iTunes 4.5 & 2.2 firmware update arent compatible

Your problem sounds exactly like mine. If it is, then resetting won't save you. I returned mine to BestBuy and got a new one. SAME PROBLEM. I think you have correctly concluded that the new softwares are incompatible. iPod is neato when it works, but now I'm thinking I should have gone for real quality and not bells & whistles...

If anyone can somehow enlighten me, please do.

I run WinXP Pro/SP1. iPod is 20 GB. 3G, I think, though I have never found a clear definition of 1G, 2G, etc. Mine has dock connector, touchwheel, and was purchased new at BestBuy in October 2003.

Everything was fine until I installed the new Updater version.

Yep, Windows XP Pro here too. I don't even think I can return my iPod - got it from a friend using his mother's staff discount and he never kept the receipt.

Anyway, the only solution I can think of is resetting my iPod to original factory settings and using the old version of iTunes (don't know what version it is, but the one on the CD-Rom that came with the hardware). Unfortunately it would take quite a few weeks to rip all my CDs again.

Originally posted by AndrewHarrison
the firmware and iTunes are not incompatible, it sounds like you didnt leave the iPod connected whilst it was updating the firmware. i have no idea how to fix this though.

OK, perhaps it was generalizing too much to say they are incompatible. It would have been more correct to say they are not always compatible. They are not. I might have disconnected the iPod while updating EXCEPT that I didn't just get off the short bus, you a$$. Not sure why you thought anyone would do that.

Anyhow, if anyone still cares, I have fixed my problem....sort of. It turns out Apple has had a substantial number of complaints about this issue since releasing the upgraded iTunes and firmware. It didn't take much digging to find news articles about this. What the new version of iTunes does, mainly, is remove some functionality from the program related to streaming/sharing, which was allowing some music to be stolen. I'm just theorizing here, but I guess that some big music companies put the pressure on Apple, and the customer--many of them--lost out. Seems like a hasty move for a company in Apple's position, but hey, who am I to second guess Steve Jobs, right?

So I uninstalled iTunes, the Updater, and all associated stuff from my computer. Then installed iTunes version 4.2, then used my original iPod install disc to set up the iPod. Everything works nicely now. There were a few complications, nothing too bad. First, my original disc didn't have iTunes for Windows at all, and it was difficult to find an old version available for download. Finally snagged it from some German site, as all the standard ones deferred me to Apple.com to get 4.5. Before installation you have to remove the iTunes library folder, because if you don't, then when you fire up 4.2, it gives an error saying the library folder was created with a later version. So I didn't have to delete music, but I had to rename it and then re-import into new library. A pain, but not nearly as bad as importing from CDs. So I'm stuck with an older version, but IT WORKS. I hope this helps someone!

Originally posted by iSuck
OK, perhaps it was generalizing too much to say they are incompatible. It would have been more correct to say they are not always compatible. They are not. I might have disconnected the iPod while updating EXCEPT that I didn't just get off the short bus, you a$$. Not sure why you thought anyone would do that.

Anyhow, if anyone still cares, I have fixed my problem....sort of. It turns out Apple has had a substantial number of complaints about this issue since releasing the upgraded iTunes and firmware. It didn't take much digging to find news articles about this. What the new version of iTunes does, mainly, is remove some functionality from the program related to streaming/sharing, which was allowing some music to be stolen. I'm just theorizing here, but I guess that some big music companies put the pressure on Apple, and the customer--many of them--lost out. Seems like a hasty move for a company in Apple's position, but hey, who am I to second guess Steve Jobs, right?

