Update: Apple has just released iTunes 9.03. Has it fixed your iPod? Tell us now!
When iTunes 9 slipped out of Cupertino in September, it led to a raft of complaints from iPod Classic owners unable to sync their Apple jukebox with the new music software. And two months on, problems appear to be persisting, with readers telling us iTunes 9 still isn’t playing nice with their iPods.
Customers’ complaints about iTunes 9 range from failure to sync with the iPod Classic, to having to spend hours searching through folders for corrupt files causing the iPod to fail.
Barbara, an Electricpig reader, told us her 80GB iPod Classic struggled with iTunes 9. “The recent update did nothing for me,” she said. “I went to an Apple service centre and they denied the problem, even though I mentioned other users on the internet.”
While the cases do appear limited, Apple’s discussion boards are buzzing with talk about iTunes 9 problems with the iPod Classic in particular.
Users there say their iPod Classics have simply stopped working after installing iTunes 9. Complaints have continued well into November, two months after Steve Jobs took to the stage to introduce iTunes 9. Comments on the Apple discussion page say Cupertino is alive to the problem, although it seems there’s no update planned for iTunes in the near future.
The problems seem varied, from complete failure to sync to corrupt files. One reader, Jacob Y, got in touch to tell us his iPod Classic is now working, but that it took hours of rummaging around in his PC’s files to solve the problem.
“There is something with the 9 software that is either corrupting the files on the ipod or leaving scattered or corrupted files on the install folders,” he claimed.
Another reader, Ceri Periam, told us that his 3rd generation iPod nano was also experiencing syncing issues with iTunes 9, suggesting the problem isn’t strictly limited to the old-school iPod Classic either.
When asked Apple for its opinion on your syncing issues, but received the following statement: “Apple declined to comment.”
Has your iPod Classic stopped working? Are you struggling to sync with iTunes 9, or have you found a fix of your own? Tell us and we’ll share your tips, or take complaints directly to Apple. Make sure you give us the model of iPod, which generation it is and the exact version of iTunes you’re using.
Chalk another loss up for society and a win for apple.. drove 8 hours today everything was fine.. Stopped to get some coffee, decided what the hey, why not update….
RED X => Restore => Disk Utility => unable to sync more than 4 songs..
F*** you apple.. not only does this really screw things up for my life, as i use my ipod all day everyday, but i am unable to remedy this disease with another purchase.. Gunna be a great drive back up north!
F*** off.
Hi! I have an Ipod classic 160 GB and itunes 9 is just not recognizing it….
Do you think that installing itunes 8 or 7 will fix the problem?
Great work for getting this thread sorted. I upgraded itunes to version 9.0.2 and now my ipod is no longer recognised in itunes. I can see and browse ipod but cannot get itunes to recognise it, therefore no way to update music.
Mac 10.5.8
ipod photo 40gb
I’ve tried all suggestions (different connections/ports/cables/restarts) to no avail.
Thanks for your board, it sure has a lot more info than the useless iTunes support (pages or people). I have an 8 GB Gen. 2 Nano & an old G3 mac. I upgraded to 9.0.2 in hopes to fix a different bug. Not only did it not fix that bug, but it added to it this problem of not recognizing my iPod anymore.
I followed this board’s advise and uninstalled 9.0.2 and installed 8.2.1, which I found for the Mac on this site:
http://www.techspot.com/downloads/71-apple-itunes-for-mac.html.
At first I was disheartened to find, upon launching, 8.2.1 would not recognize the libraries (ie. names, dbase formats, playlists … stuff it needs to work). It said that the libraries couldn’t be recognized because they were created using a later version of iTunes. But before getting to discouraged, I remembered making a iTunes backup several months ago. So I deleted all the iTune libraries (not the music or art folders) and copied the backed-up libraries into the iTunes folder. And it actually worked! All my music loaded and it recognizes my ipod again. Good luck to all!
And for those who might have actually physical damage . . . If this is really the case, I’d say Apple should fork over a new iPod . . . or perhaps a class action lawsuit might get their attention.
