black and white ipod after a format fail

Turn off your comp and disconnect the iPod. Reset the iPod into disk mode by holding Menu + Center, then when the screen blanks out, release both buttons and switch to holding the play pause and center buttons. This will put the iPod into disk mode.

With the iPod disconnected from your comp, turn your comp on and let it boot up fully. Start nothing until it has fully booted. Then open the iPod updater. Then connect your iPod. Hopefully the restore button will become available and you'll be able to finish the process.

Let us know if this works.

A question for you: Is your USB port high powered? Apple didn't supply a charger with their iPod product for this model line, and I've always wondered what problems this will cause for people who try to use the iPod with low powered USB ports because they don't have any option. Apple claims this is not a supported configuration, but I'd hazard a guess that more than 40% of all computer users (not iPod users) don't have access to a computer with powered USB ports.

How's the battery life on your iPod? Is it very low?

(sorry for barging in, y'all)

hi Michael!

i successfully trialed your technique over here with DJ_Skoolio:

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=1392270#1392270

it's a bit of a complex case. there was an Ipod Service Error in the background, and there's (apparently) a nasty persistent chkdsk currently still in the mix. but your technique got rid of the B&W ipod screen symptoms.

love, b

ps: are you consolidating research and reports on this problem in a thread somewhere? if so, i can keep you updated on trials there, rather than threadjacking in here.

Oh I thought surely this would do the trick. It got the most reaction from my poor little iPod that I've seen for 4 hours. But alas. I get the same error that started this travesty, "Firmware update failure. Disk write error." I don't know what to do from here.

"Firmware update failure. Disk write error."

by any chance, is that "PC" mentioned in your system info a Toshiba laptop? if so, see:

iPod not recognized correctly on Toshiba laptop

(best to err on the side of too much detail rather than too little in your posts and system information. see section 2 in the user agreement for some tips on effective posting: Apple Discussions Use Agreement (revised 24 March 2005) .)

love, b

My computer is a desktop. I built it myself. All drivers and software are up to date. I really think this is an iPod issue not a PC issue. My comp had no problems recognizing, writing to, or working with the iPod until the aforementioned firmware error. After that error, the iPod screen went black and white and won't do anything accept show that naty little folder. My comp will load the update software unless the iPod is attached. I have recieved numerous error messages from the update software:

This version of iPod is not supported
Can not mount device
and several others that, in my frustration can't remember

If I don't get an error message, the update program hangs. This occurs when I try to start it with the iPod connected.

as I type this, I am on hold with apple support. I find this hold time disturbingly similar to the update program hanging.

AHHH!! it... but... I already...

OK so after tech support guy tells me to send it in. I try to restore one more time. IT WORKED! Holy poop that makes me happy.

He had me go into Device manager and disable "Standard Enhanced PCI to USB Host Controller." Then had me reboot my comp. Nothing. iPod didn't see that it was even connected to my comp. Just said OK to disconnect. After he told me to send it in, I re-abled my USB driver and tried to restore. IT ACTUALLY WORKED. I still don't know if iPod is completely working, but at least it is back in color now. I will update you when it is completely fixed.

I'm glad you didn't send back your iPod. 🙂 Given the presentation of the problem, receiving this error really does not seem like a hardware problem, despite the fact that the terms "Disk Write Error" are presented with the message.

My hunch is that this is either caused ultimately by some type of drive-letter assignment conflict, or incompatible USB hardware: more likely the former, I suspect.

well done Sgt!

He had me go into Device manager and disable "Standard Enhanced PCI to USB Host Controller." Then had me reboot my comp. Nothing. iPod didn't see that it was even connected to my comp. Just said OK to disconnect. After he told me to send it in, I re-abled my USB driver and tried to restore.

interesting. sounds like they were trying to treat the same sort of issue underlying the Toshiba laptop thing, but you might have had an odd sort of complication of the problem. (this might be worth our while trying on other non-Toshibas with the "Firmware" message.)

keep us posted.

love, b

Disabling the "Standard Enhanced PCI to USB Host Controller" disables USB 2.0. The only way i can keep my iPod working is by using USB 1.1 which i had to change to in the BIOS. If i try using USB 2.0, the iPod randomly restarts while updating in iTunes and files dont get transfered.

30GB Windows XP

I have been contimplating what made mine work. I recall removing a USB Bluetooth device in order to try another USB port. I did this while my USB driver was disabled. After I reinabled it, iPod worked. I wonder if futzing around with the driver did the trick, or removing the USB device. Wish I knew. The crazy thing is it seems everybodies solution is different for a similar problem.

If i try using USB 2.0, the iPod randomly restarts while updating in iTunes and files dont get transfered

eeek!

thanks for that report, Brian!

... just checking: are you using a Toshiba, or some other brand of PC? is it a laptop or a desktop?

(apologies about the nosy question, but i've been seeing a few "continually resetting while connected" reports ... so i'm wondering if the disable USB 2.0 trick should be applied more generally than laptops now. since i was last in this thread, i've seen one report of it working on a Dell laptop.)

love, b