably just switch me out with another problematic pod paper weight :/

Wow, so it's not just me ... I bought a 160GB iPod Classic and it's less than 2 weeks old. It shows up in Windows but not in iTunes. If I restart my computer with the iPod connected, a message from iTunes will pop up and say that my iPod needs to be reformatted to work with it and iTunes opens up ... but nothing happens.

I saw somewhere else that you could use the Command Prompt to format the iPod but apparently, 160GB is too big a capacity to format with the FAT32 specification.

I bought this iPod because it seemed like an excellent idea to have my whole music collection with me but I guess I'll have to stick to my old 2GB Sony Walkman mp3 player. sigh That's $250 I'm never getting back.

Mine does it too (160gb classic). I can get about 25-30gig into resyncing after a restore (have probably 65gig total in my iTunes) and it becomes unresponsive. I have my iTunes library on an external NAS, so I can see that my network activity goes to virtually zero...iTunes has basically stopped making requests to disc at that point. It might do 5 or so files after that point but it takes a LONG time and ultimately I get one of various errors (usually that the ipod can't be written to). I've tried manually managing my music and only copy less than 1000 songs per attempt. I was able to get up to about 45gigs using that method, but then it eventually became unresponsive. I have to force quit iTunes or wait for the error. After that occurs, I can reboot my mac and the ipod, and try to manually copy again. Only then, it won't even copy a single file across. Once it goes unresponsive, it seems to corrupt something and the only hope is to restore the ipod and then repeat the nightmare. It will sync very fast up to about 3000 songs...25-30gb then it craps out. It's repeatable...I've successfully synced about that amount several times. Oh, I've rebuilt the iTunes library too. It's done this once before and I eventually got lucky and it made it all they way to completion. After that it was fine. I can't get it to repeat that now. Tonight I'm going to try something other than iTunes to see if I can get it all on there w/ that as a test. THERE IS CLEARLY SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE LARGE CAPACITY CLASSICS AND APPLE NEEDS TO ACKNOWLEDGE IT (YEAH RIGHT) AND GET IT FIXED. Having them look at it is worthless...I can restore it and sync it to a small library on my Windows laptop w/ no issues. You have to try to sync a sizeable amount of data to them to trigger the issue.

Well, thanks to a link by one of the members here, I submitted a request for an iPod Reset Utility for all of the iPod models, not just the shuffle. Of oucrse I haven't heard anything, but then I don't expect to.

If you do happen to find an alternate means of fixing your iPod and getting music on it, I will be most grateful if you shared the info with us as well. I just had a random thought ... I think foobar might be able to put music on iPods but I'm not sure. I'd investigate this right now but I'm on my way to work.

Edgar
Your issue mirrors my issue. my wife's nano 8gig snycs fine. My classic does what yours does. I've only had it 6 months. also, i tried to sync on my home pc running XP. same problem.

where is Apple? this is a freeking APPLE WEBSITE.

all this restoring and resetting has to wreak havoc on ipod. dispappointed.

With regards to the issue of "Your iPod needs to be reformatted for use with Windows. Would you like to run iTunes to restore your iPod now?"

This blog have some steps that may help.

http://baselearning.blogspot.com/2008/12/your-ipod-needs-to-be-reformatted-for.h tml

I wonder if anyone from apple ACTUALLY READS these posts?!?!? Are they listening to us, do they even give a sh-t? Somebody from apple do something and make our time worthwhile for paying $250+ dollars for a g-d product that doesn't even work properly! THIS IS RIDICULOUS!

I feel like I've searched the very ends of the Internet over the lsat week or so. The only things I was able to find were discussions about HP's Disk Format Utility and such. I think the best thing to do would be to format the iPod to the NTFS filesystem and then use iTunes to format it back to FAT32. The only thing is, the iPod is write-protected (at least mine is) and I haven't found a way around this.

Hi Apple, it's your customers calling! Pick up the friggin' phone!

Message was edited by: NetOperator Wibby

i have the similar problem of others....my 80gig ipod has now turned into a 1.33gb ipod and it seems as if theres no help. im still under the warrant but how does that help?

Anyone notice there is no way to directly contact someone from apple? Is this a coincidence? I dont think so. They make it so that any problems you experience with one of their products, you can only come on this discussion forum, call their "tech" support (yeah right - have you ever tried this?), or to make an appointment with the "geniuses" at an apple store. All they will tell you is to spend MORE money on a new ipod. Ive tried to seek answers from all three options and not one of them has ever given me any results, whatsoever. There is something seriously *******-E-D U-P about this....thanks alot apple.

I've got the same issue and not one answer to my question. This is just deplorable. What is the purpose of this site if it isn't monitored? If this many people have the same **** problem? I've done everything right and now have a useless iPod. There is just no link to help and no acknowledgment of the issue. the last thing I will ever get is iPhone or another iPod. Once the sale is made you are screwed.

Hey peoples, what's happening?

Anyhoo, I went to an Apple Store today and explained my situation. I told them about the 5 R's and how I must have done it a bajillion times and when they couldn't fix it, they gave me a new one. Brand spankin' new and shiny. Ah, success ...

I want to be happy for you, but I did the exact same thing. Opened brand-new shiny 80gig classic, connected to PC, iTunes opened, recognized & within an hour, all my music & videos were on my new iPod. I was so happy after spending the better part of a month reformatting, uninstalling & re-installing. OMG I was ******. The everything seemed better. NOT! Less than 24 hours after getting all music set up, the shiny little boat anchor froze up. Now itunes won't recognize & "My Computer" won't recognize. Even tried re-assigning ipod to new drive letter, but NOTHING. Bottom line... iTunes and 80gig classic are the Devil!