Itunes needs to prepare your Ipod for recovery

I haven't used my IPod nano 3rd Gen in a looong time and when I turned it on the screen was black but still playing music in the headphones and I connected it to my windows computer and it wasn't showing up on iTunes but it keep popping up saying iTunes needs to prepare you iPod for recovery please leave your iPod connected' I press continue and it starts but then it keeps saying iTunes needs to prepare you iPod for recovery please leave your iPod connected' over and over and over, again does anybody know what to do I need help!.