can't you just run the ipod update to wipe it? install update 1.3, then let it upgrade to 2.0

Something you also may want to try is surfing the battery replacement sites (the do-it-yourself pages) and figuring out how to open the damn iPod up (without destroying it). Then you should be able to remove the battery manually and let it sit for a few minutes (so any capacitors can discharge), re-hook-up the battery and you might be good to go...

Have you tried holding the top and bottom button (of the four which surround the wheel) down at the same time for a few seconds? I think that restarts the ipod and has saved mine a few times when it acts funny. Good luck

Jeremy - tried, but to no avail. Even with the restore to default, it comes back with that dumb lock on.

kmlawson - you can't push any of the buttons when it thinks its on hold so there's no way to restart it through those buttons. :(

Joe - c'mon darling... you know me... i'm a master at BREAKING things, not putting them back together. I'd be *terrified* of even trying.

::sigh::

How long have you had your iPod? What are the consumer laws like in the States? Take it back to your supplier/shop using an equivilent of lack of merchantable quality, and ask for a replacement. Otherwise try breach of contract (with where you brought you iPod). Did your iPod also come with some kind of guarantee? (which should not affect your statutory rights).

Did you pay for your iPod by credit card? If so, you *may* have redress against the credit card company, but I don't know how the law operates that side of the pond.

If it was the UK, then I would suggest you use the Sale of Goods Act / Consumer Credit Act to get a replacement.

btw - an Aussie article, in case you've missed it:
http://smh.com.au/articles/2004/06/02/1086058887898.html

Plug the iPod into the Mac. Then, open the iPod software update application -- there's a "Reset" button there.

it's noted here: kbase document 60958.

Alison - 90 days is the cut-off.

Paul - the reset button requires the ability for the hardware to respond to things... it doesn't. And when i run the Restore function in the updater, it erases everything, but it doesn't get rid of the lock symbol. :(

and of course you tried the flick the switch really fast until it goes away trick? why do i say that? because it sounds less like software, than hardware right now. it shoulds to me like the switch is borked, out of slot or just plan broke. if it is out of slot, fast movement might put it back in, but no probmises cause you could also have a bad circuit board or connection somewhere.

danah, since you're being lessig-like in your email <g>, i'll try commenting: i can try and have someone look at it, if you can get it here.

Try this, it worked for me and I had the same symptoms...I was going to let the battery cycle die and wait for a hardware reset but why waist the charge cycle

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=61705

hope it helps

Hi - I like your blog. I found it because you seem to be the only other person that Google can find with the same ipod problem (the thing won't unlock no matter what I try). I followed a link where you had asked for help, but all the solutions that people suggested didn't seem to work (for me or you). Did you ever find a solution to your problem, or did you just send it back to get fixed?

Sorry to be so random - Peter

Actually, it's a funny story. I tried everything listed here and a lot more and nothing worked. I walked into the Apple Store and rattled off every single thing that i tried, referencing who had advised it, what website suggested it, etc. I went on for about 5 minutes explaining which each action did and did not do. The guy at the Apple Store looked at me with wide eyes, making it clear that i had tried everything he had thought of. He reached down and handed me a refurbished iPod in exchange for mine.

This sounds like a great solution. Will try this week and will let you know the outcome. I am hoping they are still as friendly.

Just today- 12/27/2004- my ipod got rid of all of the music on the pods drive But all of the music was still in the library. I called the hotline - 1-800-275-2273 - the rep told me to use updater to wipe the drive. It worked i tried sinking for the 25th time and the music is back on my drive again! Try this it might work.

Had this very same issue. The fast switch movement did it for mine... tho I suspect this is a temporary fix as the fast movement on the switch is gonna greatly decrease the mttf, methinks. First time I've gotten upset about the iPod, but this'll prolly keep me from buying another... For $400, I expect it to work flawlessly for more than 1.75 years.

Thanks for the blog. You saved my pod.

ditto - only had mine for 4 months and this happened and I just spent the last two weeks telling eveyone how much I love my Ipod :-(

I rang some fellow pod people but they had never heard of this problem...
luckily pressing the select and menu buttons (with the hold switch off) together reset my pod and it was dully unlocked.

Thanks for your support

Hey same lock thing happened on my ipod. I unlocked it by duh duh duh....There is a hold switch on top of the ipod and some how I switched it to the direction away the headsphone outlet that's how it locks. When I switched it the other way it unlocked. Try it. hope this is helpful. Have a nice day!

Turn the ipod on its side and push on the silver side hard until you hear a click. That should unlock it...I know that sounds weird but it worked for me.

Hey, I hope I can help... I'm assuming you haven't fixed it yet? This happened to me a while back and I fixed it the old fashioned way - I tapped the corner of the ipod on my desk gently but firmly in every different angle possible, trying the hold switch after every attempt. Eventually, I tried it and it unlocked. Don't do it to hard, I don't want you to break it any more than it is now. Good luck!

I was fillping through my songs really fast and my ipod just froze on a single song and it wont let me do ANYTHING!!! I am soooo frusterated please someone help me unfreeze it!!

ok, i have the frozen IPOD problem, too, But my hold button no longer has a "green" light (only the orange one. Anyone else have that happen? I can't get any of my computers to see the Ipod either and none of the reset suggestions will work.

Is it time to call in that Apple care repair warranty?

great job heather, never saw the hold switch, works great now!!! thanks so much

::SIGH:: Okay, I've got the SAME problem... I tried everything, everyone I know tried everything... It's been getting stuck for the past month or so and just playing with the lock button tended to fix it, but this time it's stuck for good. I've had it for 1 year and 3 months and I really hope it can be fixed, I've already lost all my cds since I got it (didn't know I'd need them!). I tried everything that's been posted, so I think I'm going to try the Mac Store next. If that doesn't work, well, g'bye iPod... With so many people having this problem, I doubt it's worth the cash to get another. =(

I had the same problem with the hold switch. There wasn't much help on the 'net. Most of what google turned up was related to software issues requiring a reset and this was a physical problem with the switch. I had decided not to send it to Apple, they would have charged at least $100 and it will need a new battery (again apple would charge $100). Will little to lose I decided to open the thing up and see if I could permanently switch hoold off. I checked out some of the instructions on the web for opening the iPod to switch batteries and started to follow them. At this point I noticed the iPod was already a little loose. So I squeezed it back together and lo and behold the switch began to work. Within the first hour I had to do it again (I just squeezed it while moving the cover and back in opposite directions), but I'll try living with it for now. I will think twice before buying another iPod. It is bad enough that the battery replacement is so expensive, but the only accessible moving part on it broke and rendered the unit useless. Very dissapointing.

