Shuffle: Blinking green and orange lights - solved

[trickyt]

After months of trying I finally repaired an IPOD shuffle.

The problem was that no music would play and the green and orange lights blinked alternately. I had read that maybe this is because there was no music on the IPOD, but all attempts to wipe it clean and re-load failed. It would go through the motions in iTunes then tell me that the IPOD update was complete. Still no change in status.

I tried to uninstall and then re-install the software from the original disk and then again from downloading from the iTunes site., but no luck. I still got those darned blinking orange and green lights, but no music. According to everything I read on the internet, the only solution was to take it in for a service, or buy a new one. Wrong!

I was about to take it to bits when I had an idea. Follow these instructions and your shuffle will work like new again. Follow these instructions:

Place the shuffle in you PCs USB.

A dialog box may pop up. Do not click it.

Do not click any dialog which pops up asking if you want to put songs from this pc onto this ipod, deleting the old ones.

Click edit, preferneces, and check the box "enable disk use"

Move the slider right so that it is set to more data (maximum), and 0 songs.

Click OK

Right Click your start button, and select explore

Navigate to My Computer, and then seek the drive which represents the Shuffle. (mine is called Trick's IPO) (G.

Now right click on the drive (G: in my case), and selectr format

Leave the options as they are - Mine says 488MB, FAT32, Default Allocation Size,

Click Start

After formatting,

Click eject ipod (icon in the bottom right of the itunes window)

Remove the shuffle

Re-insert the shuffle

It works!!!!

[ipodshuffler]

thats complicated!!

[FuglyMe]

Your telling me, and i didnt even read it!!

[machima]

Couldn't you have just used the iPod Software Updater and used the format feature in that? It's a lot simpler and sets it back to factory settings.

[LynchMOB]

Originally posted by machima
Couldn't you have just used the iPod Software Updater and used the format feature in that? It's a lot simpler and sets it back to factory settings.

The way I read his post it sounds like he tried everything.

[trickyt]

I tried using the IPOD shuffle updater and using any and all apple related format tools I could find, but nothing worked until I used the Windows XP format function.

One point to add. Format as FAT, not FAT32! No harm will come iof you do it wrong. Just re-do it.

[mrdantownsend]

Wow,

that's really good

i'm glad that you fixed your shuffle!

have fun!

[downhill]

I used my ipod on a different computer with an older version of itunes, and this problem occured afterwards. didn't you do the same?

[trickyt]

Nope. always stuck my ipos in the same hole.. - well come to think of it, maybe you are right. - I have dual boot, and perhaps i booted to the wrong disk and tried to synch from there. Must have an older version of itunes on the second disk.

[trickyt]

Tried to post a link to this problem when another user had the same question, but apparently i am not allowed to do so as I am not an established user. Lets hope this helps..

[widge]

Originally posted by ipodshuffler
thats complicated!!

Thats Windoze for you.

Buy a Mac, you won't have any problems then

[dagamezmasta]

so trickyt, your computer could detect the presence of an USB device plugged in? mine seems to be able to detect it, but i can't actually access it.

and iTunes and iPod updater can't detect it at all.

[johnny_cage]

i have the same, windows can detect the apple ipod shuffle, but it wont let me do anything to it. and ipod update and itunes dosent detect it at all.

the only solution i know of for this is to try and get it replaced under warranty, but i dont have the time right now to contact apple about it. so im left with a white brick until an alternative solution arrives.

[BroJoe6]

To trickyt
Thank you SOOOO MUCHHHHHH!!!!!!
I read your article of "After Months of trying"
I did everything you said and 'AT LAST'
my IPOD is working.

Listen Everyone follow his instructions it really works.


BroJoe6

[tmunlin]

Brilliant. I tried it and it worked for me. Hope I don't have this problem again.

Thanks trickyt