iPod nano 4G not recognised and beeping

Question

iPod nano 4G not recognised and beeping

Hey people,

I just dropped my iPod nano about half an hour ago and I was really drunk so I just didn't care at all because I dropped it in the past and nothing happened. Well, it first showed me just a black/grey screen with a blue vertical stripe on it but I was still able to play songs but I had to shuffle it with shaking. Then the blue stripe turned purple and I was a bit concerned and feelt guitly for dropping it. Now I connected it to my MacBook Pro (and yes, the latest iTunes is intalled, I tried the famous 5 R's and it's running OS X Mountain Lion) and it won't get recognised on iTunes so I'm not able to restore it or something. It just peeps twice.

Actually as I'm typing this, the screen turned white with a slightly grey stripe on the side exactly where the purple one was just a bit thicker. What does that mean? I know, it's already legacy hardware but I really really love that iPod because it was a present to the 1st year togheter with my boyfriend. There's even a engraving on the back.

In fact now I'm not even able to play songs. It recognises my "MENU + SELECT" button presses with turning the screen off and back on but it just beeps twice then and does nothong besides of being black with purple stripe first and then turning white with grey stripe. I tried charging it with the wall charger of my iPhone, nothing happened. Then reset it while charging, just beeps twice. Same while connected with the MacBook on ALL available USB ports. It even does the same thing while connected with the Windows Notebook of my brother. I maybe can enter the disk mode but it's not showing up on my MacBook desktop or Disk Utility but it beeps again twice (4 times if I reset it and then press "SELECT + PLAY").

Please help me...?

Here are the hard facts:

iPod nano 4th generation; PRODUCT (RED) edition

8GB Space

Was treated carefully besides of the few drops on the floor.

First used with Windows, then with Mac OS X (Snow Leopard, Lion and now Mountain Lion)

using a standard Apple iPod/iPhone/iPad dock connector cable

MacBook Pro 8,2 Early 2011 with Mountain Lion 10.8

Help...?

Posted on Jul 31, 2012 7:14 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

planb77

Level 7

32,428 points

Aug 1, 2012 8:49 AM in response to The Müllmann

Sounds like the LCD display was damaged from the fall. The 5 R's would have already ruled out any possibility of a software glitch or data corruption. You'll need to have the iPod serviced/replaced either by Apple or a third party repair company.

B-rock

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Answer 2

Aug 1, 2012 8:53 AM in response to planb77

Yep, after I slept over it, it really does sound like this.

I actually got the iPod recognised by iTunes by holding MENU+SELECT and while display turns off SELECT+PLAY even after it started to beep 4 times. Then reformatted it with HFS+ and iTunes restored it.

It even does the "click" sound when I move the clickwheel.

But I've got a question: Would it be better to ask an Apple Store to replace/repair it (it's out of warranty since it's about 4 years old or should I just go get a new one? I actually don't like the new form factor so I'll be buying a classic which is more expensive than the nano.

Thanks for your help

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Answer 3

planb77

Level 7

32,428 points

Aug 1, 2012 9:02 AM in response to The Müllmann

But I've got a question: Would it be better to ask an Apple Store to replace/repair it (it's out of warranty since it's about 4 years old or should I just go get a new one?

My personal opinion would be to simply purchase a new one as an out of warranty replacement 4G Nano from Apple will cost you $79. Doesn't seem like much, but you can get the iPod Classic model for a little more than that and store more content. Some Apple's stores (perhaps only in the US?) allow you to bring your iPod to be recycled for a 10% discount towards a new one) Choice is totally yours though. 😉

B-rock

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Answer 4

Aug 1, 2012 9:07 AM in response to planb77

So you say that I can bring my old partly not functioning iPod to an Apple Store and they'll give me a replacement iPod (same generation) for a little fee? If that'd be possible, it would be great! :-D

Althogh, I ever wanted a classic because of the storage space which you mentioned.

There's actually no official Apple Stores run by Apple in Austria but plenty of Apple Resellers and Partners with Gold and Premium (and whatever colours there may be out there) Certificates. Do you think that they maybe offer me a similar thing? Perhabs, you don't know but you can guess... I'll take my little love (the iPod) to one of the stores tomorrow and ask myself. I just wanted to make sure what's maybe possible...

Thanks.

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Answer 5

planb77

Level 7

32,428 points

Aug 1, 2012 9:12 AM in response to The Müllmann

So you say that I can bring my old partly not functioning iPod to an Apple Store and they'll give me a replacement iPod (same generation) for a little fee? If that'd be possible, it would be great! :-D

Yes.

Do you think that they maybe offer me a similar thing? Perhabs, you don't know but you can guess... I'll take my little love (the iPod) to one of the stores tomorrow and ask myself. I just wanted to make sure what's maybe possible...

Yeah I'm not totally sure, but it would be worth the effort to call and find out or drop in and ask. 🙂

B-rock

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Answer 6

Aug 1, 2012 9:15 AM in response to planb77

Cool the screen just started to flash when I move it from the desk to my drawing board. Weird stuff going on inside the LCD.

Anyways, thanks a lot for your help. I'll report back (for people who may be in the same position) what the store said and what I decided to buy.

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Answer 7

planb77

Level 7

32,428 points

Aug 1, 2012 9:21 AM in response to The Müllmann

Sounds good. Thanks! 🙂

B-rock

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Answer 8

Aug 3, 2012 6:21 PM in response to planb77

Okay, as promised I'm reporting back now.

The Apple Retail and Support partner I went to was willing to buy my iPod nano and analysed it, then calculated a price. The result of that was that my iPod nano is yet worth 0,60 Euros which is not really much so I decided to not sell it and keep it as memory for the past 4 years of using it.

Also I decided to wait a bit until I got enough money and get an iPod classic. Until then, I'll stream music from my iPhone and the internet.

Thanks.

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Answer 9

planb77

Level 7

32,428 points

Aug 4, 2012 8:06 AM in response to The Müllmann

That's not a bad idea either. 🙂

Enjoy the iPod Classic when that time comes.

B-rock

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Answer 10

Nov 24, 2015 6:20 AM in response to The Müllmann

Wow. We have the same iPod nano, except for the fact that mine's a " chromatic " PRODUCT (RED).

This just happened to me today, haven't dropped it even ONCE, and I'm having the same screen problem.

The screen had gotten a bit glitchy all of a sudden, got a forced boot (SOMEHOW), but it was in like, Chinese or something, for the fact I could see the screen. I just reset it, 2 beeps again, but it's somewhat showing the screen. It froze on the logo. Reset again, and now it's back to a pure white screen, 2 beeps. I even have it connected to my computer, nothing works.

Honestly, if my iPod nano is officially dead, I'm going to miss it. A lot. 😢

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