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I'd like to reset an old ipod nano my brother used to use and I'm wondering if there was a way I could get finder on my Windows computer. I heard that they switched it so you need to reset it in Finders instead of iTunes, but I can't find a download for Finders. Is it a software you can only get if you buy a Mac w/ it built in or are you able to download it somewhere on the apple website?
iPod Nano (5th Gen)
Resetting an iPod nano means turning it fully off and then on again (as opposed to simply putting it to sleep). Usually, if an iPod is behaving in odd ways a Reset will fix it.
If resetting your iPod does not fix the issue, the next recommended step is a Restore, which is totally different (and as far as I recall from my own nano, still an option in iTunes). To Restore an iPod, connect it to iTunes and click on the device icon when it appears in iTunes:
That displays the Device/Summary pane and you will see the Restore button on this pane (the screenshot below shows my iPod Touch, but the iPod nano will show a similar screen, but without the iOS bit):
Note that a Restore will remove all the media (all your music) from the iPod. Any music that is not in your iTunes Library will be lost.
You do not need Finder.
However, if all you actually want to do is remove your music so that your brother can add his own, simply Sync (synchronise) the iPod with the iTunes Library he is using, or if you are sharing one iTunes, his selection of songs. That does not require a Reset or a Restore (or Finder).
AnonymousMoose289 wrote:
I heard that they switched it so you need to reset it in Finders instead of iTunes
That is not the whole story - iTunes still exists:
Resetting an iPod nano means turning it fully off and then on again (as opposed to simply putting it to sleep). Usually, if an iPod is behaving in odd ways a Reset will fix it.
If resetting your iPod does not fix the issue, the next recommended step is a Restore, which is totally different (and as far as I recall from my own nano, still an option in iTunes). To Restore an iPod, connect it to iTunes and click on the device icon when it appears in iTunes:
That displays the Device/Summary pane and you will see the Restore button on this pane (the screenshot below shows my iPod Touch, but the iPod nano will show a similar screen, but without the iOS bit):
Note that a Restore will remove all the media (all your music) from the iPod. Any music that is not in your iTunes Library will be lost.
You do not need Finder.
However, if all you actually want to do is remove your music so that your brother can add his own, simply Sync (synchronise) the iPod with the iTunes Library he is using, or if you are sharing one iTunes, his selection of songs. That does not require a Reset or a Restore (or Finder).
AnonymousMoose289 wrote:
I heard that they switched it so you need to reset it in Finders instead of iTunes
That is not the whole story - iTunes still exists:
On Macs running Catalina or later, iTunes is no longer used (Finder is used instead) but on Windows computers iTunes continues to be used for everything as it was before. There is no way to install Finder on Windows.
Alright, but how do I get to where I can reset my iPod? I've tried right clicking the iPod name in iTunes and it comes up w/ 3 options; Eject, Tranfer Purchases, and Reset Warnings. I've tried pressing reset warnings and it says something on the top where the music playing is shown but it goes away really quickly so I can't read it.
Sorry, I don't know much about iPod Nanos. Try posting a question with a title about resetting it via Finder in the iPod Nano forum: iPod nano - Apple Community
Is there a way to get Finder on Windows?
