i got an ipod mini and it is frustrating me

johnny · 07-11-2005, 06:26 PM

so yesterday i got me an ipod mini, because they're neat, and cds are kind of annoying (though they appear to still work better than an ipod?). anyways, i installed the ipod and itunes bullshit on my machine (xp professional sp2) and i was importing some cds into my itunes library--everything's working fine. but when i update my ipod, it tends to not work. usually it'll transfer a few songs--maybe 3 to 5 out of 10 or 15 songs--and then the updating process freezes up and i get an error dialog that reads "attempting to copy to the disk 'IPOD' failed. an unknown error occurred (-36)." so i googled some junk and tried updating my ipod's software and restoring it. that didn't solve the problem either. :/

so today i brought the ipod back to the apple store and had them test it out. they restored it using the ipod updater (on a mac) and then used itunes to update it, and it worked just fine. the computer transferred all 110 songs they had in their itunes library without a problem. also, they used my firewire cable, cause i brought it in with me. so i'm pretty much forced to assume that the problem is not with my ipod mini, or the cable.

so it seems like i have a couple options;
- try buying a new firewire card (or a usb 2 card) for my computer, and hope that it resolves the problem. i have no reason to assume my firewire card is shitty, because i've never used it before i got this ipod, but maybe there's some kind of obscure problem with my firewire card? i checked online for updated drivers and any possible windows xp patches for firewire cards, but everything seems to be up-to-date
- use my slower normal usb ports to transfer music to my ipod, and buy one of those power adapters so i can charge the ipod with an electrical outlet. (because i heard that if it's not a usb 2 card, then it can't charge the ipod. can somebody confirm that..?)

the way i see it, i'm going to have to spend around $50 so i don't have to put up with this stupid error anymore, unless one of you guys has a better solution, so what should i do?

(fyi, i've tried uninstalling and reinstalling both itunes and ipod software, and i've restored the ipod a couple times. this random error that i get when updating the ipod keeps on popping up anyways.. the only time it actually worked right was at that stupid apple store)

thecreeper · 07-11-2005, 11:44 PM

if you know someone else that has xp and itunes, try it out on that before you buy anything. i would isolate the problem before dropping more money.

that sucks though, i would be pissed if i just bought something for that kinda dough and it didn't work right.

johnny · 07-12-2005, 12:31 AM

it really frustrates me because it's so random. earlier today when i restored the ipod the first time, and tried to update it with my itunes library, it managed to get 35 of almost 200 songs transferred before it fucked up. i could have sworn that it was fixed that time! >:0

that's a good suggestion though, creeper. maybe i'll try using it with a computer in one of the labs at the ol' college.. i think i can setup the itunes shit on there. (i graduated back in april, but most of my accounts there continue to work for some reason)

heX · 07-12-2005, 05:36 PM

i have win2000 with itunes and updater with a usb cable (no usb 2) it transfers just fine and charges... so buy a new card. if you buy from best buy you can return it within x days if you want for any reason.

johnny · 07-12-2005, 11:45 PM

i'm thinking about getting a usb 2 card from best buy tomorrow, actually. i just need to check if i have a free pci slot. (s'pose i could take the firewire card out if i had to.. doesn't seem to be doing me much good)

can you return a part at best buy even if you've installed it in your machine? because if this ipod business still won't straighten out, then it's probably not my hardware's fault, and i won't really want to keep that usb 2 card, heh.

johnny · 07-13-2005, 11:15 AM

installed usb 2 card, restored ipod using usb, and itunes managed to update my ipod without fail. there was only 24 songs in the itunes library, but still.. i think we might be in business here!

stupid apple and their overpriced junk.. (very nifty overpriced junk, mind you)

07-11-2005, 06:26 PM	#1
johnny Moderator Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Upper Canada Posts: 1,276	i got an ipod mini and it is frustrating me so yesterday i got me an ipod mini, because they're neat, and cds are kind of annoying (though they appear to still work better than an ipod?). anyways, i installed the ipod and itunes bullshit on my machine (xp professional sp2) and i was importing some cds into my itunes library--everything's working fine. but when i update my ipod, it tends to not work. usually it'll transfer a few songs--maybe 3 to 5 out of 10 or 15 songs--and then the updating process freezes up and i get an error dialog that reads "attempting to copy to the disk 'IPOD' failed. an unknown error occurred (-36)." so i googled some junk and tried updating my ipod's software and restoring it. that didn't solve the problem either. :/ so today i brought the ipod back to the apple store and had them test it out. they restored it using the ipod updater (on a mac) and then used itunes to update it, and it worked just fine. the computer transferred all 110 songs they had in their itunes library without a problem. also, they used my firewire cable, cause i brought it in with me. so i'm pretty much forced to assume that the problem is not with my ipod mini, or the cable. so it seems like i have a couple options; - try buying a new firewire card (or a usb 2 card) for my computer, and hope that it resolves the problem. i have no reason to assume my firewire card is shitty, because i've never used it before i got this ipod, but maybe there's some kind of obscure problem with my firewire card? i checked online for updated drivers and any possible windows xp patches for firewire cards, but everything seems to be up-to-date - use my slower normal usb ports to transfer music to my ipod, and buy one of those power adapters so i can charge the ipod with an electrical outlet. (because i heard that if it's not a usb 2 card, then it can't charge the ipod. can somebody confirm that..?) the way i see it, i'm going to have to spend around $50 so i don't have to put up with this stupid error anymore, unless one of you guys has a better solution, so what should i do? (fyi, i've tried uninstalling and reinstalling both itunes and ipod software, and i've restored the ipod a couple times. this random error that i get when updating the ipod keeps on popping up anyways.. the only time it actually worked right was at that stupid apple store)

07-11-2005, 11:44 PM	#2
thecreeper Administrator Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Lancaster, PA Posts: 2,330	if you know someone else that has xp and itunes, try it out on that before you buy anything. i would isolate the problem before dropping more money. that sucks though, i would be pissed if i just bought something for that kinda dough and it didn't work right. __________________ good-evil.net - ahh, wade boggs...goes down smooth.

07-12-2005, 12:31 AM	#3
johnny Moderator Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Upper Canada Posts: 1,276	it really frustrates me because it's so random. earlier today when i restored the ipod the first time, and tried to update it with my itunes library, it managed to get 35 of almost 200 songs transferred before it fucked up. i could have sworn that it was fixed that time! >:0 that's a good suggestion though, creeper. maybe i'll try using it with a computer in one of the labs at the ol' college.. i think i can setup the itunes shit on there. (i graduated back in april, but most of my accounts there continue to work for some reason)

07-12-2005, 05:36 PM	#4
heX Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 937	i have win2000 with itunes and updater with a usb cable (no usb 2) it transfers just fine and charges... so buy a new card. if you buy from best buy you can return it within x days if you want for any reason.

07-12-2005, 11:45 PM	#5
johnny Moderator Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Upper Canada Posts: 1,276	i'm thinking about getting a usb 2 card from best buy tomorrow, actually. i just need to check if i have a free pci slot. (s'pose i could take the firewire card out if i had to.. doesn't seem to be doing me much good) can you return a part at best buy even if you've installed it in your machine? because if this ipod business still won't straighten out, then it's probably not my hardware's fault, and i won't really want to keep that usb 2 card, heh.

07-13-2005, 11:15 AM	#6
johnny Moderator Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Upper Canada Posts: 1,276	installed usb 2 card, restored ipod using usb, and itunes managed to update my ipod without fail. there was only 24 songs in the itunes library, but still.. i think we might be in business here! stupid apple and their overpriced junk.. (very nifty overpriced junk, mind you)