Hey Apple! Why did you break my iPod?
I have a 30GB video iPod that I got late last year. I love it! I take it everywhere with me and use it for listening to music and podcasts. Heck, I've even purchased a few videos for it and have the link cable to watch them on my TV!
Recently, Apple did something to earn my disdain...
What did Apple do? Why they forced me to upgrade my version of iTunes and to upgrade the firmware on my iPod!
I am the type of person who does not upgrade until several months pass by. I like to let others experience the bugs of new software upgrades. This time, Apple would not let me wait.
It started simple enough with the usual "There is a new version of iTunes, want to upgrade" message popping up when I ran iTunes. These are easy enough to ignore and I did so.
Then, one day, I was trying to transfer a video podcast to my iPod and I got a new message, "the firmware on your iPod is to old for this media. Please upgrade."
That got my attention! Especially since I was putting some files *back* onto my iPod that had previously resided there with no problems!
So, being the fool, I upgraded iTunes and the iPod firmware. Everything seemed to be OK and I could now put the video podcast back onto the iPod...
Everything went well for a few days as I caught up on recent podcasts then... I tried to play a podcast I had put on my iPod *after* the upgrade and it crashed and rebooted!
I tried again, same thing. I thought, "well, maybe it was a bad download?" but even after downloading the file again I still had the problem of the iPod crashing...
This is when I started searching the 'net for answers. what I found was a lot of people complaining of bugs with the new iTunes...
I'm running the 1.2 version firmware on my iPod now and here is a short list of feature "changes" I have experienced:
1) Certain podcast mp3 files, when played, cause my iPod to crash.
2) All my photos are suddenly gone.
3) All of my "recently xxx" play lists are gone.
I did find a fix for number one. It involves going into the info section of your mp3 file and telling iTunes to start the track at 00:01 rather then 00:00. Annoying, but it now works.
I do not know why number two erased all my photos, but I do not use that feature much anyways...
Number three is the most annoying one to me, and really bugs me.
I have used the "recently xxx" play lists since I got my iPod. I rely on these play lists so that when I add some new songs I can quickly find them! I listen to a ton of podcasts and have a ton of singles from various artists so the only way to find what I have added (in regards to music) is by using the "recently added" play list... Now it's gone...
What's the deal Apple? And, as long as I'm on the subject, why is it that if I add an mp3 file that is from a podcast, but do not add it via the podcast tab using the "update podcast" method it does not get added to the podcast page?
When I was trying to figure out if I had downloaded corrupted version of my podcast files I deleted the one that were in the podcast page and download them fresh to my hard drive. when I went to add them into iTunes they ended up under music! I have no idea how to get them to appear on the podcast tab... A little help anyone?
I thought it was jsut my iPod that was crashing since I upraded to iTunes 7. What a total mess this upgrade has been.
I don’t use Photos or Recent XXX on my iPod, but my iPod is also crashing when playing podcasts since upgrading to the 1.2 firmware. It’s nice to know I’m not alone on this.
As for why mp3s you manually add show up in “music” instead of “podcasts” — that’s because iTunes seems to only be able to tell that a file is a “podcast” if iTunes downloaded it as such. There’s nothing special about the actual MP3 files to denote them as being a podcast or not.
So, while I very much fault Apple for releasing faulty firmware (how hard is it to test that it works with Podcats, Apple?!), I don’t fault them for having manually added MP3s appear as music.
Crashing doesn’t just happen with podcasts. I imported a cd with old radio shows on. About 99% of the files crashed. The 0.01 solution fixed the problem you are a star!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. Shame Apple could be bothered to put any flagging of this promblem on their site!!!
Turning off the EQ settings should help the crashing when choosing a podcast and such.
The photos are probably just set to not automatically sync in ipod options.
The playlists, I don’t know. I suppose the update just cleared all playlists. All you have to do is make a new “smart playlist” with the parameters you want and it will automatically update to your ipod.
Hey, very smart man! I have been having all kinds of problems with my iPod Video CRASHING upon starting certain Podcasts, and it was ANNOYING me to no end! So, I searched out answers, and I found your suggestion to turn off the EQ. Well, I tried it and it WORKED!! I think it is stupid of iPod to make it happen like that, but none-the-less, your suggestion worked. THANKS dude for a great idea. I have been revived! Dr. Lee
YOU ROCK…i have been trying for weeks to get some of my podcast to work with no avail, but the :01 trick did the job. I am so indebted to you!
Thanks for the info.
