2nd gen iPod shuffle not recognized by Yosemite or iTunes 12

My 2nd gen shuffle works fine with Yosemite and iTunes 12 (my ancient 3rd gen "classic" iPod from 2003 that connects using FireWire also works fine).

If it still charges using a USB power adapter, the battery is probably OK. Is the shuffle's light solid amber while charging? Does it hold the charge after disconnecting?

It's possible that the data connection is not working, while the power connection still works. But the shuffle's light does blink initially when connected, which seems to indicate there is some connection.

It's possible that your MacBook's USB port is not work properly or supplying enough power, or there is a conflict between connected USB devices. If you have not already, shut down (power off) the MacBook and disconnect all USB devices (including any hubs). Connect MacBook's power adapter so that it's not running on battery power. Put the shuffle's power switch in the OFF position. Start up the MacBook, run iTunes, and connect the shuffle to a direct USB port on the MacBook by itself.

If that does not help, connect something else to the same port, preferably something similar like a USB flash drive, to confirm it works.

One more thing you can try is the iPod Reset Utility (which is actually only for the 1st and 2nd gen shuffles). It's an old 32-bit app, but 64-bit Macs can run 32-bit apps (unlike 64-bit Windows PCs), so it should run on your MacBook

About iPod Reset Utility - Apple Support

I would run the utility first, because you want to "catch the iPod" when you initially connect it (when the light is blinking). Otherwise, if the shuffle is not recognized by the system at all, it probably won't work because the utility cannot find it. The end result, if the utility can find your shuffle, is like doing a Restore in iTunes.

Hello,

I had the same problem and I've just found a solution : eject all the USB devices connected to your iMac. When it's ok, plug the iPod only. It should work (sorry for my bad english).

Best,

KuroNeko

Hi

I had the same issue with my Late 2009 Mac mini running Mavericks and iTunes 12. When I connected my 2nd generation iPod shuffle it would blink amber once then do nothing. This seems to be a common problem with the iPod shuffle and newer versions of Mac OS X (10.6 and up) and iTunes albeit with somewhat varying symptoms but the same overall problem syncing the iPod with iTunes.

The predominant go-to solution is to give the iPod more power by either connecting the iPod directly to a USB port on the Mac or by disconnecting all other USB devices. On paper this makes sense.

What worked for me, however, was the opposite. After trying to solve this problem for hours (weeks, months), I had success ONLY after adding a low-powered 4-port USB hub to the chain between the iPod and the Mac. I suspect this had the effect of throttling the power supplied to the iPod from the Mac. I was able to perform a restore on the iPod then sync my music over.

I can't tell you much about the USB hub except that it is running at USB 1.1 speeds (12 Mb/sec). In theory a USB 1.1 extension cable should also do the trick. You might even be able to use the USB hub in old wired Apple USB keyboard. I will attach a photo of the hub I used to this post for greater clarity.

I really hope this helps.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I have been searching for months for a solution and this worked. Finally!

You are very welcome.

Hello,

I'm facing the same with a brand new IPOD Shuffle 4.

MacBook Air

Yosemite

Itunes 12

I tried:

USB Hub

Reinstall iTunes

Different USB Ports

I always get "New IPod but not recognized." I found a post before but I don't know if this will help me. Update 10.10.2 and iPod shuffle recognition

When I connect the IPod to another MacBook it is working fine and recognized.

Can it really be that there is something old from the Yosemite Beta on the MacBook which is causing this error?

If it's the latest shuffle, it's probably not the same problem, since this discussion is about older shuffles.

When you connect it to the other MacBook (where it works), you are using the same USB docking cable? Does the other MacBook have the latest OS X and version of iTunes?

Since you have access to another Mac, try doing a Restore on the shuffle (with iTunes) using that other MacBook.

Restoring iPod to factory settings - Apple Support

Then, connect to your MacBook Air and run iTunes to see if there is any difference.

It is the same cable.

I have still reset on the other MacBook but with the same result. I tried also the Shuffles from my children but they are also not working on my MacBook. Just on the older one. On the older is 10.10.1 installed. I have 10.10.2. Same version of ITunes.

All other devices are working fine. IPad, IPhone, ...

Since more than one shuffle does not work with your MacBook Air, but they all work fine with the other MacBook (using the same USB docking cable), the cause is likely to be something related to your MacBook Air.

Do other things work when connected to the MacBook Air's USB port? If you have not tried, use something like a USB flash drive (preferably something that is getting power and data from the USB port) to make sure the MacBook Air's USB bus is working properly. Make sure MacBook Air's power adapter is connected (so that it's not running on battery power).

I always get "New IPod but not recognized."

Is that the exact wording? It seems odd, because it says it's an "iPod" and then says it is "not recognized." Does this message appear immediately after connecting the shuffle, so the shuffle never appears in iTunes? Or does the shuffle initially appear in iTunes, and you get the error message later when you try to do something like sync new songs or apply changes to settings.

When you connect the shuffle and run Disk Utility (with iTunes NOT running), does the shuffle appear in the Disk Utility sidebar in any way? Another place to check is by selecting About This Mac from the Apple menu, and then clicking System Report. In the System Information window, under Hardware, select USB. Is the iPod shown there?

In the office I have connected a few devices to the USB ports. Printer, mouse, usb hub, hdd,... All is working fine.

I see the IPod on the desktop as drive. The message occures directly when connected. I think the translation is correct because I have the German error message. So it shows IPod and not recognized or identified.

I also have the same problem as the original post, but using an iMac with Yosemite and iTunes 12. However my 2nd gen shuffle does have a solid green light. It appears to be charging but it does not appear in iTunes.

I've tried all the Apple support tricks and above, except for the USB hub. The USB ports work for other devices.

I see the IPod on the desktop as drive.

So, if I understand the situation correctly, the system readily recognizes the iPod. It appears as a disk on the Desktop. And I assume it also appears in Disk Utility's sidebar, and the System Information window. Therefore, it seems like iTunes is the source of the error message.

As a test, I would try the following. Create a new user account using System Preferences Users and Groups pane. It can be a Standard user account. Log out and log in to the new user account. Be sure to log out (to the log in screen) instead of using fast user switching. In the new user account, try running iTunes and connecting your shuffle to see if there is any difference. The new user account has a new iTunes library and a fresh set of user system preferences, and if you have non-Apple processes that run automatically at log in with your usual account, those processes are not running on the new account. That may help narrow down the cause for this problem. If the problem goes away in the new user account, the cause is at the user level. If the problem recurs, the cause is at the system (OS) level, the iTunes application, or related to hardware.

If the light is solid green, it is not the "same" problem. That means the shuffle is getting power (and the battery is fully charged) and the shuffle's disk is not currently mounted by the system. When iTunes mounts the shuffle's disk for syncing, the light blinks amber. If the shuffle is set to Enable disk use, the light always blinks (until you eject it). Otherwise, the light is solid and only blinks when iTunes is syncing.

Does it blink amber initially, when you connect it, and then become solid green? Or is it always solid green from the moment it is connected?

Does the light stay solid green, whether iTunes is running or not running?