Your iPod Crashed... Now What?
Can It Be Saved?... Definitely

Your iPod Crashed Article by Mike D Tucker...

Your iPod crashed...

...stopped working for some reason and you don't want to lose all your data.

Don't panic this article will help.

First of all and most important is "DO NOT CONNECT YOUR IPOD TO ITUNES". The default setting for iPods is to auto sync your iPod to iTunes when connected.

In most cases you will lose everything. It cannot sync to an iPod that is not working correctly. Here is a list of most common symptoms and the cures...

Frozen iPod

If your iPod has frozen up and will not respond to any of the buttons try these steps.

1. Make sure you do not have the hold function engaged on your iPod -- This feature locks all the buttons on your iPod to keep them from being accidentally pushed. Slide the "Hold" button backward and forward and check to see if your iPod is now unfrozen.

2. Reset Your iPod -- Resetting your iPod is like re- booting your computer. To reset... push "Select and Menu" buttons at the same time and hold them for 10 seconds. If your iPod resets and is now functioning normally you are safe to use it and connect with your iTunes.

Your iPod Displays A Sad Face

If your iPod displays a sad icon it is usually not a good sign. In most cases, the sad iPod icon indicates a more serious hardware problem. You can try this.

Test your iPod by manually placing your iPod in disk mode. If this works it is not a hardware problem. To place your iPod in disk mode.

1. Toggle the hold switch on and off.

2. Press and hold the "Menu and Select" buttons until the apple logo appears on screen.

3. When the logo appears, release the "Menu and Select" buttons and immediately press and hold the "Select" and the "Play/Pause" buttons until the Disk Mode screen appears.

Your iPod Show A Folder With An Exclamation Mark

This is a sign of a communication error. Possible hard drive problem. Read more...

Most of the problems listed above including formatting your iPod will not completely lose your data. If the above solutions do not correct your crashed iPod problem you can use a data recovery software and save your songs and other data.

After crashing my iPod several times by dropping it. I bought a data recovery tool that works great. I am now the neighborhood iPod specialist. I have restored all my friends iPods.

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