Since installing (and subsequently removing) iTunes, my iPod does not show up as an "attached portable device" in the MusicMatch portable device manager. I have updated and restored the 1st gen 20 GB iPod to version 1.3 and reinstalled the MusicMatch plug-in. Still no go

My iPod is recognized by My Computer on Windows XP. It shows up as a drive and is functioning when disconnected.

ANY help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

VENTING:
I installed iTunes when it became available because I'm the curious type. I was discouraged during the setup by Apples' "need" to bloat your system with background processes like Quicktime and cd/dvd burning codecs I was rarely (read never) going to use. It also has "sync automatically" as the default, so it freakin' "synchronized" my iPod without giving me the chance to say no. D*&#it!!!

Yet, I persevered. I toyed with iTunes for a while. Then I wanted to update my iPod with a small number of new songs, not the whole list. It was frustratingly difficult to make happen in iTunes (on MM I just dragged them into the iPod music library)...so I launched up my trusty MusicMatch 8.1 program and it wouldn't list the iPod as an "attached portable device." Arrgh. I stopped iTunes, still didn't work. Removed iTunes, still didn't work. Reinstalled iPod plug-in for MM, still didn't work. Updated the iPod software. Restored the iPod. Still didn't work. To this day it still doesn't work.

What gets me steamed is that everything was going swimmingly until I decided to TRY iTunes. Next thing you know...BAM...nothing works anymore. I'm now without any way to sync my iPod and there's no music on it since the restore. Why does every single piece of friggin PC software have to take over my computer to do some simple function!!!