I took Heather advice--set the ipod on its side and push on the silver side right around where the hold button is, until you hear a click...sure enough it WORKED!! My hold button is no longer stuck.

Thanks Heather!

You're a lifesaver :)

I too took Heather's advice - I didn't hear the 'click', but pushing the silver slider hard to the right fixed it. Thanks.

Here is the solution I used. First get yourself a set of precision screwdrivers at WalMart for $1 or so. Then when you have them ready look at your iPod from the front. You should notice that the silver bottom overlaps the white top on the left side. What you need to do is take the smallest precision flathead screwdriver and wedge it in the area where the silver bottom overlaps the white top and pry gently. You should definitely hear a click then. After that you can remove the screwdriver. If you look at the top of your iPod, you will see that the hold switch has a little more to go before being off hold. Move it over and you're ready to go!

Hope this helps! I looked all over before finding a solution close to this. I'm thinking of setting up a page specifically for this solution!

Just hold the "Hold" button down and switch it at the same time, my old 3rd gen got squished and that fixed the problem.

I hope that helps,

David

I can't believe it. The Heather advice, noted by many others worked for me! Had the same physical Hold slider problem. Felt carefully around the silver back where it joins the white plastic front and realized there was a miniscule shift in the position from one side to the other. Barely noticeable. Pushed hard on the silver back to put it back in position and with a loud click, the hold button moved a fraction of a millimeter and unlocked. Thank you! Problem must have been caused by banging the ipod accidently and displacing the back from the front. Saved me lots of $$. It's really a piece of junk.

HOLD SWITCH WAS STUCK IN LOCKED POSITION EVEN AFTER SOFTWARE UPDATE

THANK YOU!!!

I was considering sending it in to Apple. Been stuck in HOLD for weeks after a small drop on desk.
I set the ipod on its side and pushed hard on the silver side right around where the hold button is, until I heard a click...sure enough it WORKED!! My hold button is no longer stuck.

Thanks Heather!!!

I've been sitting for the last hour listening to my office mate complain about her stuck Ipod. I finally got on the case and found this site. Heather, I don't know if you're still reading this, but you are a genious! She did that put on side and push thing, and it worked!

i dont believe it, i thought my ipod was dead, could not fix it after the lock button broke... then i read the post by laura about just banging it against the desk... and it worked! thank god, thank you laura, if yours doesn't work try it, kinda of weird but it does the trick.

Locking has happened a number of times. Here's what I did to fix.
Plug in remote control
Pause/stop play
Hold menu and select buttons for 5 seconds
then Hold menu and play buttons for 5 seconds.

Result, logo appeared and all was good...for now

The page Kent posted worked for me.

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=61705

The page Kent posted worked for me.

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=61705

Had locked hold switch, put Ipod on its right side and pressed with a little force and "click". Everything is fine now! Amazing! thanks for the advice Heather

This was great--I had the same problem. Basically, it was a physical issue--you had to push on the side where the lock button is. I never heard a snap, but it eventually worked.

Problem was is that it busted just as I got on a six out plane ride.

Is there anyway I can manage my ipod on a different computer? Because I have a new PC.

Thanks for the tip. The "pressing-menu-and-select-at the-same-time-for-several-seconds" method worked.

We had the same problem with the hold button. Called Apple and they sent a box to send it in for repair under the extended warranty. Once they got it, they said that they wouldn't fix it because the unit had been abused. The back is quite scratched, but that's all the damege i see. They wanted $255 for a reconditioned one. I told them to send it back unfixed.

So, it shows up yesterday - working perfectly. Live and learn.

Have this same problem, the hold switch is just not responding. I did notice that the silver piece is a little shifted from the white... when I get home I'll try to push it back into place like suggested and see if it works... will let ya know!

GREAT info everyone!! :)

Tried heather's fix last night and the hold button works again! I'm so happy I no longer have a $400 paper weight :)

Hey -- had the same problem and did what Frank Z suggested -- pushed down on the hold button hard and then moved it. It worked! I have since named my dog, "Frank Z," which confuses the hell out of him because he's 12.

The Heather advice worked for me, too. Thanks so much. iPod's like an old volkswagen- fun when it's working, awful when it breaks, and it breaks a lot.

Heather -

Again, bravo and kudos to you and your genius! My ipod had been stuck for about a week, and I found this page about an hour before I had to get on a plane.

Your gentle pushing trick made my ipod work and probably saved my sanity for my next plane ride.

My 3g ipod is about 1 1/2 yrs old. It's quite scratched up and the screen is kinda busted but it still worked fine. I have had to restart it once before. Now, all of a sudden, it won't turn on (and it's fully charged) unless I plug it into my computer and the hold button icon is on the screen and wont go away, and it seems to be frozen. I have tried a lot of these very helpful ideas because I don't want to get another one, but does anyone have any other suggestions of what I could do??

my ipod photo hold button is playing up

i cant understand if it is physically stuck or something with the software.

all i know is that i can move the button, but it locks even when its on unlock. however if i push down on the button when it is in unlock position i can use the ipod.

help would be appreciated.

I also had the same problem and pushing on the silver part worked when nothing else did.

Whoever suggested that is my hero!

hi ive only just had my mini ipod since the last x-mas gone now on the 26 june the menubutton wont woek :'( my ipod iz my only plesure in life and i cant afoord 2 send it back or buy a new one please any sugesstions would be very helpfull ps plz e-mail me ur answers

The "pressing-menu-and-select-at the-same-time-for-several-seconds" method worked for me.

Many thanx

I've had the same problem with the hold-button stuck, after dropping the iPod on the floor (oops) from about a foot.

Grant' suggestion above worked for me! I wedged a small screwdriver between the silver and white pastic cover, just above the display, when the iPod was lying normally on the table. I heard a loud click and now the hold-button works just as before!

