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[JeffPalley]

I just got a 60g photo and a 60g video iPod.  (My old 20g worked fine with MC, but I haven't plugged it into my computer for years.)

Anyway, I've done everything I can think of, but for both iPods, MC asks if I want to recognize the iPod as a portable device and I say "yes," and MC happily shows no errors, but the iPod shows as having zero bytes used and zero bytes free.  So, for example, if I try to put a 5MB song into the iPod, MC tells me I'm 5MB over its capacity.

Currently, I'm using MC 11.101.1, but I've tried it with the public release and the last four pre-releases.  I've run both iPods through the newest iPod Updater (2006-01-10), restored them to factory settings, used iTunes to initialize them, used MC to initialize them, etc., etc.

I've deleted the iTunes database and I haven't ... doesn't seem to make any difference. 

My Windows XP Explorer recognizes both iPods as removable disks ... it sees the various control files and the fxx folders for music. 

Itunes works perfectly on both iPods, puts songs on them, and they play fine, takes songs off them, etc., etc.

I've tried two different USB2 ports on my desktop, plus a powered USB hub. Always the same.

I'm out of ideas for stupid things I could be doing.

PLEASE ... any ideas.  I'd even be happy to SEND you one of them if you think you know how to fix the problem.

Thanks, Jeff
JeffPalley@msn.com

[JimH]

Work with one iPod at a time.  Don't use two until you get one working.

Tell MC to "Redetect devices".  It's in options under handhelds.

Rename the iPod by right clicking on it in the tree under devices.

If that doesn't work, try killing the ituneshelper task from task manager.

[JeffPalley]

Jim,

Appreciate you taking an interest and I'm hoping we can get it solved.  Actually, I worked with the video iPod yesterday, and today with the photo iPod only. 

I've done Redetect Devices so many times I can do it blindfolded.

I don't find iTunesHelper as a process in Task Manager; just iPodService.exe and (when iTunes is runnning), iTunes.exe.  I've killing tried one or the other, and both, rather than just closing iTunes, but it doesn't seem to matter.

Also, I've told iTunes to let the iPod work as a disk and then not to ... neither seems to make any difference, and that setting probably gets wiped out when I use MC to "Initialize iPod."

Any other thoughts?  Is it conceivable it might be the computer I'm at?  (It's never given my any flaky behavior before.)

Thanks, Jeff
JeffPalley@msn.com

[JimH]

Did you try renaming the device?

[JeffPalley]

Hi Jim,

To answer your direct question first: Yes I did try renaming the iPod to lots of things, but settled on just IPOD as the safest.

Anyway, GUESS WHAT!  I brought the iPod to work and plugged it into my old Win2K machine that has MC 11.0.316 on it, and some old version of iTunes.  And it worked!  The iPod is using drive letter J: and MC seems to insist on showing it as:

          iPod {lots of spaces, then:} 1.62 (J:)
          2 Files Total

          Space remaining 55.7 GB

I have no idea what the 1.62 means.

Anyway, not the best solution, but a million times better than the iPod not working at all, or having to use iTunes.  I have a 300GB portable USB drive, so I'll copy my music onto it and take it into work, until some other solution magically appears (courtesy of you, I hope).  Meanwhile, I won't upgrade anything at work.

Incidentally, do I even need iTunes? ... I never use it for anything at all -- never buy music through it, etc. -- except I thought it was used to initially "initialize" the iPod.  If you tell me no, I'll delete iTunes from both my home & work machines ... I already deleted it and reinstalled it at home several times, but that made no difference.  (Incidentally, at work there WAS an iTunesHelper process running, but I killed it and it didn't seem to make any difference.)

So anyway, tell me if I can uninstall iTunes, and keep me posted if anything new turns up.

Thanks, Jeff
JeffPalley@msn.com

[JimH]

I don't think this is an MC problem.  We're not seeing it commonly.  You might try an uninstall of MC11.1, removing your registry, and reinstall.

Definitely uninstall itunes.

[JeffPalley]

Hi Jim,

I just uninstalled iTunes at work.  When I get home, I'll uninstall it there. 

When you say to "remove registry" when uninstalling MC11 (before reinstalling it), I'm not sure what you mean, but maybe it'll become obvious during the MC11 uninstall?

Thanks, Jeff
JeffPalley@msn.com

[zxsix]

yes, you'll be prompted during the install a question about the registry settings.

also, I haven't seen you mention initializing the ipod in MC.

After you redetect the device, shut down MC.
Using windows explorer, delete the itunesdb from the ipod.
Start up MC again.
Rightclick the ipod in the tree and choose initialize ipod.
Shut down MC.
Restart MC and try a sync.

I've got an ipod photo 60GB and a Nano 4GB working fine.

[Magic_Randy]

I have 2 of the new 5G iPods and both work with MC.

However, in both cases I had initial troubles which went away after I used the iPod updater and did a restore.  Maybe this is not related, but I had no issue with MC after that. 

Randy