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iPodista Author

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

[d]

Level 1

0 points

Feb 1, 2006 12:34 AM in response to iPodista

this ***....the green and orange lights started blinking a couple of hours ago (8 pm), while i was playing guitar, and listening to floyd....talk about a BAD trip....anyways, it's now 2 am and i cant be more frustrated...after reading all of ur posts, i've given up on trying to fix this piece of sh.....i cant believe the apple ppl dont have a solution for this...its ridiculous...and now i feel really bad because i sold an ipod shuffle, exactly like mine, to a friend....i hope he doesnt get ****** off at me when his shuffle blinks....the only good thing about this whole mess is the fact that i got my shuffle as a gift...anyways, SHAME ON YOU, apple guys.

jeastep

Level 1

8 points

Feb 1, 2006 8:58 AM in response to [d]

I have been frustrated with this for the past two weeks. After trying everything in the world, I finally called 1-800-apl-care. I talked to two people who had never heard of the problem, and the second one was pretty rude. She told me I only had one call and had used it already. She then told me it would cost $40 for a second call. After reading their rules at www.apple.com/support/complimentary, I realized this was not the case. I called a third time and finally got a reasonable guy on the phone who said to go to depot.info.apple.com (don't add www to the beginning) and fill out the necessary information to receive a new/ fixed ipod. His name was Dan and he was very helpful. He said it was a common problem and easily fixable. I would suggest calling that number and asking for him. I should receive my new ipod tomorrow, so until then, I am left with a dead ipod. We'll see what happens.

Powerbook G4 Mac OS X (10.1.x)

Powerbook G4 Mac OS X (10.1.x)

Feb 2, 2006 8:01 AM in response to iPodista

Add me to the list. My Shuffle (1 gig, purchased in October) died over the weekend. The missus took it to the Apple Store yesterday and, after an hour waiting for a "genius," got a replacement ... which died yesterday as soon as she got it home. Orange green orange green orange green.

(And what is up with Apple Store staff? My wife called this morning and explained our situation. "Are you sure it was this store?" No, moron. She was blindfolded and led there in secret, so we're not sure which store it was.)

I could post quite a few details of what I've done in an attempt to get it working, but no one who works at Apple seems to care. In short, the updater can't restore because it suddenly thinks it's another model, and the update option returns an error.

We'll be back at the store tomorrow, so who knows if the third Shuffle will work.

Feb 2, 2006 2:07 PM in response to iPodista

Bought Shuffle last March. Green and Orange flashing death lights. Is it really worth $30 to send back to apple. Maybe I just buy a nano (is that what Apple is hoping for?)? Has any one been able to fix this? lindsaypace@juno.com

Feb 2, 2006 4:28 PM in response to iPodista

I FIXED IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
for instructions go to
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=60983
The first thing I did (without shuffle attached) was to update the ITUNES software. Then I rebooted (did not restart ITUNES) and went START, ALLPROGRAMS, IPOD (then clicked on updater) I restored the shuffle to the orginal factory defaults (Don't worry it will erase the shuffle but not your ITUNES libary). After that I opened ITUNES and it reconized the shuffle and I re-installed my songs.

Feb 2, 2006 6:04 PM in response to iPodista

From reading the messages here it looks like this problem started appearing around the end of October 2005 and has continued up to the present. It also looks like it's affecting year-old Shuffles as well as brand new Shuffles. So, what I'm thinking is this probably isn't a hardware issue (at least not entirely), but probably a software or software induced problem.

I'm thinking that it's realted to iTunes 6.x or the iPod Updater that was released around that time. Has anyone tried going back to iTunes 5.x or an earlier Updater?

17" Flat Panel G4 iMac 1GHz Mac OS X (10.3.9)

tim89

Level 1

0 points

Feb 3, 2006 3:13 AM in response to Allen Barnella

I too have the weird flashing lights.
I tried to run the shuffle on the old itunes 5 but it didn't work at all. The shuffle isn't compatible with it.

Feb 3, 2006 10:59 AM in response to iPodista

OK, I'm going to go out on a limb and say I've fixed mine.

I went to the Apple Store this morning and exchanged my replacement, brought it home and immediately got the flashing lights of death, so it has to be a software issue. The "genius" didn't attempt to explain the problem.

