Ipod nano:ipodpatcher -w gets I/O device error and partial writes/I/O problem

[nuss75]

Hi I’m desperate!
I get a fatal error when and partial writing when I try to write the boot information to my ipod nano.

If I haven’t misunderstood I can’t disconnect the ipod from my computer or shut the computer down until it has been resolved.

This is the printout I get:
C:\>ipodpatcher -w 1 rockboot.bin
ipodpatcher v0.3 - (C) Dave Chapman 2006
This is free software; see the source for copying conditions.  There is NO
warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
[INFO] Reading partition table from \\.\PhysicalDrive1
Part    Start Sector    End Sector    Size (MB)  Type
0              63        160649        78.4   Empty (0x00)
1          160656       3984119      1866.9   W95 FAT32 (0x0b)
[INFO] Input file is 4801600 bytes
[INFO] Writing input file to device
Error writing to disk: The request could not be performed because of an I/O device error.
Bytes written: 262144

I can say that I have an USB 1.1 interface connected to my nano and
I recently uninstalled itunes and other such programs from my computer

I'm grateful for all help!

/Johannes

[iPodFoo]

I got that I/O error when I tried formatting my nano. I was using a USB 2.0 pci card, solved it by plugging it in to the motherboards USB 1.1 plug. Seems youre already using it though.

Might be worth doing the following though. Make sure your nano is plugged in, (if using XP) right click on the My Computer, click Manage, have a look under system tools, then click the Event Viewer. Choose the System (i think, could either be the Application). Are there lots of error entries saying something like Paging Error?

If so, you may have faulty USB drivers. Try reinstalling or change to a different USB plug. Try a v2.0 as you seem to have already tried 1.1.

Good luck.

[nuss75]

Hi all and thanks for the hints ipodfoo!
This is what has happened since last...

I got the writing done and the rockbox files installed… But I putting music files fails randomly and repeatedly.
I will tell you the story...
First I can say that I use Win2k.

I tried to eliminate errors:

*My explorer.exe shell had given me problems for some time by crashing locking files and such. So I downloaded and installed blackbox for windows (bblean). I’m not totally satisfied with the appearance. But just started and haven’t modded it yet.

*My nano wouldn’t go into diskmode by pressing the key combination since it got screwed up by the partial writing (I think). So I couldn’t access it. But sometimes after uninstalling it in the device manager it went automatically into diskmode when reconnected. But just for a while after that it booted to the playing screen.

*I found the event viewer was full of reports of paging errors.

*So I downloaded a shareware from tucows called “USBinfo” to run diagnostics on the connection.
When I ran the program and connected the nano to the port I got it to stay in diskmode.
So I thought why not try ipodpatcher -w 1 rockboot.bin. It worked!
I also got the rockbox program in to the root.

*But when I tried to transfer music files it didn’t work.
I tried to transfer from an other computers USB-port (version 2 also on a laptop) as well and there it didn’t stay in discmode for more than 10 seconds.

*I looked in my device manager and according to it I have under USB:
 Intel 82371AB/EB PCI to USB Universal Host Controller
and
USB Root Hub

I downloaded a program from Intel that identifies my chipset gave me this:

Chipset
Intel(R) 440 chipset family
Detected Chipset:
Chipset Components
Memory Controller:       82443BX/DX/ZX
I/O Controller:               82371MB (PIIX4M)
Integrated Graphics:     Not Detected or Disabled
Utility Note
If this chipset information differs from what was expected, please contact the
system manufacturer or place of purchase.

I believe the 82371MB (PIIX4M) is my USB controller.
I don’t find any drivers out there for it. I tried the generic USB controller and I still get random errors.

*But I can transfer files through the USB to my Iriver DAP without problems… Still my Iriver doesn’t sense when it is stopped in windows. But it does that on many USB ports.

I don’t know what to do.
Can it be the cable?

[nuss75]

I forgot to say that I have used the
“Intel(R) Chipset Software Installation
Utility.  This utility will enable Plug & Play INF support for
Intel(R) chipset components”.
It is supposed to fix the problems with the usb-driver.

And reinstalled the usbdriver from windows update...