Grant suggestion was to wedge on the left hand side, I did it in the center. I guess it depends a bit on how the hold button got stuck.

OK, I'm having a similar problem, but my ipod actually became stuck on "do not disconnect" after the hold button got stuck and I plugged into my computer. I've tried all these suggestions, but maybe it's different if it's stuck on that. Any other ideas?

My Ipod (40 gig click wheel 7 months old) Just stopped. I was in the car, turned it off, came upstairs and went to turn it back on and nothing happenned. When I put it on the dock it doesn't turn on and my desktop doesn't shpw any signs indicating that it's even there. I tried all of the various thing posted here and nothing's worked. Anyone have any ideas? I mean, it was fine 15 minutes before I tried t turn it on!

Heathers Trick worked. Heard the loud click and presto.. fixed IPOD very pumped. Now I can go about my day dammit!

Turn the ipod on its side and push on the silver side hard until you hear a click. That should unlock it...I know that sounds weird but it worked for me. posted by nicky works if u have tried everything i was so happy ipods are good but they a down side to them

I just fixed mine, which had the same hold switch problem. I pushed on the back very hard, then tapped it repeatedly. Thanks everyone for all of your help.

okay so i was just sitting here trying all this, what i did was grab the top right corner of my ipod color inbetween my thumb and index finger and squeeze it. the lock turned off! fricken cool

heather, you dog
i owe you my life
myPod was stuck in hold land and so i read your post and low and behold it worked
once again, thanks

Thanks for the information about the hold button on the top---that worked! You really are a lifesaver!

Diana

I'd like to say thanks to HEATHER as well... after getting all frantic about my locked iPod, and reading the horrible experiences with warranties and MAC, the simple holding the iPod on the side and pushing the button 'til it clicks, works... at least for me it did.

Heather for President!!! The solution worked for me, and this is my replacement IPOD as had the problem with my first one within the warranty and had it replaced. Apple sucks.

This happened to my wife's iPod 60Gb. Tried everything on here (and the guy at the Genius bar tried tapping on the table). Nothing worked. Thankfully as the unit was only three months old, they replaced it with a new one :)

Heather, You ARE a genius! Mine was stuck in hold / lock after a small glancing fall frm my briefcase. After reading above I noted a miniscule offset of the white half from the silver. I ended up wedging something to put more pressure on the white part -- there was no click, but the lock is off!

heather is god, i love you heather

I thought you guys with the "lay it on the side and push the white...blah, blah, blah" were full of crap. Then, much to my amazement, "click"! Lock symbol gone!

I shall worship Heather all the remaining days of my life...

alright people i am having the same damn prob with my ipod the i just bought like 3 days ago. i also bought an itrip and started having this prob right after so maybe its linked to that. also, isnt there a one year warrenty? how can they charge 60 bucks to fix that shit?

my ipod had the same problem...i was so upset since i cant lve without my music... the solution posted by nicky on january 10th worked for me... THANK U NICKY! you just lay the ipod on its side and press the hold switch on the silver side really hard to unlock it.. i just it just needed to pushed really really hard... dont worry ..you wont break it.. thanks nicky..
ali

holy crap! thank you heather! my 3G hasn't been working all summer and i thought the battery was dead, but the hold switch was stuck. you are a goddess

none of your comments work, tried the pushing the silver thing but alas it did not work

my ipod mini wont work, today i was playing that music trivia game and i got a question correct and it jusst froze! any ideas?

I was running with my ipod yesterday and a torrential downpour ensued. Needless to say, no matter what i tried, the ipod got wet. Now it works perfectly, but the scrolling wheel does not react at all. Does anyone have any suggestions how I could fix this without paying tons of money in repairs?

J - let the battery die. This happened when I was on my way to school once... a 5 hour drive that had to end musicless mind you, but once the battery completely died, i recharged it and it worked fine.

THANK YOU HEATHER!! my ipod got stuck on hold even though i switched the button off and i was upset bc it didnt work and i love my ipod .. when i used ur trick it actually undid the hold button .. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! you dunno how much it means to me that its fixed .. thank u thank u thank u

Someone please help me! I have an iPod mini 4GB. I have had it for less than 3 months and I don't have any idea what happend to it. My friend just told me yesterday that people's iPod's were freezing and breaking and they had to send them back. I thought that would never happen to mine and it did. I have tried almost evreything.It just won't turn on. I am sooo mad! Nothing happens when I try to charge it. I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE HELP ME!!!!

OH MY GOD THANK YOU SO MUCH HEATHEr. Your trick completely worked--you just have to get the white part of the ipod to line up with the silver part. I am SOOO happy. I thought I'd have to buy a new one

can someone please explain to me in detail hot to do heathers ipod trick plz plz plz

can someone please explain how to do heathers trick plz plz plz

This is crazy, i tried the using force trick on my locked Ipod and it freaking worked! you guys rule thanks for all the suggestions!!!

I've been having this problem for a day- locked up hold button... I let the battery die, then recharged it to full health... the ipod still is on "hold" mode regardless of the hold button position. I have tried everything on this forum, and still, my ipod is on lock. None of my ipod buttons respond because it is stuck on hold mode, so telling me to hold certain buttons to restart it won't help ;). Also, my ipod has worked fine for almosta year.. I got it last december, it is a 40g and has worked perfectly fine... however, two months I dropped it about 3 feet on black-top... it still worked perfectly fine until now. The frame of the ipod doesn't seem to be out of place in any area more so than the others, I have tried banging against the desk... squeezing it, "putting on its side", all kinds of things. I'm not sure what the problem is exactly, but I want to fix it! Can someone please give me as detailed explanation as possible because the other ones on here seem too vague, although I seem to be the only one with a broken ipod still.. Instant message me at SevenKButtons if you have AIM, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks in advance.

I've been having this problem for a day- locked up hold button... I let the battery die, then recharged it to full health... the ipod still is on "hold" mode regardless of the hold button position. I have tried everything on this forum, and still, my ipod is on lock. None of my ipod buttons respond because it is stuck on hold mode, so telling me to hold certain buttons to restart it won't help ;). Also, my ipod has worked fine for almosta year.. I got it last december, it is a 40g and has worked perfectly fine... however, two months I dropped it about 3 feet on black-top... it still worked perfectly fine until now. The frame of the ipod doesn't seem to be out of place in any area more so than the others, I have tried banging against the desk... squeezing it, "putting on its side", all kinds of things. I'm not sure what the problem is exactly, but I want to fix it! Can someone please give me as detailed explanation as possible because the other ones on here seem too vague, although I seem to be the only one with a broken ipod still.. Instant message me at SevenKButtons if you have AIM, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks in advance.