I have the same problem with my Daughter’s new and biggest Christmas present. The Ipod does not appear in Itunes 9.02 for syncing. Is there any expected date this will be fixed.
Not yet Don, the latest from Apple is that they’re aware of it and “investigating”
Macbook Pro, iTunes 9.0.2. My iPod classic 160GB is not recognised. Am spending hours trying to find a fix for this situation and it is immensely frustrating, as I need to put some voice audio on my iPod for work. Have just dug out a old iPod mini 4GB, which seems to work ok – however Apple need to find a fix for this problem or they will plainly lose a lot of goodwill.
all is well with itunes, latest software update and restore has restored full functionality to my ipod classic 120Gb
I bought a 160 gh ipod a few days ago and I had to delete itunes 8 in order to install itunes 9. It took me the entire day to download and install itunes 9 but it does not open because some files seem to be missing. Now, I do not have itunes 8 and my itunes 9 won’t open. Also, the computer slows down or interner explored gets disconnected whenever I click open my ipod. So far, I have not been able to use my ipod and I am thinking of returning it to the apple store.
I had a new nano bouhgt for me for xmas, requires iTunes 9 to work at all so was forced to download it. We have a total of 5 ipods in our house, 2 Shuffles for the gym, an old 5th gen white one, an 80gb Classic and the new nano. After downloading 9 the shuffles and the white one still sync but the classic is a no go which is stupid as it was the main unit we used for household music ! Unlike some we can still listen to the music already on the unit but cannot update with any new tracks. Despite following the advice on their trouble shooting site no improvement and I am worried about keep repeating installs incase I end up frying the Classic as appears to have happened to others. Do Apple expect us to replace everyone of our units each time they “upgrade” itunes, bloody disgrace
I have a 6th gen ipod classic and after re-formatting it to change from PC to mac it will now not sync and gets stuck on random songs. Arghhh. I feel lost without music and am forced to listen to the crazy ramblings of retarded people on the bus instead of my music. Whilst this is not entirely apple’s fault, I do blame them…alot.
Ipod Classic – 160gb — stopped syncing or it starts syncing but only gives me a few songs. I have done alot of research trying to fix the problem, nothing worked. I reinstalled Itunes, thinking that was the problem — and lost everything I had d/l from Itunes since the end of September. So not only do I have a classic not working BUT I also have ALOT of missing music. Beyond frustrated.
nice new shiny mac, 7 years of ipod use and 120gb classic killed by the very stability i moved off windows for. less than impressed.
itunes upgrade killed the ipod and it was not recognised in itunes or on desktop – found it in disk utility
After 16 plus hours of fiddling needed to do the following:-
back up itunes library (300 gigs) to external hard drive (s) (very cautious)
remove all itunes 9.0.2
remove all library /itunes files (copy to external drive for easy restore)
move itunes 9 to trash (best location for it) and empty.
restart computer whilst also reseting ipod (menu and centre button) offline.
put ipod into disk mode (after reset when apple sign comes up press centre button and pause play)
download itunes 8 and install (had my externals turned off)
hopefully itunes 8 should show ipod although i had to run through disk utility and verify repair drive before this would happen.
after recognised in itunes had to restore.
itunes 8 working fine but then (stupidly) decided to reinstall 9.0.2 so try and avoid this if you do not need functionality.
i can load to ipod now but very slow on 9.0.2. also now having the streaming problem for video.
come back mr gates all is forgiven (almost).
i am in egypt so no support facility even though ipod is less than 1 year old (last one was stolen from the JW marriott in Cairo). Good news is that this is Apple system error. Bad news is this is apple system error and i have heard horror stories of pods just out of warranty and the stores suggesting a new one is bought. is there any coincidence with this update and the release of the new shiny flash pods later on in the month of september??