Thing is, suddenly my Mac started thinking the Shuffle was an iPod Video or something, because the most recent updater would claim I needed an update to version 2.3 and could restore only via FireWire. The Shuffle's only up to version 1.1.3 and USB only. Plus, the icon would show up on the desktop as a full-size iPod. I almost could have lived with that, except that, without accepting the update, iTunes 6.02 would not let me transfer my purchased songs.

Anyhoo, after much toil, I reinstalled Tiger (10.4) from the DVD and then applied the 10.4.3 Combo Updater. I also, for good measure, reinstalled iTunes 6.0 (NOT 6.02). After that I was able to transfer purchased songs, eject the iPod and play it.

Before I had tried restoring the Shuffle on my work laptop (Windows XP), which worked UNTIL I plugged it into the Mac where all my songs are stored. Something is corrupt in the system software.

I'll fool with this some more today (I can't help myself) and post any results. I'm wondering if updating to iTunes 6.01 or 6.02 will reintroduce the problem.

So, do I at least get an Apple Genius T-shirt?

Feb 3, 2006 1:42 PM in response to Allen Barnella

I first experienced the problem in July of 2005, about 4 weeks after purchasing my shuffle. I'm now on my third one.

Feb 3, 2006 1:45 PM in response to lindsaypace

If you can use the updater, then you seem to have had a different problem. In my experience, and in many posts here, it's not possible to use the updater. The updater doesn't recognize the shuffle.

redkev

Level 1

0 points

Feb 3, 2006 2:51 PM in response to Barry P Stoff

after having my shuffles replaced at the apple store, they still did not work on myh g4 powerbook. I brought the powerbook to the apple atore and after a couple of hours of work, the genius determined that my system was corrupted becaue the shuffle was being recognized as a Nano and the iPod updater wanted to try and update it.

The new shuffles are now working on my G5 desk top with all of the newest software installed. since i keep my computer systems in good working order, never install hacks, and do all of the required maintenance regulary, I suspect that the system was corrupted when i initially installed the ipod updater and the new version of itunes and then tried to update the shuffle. I did get a couple of kernal panics shortly after the shuffle was updated and died.

Apple will not admit to any correlation between the software updates and the updating of the shuffle but I am convinced that is what happened. I have not yet reinstalled the OSX on my laptop. I know I need to do that soon but I need 4 to 6 hours to reinstall all of the applications and apply all current updates.

I really wish apple would admit to this screw up. At least I would feel better about all of the problems they have caused me

powermacG5 powermac g4powerbook ibook imac G4 Mac OS X (10.4.3)

zhurnal

Level 1

4 points

Feb 3, 2006 5:07 PM in response to iPodista

Add me to the long list of sufferers (and to those who are "affected" by the green-and-orange blinky lights --- not "effected"!) ... it happened today some time between turning the iPod Shuffle (512MB) off after the morning bus/subway commute, and turning it on at the beginning of the afternoon return trip. 😟

various iBooks Mac OS X (10.4.4)

buffster

Level 1

0 points

Feb 4, 2006 10:59 AM in response to iPodista

yep.. me too ive tried everything. now its just showing on my comp as a removable disk and this is AFTER a trip to the snooty so and so at the apple 'genius' desk. He fixed the initial problem (songs wouldnt transfer) i get it home, plug it in.. songs still not transferring.. so many a forum later install the updater... bye bye ipod. hello flashy disco lights. have you seen how many people have VIEWED this page alone?!! surely this needs outing. apple.. this is not good!!!

Feb 4, 2006 7:57 PM in response to iPodista

I have had a similar problem. I've updated the latest firmware, and than charged it with the Apple USB/wall charger. I didn't use it for days, and when I started using it, it worked for me, but many songs and podcasts skipped, and when I insert it into the computer the green and orange lights started flashing for 2 seconds, before I could update it. Srange.

Here is what I did :

Reseted it and downgraded the firmware to the original one that came with it at the time of purchase.
Charged it again with the USB adapter.
Didn't use it for a day.
Now I've added songs, and anxiously tested it.

It didn't seem to skip during the first 3 songs. I didn't play through my entire playlist, so I don't know what will happen. But up till now it seemed to work fine.

KaMiSchi

Level 1

8 points

Feb 5, 2006 3:59 AM in response to Barry P Stoff

Same story here. iPod Updater 2006-01-10 thinks the iPod shuffle 512 MB is an iPod video or so and starts to transfer the 2.3 firmware. When the end of the progress bar is reached a error message (like: An error occurred, please visit http://www.apple.com/de/support/ipod) shows up. German localization here, but that does not seem to make a difference.

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