I've been having this problem for a day- locked up hold button... I let the battery die, then recharged it to full health... the ipod still is on "hold" mode regardless of the hold button position. I have tried everything on this forum, and still, my ipod is on lock. None of my ipod buttons respond because it is stuck on hold mode, so telling me to hold certain buttons to restart it won't help ;). Also, my ipod has worked fine for almosta year.. I got it last december, it is a 40g and has worked perfectly fine... however, two months I dropped it about 3 feet on black-top... it still worked perfectly fine until now. The frame of the ipod doesn't seem to be out of place in any area more so than the others, I have tried banging against the desk... squeezing it, "putting on its side", all kinds of things. I'm not sure what the problem is exactly, but I want to fix it! Can someone please give me as detailed explanation as possible because the other ones on here seem too vague, although I seem to be the only one with a broken ipod still.. Instant message me at SevenKButtons if you have AIM, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks in advance.

Mine's still stuck too.

When your ipods were stuck in the locked position, did the battery meter still function as normal or was it stuck too? The battery on mine doesn't seem to be depleting.

Mine's still stuck too.

When your ipods were stuck in the locked position, did the battery meter still function as normal or was it stuck too? The battery on mine doesn't seem to be depleting.

well... if I push on the bottom of the white face (below the scroll-wheel) with my hand really hard it makes a clicking noise as if it is going back into place... I don't know though. This is really starting to annoy me =/

My iPOD was stuck with the "hold" icon even when the bar was set to off. Tried all the "pressing the select and menu buttons". Did not work.
-The following worked for me. Thanks Nicky!!

Posted by: Nicky at January 10, 2005 05:47 PM

"Turn the ipod on its side and push on the silver side hard until you hear a click. That should unlock it...I know that sounds weird but it worked for me."

To unfreeze your iPod, try holding down the menu button simultaneously with the play/pause button for about 10 seconds (or a little longer). If that doesn't work, try holding down the middle button simultaneously with the menu button for 10+ seconds. One of these methods should reset your iPod. The latter method did the trick for me! (BTW, I have a 20G iPod.) Good luck!!

My iPod is on hold mode, so it does not respond to button pressing.... meaning holding menu and play/pause or middle button + menu doesn't work...

hopefully someone can help me this isnt't about the hold switch but when i plug my ipod into my computer it just sits on charging i pluged it into 4 diffrent firewire outlits on 2 diffrent computers and i ve tried restarting my computer restarting my ipod Disk mode and just about everthing i have seen on the internet please help

Ok I think I dropped my pod one to many times and the Hold button was stuck...I have the headphone remote so I was using that to listen to music but I could no longer scroll to pick specific songs. Anyway I had been reading these forums and the soloution that worked best for me was to slide the hold button to the 'Off' side really really hard. It's unlocked now...sigh good 'ol Poddy. But now when ever it gets locked I have to do the same thing. I'm leaving it off hold permenately just to be safe. The hold button is the only piece of solid state technology on the ipod so it stands the Highest chance of Breaking.

my hold button is stuck (the hold button just shows orange), and i can't get the button unstuck. can u please help me anyone. I'm not sure about how to do Heather's trick and i'm not sure if it will even help. I have tried forcing the hold button back with my finger nails, but they broke. Someone please helP!!!

Hey,

I'm soo happy, I just bought an iPod from eBay with the hold problem, I was 90% sure I could fix it after reading this site. And All it needed was a sharp whack on my leg and everything is great. And the good thing is that I got it for less than half the price of a new iPod.:)

You guys rock

Hey,

I'm soo happy, I just bought an iPod from eBay with the hold problem, I was 90% sure I could fix it after reading this site. And All it needed was a sharp whack on my leg and everything is great. And the good thing is that I got it for less than half the price of a new iPod.:)

You guys rock

Awesome....just like everyone else I had the same problem...problem now fixed. hard to believe that this is the only site on the net discussion this issue...this tiny issue is driving a ton of people NUTS. Thanks for the solution.

never mind. i just put my ipod in the freezer for about 4 minutes, then forced the darn hold button over. Thanks anyway

Had the same prob after an ipod fall
Found this site and tried all the suggestions - no joy. Eventually opened the iPod up and noted that the connector cable from the top (hold switch and headphones) was slightly loose. Fiddled with it for a while and go it back in properly - all better now.
I would reckon that the "whack it off something" approach is achieving the same thing in a hit and miss manner. Try this way and you'll solve it no prob

My ipod has the whole stuck hold button problem, and hitting it around hasn't helped at all. I've had this problem for a month now and I haven't gotten it fixed!

I have a 4th-gen click wheel ipod... and I haven't been able to open it. I've used screwdrivers, guitar picks, my fingernails, etc... thin plastics and metals, and I can't get the darn thing open!

Help would be greatly appreciated....

my ipod nano got stuck only 3 weeks after i've bought it...but now FIXED!!!

thanks to whoever suggested the method of "pressing the menu and the center play button simultaneously for 5 seconds"!!!!!

So, I was hopeful after reading the "stuck in hold" mode fix...but mine doesn't display the lock icon, there is no "give" in the silver part (tried all versions of gentle trauma)...I really think my click wheel is just broken. It acts JUST like it is stuck on hold, but no lock icon. Have done full restore- no help. It has also been acting funny for months, but has previously responded to messing with the lock (sliding) button. HELP. PLEASE.

My Ipod is acting very strangely. Whenever I go to play a song, the songs just skip over one another and go to the next song. It does this continuously throughout the entire playlist or list of songs in my Ipod. it will just go from song 1 to 2 to 3 to 4 to 5, etc and wont even stop to play the songs!! please help me!!!

