ipod shuffle 1st generation not recognized by itunes

I am runnning Mac OS X 10.9. and latest iTunes (12.01).

I can play music on my iPod Shuffle 1st gen. but iTunes does not recognize it. I have an iMac 2013 with USB 3.0 but have also tried on another MacBook Pro with USB 2.0. the Shuffle does not show up.

So it seems the Shuffle works fine but there is no way to organize it.

I have a 1st gen iPod shuffle, and it works fine with iTunes 12. (The clip-on 2nd gen shuffle also works.) It is recognized properly and shows up on the "device button," by itself and with other devices connected at the same time. OS X 10.10 on a Mac mini with USB 2.0 ports.

The most common failure point on the 1st gen shuffle is the built-in USB plug. It tends to wear out from repeated connects and disconnects. Often, it will still connect for power (to charge the battery), but not for data. However, if it is recognized using Windows Explorer, that is not the problem.

When you connect the shuffle, what does shuffle's light do? Is it blinking or solid (or not on)?

Also, if you are using iTunes 12 for the first time, the iPod "appear" on the iTunes window as a "device button." It is on the horizontal bar that goes across the iTunes window, near the top. The button's tiny icon looks like the device. Also, if you use the Playlists view, the sidebar appears along left side of iTunes window, and the iPod is show in the sidebar, under Devices.

Same here on Mac OSX 10.9 with iTunes 12. Shuffles blinks orange. But first it blinks green (?) and yellow a couple of times like it is loading or something, then it changes to blinking orange.

Sorry if I mix ut the colors. I am colorblind and can not see the difference.

The light behavior sounds normal, if your shuffle is set to Enable disk use, or Windows is treating it as a regular storage device (not an iPod). NOTE: Even when the light is blinking, the shuffle's battery is charging. Blinking light means DO NOT DISCONNECT, and it will blink amber (not green) until ejected. Solid light means OK TO DISCONNECT, and it turns green when the battery is fully charged.

So, I don't think there is anything wrong with your shuffle. But there seems to be something wrong with either the iTunes installation or Windows, if you don't see the iTunes window react after connecting the shuffle. This document has troubleshooting tips for when an iPod is recognized by Windows but not iTunes

iPod: Appears in Windows but not in iTunes - Apple Support

NOTE: The only three colors for the light are red, amber, and green. It does not blink green, when connect to the computer.

In your case, the shuffle's like is blinking amber, so the shuffle's disk is mounted by the system. If it was solid, it would be getting power to charge the battery, but the shuffle would not be connected for data. So, the USB plug seems to be fine. Run Disk Utility; does the shuffle's disk appear in the Disk Utility sidebar? If it is seen in Disk Utility, it probably also appears as a disk in Finder.

Thanks Kenichi for your reply. The Shuffle does not show up in Disk Utility. It is still blinking amber after many hours plugged into USB. If I take it out it seems to have been charged and plays fine. But alas no way to see it in Disk Utility or iTunes.

Make sure the shuffle's power switch is in the OFF position.

If it's blinking, it should be recognized by the system, if not by iTunes. From the Apple menu, select About This Mac, then System Report. In the System Information window, under Hardware, select USB. Over to the right, is the iPod seen as a device connected to USB?

Since you use a Mac, you can also try using this "iPod Reset Utility" (which is only for 1st and 2nd gen iPod shuffles).

About iPod Reset Utility - Apple Support

It's an old app, but should still work on a recent OS X versions. (The Windows version only works on 32-bit Windows.)

I did reply to your situation earlier... did you see that post? You can click Reply there, to continue that discussion.

Your iPod connects to the computer, because it is seen in Windows. So the data connection works.

You tried it with two computers, with the same result. So, it is less likely to be a software issue on the computer end (although still possible).

A 1st gen shuffle connects directly, so there is no docking cable to be faulty. And it charges, and operates properly as an iPod, when disconnected.

If you have an Apple Store nearby, you may want to make a reservation at the store's Genius Bar and take it there for a hands-on check. See if they can get iTunes on a Mac to recognize it. If so, have them do a Restore, which will erase the shuffle, reinstall its software, and set it to default settings. iPod shuffles (unlike other iPods) are always formatted using the Windows format, so it should work with Windows after being restored on a Mac. If possible, take your laptop along, so you can confirm it works with your system (is they can get it to work on a Mac).

Here is an update. I ran iPod Reset Utility on 2 different Macs, USB 2.0 and USB 3.0.

- iPod Reset Utility does not see the Shuffle

- System Profiler -> USB does not see the Shuffle

- Windows 7 does not see tthe Shuffle

So I guess there must be some failure on the USB connection to the Shuffle. I have no idea where to go now.

I even took the Shuffle to the biggest Apple dealer here in Oslo. When I showed them the Shuffle, they responded "What is that?" Maybe they were not born when it was released :-) That was 2005. And I thought I had a modern car, a Toyota from 2003! So this is a 1GB iPod Shuffle. But for me still valuable :-)

The 1st gen shuffle has REALLY excellent sound. It is better than 2nd gen shuffle, and other iPods, for sound. Because it has a separate docking connection (the USB plug), it is the only shuffle that can play music while it is charging. Plus, I like being able to hold it in my hand and control it (not clipped).

Because I liked it so much, a few years ago, I bought some broken ones being sold on eBay. Using these instructions

https://www.ifixit.com/Device/iPod_Shuffle_1st_Generation

I took them apart and tried to assemble working ones by swapping parts. Fortunately, the 1st gen shuffle is small, but not tiny. Unfortunately, the most common failure point (by far) was USB plug component (including a very delicate ribbon cable that connects to logic board). I have plenty of "spare parts" now, except for that USB plug part. So I am VERY careful when connecting and disconnecting my remaining working 1st gen shuffle, and try to do it as infrequently as possible.