My Ipod classic won't sync

Question

My Ipod classic won't sync

After years of use with no issues I have had nothing but problems with my ipod classic since the turn of 2015, if a little longer.

I have an ipod classic from 2009, always synced straight away. After a recent iTunes up date my iTunes stopped working entirely, I follow numerous suggestions, took iTunes off the computer and started again with no luck.

I have since downloaded iTunes onto a different laptop and redownloaded all my music.

Tonight I have gone to update my ipod and nothing!! When I press sync, it flicks for no more than 2seconds to say that it is syncing and then stops!
For some reason, and I know stupidly, I though that if I reset my ipod I could start again.

I now have no music on my ipod and it still won't sync.

iPod classic 160GB (Late 2009)

Posted on Mar 24, 2015 1:46 PM

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Answer 1

Mar 24, 2015 10:16 PM in response to jonnymorris1977

I have the same issue and I'm FURIOUS!! I did the reset, just like you, and went from 136Gb of music on my 7th Gen Classic iPod to NOTHING, because it will not sync. What's worse is Apple's complete and utter lack of comment on the issue. There are tons of posts out there on every conceivable forum about this problem, and Apple's response is SILENCE.

I have an iPhone, IPod and iPad --all with the largest amount of storage I could buy on them, and now I feel like I can't use iTunes to update them, lest I suddenly find myself without ANYTHING on any of the devices.

UNBELIEVEABLE!!

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Answer 2

johnc66

Level 1

0 points

Mar 25, 2015 7:49 AM in response to jonnymorris1977

Same problem here. My iPod Classic 160G will no longer sync. I went through the same experience and recovery steps you tried. I did everything it said on Apple support website, All to no avail. I probably invested 10-20 hrs into troubleshooting and trying to fix this.

Here is a cobbled together intermediate solution I got working until Apple can fix this:

1.) I backed up my ITunes databases (ITunes Library.itl, iTunes Music Library.xml, and iTunes Library Extras.itdb) that were created under iTunes 12.0.1.26.

Note: This was the last good backup of my databases that I had with new music added before going to 12.1.1. (Under 12.0.1.26, at least I could reset my iPod to factory settings and get it to load all 120+G of music in 1-shot (and some 2-4 hours later).
Note: Any future attempt to sync, add, or remove music after that initial load would not work and iTunes 12.0.1.26 would hang and either say it did not recognize the iPod or say it was corrupt, or some other error code, usually 1417 or 1439 - all of which were proven to be untrue when I did all the troubleshooting and error correction and recovery procedures per Apple support. (Case in point - I could sync only a single (as in 1) song to the factory reset iPod and it would fail in any subsequent connection to iTunes 12.0.1.26 (even after a reboot of the PC)).
Note: Under iTunes 12.1.1 I could get the iPod to reset to factory settings, but any attempt to sync would not work. I gave up after probably trying a dozen times. Being unable to verify whether the databases got corrupted when iTunes upgraded from 12.0.1.26 to 12.1.1, I kept the 12.0.1.26 version databases for archive purposes for when Apple (hopefully) fixes this problem..

2.) I deleted all traces of iTunes off my computer by uninstalling the program, rebooting, running the ccleaner program to remove all registry entries not removed from the uninstall process. (Sorry Apple - uninstall of iTunes was not clean and left a LOT of entries in my Win7 32-bit Home Edition registry.) Finally, reboot again.

3.) I installed iTunes version 11.3.1.2 as a fresh/clean install. I chose this version because it was the last version released by Apple before they dropped support of the iPod Classic. I let iTunes build a whole new database in case any of my backups from that era were corrupt.

Note: This was a HUGE sacrifice. By doing the fresh install, I lost all my ratings and play counts and date added, skipped, last-played information. Valuable info that I used in many playlists and for maintenance of my 18000+ song music library. That was all sacrificed in order to get my iPod working again. (Thanks Apple!)
Note: While I have a backup database from June'14, I've added so much music to my library and did some reorganization over the summer that I don't want to go back and figure out what is different/changed. Believe me, this would be no small task!

4.) I factory reset my iPod and enabled the iPod for disk use. After installing iTunes version 11.3.1.2 I found out that the iPod would not sync unless I either manually managed the music, or enabled the iPod for disk use. I chose the latter and enabled for disk use rather than manually manage the music.

Note: Manually managing or enabling disk use this did NOT work for me under any 12.x version of iTunes.- drat!

5.) Sync iPod. - my iPod is usable again! Albeit with a single quirk. While I can sync, add, and remove files from the iPod, I can only attach the iPod once per iTunes session. As long as I leave it attached, I have no problems managing my music, syncing, etc., but if I disconnect or eject the iPod, it will not reconnect in iTunes without rebooting the PC. For some reason, iTunes will not re-recognize the iPod. Whatever the cause, it clears on a reboot. For now, I'll live with that, until Apple can fix syncing iPod Classic in their current version of iTunes.

Another option I am researching/considering is finding a tool to copy data from my v12.0.1.26 iTunes library xml file to my v11.3.1.2 iTunes library xml file. to recapture my lost metadata. (or outright back level my v12.0.1.26 iTunes Library.) If anyone has any thoughts, let me know.

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