I'VE FIXED IT!
After trying the press 'the side till it clicks' tricki, (didn't work... no click) I kept experimenting with various firm but gentle presses... on side, back, etc etc... In the end this is what I did to unlock it...
* Place "Locked in Hold" iPod on it's edge.
* Glently but firmly press the side with the palm of my hand, squeezing the unit against a desk...
* and at the same time, stroke the touch wheel...
* When the backlight comes on the iPod starts to respond... and while still pressing, move the hold switch from On to off!

I recommend you avoid anything to do with screwdrivers

WOW...The Heather fix wasn't working for me, and I was getting frustrated as hell. i was about to give up. It had been more than an hour. Then, as a last ditch effort, I started whacking the shit out of my iPod on my desk.

When I say whacking the shit out of it, I mean just by rotating my wrist. Kind of like playing rock, paper, scissors, but with your iPod in your one hand and the desk acting as the other hand. Exactly that same amount of force, I would say. Not too much arm, more wrist.

But really, when I was doing this, I was at the point where I didn't care what happened to the iPod. I figured it was already busted, so I had nothing to lose by smacking it on the table. I whack it a couple of times, AND I HEAR THE CLICK. AHHHHHHH!

Oh shit! I almost screwed myself over. I put the iPod back on hold, just to see if it still worked...and the FRICKIN THING DID IT AGAIN. But this time all I had to do was slide the hold button REALLY hard toward the un-locked position.

Wow...never putting this on hold again. Well, just one more time...

someone tell me how to do heather's thing i can't get this shit unstuck

well. this isnt working. i almost ruined the switch by peeling the shit off. rawr.

yeah. im getting it replaced tomorrow cuz my ipod was messed up to begin with so whatever.

you guys are a bunch of losers. if your too poor to buy the extended warranty in case your ipod breaks then maybe you shouldn't own one .stop being such losers on the internet talking to eachother and get a life

hey you know what michael. I like the fact that i don't have a life. I am pretty sure that so does everybody else that is on this website. right guys. Hey maybe we should all meet up somewhere and play some mario brothers and have a jerk fest

^pwnage. =]

Hard to believe, the following worked for me, thanks so much! Apple will never get another dime out of me, this hw/mechanical bug could have totally been prevented.

Posted by: Nicky at January 10, 2005 05:47 PM

"Turn the ipod on its side and push on the silver side hard until you hear a click. That should unlock it...I know that sounds weird but it worked for me."

I got a stunner; moving the �hold� switch from lock to unlock cause the Ipod to lose all power. When I press on the �select� button to start again, it starts without a problem, but in �lock� mode. I currently have the Ipod case open and sitting on my desk.
It started acting this way after it got wet. Water bottle, 7 hour flight, me sleeping, you get the picture. Anyway, I need help, I really do, please help. Thanks-

Another Heather-guided iPod unlocking success...what a pleasant and unexpected surprise! (FYI I didn't hear a click, I don't think.) Thanks.

i've tryed all these comments and they r not working!!!!!!!!!!!
i was playin music quiz and it froze its doing my head in coz i've gt a new c-d can some1 help me plz !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My ipod won't respond when I press the menu button. Everything else seems to be working fine... what's up???

omg yads2k1 thank you so freakin much!!!! holdin menu and select for a few seconds un froze my nano im so happy!!!your my new best friend!!!!!ahhh im so happy.... whew!!

So basically apple sucks

ended up having to open the sucker to unfreeze the hold - it was an easy choice: either a not quite pristine paperweight or a slightly less pristine ipod

however much apple may suck, the ipod is still the BEST invention since sliced bread!

thanks everyone for useful ideas posted here.

just open your ipod and you see that on the top where the screen is,there is a attachment that is unpluged just plug it back and it should be unlock.

"just open your ipod and you see that on the top where the screen is,there is a attachment that is unpluged just plug it back and it should be unlock."

thats exactly what i did before when i had this problem. its a springy attachment, and you'll notice it plugs in a little slot. just do that, and that should help.

:)

I have a 5g ipod photo.
I let my brother use it and he completely depleated the battery.
Since then I have charged it in the wall outlet and copmuter.
I have used the ipod update on in.
I found that as I switch the Hold button on, the drive begins to spin. It goes into the apple logo and then into Language.
When i turn the Hold button off, the display fades away and the drive stops.
I dont know what to do.
I do not want to open it. It is too new and too expensive for any risks.
What should I do?

When plugged into the wall, after 10 minutes it shows a green battery and says CHARGED.

After trying the "whack", the reset, sweettalking and general man-handling of my ipod, the damned thing still isn't working right. I believe the problem is due to my scroll wheel. I can get it work once every few days but it suddenly stops scrolling and won't let me click back or forward to get to the menu. I've let it die, etc etc. PLEASE HELP! i'd open it but it's a 4th gen and I can get it to crack anywhere!?

When people keep saying the hold button is "stuck" do you all mean physically stuck? Mine I can move back and forth but it still has the little lock symbol displayed and I can't operate at all. Push on the silver side? I'm confused, can anyone elaborate or give any advice to get mine going again? All my music is on there with no back-up. Thanks!!!

Hello,
I have an ipod photo 20gb. I dropped in water two days ago where it remained for 2-3 seconds before I pulled it out.
I freaked out a bit and pushed the click wheel and switched it to hold (as I know I should not have done with water inside of it). Since then, I have let it rest, taken it apart, blow dried it, reassembled it, charged it, reset it (menu/select) restored it through ipod update, and loaded songs onto it. The ipod will charge, and I can sync with itunes and manage songs (load and erase) when connected to my mac and itunes. It will turn on when I switch it to hold and the light will come on when I switch hold off. It will respond to a simultaneous menu and select button pressing. It will not respond to scrolling or clicking to view the music files or play music. There is no audible when the click wheel is pressed. The only response from the click wheel is when I reset (with menu/select). I feel like I am so close to a revived ipod. How can I get my click wheel to respond?
Thank you,

I had the same problem. I did let it to discharge fully, and it did hardware restart when it was fully discharged. I got it as easy and safe solution.

This problem that I have got is a bit wierd and I desperately need some help.

I have a 2G Nano and I love it. The other day, I turned it on and it appeared with a thick patch of white across the screen which I can't get rid of. It blocks the middle section and reseting it, banging it and draining it dosen't work.

HELP ME PLEASE!

