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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

Ryo81

Level 1

0 points

Nov 22, 2005 7:20 AM in response to iPodista

Same problem from Hong Kong, I've get it back to the authorized service provider, and they loan me another one, but yet the other one won't work on my laptop... (maybe because I haven't reinstalled the older version of iTunes?) So frustrated...

Ryo81

Level 1

0 points

Nov 22, 2005 8:07 AM in response to Kevin McBay

I also got this problem with my "replaced" shuffle (no luck as I haven't checked all the messages here before I open iTunes for the replaced one) And I don't think I have the time to go back to the authorized service provider again.

p.s. now when the replaced one is connected, it's one "green" signal then one "green + orange" signal. Sigh...

Nov 22, 2005 11:35 AM in response to Ryo81

I just got mine back today. I plugged it in and used the updater to upgrade it. Itunes was running and it recognized the IPOD had downlevel firmware. Then I unplugged the ipod, and plugged back in. Itunes recognized it and walked me through renaming my ipod and installing music. Initially I could not figure out why ITUNES did not see the IPOD. After unplugging and plugging back in...no issues.

FrankV

Level 1

0 points

Nov 23, 2005 12:28 AM in response to iPodista

Same thing happened to me. Bought my shuffle in May. Worked fine untill last week. I didn't update iTunes or the iPod software, I just plugged it in the computer to charge the battery and instead of charging it started flashing green/orange. Because my iMac didn't 'see' the iPod anymore (nor did my Windows PC) there was nothing I could do. Because it was within its one year warranty I sent an online service request.
Now I should say at this point that about a month ago the Shuffle's headphones had stopped working, I sent in an online service request then too and I got them replaced, no questions asked, within two days.
I sent in this second request (the green/orange flashing) last friday. Tuesday morning, so that's again within two working days, I got a new shuffle delivered to my front door by UPS. I only have to return the broken one, free of charge, within the next ten days. Again no questions asked and at no cost. Though I understand that this did not solve the problem of the flashing lights, I have to say that Apple did solve it for me in the best way possible. Great support, thank you Apple! Now , I am located in The Netherlands and maybe the level of support isn't the same in other parts of the world I don't know, but my advice would be to send an online service request.

iMac G3 500Mhz SE Mac OS X (10.3.9)

konaboy

Level 1

8 points

Nov 23, 2005 5:04 AM in response to iPodista

Yep my 1gb died yesterday. Bought it in feb, upgraded to latest OS last week. Now it justs winks at me.

Spent half the morning on the phone to apple support (have you tried other computers, tried resetting it, yawn yawn) eventually they told me to take it to a service center, but I requested a repair online instead. This must be costing them a fortune, I wonder how many shuffles have died - 10,000, 100,000?

What the **** is going on? An iPod virus?

iPodista Author

Level 3

560 points

Nov 23, 2005 9:38 AM in response to iPodista

I can add i took the iPod to the office and slipped it into a windows pc and the Windows PC could see the iPod but when using windows explorer it stopped building a drive list once it got to the letter assigned to the iPod. I was in manchester for the Apple store opening last weekend and finding a genius bar full of geniuses helping fill draw cards i gave one the iPod and explained , he loaded it into a mac, agreed my diagnosis and gave me a new one.

It was sad it came to that but anyway they did not ask for any invoices proof of purchase or anything and i was there anyway so i cant say it was that painful or expensive a process and they were very helpful and after 8 months use and one month out of use i get a new iPod, i am left wondering though if its going to fail again i hope it is before the 12 months is up and not just after.

Although they acted suprised by the fault...given the number of similar experiences here I cant believe they are not aware of this issue and I hope there is a firmware fix they have to resolve it in the future

Nov 23, 2005 9:50 AM in response to iPodista

I had the same orange/green light problem and everything else that went along with it, but just this morning I installed the most recent iPod software update (2005-10-12), opened iTunes and updated the shuffle, and suddenly it works. I thought I already had this update on the iPod, but perhaps not. Either way, it seems to have worked for me. Go to www.apple.com/support/ipod for the update. (Once there, I just searched "update," and a couple screens later I was there.)

