iPod 5.5: Connected with PC, cant access disk

[HankJW]

Greetings!

I hope you guys could tell me what is going on and what is actually happening.

The problem is: I got an iPod 5.5 with Rockbox 3.10
The problem appeared several days ago: Whenever I plug my iPod into the PCs USB, the PC does not recognize it, and I cant acces the disk. It only loads the battery, nothing more.
At first I thought, it must be the USB cable, as it is pretty old and not relialable.
Bought a new one today, still the same: Battery loading, but no recognition on the PC.

[Chronon]

Try the cable with a different iPod.  Does it work? 

Do other devices work in the same USB port?

Does connection work in Apple's firmware?

[HankJW]

Different iPod? I only own this one.
Yes, other devices work.
No, it wont connect when iOS loaded as well. Disk mode does not work either.

[torne]

If it doesn't work in disk mode or the apple firmware then either the cable is broken or your PC's OS is confused about something. There's not a lot we can do in either case

[HankJW]

Aww, damnit.

Could it be something with the plug of the iPod (you know, the one where to insert the cable)

[mustang97124]

I am having the same problem with my Ipod 5.5. I recently updated to Rockbox 3.10 and the first thing I noticed was the themes would not display album art anymore. I solved this myself as the answer was to go back in to every directory and rename the jpg's to "folder.jpg".

In regards to the problem stated by the original poster, I usually have the slide switch that prevents button presses while listening to the Ipod slid over to the lock position when I plug my Ipod into the USB port so I never experienced any problem with accessing the directories. However, if the switch is NOT in the lock position when I plug in to USB, my Ipod freezes up at the main Rockbox screen, Windows 7 reports a malfunctioning device and I am unable to access the directories, just like HankJW's.

So to make a long story short, the solution may be to lock the slide switch before plugging in to charge or make changes to the folders. I would be interested to hear if that works for you. Cheers

PS - When you unplug the Ipod after charging or editing folders, you will have to unlock the slide switch and press the center button and menu button simultaneously to reboot the Ipod back into Rockbox because it will be in Ipod mode.

[torne]

Aww, damnit.

Could it be something with the plug of the iPod (you know, the one where to insert the cable)

Yes, it's also possible the dock connector in the iPod is broken.

[HankJW]

The solution mustang97124 offered, worked. Putting the HOLD switch to the right does help.
I assume this is a software problem...

Anyway, thanks for the help!

[torne]

"Putting the hold switch to the right" boots the Apple firmware (as the manual says). You said earlier that it doesn't work when in the apple firmware or in disk mode. So, which is it?

[HankJW]

Putting HOLD to right BEFORE plugging in does work. The iPod has to be turned off.
Earlier I tried loading iOS without HOLD switch...

[torne]

I'm not sure I follow what you are saying (also, the Apple firmware is not iOS, just for reference).

Do you mean that this works:
1) turn on hold with player off
2) insert USB cable
3) player powers on automatically, boots Apple firmware, and then USB works

but this doesn't:
1) turn on player by holding menu
2) boots Apple firmware
3) insert USB cable and nothing happens?

Or something else?

[HankJW]

This worked for me:
1 Player is turned OFF, HOLD switch ON
2 Plug into USB
3 As usual, it turns on automatically, booting the apple firmware

[torne]

Yes, but what is it that doesn't work?

[HankJW]

Yes, but what is it that doesn't work?

Everything else...

[torne]

You are making it incredibly difficult to help you

You said, in your second post:

No, it wont connect when iOS loaded as well. Disk mode does not work either.

But you have now also said that it *does* work when you boot the apple firmware, which contradicts that..