IPod Classic intermittent not recognised by iTunes, on Windows 10

OK, I think I am beginning to understand, but still a bit hazy as to what you are recommending I have to do, and in what order.

Do I need to do the 'Retsore iPod' from the iTunes menu that comes up when iTunes says it cannot read the iPod? (I know this just erases and reinstalls the software, but also erases all the data. So it doesn't do much for the hardware/hard disc?).

Or do I first try and do the Windows reformat? Again, I presume this will wipe all the data? As I don't use a MAC, I don't have to do the MAC reformat (however that is done)?

So all I need to do is reformat via Windows, then run the diagnostic again (to check the pending sectors have reverted back to Zero), then transfer all the data back over via the incremental Sync method? (which I now see how it works - the GB figure is cumulative, not per transfer - so you have to set it to 10, then 20, then 30 etc).

OK, I will do that.

Whilst doing something else, I tried to connect the iPod again - no luck. First time, no Windows error, iTunes cannot connect, eject and disconnect. Second time, Windows error and iTunes cannot read iPod.

Eventually got it connected without iTuines being open and looked via My Computer, Properties, Tools. I only have 2 options - Error Check or Optimise and Defragment (but if I select the latter it is actually not available for the iPod). The Error Check does not give me any options - only just to check the device, (which is the same checking as happens if you follow the 'Error Checking' option when trying to connect the device to iTunes), BUT no option about recovering bad sectors etc.

So I think my only option is to reformat via right-clicking the drive under My Computer and there is a menu option there to format (which includes Quick Format, which I now don't want to do, I guess, as I need to reformat and recover the whole drive.

I'm diving in on the big option now - hope it goes OK!!

Nightmare on Elm Street continues.

Did the Windows reformat (took ages).

Did the iTunes Restoore - was quite quick.

Did the syncing of music (took threee attempts for me to get it right, but the process said eveything had been copied and all the music and playlists seeemd to be there when looking at the device on iTunes.

Ejected and disconnected when it said I could.

iPod screen gives me language options, all settings aoart from date and time been lost and............................it says NO MUSIC (but again, 40 odd GB of memory are being used.

So 3 steps forward, 4 steps back.

Is there anything else I can do (apart from binning the iPod)?

PLEASE!

The stats seem to have got worse!

Here they are - the first set of figures are what they were before the reformat and restore, the second set is what they are now:

Retracts: 0 0

Reallocs: 936 1536

Pending sectors: 144 208

Poweron Hours: 104 110

Start/Stops: 7287 7309

Temp Current: 18 21

Temp min: 1 1

Temp max: 48 48

I meant to mention before - I don't understand that huge number of Start/Stops. Is it Start/Stop of the whole iPod (i.e. like On/Off) or is it Start/Stop of the music (i.e. like Play/Stop)? I can just about understand the latter, but it still means over 70 start/stops per hour of playing, whuch is an average of over 1 per minute!! I do have to Play/Stop the iPod quite regulalry because of how I sometimes use it (providing music for folk dancing), but not at the rate of 1 play/stop per minute!!

BUT - GOOD NEWS.

Having done the Reset in order to get the Stats, then Reset again afterwards to exit the self-test menus, I just turned the iPod on and I seem to have music accessible on there. At last!

Now it's time to see if I can connect to iTunes without hassle!

Well, I have just managed to connect my iPod back to iTunes without any hitches for the first time for ages! Thanks for all your help, genuinely much appreciated.

However, pessimist that I am , I remain unconvinced that it will stay this way for long - I need to start adding new albums, editing data etc to see what really happens - but for the moment, it seems OK.

But because of all the hassle I was having and while nothing seemed to be working to get the iPod working again, I have purchased a second iPod Classic 160GB (refurbished, not a new one, couldn't afford another full price one!!).

When it arrives, I am going to load that up with at least some of my music and see how it works. I may well end up splitting my music across the 2 iPods, as there is an easy distinction to make across the various types of music I have on there.

Thanks again, tt2, for your help and your patience with me. I have marked one of your replies as the solution, the one from early on that had the link to the various steps to follow, including the diagnostic tests and the transfer break-down method.

Cheers (for now!!!?)

Well, after all the above, at first all seemed well, but now I am not too sure.

I used the iPod on a long car journey today and it is back to randomly changing tracks part way through playing a track. Also at one point the car display went completely and just showed an icon of a speaker and the iPod (not track details as is usual) and carried on playing from somewhere else in the library that I had not selected.

Disconnected and re-connected and it was fine again for a while - until it started skipping tracks again, some times right at the start of a track, some times part way through a track.

And on Tuesday evening, it had been playing a track fine, then after 30 seconds just jumped back to the start of the track again of its own volition! In the circumstances, that was quite embarassing for me!!

I guess I am saying that it is still broke, aren't I?

I checked the disc stats 10 minutes ago. Compared to the stats on 9th December (so about a week ago, last tiem I posted them), Reallocs have increased from 1536 to 1688, and the pendings have nearly doubled - from 208 to 400. Interestingly, the Power On Hours has not changed, despite it being on for at least 8 hours in the last 3 days!

Apart from binning the **** thing, is there anything further I can do? Is it worth running the Windows Drive Format and iTunes Reset again? Does Windows have any other drive repair tools that migth be worth using? Or do I take it for repair somewhere?

Cheers

Epitaph:

As a final punt, I took the decison to run Windows Check Disk, in the Fix and Repair mode. It took 48 hours to run (literally) and found over 123MB of bad sectors, which it said it had repaired.

Connected to iTunes, ran iTunes Restore again, then started to Sync, Playlist by Playlist (so chunks of much less than 10 GB per sync). First one looked fine, ejected and checked the iPod, music all there. Added two more small playlists, did not eject, added a 4th, ejected. iPod said no music, but 15 GB of memory was in use.

So now I am 100% convinced that it is beyond all hope of repair.

Given that replacing the hard drive sems to cost more than getting a second hand device (unless I try and do it myself), that's it, this is a requiem for a bust iPod.

Thanks again for all your help and patience.

Cheers