Problem downloading podcasts

[bfcoughlin]

I'm have difficulty downloading poscasts. I subscribe, and I'm supposed to get the latest episode. The little wheel spins; the download bar advances; eventually it says DONE...but no podcast appears in iTunes, and no file in the podcst folder on the computer. If I click on GET in either the iTunes store or the podcast list (which appears greyed on my iTunes), same thing happens--a whole lot of spinning and what appears to be action--but no end results. I have the latest version of iTunes, Vista, and a 3G nano.

These are video podcasts. I just subscribed to an audio podcast; no problem--but I have other video podcasts that update and download without issue.

Any hints? (I wasn't sure if I should post this here or in the Podcast folder; I didn't want to cross post; please let me know if that would be a better option.)

 

[Sparkee]

It is possible the podcast is no longer available. You should also go the the Podcasters website and see if they have changed the RSS feeds address. External links to a podcasts RSS feed can be added with the Advanced/Subscibe to podcast... menu.

Post a link or name for the podcast and I can check it too.

 

[bfcoughlin]

The podcasts are The Secret Ingredients Video Blog from Whole Foods Market and Fresh TV: Best of '07. Both ave very recent episodes. I was able to get episode from the former on my laptop (which is not the computer I use with the iPod), but the other one comes up with an error message. So I know that at least one works; I tired that one again tonight on this computer, and the same thing happens-it acts like it's downloading, but nothing "takes."

 

[Sparkee]

I just subscribe to and downloaded all episodes with out a hitch, I actually think I might keep them to watch.

Look in your iTunes Music folder for a folder named "Downloads", look for the files you are trying to download and delete them. In fact if you're not downloading anything delete everything in this folder. It is a folder where iTunes keeps temporary files while it's downloading them before it moves them to their appropriate place in iTunes. It is possible this file is corrupted and not allowing the process to complete. Try downloading them again.

 

[bfcoughlin]

I found the folder and deleted the files--but I still can't get this poscast. It acts like it's downloading, but in the end, nothing gets transferred. Very frustrating.

 

[Sparkee]

I would have to suggest re-installing iTunes now. I'm not sure where iTunes stores podcast download data, but if it persists try rebuilding the library files with How to re-create your iTunes Library .

 

[bfcoughlin]

I was thinking that re-installing iTunes might be the way to go. Just to check--do I un-install it first; of just re-install over it?

I have a laptop with XP. It subscribed and dowloaded the podcasts just fine. If I can't get it to work on this Vista machine, I'm thinking of just synching the iPod to the laptop. If I copy over the whole iTunes folder, will I have to re-subscribe to the other podcasts that I have now, or will this information be transferred?

 

[Sparkee]

You should un-install iTunes before re-installing, this should not effect the music or iTunes library files. I think the there's some instructions somewhere on Apple's site for a clean install, but I don't think you'll need to go that deep.

I can't say for sure if the podcasts subscriptions will go with the library files or if they will work right. Theoretically you should be OK, but I would make a list of your podcasts just in case.

Is the Vista machine an upgrade install or did it come with the system? Some times upgrade installs of operating systems introduce quirky little behaviors too. I still run into quite a few people who are going back to WinXP. Even the new OS X Leopard has it's issues, but not to a point where I want to Tiger.

 

[bfcoughlin]

This machine came with Vista installed. From the beginning, iTunes & and Vista haven't seemed to have gotten along. iTunes frequently causes Vista to crash--various permutations of the Blue Screen of Death.

Just for the sake of convenience, I'll try to reinstall iTunes. If it doesn't work, I'll just switch to using the laptop with the iPod.

I appreciate the time and effort you've spent trying to help.

 

[simsboard]

did you find a solution in the meantime?
I have exatly the same problem as you: the download of the podcasts is labled as finished in iTunes but the file is not available any more - I can see temp. download-file in my iTunes Music-folder but it looks as if moving the files to the Podcast-folder seems to fail

I am using vista as well and on my office-notebook (with XP) everything runs fine but in comparison to you I would like to keep everything on my private vista-PC and not on the office so I would be very happy about any comment

btw: iTunes causes quite a lot of cases on my vista-PC especially when syncing/modifying pics or movies => does this happen to anybody else?

 

[bfcoughlin]

I uninstalled iTunes and then reinstalled it. Now it will pick up updates for podcasts, but it still won't get old episodes. I was able to unsuscribe and then subscribe again to one where I'd missed the latest episodes and couldn't get it otherwise.

This all happened after I upgraded to the latest version (the same version I just reinstalled)--it also happened the last time I upgraded. To me, the lesson is to uninstall iTunes before upgrading--and to cafefull consider whether or not to upgrade.

And, yes--causes frequent crashes of Vista, espeically when it has to do anything involving
video--in my case video podcasts. It may be downloading or synching; and it may happen at the time or later or when I go to close it down.

I'd really like to move the iPod over to the laptop, but I'm not only concerned about the inconvenience. I use the iPod in a variety of ways: I have numerous playlists that would take hours to re-construct; audiobooks; games; and several podcasts. I kno wI can copy over the whole iTunes folder, but I still fear to lose some of this stuff in the transition.

 

[simsboard]

no chance! I un-installed iTunes, deleted now already the whole iTunes folder then re-installed iTunes again and also re-subscribed to the podcasts again but unfortunatly with the same result!
I tied to change the download-settings for the podcast but as expected => also no changes!
I'm using the version from the todays download: 7.5.0.20 => which one is yours?

do you have any ideas if it is necessary to give iTunes some additional rights because for me it loosk as if iTunes tries to copy the downloaded podcast-file from the "download"-folder to the "podcast"-folder and here it fails!!

 

[EmeraldICE898]

Try running iTunes in Admin mode. That helped me with a lot of problems I was having with Vista and iTunes.

Go to C: > Program Files > iTunes > right click on iTunes and choose 'Run as administrator" and then try downloading the podcast.

 

[simsboard]

thanks emerald!
but honestly spoken: this was of course the first thing I tried but without any difference neither the download of the podcasts nor the rest of the unstable things (re-coding of movies or pictures)