iPod won't sync with iTunes

Kenichi,

This worked perfectly for me. My ipod now looks exactly like my itunes library on my computer. I had only one file that wouldn't sync, and it was a music video I created and the message said that my ipod couldn't play that type file. I've been working at this for several months. Thanks! I did try to check that sync music box once before, but the warning scared me and I didn't do it. Your explanation was so well written and included everything!

Glad that these old posts still help... 🙂

FYI - If you want that one video to sync, and it is something you added to your iTunes library from an external source (it's not a purchased video from the iTunes Store), there is a command in iTunes to create a version that works with iPods.

NOTE: Purchased videos from the iTunes Store still use DRM (copy protection), so this "convert" command is disabled. However, if the reason a purchased video does not play is because it is "HD," and therefore too high resolution for an iPod, you may be able to re-download the "SD" version of the video at no cost.

In iTunes, show the video on a list, and select it. Then, from the menu bar

File -> Create New Version -> Create iPod or iPhone Version

The new version of the video should appear in your Movies library. It should be playable on iPods that can play videos.

You said this was a "music video," so if you want it to appear under Music (not Movies) in your iTunes library, select it on a list and do a Get Info (right-click Get Info). In the Info window, go to the Options tab. Change the setting for Media Kind to Music Video. Click OK, and that items should appear in your Music library.

This worked beautifully. Thanks again!

If you could only solve my outlook for Mac sync problem..

Thank you very much. This worked for me too. Great Help!

Kenichi, your older posts are wonderful! Your level of knowledge is amazing and you have a great capacity to state things simply and clearly, so clearly that even us Fog People can understand them. Thank you.

I just posted the following question to the Older iPod community, but I wanted to make a special effort to get it to you. It is a very frustrating problem. It consumed about four hours last night. If you can offer any help, I will give you my next born (and maybe even one of my present born, if he doesn't stop bugging me about "fixing" his iPod.

Thanks again.

Jay

___________________

I have converted videos from YouTube via tubeget.com to a mp4 fromat using my PC. They appear in the Documents --> Videos folder on the PC, a Windows Media program. I can see the files in iTunes when I try to add them to iTunes using the “Add file to Library” option under the File menu in iTunes. But when I click on the mp4 file I can’t get it to transfer over to iTunes. That is, when I click on the file via “add to Library”, the file doesn’t appear under Videos in iTunes. And thus, of course, I can’t get the videos into my Videos folder on my iPod Classic. The iPod is supposed to be a 5th generation. I bought it used from a reputable seller. It readily accepts music videos downloaded from the iTunes store. And it transferred my music from iTunes without a hitch.

Any suggestion?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Jay

I replied in your new topic...

HI Kenichi,

I was wondering if you'd be able to please help me out with my problem.

Whenever I try to connect my iPod to iTunes, it tells me that it doesn't recognize the device and prompts me to restore my iPod.

After restoring my iPod, I then sync my songs from iTunes to my iPod and it completes the sync. Upon completion of the sync, I am able to view all of the the downloaded songs in my "Music" tab while my iPod is still connected to my computer, but the minute I remove the iPod from my computer, there are absolutely no songs on my iPod.

I am able to view all of the the downloaded songs in my "Music" tab while my iPod is still connected to my computer

The "Music tab" (on the horizontal bar of buttons that starts with Summary) is not where you view the current contents of the iPod. That is where you set up how the iPod syncs Music.

To see what is currently on the iPod (after syncing), be sure to do the following. If the iTunes sidebar (along left side of iTunes window) is not visible, from the menu bar, under View, select Show Sidebar. In the sidebar, find the iPod under DEVICES. Click the small triangle to the left of the iPod's name in the sidebar, to drop down its content list (indented below the iPod). Click Music there. To the right, there is a list songs currently on the iPod. Do you see the songs you expect to see there?

HI again Kenichi,

Thanks for your quick response.

it seems my problem is more complicated than I thought.

I ended up calling iTunes support and even they are baffled with my problem. I tried uninstalling and reinstalling iTunes, and synching a few artists and songs at a time. It initially synched the few songs, but whenever I tried to sync more songs, it completely wiped out all of the songs from my iPod. Looks like I'm going to have to transfer my library from one computer to another by using a flash drive.