I have a 160gb Ipod classic gen 5/6 downloaded version 9.2 of itunes last night and now my pc does not recognise my ipod, my ipod will only display the apple logo/red ring of death and I cant force the disk mode AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mac OS X 10.6.2 Snow Leopard; 160Gb Ipod Classic synced well with iTunes 9.01, but with version 9.02 problems started: iTunes didn’t recognize my iPod anymore. The iPod did occur on the desktop, though. Followed advice to move 9.02 to desktop, reinstall 9.01 through Time Machine and yes it works fine again. Second part of advice was to upgrade firmware of iPod, but that was not possible: there is no update to 1.1.2 yet. So up until now I didn’t move 9.02 back to my programs folder…
I had a very similar problem. I came across this post early on and it did not have an answer or help me with my situation – so, when I got my situation fixed, I thought I would come back and give my solution to see if it would help.
Reset ipod (toggle hold then hold down menu and select buttons until apple appears on screen)
Remove iTunes 9 (drag to trash)
download iTunes 8 (easy to find with a google search)
Install itunes 8, after installation when you open iTunes it will tell you the library was created with a new version… so what! restart iTunes while holding down the option key. tell it to create a NEW library- name it what ever your not going to use it.
plug in the iPod… i got an error saying the firmware on ipod was not the same as itunes and to install additional ipod support from OSx disk… DO IT! (additional software – ipod support)
restart mac
open itunes plug in ipod and it should recognize it…. now it should tell you that your ipod has a firm ware update… do it! Once that is finished and has rebooted your ipod and you can see it again in the itunes menu- update itunes back to version 9.
Done! Simply point your itunes music folder back to where all your tunes are located and import the entire thing (my itunes folder is about 40gb and this took only 5 minutes)
resync music to your ipod and you are done. and you are on the newest version of itunes with your classic ipod!
I can verify that the downgrade to 8.2.1 followed by an “upgrade” to 9.0.3 again recognizes my ipod. After the 8.2.1 installation was complete, I option-opened 8.2.1, chose to create a new (trashable) library and was prompted whether to transfer purchased music or erase.
I chose transfer and let it complete the synch, ejected the ipod and quit. I was not prompted to upgrade my ipod firmware.
Next I option-opened 9.0.3 after removing it from the trash, chose my old library and now I seem to be synching normally.
Preferences appear to have been reset, but all playlists, etc are still there. I overwrote 8.2.1 with 9.0.3 in my applications folder after I quit, and it still shows and synchs the ipod.
80 GB iPod Classic not recognized by iTunes 9.02–tried Restart, Reinstall , Toggle Hold, Toggle USB, Toggle On/Off, Update , etc. Finder recognizes iPod well, and reveals stored files in iPod “desktop” (e.g. images, mass storage data, memos, etc.), but not iPod Music Library. Running Snow Leopard, with iTunes 9.02 app. from iTunes website.
Will iTunes 7 or 8 run with Snow Leopard?
I have an iPod Classic and recently I updated iTunes to iTunes 9. Now I cannot sync my iPod. It is very frustrating how after hours of resetting, restarting and reinstalling, my iPod has yet to connect to my computer.
[...] we reported on Monday about the continuing issues with the iPod Classic syncing with the all new iTunes 9, we’ve [...]
Apple has just released iTunes 9.0.3. Does it fix your iPod? Tell us now.
Have a 30GB that has worked great for years. I got a new laptop and loaded 9.02 and reloaded all my music into itunes. I synced and it worked perfectly. I loaded some more cds and bought some music and tried to sync again. Absolutely no luck. I followed all Apple solutions and nothing made a difference. I loaded 9.03 thinking this would take care. It did not. itunes will not see my ipod. Any new ideas?
Yeah, after installing iTunes 9.0.3, account authorization failed so that I could not play DRM protected music and videos inside iTunes, plus I could not copy the protected music to my iPod Mini (second generation) anymore. Went back to iTunes 9.0.2 and everything is fine now. Thank god for Time Machine backup!
My 160 gb ipod classic will no longer sync with itunes since uploading the latest version 9.0.3. Running a complete file scan has turned up nothing, resetting ipod doesn’t help either.
[...] iTunes 9: iPod Classic syncing issues persist Devlin said the update hadn’t fixed any of the niggles he’d been having with his iPod Classic. “This didn’t fix any of my problems,” he said. “iPod classic 160GB still syncs to some random song and stops. Error message “disc can’t be read from or written to.”” [...]