My ipod also crashed when trying to play my podcasts after i downloaded the new iTunes software. THe only problem with the changing the start track time to 00:01 is that you have to do it for every single podcast and in my case i have hundreds of them. Is there a way to do this one time and apply it to multple podcast tracks? I found the suggestion to turn of the EQ (found out that meant Equalizer) worked but now my podcast tracks don’t sound as nice.
Instructions for these suggestions for those not tech savvy like me:
Changing Track Time Settings
1. Go to iTunes Software on yur PC
2. Find your podcast track and right click it with the mouse
3. Choose “Get Info”
4. Put check in box next to STart Time and change from 00:00 to 00:01
Changing EQ “Equalizer” Setting
1. Go to iPod unit
2. Press Menu
3. Scroll to Settings and Select
4. Scroll to EQ, Select and Press >> button to turn off
5. To turn back on again simply Scroll to Spoken Word (if podcast)and Select and it will automatically turn back on or in case of buggy software crash your iPod.
~rosebud
Yes, it is a pain to do them manually.
I only listen to a few podcasts (less then 20) and they come in on different days of the week. So, for me, it is only a case of adding two or three a day onto my iPod.
What you can also do, when updating the start time, is use the “next” button on that particular window. This will save you a few clicks.
Strangely enough, I reset my iPod about a month ago and the trouble went away, but now it is back again!
My iTunes crash before the sync even begins to sync. I have a nano and a 5th gen, the nano works fine and the 5th gen crashes the iTunes.
It is something with 7 because lots of people are having the same problem. Apple’s iTunes 7 is 8^, they need to fix this not have everyone on blogs and such finding the fixes for themselves.
That’s not good business sense.
Are you using auto-sync?
What version of USB are you using? I had to upgrade my wife’s machine to USB 2.0 via a PCI card because her new iPod Shuffle kept vanishing when she tried to sync it.
I have a MacBook that is not even a year old. Unless I have a new computer with old ports it should work fine.
And, here is the latest…
Now my nano doesn’t work! It won’t sync, it’s barely a month old. So now I am of to do all these fixes again. I had no idea I had to become and IT guy to own Apple products. If I had I would have purchased a PC instead!
It’s fixed!
I got a PC from the PX and now both my iPods work!
Thanks guys!
Oh, so you are in the service? Which branch and where in the world are you?
I hate my stupid ipod nano now it wont even update or let me apply new music to it. Apple is goin to get a nasty phone call from me tomorrow this is rediculious** and I hate the new vista nothing works with it why did it have to come preloaded on my labtop this tech world is startin to suck and break down!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I HATE EVERYONE NOW THANKS A LOT APPLE AND WINDOWS YOUR RUINING MY WORLD AND I DIDNT EVEN GRADUATE YET!!!!!! WAIT FOR TOMORROW IM SO TICKED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
I have had more problems with my 30GB iPod than I can catalog on this blog.
Lately it has stopped playing unless it is plugged into my car charger. The icon shows it as playing (triangle) but the time track does not move.
I was given a Nano as a gift back in October. I upgraded to the newest version of Intunes. Subsequently, every time that I go to download a Podcast, it crashes my pc. The download may start but it only goes about half way before my pc shuts down. It worked well before the upgrade. Ripping from cd’s and synching the material that I have is fine. I waited for Apple to release a new version. Two versions later, I still have the same problem. I have also un-installed and re-installed Itunes. The ipod is great, but the main reason I wanted it was for the podcasts. I haven’t seen this specific problem mentioned. Does anyone have a suggestion?
I had the problem where the ipod reboots when it tried to start playing any file imported after upgrading iTunes. I upgraded the ipod and now all is well…
hi i just bought the 30gb ipod and i cant get videos to play from podcast can someone please HELP!!
I bought two 40gb iPod in summer 2004, one for myself and one for my daughter. Both have been replaced 3 times each, at an apple store and always with a ‘recon’ (no new ones available). The first replacement cost $120, the second $70, the third $35. Each time with only the 90-day ‘recon warranty’ (the next ‘crash’ always happened after 90-days so it was never covered). When iTunes 7 came out I updated. First connection it corrupted the iPod data base. Now nothing works.
In Oct 2006, I purchased a new Zen Creative 30gb. After a major transfer hassle from iTunes to Windows Media Player, I love my Creative. I’m going to give it to my daughter and buy the 60gb. iPod buyers be aware….I’m SO HAPPY TO BE FREE OF PROPRIETARY A/V SYSTEMS! And I’ve donated my last dollar to Apple products. I’ll find another way around the A/V world.
My problem is similar, but with videos. Some work, some dont. Some work once, then the 2nd time around they crash.