[iPodFoo]

Maybe you should try a new cable. You need to be able to have the Nano plugged in and not get those paging errors ideally. Double check the Hardware Devices for yellow exclaimation marks too.

You dont say clearly if youve tried it on another PC? Try that next if you havent.

Not too sure why its not staying in diskmode. Could be a lack of power through the usb or again, could be the cable. Are you definately pressing the Menu and Select to reboot and HOLD down the select as you quickly press the Play button as soon as the apple icon appears? I noticed you have to do this if you use apple firmware 1.2.

You need to really sort out the paging errors. The fact you had "My explorer.exe shell had given me problems for some time by crashing locking files and such", seems like an internal XP problem there. Maybe a reinstall or repair of that. Search on computing.net to possibly find a fix.

Sorry if a bit long and not really an answer, but give them a go. Let me know how it goes.

[nuss75]

Well thanks again Ipodfo for all your hints!
And hello everybody that is interested.

I can honestly say that if I’m stuck and don’t know what to do a hint in the possible directions is worth gold!
And you delivered them in nice wrapping hehe (not to long that is) .

Yes it I have tried it on different computers and my os is W2k running bblean shell with directory opus 8 as file manager.
I haven’t had paging errors in the event viewer since my last post. I think the updating of the USB driver and the installing of “Intel(R) Chipset Software Installation Utility” did the trick. But bblean installed might have helped as well.


Since last I got the Ipod working properly (without switching the cable) and succeeded copying about 600MB of music to it… then the transmission through the cable went super slow. Like it got stuck and crashed. I killed the copying process by clicking on abort then I tried to stop the player in “disconnect hardware” it took forever for it to respond. Then I thought that I should “sleep” the computer to make the nano understand it should disconnect but my system wouldn’t shutdown. At last it did when I forced it by holding the power button down for it to reset.

Now what you could ask me…
Well well I think I fucked it up quite a bit.
I can’t get it to boot at all it gives me is an address to nano homepage on the screen.
I think I have to format the memory or something.
The good news is that it works so and so in diskmode.
I can explore it occatialy but then soon it crashes the connection and my file manager

So my questions…
What did go wrong?
What should you do if your Ipod locks up during transmission?
The funny thing is that it looked twice. First time I just aborted the copying and tried the same file again. After that it crashed again that’s when I tried to abort the connection. Perhaps it crashed during the first transmission and just stayed crashed or perhaps is the physical memory at just that spot of writing erroneous and of course then it would fail again…

So does anybody know what to do?
How do I format/recover and check for bad sectors

Best regards Ipodfo and others!

[iPodFoo]

Me again.

Did you try another cable? It could have been a corrupt file that fooked things up when you transferred.

Anyway, some other stuff to try (not a walkthough, theyre seperate ideas to try):

Before plugging in the nano, check the itunes and ipodservice processes are NOT running (Ctrl+Shift+Esc). I'd keep itunes off the pc for now otherwise itll keep interfering. (no need for it anyway  ) (http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93698)

Go into Diagnostic mode on the (unplugged) nano to check the flash memory. (Menu+Select to reboot then as its booting apple logo keep holding the Select button and press the Rewind button). A series of options should show up. try em. more info http://www.methodshop.com/mp3/ipodsupport/diagnosticmode/index.shtml

I think you have to do the scandisk with explorer working properly, i could be wrong. If you see the drive letter of your nano in explorer/bblean, right click > Properties >Tools tab. Select Error Checking to see if the flash memory is ok. Make sure everything except windows is running, so force close anti-virus etc. scandisk doesnt like interfering programmes.

It might be worth letting the nanos battery completely drain. Leave it overnight playing something or use a plugin like plasma, something thatll keep the lcd backlight on. When its "dead", reconnect, preferbly in disk mode. if its ok, re-install the apple firmware then rockbox to ensure a clean installation. This worked for me when my nano went doolally when I first got it.

I think a utility called HP USB Format tool is useful for reformating the ipod. Info to check out:
http://www.ipodhacks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4032

Download the HP USB Formatting tool here:
http://ipodlinux.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=10931

If you successully reformat with the HP tool. Run the apple updater to get a fresh installation.

Just a few ideas! Search on google to see if any one eles has had problems. Anybody else is welcome to pitch in! Im fast running out of ideas!