Ipod Nano 2g 4GB - Error reading partition table

[br8kwall]

So how do I fix the partition table in my iPod to proceed with installation?

Pretty sure this is what I've got (lime green, 4GB). Started to get flaky so I put it away for a long time. Got it out years later, still flaky. So, decided to blow it away. Tried to "Restore" it on my Windows 7 iTunes but it fails with an "Ipod cannot be restored. Unknown error occurred (1439)." Which of course leads to a completely useless page at apple.com.

I tried to format to FAT32 using Windows utility and defaults.. but Rockbox utility complains about "Error reading partition table - possibly not an Ipod". I also tried to dd it from linux using the gen1 disk image, but then it wouldn't remount.

Here is the log from Windows RockBox Utility after I reformatted to FAT32 from windows utility. It then shows up as Drive F:

*********************************************
***************  Logger   *******************
*********************************************
Error reading partition table - possibly not an Ipod
Error reading partition table - possibly not an Ipod
Error reading partition table - possibly not an Ipod

*********************************************
************  SYSTEMINFO  *******************
*********************************************

<snip>
F:\
3.78 GiB
3.78 GiB

<snip>
[Utils] cluster size for "F:/" 16384
[Utils] Volume name of "F:/" is ""
[Utils] total disk space for "F:/" 4055891968
[Utils] free disk space for "F:/" 4055875584

<snip>

Settings] GET U: "cachepath" "C:\Users\jcz\AppData\Local\Temp"
[Settings] GET U: "offline" "false"
[Settings] GET U: "rbutil_version" "v1.2.13"
[Settings] GET U: "platform" "ipodnano2g"
[Settings] GET U: "mountpoint" "F:/"
    (Last message repeated 2 times.)
[Settings] GET U: "platform" "ipodnano2g"
[Settings] GET U: "mountpoint" "F:/"
    (Last message repeated 2 times.)
[Settings] GET U: "platform" "ipodnano2g"
[ServerInfo] GET: "ipodnano2g/releaseversion" "3.10"
[Settings] GET U: "mountpoint" "F:/"
[Settings] GET U: "platform" "ipodnano2g"
[SystemInfo] GET: "ipodnano2g/bootloadermethod" "ipod"
[Settings] GET U: "platform" "ipodnano2g"
    (Last message repeated 2 times.)
[SystemInfo] GET: "ipodnano2g/bootloadermethod" "ipod"
[Settings] GET U: "platform" "ipodnano2g"
[SystemInfo] GET: "ipodnano2g/bootloaderfile" ""
[Settings] GET U: "mountpoint" "F:/"
[Utils] resolving path "F:/" -> "F:/"
[Settings] GET U: "platform" "ipodnano2g"
[SystemInfo] GET: "ipodnano2g/bootloadername" "/ipod/bootloader-ipodnano2g.ipodx"
[Settings] GET U: "platform" "ipodnano2g"
[SystemInfo] GET: "bootloader_url" "http://download.rockbox.org/bootloader"
[Settings] GET U: "mountpoint" "F:/"
[Utils] resolving device name "F:/"
[Utils] device name is 5
[BootloaderInstallIpod] ipodpatcher: overriding scan, using \\.\PhysicalDrive5
[BootloaderInstallIpod] installed: BootloaderUnknown
[Utils] resolving device name "F:/"
[Utils] device name is 5
[BootloaderInstallIpod] ipodpatcher: overriding scan, using \\.\PhysicalDrive5
[BootloaderInstallIpod] installed: BootloaderUnknown
[Utils] resolving device name "F:/"
[Utils] device name is 5
[BootloaderInstallIpod] ipodpatcher: overriding scan, using \\.\PhysicalDrive5
[RbUtil] Bootloader Post-Installation, error state: true

[bluebrother]

Well, there are several possible options:

1. The selected mountpoint is wrong.
2. The Ipod is actually not a Nano2G.
3. Its format is broken.

Since you cut down the log it's not possible to check vital information (f.e. if the Ipod is actually a Nano2G). The log is as verbose as it is for a reason ... (though it's a bit too verbose in a few places, but that's not too much of a problem). Please post the complete log.

Other than that (and especially since Itunes cannot restore it) I see a good chance of the Ipod being broken, a bad USB cable or port. Try different ones.