Ipod Mini not recognized anymore by laptop

[h.finn]

Hi,
I installed recently R. at work on my Mini (to try it out before installing on my 80gb video 5.5 gen).
Everything's fine except the Mini won't be recognized anymore by my laptop at home.
Not even after deleting rockbox and restarting with itunes.
When connecting through usb the laptop will say :"usb has malfunctioned, or something like that", and does not read the Mini anymore, no matter what I do!!!

Any suggestion, please  :'( :'( :'(

Many thanks,
H. Finn

[Chronon]

Try to figure out if cables, ports or your PC are the problem.

[gevaerts]

Is the screen on the mini showing anything?

(I'm assuming that "R." means "rockbox" here)

[h.finn]

Hi,
And thanks for your answers.
Was on holiday for a few days.......

Now: Concerning the cables, they are the same I use succesfully with other laptops/Pcs, and the usb ports on the laptop work perfectly fine with other usb items.

The screen on the Mini just shows I am on the standard iTunes software, that's all and, yes - sorry  , R. meant Rockbox.

I just know it is strictly related to the Rockbox installation 'cause I had the Mini for quite a few years now and it is the very first time this happens.
Which is unfortunate because I'm really looking forwad to install Rockbox on my 5.5gen Video but.....now I'm holding back because of this problem
(scratch, scratch....)
H.

[Chronon]

Are you saying you tested the cable since this problem occurred and you still have this problem?  I have seen cables go bad rather abruptly and lead to no end of head scratching.

Have you also tried Apple's Emergency Disk Mode?  This code is stored in flash, which doesn't get touched when installing Rockbox.  I do think it's rather unlikely that corruption of Apple's firmware explains what you're seeing, but it's something to rule out, anyway.

[h.finn]

Yeah...I actually have two cables
same problem with both and no problem at all when using these cables with my other iPod, the one that still has "untouched" apple software.
Can't try the disk 'cause the laptop doesn't "see" the mini anymore.
Doesn't even charge it.
Just says that a usb device that tried to connect has malfunctioned..
Very unnerving.
As I said I tried to: unistall Rockbox, "Restore" the original firmware, etc. (obviously through another computer that still "reads" the mini). Then went back to laptop and....nothing.
Nothing at all!!
Unbelievable!

[Chronon]

If you were able to restore on another computer and your present one doesn't see it at all this seems to suggest some problem with the laptop, doesn't it?

[h.finn]

Well..........partly, because up to the instant I installed Rockbox the laptop would recognize the iPod!
After...........not anymore

[Chronon]

Are you able to achieve a USB connection on the computer you used to restore it?

[h.finn]

Yes, of course.
That's what I did, in fact:
from computer:
uninstall Rockbox + connect to laptop=nothing
restore + connect to laptop=nothing
reinstall Rockbox + connect to laptop=nothing
hard reset + connect to laptop= nothing
basically, since first installing Rockbox, the Mini cannot connect to laptop anymore
............
crazy, isn't it?

[torne]

Rockbox identifies itself slightly differently to the host than the original firmware does: we use the same USB ids but not the same strings, and we implement different interfaces. I have a vague recollection that this causes Windows to treat it as a separate device.

Wild speculation: You may have accidentally unplugged the ipod while Windows was creating the new device instance for the Rockbox interface. This sometimes leaves things in a confused state.

Possible fix: Plug it in and find the broken device in the device manager, and uninstall it. If you then plug it in again, it should hopefully install it again.

I could be wrong, but the above can't hurt to try.

[h.finn]

..........Aha
Been there, done that!
I mean: when I connect to laptop I get a message saying that a usb device that tried to connect has malfunctioned...bla bla bla.
When I check in device manager it says that the ipod (this time it uses the actual proper desciption, iPod and not just device) is working properly!!!
I have to add that sometimes (..sometimes) when I connect I get message saying: your ipod must be configured by iTunes to be used in Windows format. Would you like to run iTunes now? (or something close).
Of course I say yes but....it neither opens iTunes nor configures my iPod.
Not even if I let it go for a whole day!
!!!

[evilnick]

Are you using Windows on (both) your laptops?

[Chronon]

By all appearances you should look for differences in the setups on your two computers.  The factor that's being varied that gives rise to different results is in the configuration/OS/drivers/hardware of the two computers, not in your iPod.

[h.finn]

Using windows on both, computer and laptop.
Concerning differences in setups: ....but why wasn't this a problem before Rockbox, you think?
...anyway: yesterday I took the "big" decision: because I needed a new laptop I got a Macbook Pro and.......guess what?
Flawless connection with the Mini!
Should have switched to mac AGES ago!
Anyway: I still can figure out this problem with old laptop!!
aarrrggghhhh!