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Level 3

560 points

Green and Orange flashing lights.. how many others effected?

I have a 1gb shuffle, apples web site tells me was registered on 18 April 2005 so i cant get comp support.

It worked fine until a few weeks ago when on hitting play I got no sound just the alternating flashing of the green and orange light. It had been standing a few days after a recharge from the front USB port of my Dual G5 Mac it was working when inserted and i pulled it out and put it aside fully charged until i needed to use it

I have read a number of threads on this topic not of which appear to have an answer to solve my problems

My iPod updater software is 4.4 although i also have 4.2
When i insert the iPod neither versions recognise the iPod as attached Ihave tested this on my G4 1.33 Al powerbook which has a lot older versions of the iPod updater and none of them confirm the iPod is connected.
Checking 'About this Mac', under the Apple menu the iPod is listed as attached to the fast USB port and gives a serial number 000A2700101BA8FE which is not the same as is written on the case.

I have been maintaining my 'software update' as current as is possible and I know I recently recall taking both upgrades to iTunes and an iPod updater which conicided with the nano and the video launch although i did not recall manually applying the new updater to the Shuffle but i believe with the shuffle iTunes may be able to manage upgrading shuffle firmware when it is connected without the users knowledge. It appears to have expired about the time these upgrades appeared. I am prepered to accept this may not be co-incidental.

Have Apple introduced a bug during the firmware upgrade to some or all iPod shuffles that kills them? Have Apple confirmed there is a problem? Will it be possible for a forthcoming firmware update to correct this issue? Has anyone had this problem arise during normal cycle of use without the shuffle being connected to its mother computer (mac or pc) immediatly prior to it first being a problem.

If anyone has experienced the same process and symptoms listed above occuring and killing their iPod Shuffle please drop you name here and any thing you noted. Likewise anyone who had these symptoms and found a way to force the shuffle to wake up and become visible to the computer any tips on this will be very welcome

thanks

Posted on Oct 29, 2005 7:36 AM

647 replies

Heilguy

Level 1

0 points

Jan 4, 2006 4:57 PM in response to iPodista

Same problem as everyone else. Green & orange blinking lights. Windows didn't see the Ipod, the Ipod updater didn't see it either. Tried everything.

Took it to the local Apple store, waited 1/2 hour, and the "expert" couldn't fix it. They then gave me a new shuffle, no charge. By the way, my shuffle is 11 months old so I didn't want to pay to send it in.

HP Windows XP

Jan 4, 2006 7:56 PM in response to J.A. Starcross

Follow up:

For some reason my iPod shuffle started working again--and I had discovered this while waiting to get it fixed. I'm using the 1.1.3 firmware by the way.

I'm never going to use this thing to store important non-music data from now on.

iMac G5 2,000 MHz 50.8 cm Mac OS X (10.4.3)

joesbox

Level 1

0 points

Jan 4, 2006 11:59 PM in response to Heilguy

Same problem. I've put a service request in, so i guess ill see what happens, but the simple fact is......im not buying another ipod again. They're nothing but trouble as far as I can tell.

Get a creative mp3 player or something.

thinkpad Windows XP Pro

Jan 5, 2006 11:59 AM in response to Heilguy

I've also got a green/orange light flashing problem.

I'm on my 3rd shuffle (or is it 4).

Getting really fed up now.

The problems started after I upgraded the firmware to 2005-11-17.

I managed to reset it last time I had problems with not playing - this time it's not playing ball.

There's no way I'm paying Postage back to Apple (mines > 6 months old).

I'm going to complain to Amazon (who I bought it from) and try and get my money back.

I will never buy an Apple product again. I was going to buy a mac mini.

I'll buy the cheapest thing I can find at my local supermarket. I only need 256MB so I can listen to podcasts.

John

1GB Windows XP

T-Boo

Level 1

0 points

Jan 5, 2006 12:19 PM in response to iPodista

I am having the exact same problem. I have restored the settings twice on my Shuffle and it worked fine for the first few days. I went into iTunes to add more songs and now I can't get the lights to stop flashing. If anyone from Apple is reading these links, please let us know what the problem is.

JMArias

Level 1

0 points

Jan 6, 2006 6:34 AM in response to iPodista

This is a real bizarre problem. I got my Ipod shuffle in October and it failed last Jan 3 with the same problem described before, green and orange flashing, no way to update or reset, a message of disk write error. I logged into this discussion list and got very depressed seeing the long list of complaints, by the way, a lot about the date of Jan 3. I was specially upset because I am in Costa Rica, no Apple Store here, and doubt about Apple shipping me a replacement. But today I logged back and found someone claiming that their Ipod started working again, I took mine, swichted on, and voilà, is working again. I have no way to tell what happened, all my files are in, the program (a podcast) was where I left it, it is really bizarre

Jan 6, 2006 11:53 PM in response to JMArias

same issue with my 512 Mb. I bought it less than a year ago, then suddenly dead. It does get recognized in system profiler mode though as an iPod. Nothing else recognizes it though.
I'm sending it back in-I better not be charged!