I had the same problem with my nano being on lock and I'm so glad that I found this. For me, putting the hold switch on unlocked and holding down the menu & middle button worked to fix it.

But jeez. That was a major panic moment.

I just got my iPod about an hour ago, and it's stuck on the lock button, but it alternates between the orange & white states just fine, the hold button isn't stuck, it's just permanently locked. what do i do:( :( i've always hated apple, and now this happens with the brand new ipod and i'm really not convinced. i want to return it right now argh

well i used the method of sliding it back and forth really fast and that worked... i have a mini, and somehow the top right corner got dented in like mad, and the hold button was affected, so now it seems like i cant go back into hold or else i wont be able to turn it on... thanks for the great advice

I had an ipod mini. The battery wore out so Apple replaced it free of charge. One week later it gets stuck on hold. Incredible bullshit.

where is the silver side... i have an ipod mini

Ive had my Ipod (4th Gen 20gb) for about 1 year 3 months now. But lately it has started to become more and more broken. First of all the battery power is basically nil, although i think that is to be expected, and the hold button doesnt work at all. It also has a tendency to pause alot whenever you put any headphones or anything in the jack. I want to return it to Apple so i can exchange it for a new one, but i dont have any warranty at the moment for it. I dont want to buy a warranty for this ipod because im probably going to get a new one relatively soon anyways. If i buy the Applecare plan does it carry over to a new ipod? If i get the new ipod and it breaks, can i just send it in and pretend it was the one i bought the warranty for originally? Basically, whaty should i do?

I've been wigging out for about the last hour with this problem. My nano was stuck in the lock position. While the button would move back and forth the lock symbol wouldn't go away. However, after trying almost everything on this thread, the following solution posted by Azrial above worked for me.

"I had the same problem with my nano being on lock and I'm so glad that I found this. For me, putting the hold switch on unlocked and holding down the menu & middle button worked to fix it.

But jeez. That was a major panic moment."

Also had the same problem with hold switch not unlocking. After reading what everyone had tried, I eventually ended up SMACKING the thing in the back.

IT WORKED...

But it's time for a new one anyway - down to only 20 minutes of battery time. How does apple get away with selling something that only worked well for about 10 months and then expect you to buy a new battery so it can run out soon too. Most products with such a record would be deemed crap!

My Ipod froze while it was locked... I got frustrated trying various ways to try and reboot and then I held down the center button and pushed on the top of the wheel... The Ipod rebooted... Hopefully this comment is helpful

I have a week old 2 GB nano and i have the "oddly" popular problem where it is permanently stuck on hold---For the entire day, i have tried solutions like the ones described on this forum but to no avail----If anyone has anything else to try i would appreciate it---I am continuing to try the already provided methods but am not convinced one of them will succeed for me...Has anyone had an actual conversation with the Apple people? Seems like a problem this big should have more concern from their side (Got to Love Big Business Corporate America)

ok here's are poblem are ipod nano is locked on the itunes it has a lock it wont let me upload my songs at all it still plays songs it just wont let me put more songs on it please help me im totally clueless when it comes to an ipod

CARL, YOU ARE A GENIUS!!!! BUT NOW MY CAPS LOCK KEY SEEMS TO BE STUCK. OFRDHUID... Oh there it goes. Seriously though, I read the quoted post below to try to fix my girlfriend's iPod Nano and it worked... sort of. All I had to do was hold the 'menu' and 'select'(a.k.a. the center button) for five seconds. The Apple logo appeared, I held my breath, and -boom!- All was well again in Nano-land. :-)

Kevin

"Posted by: carl at April 28, 2005 01:44 PM

Locking has happened a number of times. Here's what I did to fix.
Plug in remote control
Pause/stop play
Hold menu and select buttons for 5 seconds
then Hold menu and play buttons for 5 seconds.

Result, logo appeared and all was good...for now"

Hi, i've had my ipod for about 3 months now...recently, i accidently put it through the wash....i let it sit and dry for a while, and within 5hrs it turned back on...i turned the thing off,put hold switch on, and now it won't turn on....if anyone has a way for me to fix this problem, please tell me through msn (chaosshadows@hotmail.com) Thx :)

Seriously skeptical at first; now, greatly thankful.

Thanks Heather! From Japan, we love you!

Steps

1. Put the ipod on the table on its (length wise) left hand side
2. Push down with pressure the right side`s silver and white side(best location: lengthwise, top right hand corner)
3. You may or may not hear a click, just check the screen regularly to see if it`s working or not.

Persistence pays.

Hi i have a ipod nano black 4gb i ve had it for about a month now adn its been working perfectly fine but today i was listening to it for a bit then i turned it off and put it on the hold thing then a couple mins later it wouldnt turn on. I did the reset thing and then it turned on but it was still locked and i kept switching the HOLD button on and OFF but still wasnt working, can someone please help me my email is: Xtremeplaya07@hotmail.com

Holy Crap!!!!

Heather, who are you????????? You are awesome!!!!! I wish I could send you something. Apple should be paying you.

Thanks again.

anybody!! i need help!!!! i bought my ipod video yesterday ....i locked the screen....but now it wont unlock with the right code...i know is the right code..i wrote it down...this is my second ipod in less than two weeks..please..help!!!!!

Pressing on the back with some force seemed to unlock the gen 3 from what seemed like a fatal padlock synrome and it began to work norally again! Thanks for that little bit of knowledge!

If Heather's method for the stuck hold switch didnt work for you, it may be an internal issue that i can fix. post if youre interested.

I was moving around with my ipod and the screen froze, there are loads of colourded lines on th screen and I've tried loads of methods but it's still frozen!

Hold Menu and the middle button (select) down for 6-10 seconds it resets the ipod and it should be fixed.

i was running and it started to rain, all of a sudden the music stoped and the ipod screen turned white. it froz for a long period od time. then i hit the menu and select and the ipod turned off. now it wont turn back on!!! please help i love my i pod and i want it to work again!

e-mail me at ashnazari@yahoo.com thanks

This is for those of you, who like me, their hold button was REALLY broken. After sitting here about an hour and reading people praising Heather on her method, which simply did not work for me, I grew increasingly frustrated. Anyways, here's what I did to "fix" my "stuck-on-hold" problem.