Nov 23, 2005 2:55 PM in response to Stuart Burnham1

I got my ipod shuffle 1 gb brand new off of ebay, like a week ago. Now I am having the same problem. I don't know if I can take it back, and the latest update is not helping....anyone else ****** off about a defective product that ripped you off some $100!!!!! what can i do, please e-mail speedlimitless@hotmail.com

Nov 23, 2005 2:55 PM in response to iPodista

I got my ipod shuffle 1 gb brand new off of ebay, like a week ago. Now I am having the same problem. I don't know if I can take it back, and the latest update is not helping....anyone else **** off about a defective product that ripped you off some $100!!!!! what can i do, please e-mail speedlimitless@hotmail.com

HaakonII

Level 1

0 points

Nov 23, 2005 11:40 PM in response to iPodista

We have two shuffles and when I synched the 512 something weird happened and it disconnected while in the dock with an error. Afterwards all I got was the blinking green and orange. iPod update won't even recognize it. Reset doesn't work either. Something is very wrong here. I am afraid to update my other shuffle.
Purchase was made in February '05.

Nov 24, 2005 3:49 PM in response to HaakonII

I'm affected.

Just got a 1GB shuffle for my b-day.

I installed the software that came in the box.

Plugged in the shuffle. Everything worked fine.

Ejected the shuffle to take a listen. Everything worked fine.

Plugged shuffle back in and adjusted the ipod preferences/settings.

Ejected shuffle again.

Now I have the "orange/green" light syndrome and my 12" PowerBook doesn't mount the disk and iTunes doesn't see the shuffle either. System Profiler does see it however.

*** is going on?!

I'm heading over to the Apple Store on Black Friday to hopefully get this resolved.

Nov 25, 2005 9:46 PM in response to iPodista

same here i went to update new songs now i have the alternating grren n orange light when connected and now itunes wont recognize n my shuffle wont play. i agree w you guys its a software glitch which better be patched fast. o yea its with itunes 6.0 n updater 2005.10.12

Nov 26, 2005 8:38 AM in response to iPodista

I would try this link on Apple.com.
It goes more indepth in solving some of the shuffles problems.

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=302110

Hope that helps.

Robert

Nov 26, 2005 5:13 PM in response to iPodista

Exactly the same problem here.

I have had my iPod shuffle for over six months. It worked perfectly until the middle of November. I have not changed my OS or iTunes since the Summer. The only change would have to have been the iPod Updater software.

For the past two weeks, the only feedback my iPod offers is the alternating green/orange LEDs. Also, no software on my iBook will recognize the device. I can't mount it, access it, reformat it, or reset it.

I've also plugged the iPod into my Dell machine at work, it hangs the CPU for several minutes, and Windows reports an error if I try to open or reformat the drive.

With regards to support, Apple is willing to swap my unit; but it will cost me $30+ to cover the shipping.

I am not pleased.

There are hundreds (if not thousands) of us with THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM, and all we appear to need is a revised iPod Software Updater.

If anyone from Apple is reading this messageboard, talk to your manager or supervisor, and ask for permission to tell us what is going on.

Let us know that (1) you are not ignoring us, (2) you know what is wrong, and (3) that you are working on a cure.

That's the kind of PR and customer service we have come to expect from Apple Computer, Inc.

seit.

Level 1

0 points

Nov 27, 2005 8:22 AM in response to iPodista

I'm so suprsied by seeing all of u guys having the exactly same problem as I do!
I'm from Tokyo and I got my shuffle last March. So I guess this problem's spreading all over the world...I really do think Apple should do something for this trouble, it's not just an error occuring to a single user, but it's been affecting so many of us all over the world!

Apple, we need ur help!!!!

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