Jan 8, 2006 3:53 PM in response to tman755

I purchased my 1G Shuffle on 01/06/06. I was not able to get it to work since I received it. The Best Buy stores in my local area are fresh out of them. I decided to take the 45 mile round trip to my nearest store. The store was wall-to-wall, and the rep said that the list was so full today that they would not be able to take anymore in today, and if I could come back tomorrow? I asked if I could wait until maybe someone would not show. I kindly asked one og the Geniuses if he had a sec. He politely said "Sure". I told him about my problem and about how long I had it. He asked that if I waited a while that he would personnally see to it that he would look at it (in spite of being no more slots left today).

45 minutes had passed and he motioned me over to the counter. He hooked it up and said it would not even dock with his system. I confirmed with a resounding, YEAH!! He gave me two options: 1) return it and exchange it or 2) Get a refund. I told him the twist was that I got it originaly at Best Buy. I also explained that they were fresh out of them. He then said, "Ok, be right back". He came back with a new unit in his hand, he removed it out of the box, checked the database for my info, asked me to sign a document. After a short moment he handed me the new Shuffle and off my way I went. Thank God they did not ry to hassle me. Just because of the kind of service will I always be an Apple consumer forever! Good Luck everyone!! YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! Peoblem solved.

pmjacobs

Level 1

4 points

Jan 8, 2006 6:18 PM in response to iPodista

in terms of my own experience, it is the version of i-Tunes that is causing the problem. I have 2 PCs both with Win XP as the OS. PC 1 has i-Tunes 6.0 (latest version) and pc 2 has i-Tunes 4.0 (came on install disk.) I updated my iPod to lastest release (1.1.3 I think) and now it will not work on PC 1 but works fine on pc 2. On PC 1 i get all of the same errors that all other posts have noticed. I also did the reset, restore, reload, etc bull and that didn't help. I am a programmer and it is apparent to me that i-Tunes 6.0 has introduced a bug. Now I guess that we just wait for Apple to address the issue and fix the problem. In the meantime, if you haven't updated to i-Tunes 6.0 DO NOT update. If you already have, enjoy the wait while Apple fixes the bug(s).

Jan 9, 2006 6:55 AM in response to pmjacobs

Pm,

As I was at the store on the 8th of Jan, the tech said someting about the ITunes 5.0.1.4 addressed most of the issues with the IPOD. But of course if your unit is still under a year old you can stop by one of their stores and hopefully receive the same kind of awesome service that I did (specifics in my last post). It went from inpossible to AWESOME!!! YOU ROCK APPLE!!!

Jan 9, 2006 7:13 AM in response to pmjacobs

My daughter has the dreaded flashing light problem with her iPod Shuffle and she has the version of iTunes which was on the disc. She has not updated!

Jan 9, 2006 7:55 AM in response to iPodista

I'm new here, guess why!

My iShuffle is dead too, not seen by the update program or anything.

Not impressed at with Mac audio, I don't think I'll buy anything else by them.

So has anyone got a shuffle that still works?? All will they all fail given time?

christyb

Level 1

0 points

Jan 11, 2006 12:26 PM in response to iPodista

Ditto on the blinking lights for me. Apple sends me another-so far no charge- and replacement shuffle works ONE TIME and does the same. I guess I'll try for a 3rd?!?!?

emachine Windows XP

Jan 11, 2006 4:52 PM in response to christyb

Well, I updated my software last month and as soon as I went to update to a new song list last week from my PC the shuffle failed and began the orange light blinking. I also get the orange/green led combo when I attempt to play anything. So of course I come here to this site to look for information on how to "restore" and again get stymied by the failure of the Ipod to be recognized by the restore software. I am just plain unable to see the Ipod from any angle... I just now submitted my repair request as I bought mine last April and cannot get immediate service from Apple even though it is on a "limited warranty." I sure wish that Apple would own up to this, at least on this forum!!!

Jan 11, 2006 8:00 PM in response to iPodista

Well, i kinda prefered to be creative, but I have exactly the same problems of everyone in this topic. I offered by Christmas a 512mb iPod Shuffle to my girlfriend. The little guy stopped playing suddenly, blinking green/orange lights. I did updated the firmware with the November update which is no longer the last one. Nor my mac or pc detect the Shuffle and, for my great disguse, Apple released an iPod update today but... oops... no Shuffle updates!

It's getting pretty ugly this whole Shuffle thing and I think next time someone should climb to the stage and ask live to Steve Jobs the mess that is happening with this iPods.

iBook 1.33Ghz 12" 1.5 gb ram Mac OS X (10.4.4)

Green and Orange flashing lights.. how many others effected?