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[10sne1]

It's now time to officially ask for HELP.  I've been working on this for a couple days now, and yes, I've searched this forum as much as possible, but I can't get this to work.  Here's the basics:  I have a new 40gig ipod.  I have the lastest version of Media Center installed (11.0.140).  I have the ipod updated to latest update (11/15).  I have tried with first not installing iTunes at all, then reinstalling (reconfiguring ipod) and loading iTunes.  

I made 2 new playlists.  I connected ipod, went to Handheld player, selection is there for my ipod, choose Syncronize, opened the playlist group to show the playlists on Media Center, choose both of the new playlists I made for the ipod (remember this is new, clean ipod with nothing on it yet), by checking the boxes, then choose TRANSFER.  I can watch the progress of each song being transferred over.

Result:  I look on Media Center and see these new playlists listed under the library tree under ipod name, see all the Artists names which are on the songs, see all the proper songs listed in each playlist.  Media Center can play all of these tracks.  NOW, I disconnect the ipod.  I go to playlists.  I only see 1 playlist.  The other one is not there.  The songs aren't there.  

I tried Transfer again - now songs in 1 playlist still missing, other playlist shows songs listed twice!!  

Reinstalled ipod software, many reboots, installed itunes, transfered one song (not playlist since I'm not using itunes I didn't make it find my music, etc.  I close itunes.  I then start from scratch again.


Another try.  I make another playlist on Media Center.  I go through same steps but now choose all 3 playlists to sync.  In the options I have selected the first 2 check boxes, delete unselected files and sync data to Media Center.  Hit transfer again.  Now -- Media Center show 2 playlists  fine -- 3rd one is not there.  One of the playlists (by the way this isn't the one that didn't show up the first time) now shows 2 of each song.  After I repeat this procedure.  I disconnect ipod.  Now same two playlists are showing - 3rd one missing.  Interesting twist.  The 3rd playlist is not listed at all BUT if I look on the ipod under Songs I ONLY see the songs listed which were on my 3rd missing playlist.  SONGS doesn't list any of the songs which are on my 2 playlists that made it to ipod!!  Same thing with Artists.  The ones I can see aren't listed in the playlists and visa versa.

I know many of you are using Media Center to manage your ipods so I must be doing something wrong but this is the basics...how am I screwing up?  If I look on Media Center all is perfect...and I can play each of these songs through media Center from my ipod.

Another interesting fact.  Every time I disconnect the ipod and reconnect, I shortly get a message that iTunes has encountered a problem and needs to close after ipod is detected by Media Center.  I don't open iTunes but perhaps ipod is trying to.  I can no longer start itunes once media Center has been opened, even if media center is closed.

Please walk me through this one.  

[10sne1]

Steve, can you help??

[10sne1]

Are there problems with these newer versions of Media Center working properly with the ipod or is it me??  I see many post recently with others having problems--maybe not the same--but trend is ipod syncing with Media Center is less than perfect.  I had high hopes this would run more smoothly.   

[SteveG]

10sne1,

Sorry to have been out of touch with this board for a while.

Lets start with the basics here.

I shortly get a message that iTunes has encountered a problem and needs to close after ipod is detected by Media Center.

iTunes should be set to not auto start when iPod is connected. It appears as if iTunes is trying to grab control of the iPod. Please turn this off and try again.


Steve

[10sne1]

Thanks Steve.  I am not very familiar with iTunes but I did try to set everything in Preferences to not use iTunes, to no avail.  As soon as I plugged in the ipod I saw iTunes start and then crash.  I've rebooted and when I loaded MC and plugged in the iPod I got 2 error messages:  The desired handheld is not valid and also this message: The parameter is incorrect. 

I decided to uninstall iTunes.  I only installed it because I thought I had to for the iPod to format. 

Ok, now when I reboot, (about 5 times now) I plug in iPod and get error messages.  Actually Media Center is giving me a no message error message.  I just get the box with big red X in it.    I click OK and when I go to look at iPod under drives and devices it doesn't show me the ipod by name like it used to...it now just says "ipod".  I look under playlists and it only shows 1 (I had 4 on there but remember they were all showing up a little screwy).  When I click on something else after that I get the usual Media Core error.
Media Core has encountered a problem and needs to close.  We are sorry for the inconvenience.  Yeah, yeah, ok.  Media Center closes.  I've gone through this same routine after rebooting a few times.

I'm not sure if these new problems are due to now having .149 installed or removing iTunes or something with iPod. 

Please help.  Don't force me to learn and use iTunes!  It will be so wonderful if I can get Media Center to play nice with my iPod.

[10sne1]

Interesting.  I couldn't get it to work at all.  I then installed older version of Media Center 11--went to 11.0.140--and it was "working" again.  I say that lightly.  It still doesn't show correct playlists on the iPod (missing one playlist, now songs are doubled in another playlist) but it reads it correctly on Media Center, AND I was not able to get a new playlist loaded onto the iPod.  Interesting thing is only the songs which don't appear on the iPod in a playlist are the ones I can see when I look on the iPod under SONGS.  The songs properly listed in my playlists don't appear.

[SteveG]

10sne1,

To disable iTunes auto detece, click on the little iPod icon and then deselect 'Open iTunes when attached' and set the radio selection to 'Manuallly manage songs and playlists'.

If things are working OK, wait for MC 11.0.150 and then get it. There is currently some odd behavior with enumerating files at the root level of iPod in 11.0.149 which will go away in 11.0.150.

Steve

[10sne1]

Problem is that I can't start iTunes with iPod attached--immediately get an error and iTunes closes.  I don't think I can disable iTunes without having iPod attached because I don't see the "little iPod icon".  Doesn't matter as  I've uninstalled iTunes completely. 

I've now got my iPod working.  I used MC 11.0.140 to initialize my iPod - essentially wiping it, right??  I needed to add the mp3 files which are on the playlists first (choose all the mp3's and install them on iPod.)  THEN I added the playlists.  Now the playlists all appear and the songs all appear!  Yeah.  I'm still not sure these songs won't be listed twice in any playlist when I syncronize again, but so far so good. 

I'm anxiously awaiting MC 11.0.150 to get back with the newest beta.  There is hope!

[SteveG]

10sne1,

I used MC 11.0.140 to initialize my iPod - essentially wiping it, right??

It wipes the database file, but not the device itself. For the latter, you would want to reformat the drive from within Windows.

I needed to add the mp3 files which are on the playlists first (choose all the mp3's and install them on iPod.)  THEN I added the playlists.

None of that should be necessary. You should be able to drag and drop playlists onto the device or sync without this step.  The newest beta from last night was pulled, but a new one should be available today. Please get it and go forward with that version as there are changes that will definitely affect the iPod.

Glad all is improving.

Steve