Using a knife, with my ipod sideways, I pushed on the hold button towards the unlocked direction as hard as I could. Eventually the HOLD button itself flew off, broken.
While this isn't what I was hoping for, it's what led to the fixing.
It's very dark in the hole after the switch button comes off, but if you put the ipod under some light you can see there's a little metal switch, which should be stuck on the left side of some base. Simply, using a slim-object like a knife, push the switch to the right, and that should REALLY unlock it.

Obviously, the hold button will no longer work, but I managed to put the switch-hold button back to cover the hole. I can't put the IPOD on lock anymore but at least it freaking WORKS!

E-mail me @ Luis2101@hotmail.com, if you need further help with this.

Ok, I have just had the frozen hold button problem. I tried the Heather method of lying it on its side and pusing hard on the silver edge and to no avail. I then tried holding the menu and play button down together and lo and behold after 3 seconds the machine reset and no more problem. Thanks.I was beginning to get woried.

Got this 4 GB white nano for Christmas. It was fine until today when the lock icon stayed on and now it doesn't work at all. I've tried the reset and even the restore, but the icon is still on.

Any help appreciated.

Thanks

help!!!i have just recived ipod nano black 4 gig, when today was dropped in water for 3-4 seconds. I had no idea what to do, it was working still, so i wiped off, and kept listening, thinking it was fine. roughly a minute later, screen went blank, then no buttons worked. still not knowing what to do i tried to plug into computer and turn, after trying twice unplugged, and started looking online. i really would love any help whatsoever, this is first ipod. if you have any suggestions you can reach me at mcrlv14@aim.com Thank you!!

*e-mail address is mcrlvr14@aim.com.

need ipod unlocked

yes, thank you, thank you, thank you. pushing down on the backside of my ipod near the hold button, worked! my ipod is now unstuck thanks to you all. it just took a little pressure and i heard a click as you said. thank you!

My iPod nano was on permanent hold. After holding menu and select for a few seconds my iPod came back to life. Thx for this solution.

A freind of mine's iPod was accidentally dropped, and so it went into lock mode. However, when I was working with it a few weeks later my cat pawed it off the table and it hit the floor pretty hard, which strangely enough it got off lock mode. I know that won't really help as advice, but I figured I'd share that.

Guys I have my iPod 60GB Photo, my hold button physically works, moves from right to left normally, but iPod is on hold, when you try to move it slowly from hold to unhold, Hold icon starts to flicker, but at the end it goes to Hold, i've tried all tricks described here, and it didn't work, then i pressed really hard till i heard my iPod cracking from all sides, even screen colors started to play, but even after that its still on Hold, then i tried again to move hold button from left to rght, and it unlocked :), but still flickers and out 4 times out of 10 tries stays on Hold, so u have to try few times to put it in Unhold, i don't think that its a solution, maybe i should open it and trying to do smth from inside?

Guys I have my iPod 60GB Photo, my hold button physically works, moves from right to left normally, but iPod is on hold, when you try to move it slowly from hold to unhold, Hold icon starts to flicker, but at the end it goes to Hold, i've tried all tricks described here, and it didn't work, then i pressed really hard till i heard my iPod cracking from all sides, even screen colors started to play, but even after that its still on Hold, then i tried again to move hold button from left to rght, and it unlocked :), but still flickers and out 4 times out of 10 tries stays on Hold, so u have to try few times to put it in Unhold, i don't think that its a solution, maybe i should open it and trying to do smth from inside?

my ipod is in disk mode and i dont no how to take if off does anyone know?

my ipod is in disk mode and i dont no how to take if off does anyone know?

hey guys, im thinkin that you could possibly give me some help. My ipod has been frozen now for a couple of days. Everyone I know told me the following:
try banging it gently on a desk
try to update or restore
try to reinstall the software
make sure your battery is good
make sure the hold switch is off
NONE OF THESE WORKED!!!!
When I try to restore my ipod, it says that you need to insert the ipod. So i do just that. NOTHING HAPPENS!!!!! The whol point of restoring it was so it will respond, so i don't quite get that! I come to the box that askes is I want to update or restore. I am unable to do either.
I would be extremely appriciative if any of you guys could help.
Thanks

can some one help me with my ipod nano?? i locked it up, but i forgotthefour numbers, so i can't unlock it, does any one know how to unlock it??? please help me! i would really aprecciate. thanx

hey jaasiel, i think I can help you. first of all, the apple warrenty is a year, and you may have bought an extra year. But anywho, heres another way. Plug your ipod in and find the application "ipod updater", and open it. Then, DO NOT click update, CLICK RESTORE!!!! This action will then delete everything including pics, songs, and codes. This dosnt matter cause you have all of this stuff on itunes or somethin. I hope this helped you,
sincerly yours,
intears!

p.s.

hey jaasiel, write back if you have any luck!

I had the same problem with the hold switch. There wasn't much help on the 'net. Most of what google turned up was related to software issues requiring a reset and this was a physical problem with the switch. I had decided not to send it to Apple because I use limewire, they would have charged at least $100 and it will need a new battery (again apple would charge $100). ( not to mention a big fine!)Will little to lose I decided to open the thing up and see if I could permanently switch hoold off. I checked out some of the instructions on the web for opening the iPod to switch batteries and started to follow them. At this point I noticed the iPod was already a little loose. So I squeezed it back together and lo and behold the switch began to work. Within the first hour I had to do it again (I just squeezed it while moving the cover and back in opposite directions), but I'll try living with it for now. I will think twice before buying another iPod. It is bad enough that the battery replacement is so expensive, but the only accessible moving part on it broke and rendered the unit useless. Very dissapointing.

im thinkin that you could possibly give me some help. My ipod has been frozen now for a couple of days. Everyone I know told me the following:
try banging it gently on a desk
try to update or restore
try to reinstall the software
make sure your battery is good
make sure the hold switch is off
NONE OF THESE WORKED!!!!
When I try to restore my ipod, it says that you need to insert the ipod. So i do just that. NOTHING HAPPENS!!!!! The whol point of restoring it was so it will respond, so i don't quite get that! I come to the box that askes is I want to update or restore. I am unable to do either.
I would be extremely appriciative if any of you guys could help.
Thanks

hey jaasiel, look up for a post for you!

