RB'd my 30Gb iPod Video - now my computer can't see it

[PeteFord]

I installed Rockbox and all seemed well until I tried to hook it back up to my computer. It restarts, goes to a "do not disconnect" screen for a moment then goes to "ok to disconnect". It never shows up as an external drive and iTunes can't see it. Tried shutting down (hold "play") then sliding the hold switch to the locked position so force it to reboot the original firmware - no difference. I've tried everything I can think of - I'm out of ideas - please help.

[GodEater]

How about if you put it into disk mode ?

[PeteFord]

How about if you put it into disk mode ?

I tried that a couple of ways - first with the pod already connected to the USB, then again with it unconnected and then plugging in. It doesn't work either way. What's weird is that even off the cable, after a second or two I get the big checkmark and the "ok to disconnect" message - even though it's not actually connected to anything. Also once that message is there the only way to get rid of it is to reset.

[PeteFord]

Incidentally, and I don't know if this gives any clues: before Rockbox the "Do not disconnect"/"OK to disconnect" screens use the usual iPod colors & font. Now it's gone to a black&white display and a smaller, plainer font. I don't know if that means anything.

[LambdaCalculus]

Incidentally, there's also a little button called "Modify" on each message you post. Double posting like this is against forum guidelines, so please make use of the modify button in the future if you have to add to a message.

That black and white display is Emergency Disk Mode. It's there in case your iPod decides to go south, so you can at least access the hard drive.

[PeteFord]

Incidentally, there's also a little button called "Modify" on each message you post. Double posting like this is against forum guidelines, so please make use of the modify button in the future if you have to add to a message.

Noted - thanks.

That black and white display is Emergency Disk Mode. It's there in case your iPod decides to go south, so you can at least access the hard drive.

Ok. But the pod goes to "ok to disconnect" after just a second or two whether or not it's actually connected to my computer, which sort-of implies that one side or the other has decided that it's already been ejected.

Question - when putting it into the disk mode like this should I have it connected first, or put it into disk mode *then* connect?

[linuxstb]

Maybe an obvious question, but have you tried rebooting your computer?  Or at the very least, manually restarting the "ipodservice.exe" service?

[Chronon]

My nano immediately displays the check mark with "OK to disconnect" if I put it into disk mode.  If I connect it to a computer via USB then this switches to the "Do not disconnect" with the struck through circle.  So don't automatically assume that the check mark means that the device is not prepared to accept a USB connection.  

I also think you should follow linuxstb's advice.

[LambdaCalculus]

My iPod does the same thing as well if I put it into disk mode. This looks like common behavior on the iPods.

[PeteFord]

Maybe an obvious question, but have you tried rebooting your computer?  Or at the very least, manually restarting the "ipodservice.exe" service?

Yes I tried this, and I've tried it on a different machine too - no soap.

[LambdaCalculus]

Try these two steps as well:

1) Use another USB cable if you have one, and

2) Connect the USB cable directly to a port, instead of through a hub or extension cable.

[PeteFord]

My iPod does the same thing as well if I put it into disk mode. This looks like common behavior on the iPods.

I just tried again putting it into disk mode, at which point it displays "ok to disconnect" (as expected, from what's been said here).

Then connected to my machine and gave it a couple of minutes to be sure, but it's still sitting at "ok to disconnect" and it's not showing on the My Computer screen.

Is there a way to uninstall or at least disable RB through its own menus?

[PeteFord]

Try these two steps as well:

1) Use another USB cable if you have one, and

2) Connect the USB cable directly to a port, instead of through a hub or extension cable.

I can try with my wife's cable when I get home. I use an extension cable at home but it's never been a problem; I'll try a direct connection anyway and see what happens. The other machine I tried it on doesn't have an extension cable but I used my cable from home. Maybe my cable or connectors are bad. I'll know more in a couple of hours.

Update:

Tried a different cable; also tried that cable with a different USB port, without the extension cable. No difference - while it seems to be charging it is still not being seen by the computer.

[PeteFord]

I think I've found the root of this problem - if I'm right it's mechanical and purely coincidental that it started at the same time as I installed Rockbox.

I'd already checked the pins using a magnifier and seen nothing wrong, but I got hold of a medical version (the sort your doc uses for looking in ears and noses) and with that I can see that three of the pins on the right hand end of the connector in the base of the 'pod have been pushed in - I must've done it by plugging the connector in at a not-quite-straight angle.

The pins are almost microscopic; there's no tool I have that would be able to grip them and pull them out again, so I guess I'll have to either pay for a repair/replacement or just buy a new pod and use this one as a paperweight.

I don't know the sense of paying as much as Apple charge for a repair, which leads to the final question... anyone know how to open these things up? Since it's out of warranty and likely to be trashed anyway, if I render it unusable it's no great loss - but I could at least have a shot at fixing it if I can get to where I can work on those pins.

[Febs]

If you do a Google search for "iPod video replacement battery" (or something similar), you should be able to find videos that explain how to replace the battery.  Since this involve opening the player, such a video should tell you what you need to know to get the player open.