I don't think this problem would be caused by iTunes. If it's something related to iTunes, it would likely be caused by the iTunes library. You can do a test with another iTunes library on the same computer, by creating a new user account (on your computer). I don't know if you use a Mac or Windows PC, but you can do so on either system, and when you log in to the new user account and run iTunes, you are using a different (new and empty) iTunes library. You can add a limited (but large enough) number of songs to that iTunes library, and try syncing your iPod as a test. If it works properly in the new user account, there is no problem with the iPod. If the problem recurs, the cause is likely to be a problem on the iPod. That will help narrow down the actual cause, instead of trying random things, especially something that's a lot of work, like transferring everything to a different computer. If the problem is on the iPod, the same problem will occur.

I don't know what model iPod you have, but if it's an iPod that uses a hard drive for storage, the cause may be related to the hard drive. Hard drives can become faulty in a way that does not allow reliable storage of data, although it can go through the Restore process without error. What may be why it prompts you to do a Restore, when you connect it.

One thing you can try is to erase (reformat) the iPod using the system, not iTunes. If you use a Mac, you would do so using Disk Utility. I don't recall the specific command or tool in Windows, but it's the same thing you do to erase (reformat) an external hard drive or USB flash drive. iTunes should NOT be running when you do this. If there's an option to do a "quick format," select to do a FULL format. If the iPod's disk is not mounted by the system when connected, use the procedure to set it to Disk Mode first

Putting iPod into Disk Mode

If there is a problem with the iPod's hard drive, it's possible for it to fail the erase (reformat) procedure. If it succeeds, run iTunes and do another Restore. It's VERY important that you do a Restore, because after being erased outside of iTunes, it no longer has its onboard software and setup. After the Restore, try syncing it again.

I stumbled upon this older posting after trying everything else under the sun and still no luck syncing with my classic iPod. I even tried restoring the iPod and starting from scratch but wish I had found this post first...your solution was just what I needed, thank you!

im using ipod 5th gen i dont see summary on my itunes so i have no music on my ipod after it was restored. I uninstalled itunes twice follow all directions nothing. so i you have a video i would love to watch instead of reading menus i dont see on my itunes on win 8

In iTunes, after you select the iPod, what you see on the main part of the iTunes window is the Summary screen.

If the iTunes sidebar, along left side of iTunes window, is not visible, from the menu bar, under View, select Show Sidebar. In the sidebar, your iPod appears under DEVICES. Select it there. What you see to the right is the iPod's Summary screen.

Toward the top of the window, there is a "bar of buttons" starting with Summary (which is already selected). To the right of Summary, click Music. That shows the Music screen (or "tab' as I called it in my old post). From there, you can read my original reply above (the one highlighted in green), starting with

Did you set up the Music tab for the iPod?...

for how to set up automatic syncing for songs. NOTE: The other buttons in that "bar of buttons" starting with Summary are for setting up syncing of other iTunes media types, such as podcasts, audiobooks, movies, etc.

I have a peculiar problem with my iPod Nano 7th Generation (16GB). (Software Version 1.0.3). I am using iTunes 11.0.3.54 on a Lenovo T440 Laptop with Windows 7 32 Bit O/S. The syncing process behaves erratically.

When I synch small playlists, fewer songs the sync works perfectly. When I select larger playlists, while iTunes reports that syncing is complete, when I eject and take out the Nano, it says No Music. All Music content (including those available previously on the device) disappear. When I reconnect the iPod, iTunes says <<it cannot read from the iPod and that I need to restore>>. I have done several restores. I have even completely uninstalled iTunes and all support software (following http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1923) and reinstalled. The same issue continues.

After iTunes reports the problem (of not being able to recognize / read from iPod), when I look at the iPod using Windows Explorer, all the standard iPod_Control Folder / Files including the Music files are all there. Only iTunes is not able to read it due to corruption of some kind. It beats me.

On the same Windows PC / same version of iTunes, the rest of my devices (iPad-1, iPad-Mini 2^nd G, iPod Touch 4^th Gen and an iPod Classic) are syncing properly. Only Nano 7^th Gen is having this issue. I tried different cables, direct connect / connecting through a hub etc., Nothing works :-( .

Finally I tried syncing it with another Windows PC (of my friend) and it syncs without any issue, any size. Tried several times and it works. iTunes versions are same. Windows USB support driver is also the same. Problem appears specific to my Lenovo T440 PC. Can you please offer some advice ? Thanks !

I was having the same problem and this advice fixed it. It was a new ipod and the "Sync Music" box was not ticked.

Thanks a lot.

Feel rather silly now for making such a rookie error.