Basic iPOD Problems

My iPod Will Not Turn On

Several things could prevent the iPod from turning on. Check each cause in this order to find out what’s wrong.
Make sure the Hold switch is off

iPod HOLD switch should be off

1. The Hold switch is located on the top of the iPod. When it’s pushed toward the headphones jack, you’ll see an orange patch. This means the Hold switch is on and that you need to turn it off.
2. Slide the Hold switch away from the headphones jack.
3. Press any button to turn on the iPod.

Make sure the battery is charged

low battery iconiPod won’t turn on if the battery is empty. Instead, a low battery screen appears for about 3 seconds when you try to turn it on.

1. Connect iPod to the Apple iPod Power Adapter and plug the power adapter into an electrical outlet, or connect iPod to your computer’s built-in FireWire port.
2. Wait for a minute, and then turn on iPod by pressing any button.

Remember: If your battery is completely dead, it will take up to 4 hours for your player to fully re-charge.
Reset your iPod

Your last case scenario is to reset your iPOD.

iPod HOLD switch should be off

1. Make sure the remote’s HOLD switch is off.
2. Connect iPOD to power adapter.
3. Connect adapter to an outlet.
4. Press and hold both the PLAY and MENU buttons for 5 seconds, until Apple logo appears.

My Music Isn’t Playing on My iPod

iPod HOLD switch should be off

1. Make sure the HOLD switch is off
2. Check to see if the earphones are plugged in all the way
3. Try turning up the volume
4. Check to see if the player is on pause

My iPod is Locked Up and Does Not Respond

If your iPod is constantly freezing or locking up, chances are that it needs a little love. There are numerous things that could cause this type of issue. If an iPod is exposed to excessive shock during activities such as exercise, jogging, off-roading, light saber battles, jumping, outlandish dancing, drops, falls, running into walls, or any sort of excessive fun, the iPod will activate its protection and stop the hard drive. The only way to resume after this is to reset the iPod. If resetting doesn’t resolve the issue, bring it into your local Geek Squad location for help.
My iPod Shows a Folder Icon With an Exclamation Point

Folder Icon With an Exclamation PointIf your iPod shows a folder icon with an exclamation point like the one here, use the steps below to fix the problem:

1. Charge the battery, which may be low. To do so, connect your iPod to the Apple iPod Power Adapter or to your computer using the cable that came with the iPod.
2. The iPod may have the wrong version of the iPod software. Some iPod models require a specific or later version of iPod software. Try updating or restoring the iPod based on the instruction manual that came with your player.
3. It may just be locked up. Try resetting the iPod.
4. If none of these steps fix the issue, bring your iPOD to a Geek Squad location near you for help.

My iPod Shows an Unhappy iPod Face on the Screen

Unhappy iPod FaceIf your iPod has an unhappy face on the screen like the one here, this is never a good thing. Before you do anything drastic, verify that the computer that you’re hooking the iPod up to meets the system requirements for the iPod. If it does meet the specs, the iPod needs to be placed into disc mode and restored. Bring your iPOD into a Geek Squad location for help with that.
My iPod Cannot Sync Songs With iTunes

When you sync your iPod with iTunes, the latter may display an error message that reads, “An unknown error has occurred (-36).” This can happen with any iPod. The “-36″ errors occur anytime iTunes can’t write information to the iPod. Here are some things that can cause this:

1. You may have outdated operating system software. Make sure the iPod has the latest updates, which may include improvements for device connections. For example, many USB and FireWire improvements have been included in Windows Service Packs. Check for Windows updates.
2. There may be software interference. Some software can interfere with iTunes, making it unable to write files to your iPod. If you have recently installed any software on your computer that might be interfering with iTunes, try disabling the software.
3. You may have damaged files. If one of the music files or photos is damaged, iTunes may display the -36 error when transferring that file to the iPod. If you identify a file that is causing the -36 error, try deleting that file and re-importing it from a backup file or from the original source.