iPod Recovery mode loop

if the ipod is otherwise working fine, it's possible that the recovery mode message is being produced by a Windows drive letter confusion. for troubleshooting advice on that, see the following document:

"iTunes has detected an iPod in recovery mode - Use iTunes to restore"

I am also having this problem on a mac. Does anyone know how to fix this? It keeps looping over and over. I have the same ipod model as the original poster.

When I try to connect my ipod to itunes it keeps looping through this sequence:

"iTunes has detected an iPod in recovery mode. You must restore this iPod before it can be used with iTunes."

All I can do is restore over and over. But, my ipod never gets back to its normal operating mode. It turns on fine, but itunes just keeps saying it is in recovery mode and you have to restore. When it is finished restoring, it pops up the same message asking to restore again.

It looks like the solution on windows was to change the drive letter. But, macs don't use drive letters?

I solved this issue for the mac. I logged into a seperate account on my mac, renamed the ipod in iTunes, and it went throught the normal process and reinstalled everything. When I logged back into the regular account I use with itunes, it copied all the playlists and songs over.

i changed drivers, i tried, reinstalling it and nothing i get the same loop over and over again!!
please someone help!! this is really frustrating i just had my ipod for only 3 weeks and i already have problems!!

I am also having this problem with the ipod 5th generation and it only started after I updated my Ipod, and uploaded the lastest itunes 7! My ipod was fine before, I've had to put it in the sort of dos mode (I forget what it's called) in order to stop the looping. It just keep turning it self on, has the apple symbol and then turns off only to repeat again. Everyone was telling me it was the battery, but it is full. I restored the whole thing, and wiped all my songs. I tried to update it again with the itunes 7 (which keeps crashing on me too)and it just continued to reboot. Can someone please answer this question. It's very frustrating. Once I fix this problem, I don't think I shall use latest versions of itunes!! If it's perminantly damaged my ipod.

Don't worry, I fixed this myself. I had to wipe my ipod and the start putting the music back on mannually. For anyone witht he same problem, don't lose heart. It can be fixed. Just put it in disk mode and keep wiping everything off it and then slowly experiment putting one song on at a time. Hopefully itunes 7 won't be a brat and freeze on you, but it'll work. I deleted everything from the ipod (went into my computer and opened all the files accessible to me, and deleted eveything in there. Renamed the ipod, and yeah...there we go. I hope it works for you too if you have a simular problem.

The problem with the ipod looping in recovery mode boils down to the drive letter assigned to the ipod used by a networked drive. I have provided a link to the support document that outline the steps to change the ipod's drive letter. Or, you can change the networked drive letter.

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93499#changedrive

NOTE: this applies to the Windows Vista OS/Windows XP Pro...

My iPOD (30G, video) was working just fine last night on the same PC, and when I attached it this morning I saw that ITunes was detecting it in "recovery mode." Well, I eradicated my iPod music, video, etc. with this procedure, and found that indeed, it was in this recovery loop. I see the thread about there being a drive letter problem potentially, but I don't ever see a drive letter in My Computer to change the mapping in the first place. Any suggestions to fix this POS software?

I'm using the same iPod model. Last night everything worked fine. This morning, however, I decide to charge it. When I plugged it in it said a new software version was available, so I decided to download it (1.2.1 I believe). Anyway, once the iPod restarted, the message saying it was in need of restore came up. This was a bummer, but I restored it thinking it'll be fine afterwards. Thats when I got stuck in a restore loop. I tried switching drives and that didn't work. I don't know if its an actual tech problem or if my iPods reacting to the new software somehow. Note that I also can't use it while it's unplugged, because the screen reads "Connect to your computer. Use iTunes to restore.", and it constantly turns on and off. Help!

I cant believe I am not alone. I am not going crazy eaither. The same thing happen to me. I bought an IPOD 3 months ago. I was very excited. I use itunes and started moving music. Great!!. Unplug the ipod and use it. So far so good. Then I connect again and sync. The ipod disapeared from itunes and started the crazy loop(on , off with mac logo). Search in the internet for hours. Then found the way to put it into disc mode. But thats it after this happens it will not be recognize by the computer. After many more ours I gave up and resetted the ipod. reinstall itunes. Try again. Same thing, reset again, This time I upgraded to the latest itunes 7. Same thing happen again. Ok now I am sure is not my precious ipod . Have to be the stupid sony laptop. When to my emachine desktop. Intall itunes 6. Same thing . Upgraded to itunes 7 . Same thing. Ok now I am sure is the ipod. Took the ipod back to Costco. Came back with a new ipod. And again same thing. NOW I KNOW. IT IS THE ITUNES. I search and found that winamp had a plug in. I bought winamp(the free version was limited in speed) and finally was able to use the ipod. After stop using itune my ipod is working perfect.

Now for the very interesting part. I always being a PC person. But now I got completely tire of MS junk products. Vista seems to be a dead end. So I did the unthinkable and but a spanking new imac 20" dual proc 2.16 with 250HD and 1GB memory. After many month of using the ipod without any problems I connected the ipod to my brand new machine and open itunes 7. GUESS WHAT. THE SAME THING HAPPEN. I have no words to describe my pain and suffering. Why, why ,why is this happening.???? It makes no sense the the ipod does not work with itunes. But after testing it on 3 machines and 3 OS(PC XP prof and XP Home AND MAC) there is no other explanation. If anyone at apple read this PLEASE explain what is going on????????

The idea of going back and erasing songs one by one is not a solution. If anyone has a real solution please let me knoe ASAP.

I hope this comment helps anyone like me. NO you are not crazy and your ipod is fine. IT is itunes.

Thank you.

imac Mac OS X (10.4.8)

imac Mac OS X (10.4.8)

imac Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Just got an iPod Shuffle (2nd gen), downloaded iTunes 7.0.2.16 on WXP-SP2 (plenty of ram & storage), then connected the iPod to a powered USB port.

iTunes saw the device and recommended upgrading the software. The upgrade halted on an error 1417 (something about not finding a folder).

Now the iPod is unusable with the Recovery mode loop. The full error below:
"iTunes has detected an iPod in recovery mode. You must restore this iPod before it can be used with iTunes."

I see IPOD under devices on the left pane of iTunes while the error displays. But when I click OK, the IPOD disappears under DEVICES.

I have no way of restoring my iPod via iTunes!

Any other way to restore or reset the iPod?


custom Windows XP Pro SP2,1GB ram,no drive-letter conflict

You were right. After painfull song by song selection I found 1 song that apparently corruppted the ipod. What is amazing is that it could happen. From a programmers point of view all you are doing is moving a file from one disk to another and adding it to a database.

I apple need the file for testing , they are welcome to contact me.

Thank you

The exact same thing happened to me!!! I just got my iPOD today and was so excited to use it. But I did not even get to listen to one song because now it is turning on and off continuously. I tried to call the support line but it's after 6PM PST. <sob>

Dell Inspiron 600m Windows XP Pro

I am having the exact same problem. It told me to update the latest version of ITunes, which I did, and then it told me my IPod was corrupted, and I should restore it, which I did, and now I am in that loop where it keeps telling me to restore the software. I cannot get the songs back onto my IPod. I even tried the part of changing the drive letter, and that still didn't solve my problem.

I have had my IPod nearly a year, and have had nothing but problems. I would not recommend buying one to anybody.