So I uninstalled iTunes, the Updater, and all associated stuff from my computer. Then installed iTunes version 4.2, then used my original iPod install disc to set up the iPod. Everything works nicely now. There were a few complications, nothing too bad. First, my original disc didn't have iTunes for Windows at all, and it was difficult to find an old version available for download. Finally snagged it from some German site, as all the standard ones deferred me to Apple.com to get 4.5. Before installation you have to remove the iTunes library folder, because if you don't, then when you fire up 4.2, it gives an error saying the library folder was created with a later version. So I didn't have to delete music, but I had to rename it and then re-import into new library. A pain, but not nearly as bad as importing from CDs. So I'm stuck with an older version, but IT WORKS. I hope this helps someone!

first of all, thank you for calling me an a$$.
if a person posted questions to a site [their first posts] about having difficulty with a product, saying that the product and other items associated with it are incompatible, as well as saying that they dont know what generation of the product they have, but can only describe, as well as having the username "iSuck", i think it would be pretty safe to assume that they don't have a clue about what they are doing, that they "stepped off the short bus".
you gave no indication that you had any idea what you were doing, except that you downloaded the software to update your iPod, it didn't work, and apparently that means it is incompatible.
i know that when i updated my firmware, i almost took my iPod out after the first 'phase' of updating, when the iPod says its ok to disconnect, then resets. Except for the fact that i was looking at the computer screen and it said not to disconnect it, there was nothing on the iPod to say not to disconnect it [in fact it said the opposite for a few seconds]. incompatibility with iTunes/the computer, directly after having attempted to update the firmware, would most probably be the result of disconnecting the iPod before the update was complete, which, as i explained before is not a hard thing to do.

So, you'll forgive me for assuming you 'stepped off te short bus' [which i didn't by the way, i assumed, that like so many new members here, you were confused and may have done something wrong, rendering your iPod essentially useless -after all, you did ask for help about that exact situation], next time, i just won't bother trying to help.

...sigh...
i didn't assume you were ret.arded, i wouldn't assume anyone who had a similar problem was reta.rded, i was simply stating that the issue you were having sounded like something that could be caused from disconnecting your iPod before it was meant to be during an update process, that, in my experience can happen very easily unless you are watching it. But, you know, get offended, it's cool, according to you, i called you a ret.ard. have fun with that.
I never said that the two sentences i initially wrote in this thread were going to help, in fact, the second of those two sentences was " i have no idea how to fix this though." forgive me for thinking of a possible reason that the situation could occur. really, i am sorry.

Also, If you'd bother to read many of my other 100+ posts in these forums, you'll notice that i offer help where i can 90% of the time, unless it is quite clearly mentioned in the user manual that came in the box with the iPod, the FAQs on this site, or many a time in these forums. Even if it is written in one or all of these places, which most of the problems people ask about are, occasionally i still help out. So, thanks for coming, it was nice.

Ellie, I'm not sure how that will affect it. I used the 2.0.1 updater from the original install disc. But I would guess the new updater will not work. I would suggest trying exactly what I did, in the same sequence. Remove ALL iPod-related software. I believe Audible manager has it's own uninstall program; the rest, just do thru XP Add/Remove Programs dialog. RENAME your music folder--there can be no folder on the hard drive called "iTunes" anything. Install ONLY iTunes (v4.2). If the install disc doesn't allow this, then find the iTunes 4.2 w/installer somewhere and download. Make sure iTunes works--reboot and start program. It should come up fresh with no songs in your library. THEN, use the original disc with old Updater to set up iPod. Again, reboot and ensure that everything is functional. Then you can start importing your music all over--since this will be from elsewhere on the hard drive (the renamed folder), it will not be too bad....I had around 3000 songs and it took me about half hour. Also, be sure iTunes preferences is not set to copy the songs to the iTunes folder when adding to library. I think that will leave you with 2 copies of everything. But maybe that would be OK if you have lots of hard drive space--you could just delete the renamed folder after you confirmed everything was working.

Obviously, this solution is not as ideal as if Apple had written thier software more carefully to begin with, but I'm satisfied for now. And Apple will be getting my old one back from BestBuy, even though nothing was really wrong with the hardware!

I hope this works on yours, too!!

Ellie:
So sorry to hear it didn't work for you! I think in the end our problems could have been different, as re-installing the new software didn't help me.

Oh well, a bit of a PITA, but at least we both have working players now, right?