My 4GB iPod nano was showing as being locked, even though it wasn't. The screen remained brightly lit but the nano wasn't responding to anything. Thanks to Azrial for the solution of pressing the MIDDLE of the scroll wheel and the UP button (on the outside of the scroll wheel) at the same time. Rebooted it after a few seconds and now back to normal. What a great resource this site is!

hey my hold switch is stuck on hold no matter what to do.. i tried putting it on the side and pushed bits everywhere but i don't understand exactly how to fix it. please someone help.

When I had the hold switch problem, it was specifically because the back had become slightly disloged from the front (left it in my pocket too long, and my pocket is notorious for breaking things), and I could tell that was the case because the silver section stuck out on the left of the ipod.

What you have to do is just place the ipod on its RIGHT side, then press the silver section down. I had to press HARD, but it went back into place.

Most likely just happened because one side of the switch is on the silver, but the other is on the white. Slight dislodge results in complete disconnect. Easy fix.

In regards to the "stuck in hold" dilema, the only thing that worked for me was to slide the hold button away from the lock position with a finger nail as hard as I could. The little lock symbol finally disappeared. It is now covered with a piece of tape to prevent further accidental sliding. No more problems.

hi, i have just accidently set a code on my ipod and dont no the code.how do i unlock it?

Heather put me on right track. My sons iPod was locked for month :-( The problem was that top left corner of white half was pushed in silver half to much and thus top right corner (near hold button) had a small gap between whithe & silver half. Fixed by running my nail between white and silver half and then gently pushing them together and it is unlocked now and works again. Thanks Heather :-)

omg, the heather advice is right. It's stuck in lock mode b/c the silver backing was a little out of alignment but so little that I didn't notice it. turn the ipod on its side and press until it clicks back into place.

um my ipod is locked and i dont remember the code how do i unlock it?

I put a new battery in my 2 year old 3G iPod, and got stuck in 'hold-switch hell' too. In the end I discovered that the tiny bit of plastic that should have been on the top of the inner switch had snapped off, so no amount of pushing, tapping or quick switch-wiggling was ever going to do it.

Here's what to do if all else fails: (first make sure you can't fix it by re-setting, loading the latest software etc)

1) Open the iPod (use a tiny flat screwdriver or very thin flat plastic tool and start on the long side. Work around the edges and it will snap open. The back and front are connected by a ribbon cable, so separate the back & front gently.

2) Look at the small bit on the circuit board that corresponds to the hold switch on the back casing. It should have a tiny bit of plastic about 1mm square on top. If it does, that's the bit that should locate with the outer switch. Line it up, and that's job done! If it's just smooth, the tiny bit has snapped off. Don't despair! Get a small pin and a magnifying glass and slide the remains of the tiny switch across.

Your iPod will work, but the hold switch won't (unless you open it up again).

This discovery made me very happy, and might do the same for you.

All hail Heather!! She seemed to have pointed out a slight weakness in the body design. My pod was stuck on hold after being dropped a few days earlier. It had happened before but i didn't remember how we fixed it.

trauma + hold frozen = heather's solution.

my ipod nano was stuck in hold... i could move the button but the lock symbol wouldn't go away. ****** holding down the MENU and SELECT button worked for me *******

aaahhh im so relieved i would've been so pissed if it was broken!

Apple needs to make ipods more reliable........

HEATHER - I love you...will you marry me?

I've had my 4 gig nano for about 3 months and I'm already having a problem with it. The songs do not stop. Whenever I go to play a song, the songs just skip over one another and go to the next song. It does this continuously throughout the entire playlist or list of songs in my Ipod. it will just go from song 1 to 2 to 3 to 4 to 5 and will not stop to play the songs. Anyone have any ideas?

You really love me?!?!?!
lets fuck sometime.
put ur dick in my pussy and we'll be all set!

You really love me?!?!?!
lets fuck sometime.
put ur dick in my pussy and we'll be all set!

this f*cking sucks i dropped my ipod now it won't turn on i need help!!!!!

this f*cking sucks i dropped my ipod now it won't turn on i need help!!!!!

Believe me guys, heather advice worked for me. I had the ipod for 3 months and one day while i was on thread mill i dropped the ipod, immediately it was locked. I tried finding solution for long time, i went to un friendly support at applegenius bar. They have no knowledge of how to set it. in the mean time, for the love of ipod, i bought another one (vedio). Again as usual it made me sick for asking me to buy another software to play vedios. Just to see is there is a solution again, i googled and luckily i came to this thread. Before i tried each and every damn thing apple suggested like restore, update and blah blah blah. but after reading heather advice, i pressed my ipod in the middle of the silver, gosh it worked. Thanks heather
Murthy

"Turn the ipod on its side and push on the silver side hard until you hear a click. That should unlock it...I know that sounds weird but it worked for me."

Holy shit, this actually worked for me! There was a loud pop and then it became unlocked, something must have been out of alignment.

my ipod dose not let me download music it say it has a lock i need help!!!!!!!

omg,
i love this goddamn website.
i have searched ages to fix this lock problem on my ipod. it was frozen with the lock symbol on the screen despite the hold switch being off.
i couldn't press any buttons cos the ipod wass "locked".

so i put pressure on the left hand side of the ipod. it only worked because i ended up putting so much pressure on it, that the ipod fell out of my hands and onto the carpet.

funnily enough, it's unlocked and i don't have a gap between the silver and white side on the left side of the ipod!

thanks for all the tips!

Thanks. The menu/select hold trick worked! It took 3 hours to find this site!

we duno but how do we unlock da ipod photo it kinda jus locked itself and we av pressed all the buttons n tis well anoyin!

yeah i had a similar problem but mine came from it not working so i threw it at the ground, it opened up but was still working. because my battery was charged it was still on but it was locked because it had been locked before i threw it. i discovered (only do this if u know what you're doing around circuti boards) that theres a connector underneat the circuit board that the hold button is on that the front part of the ipod needs to be plugged into. once i plugged it back in the i was able to undo the hold button. i realize it doesnt help many people however for people that like to throw things when they dont work right this should come in handy.

buy a new one!It`s gona WOrK!!!

I currently have a 20 gig click wheel ipod and it won't seem to turn on. It charges fine and syncs with my itunes fine but when i disconnect it from firewire source it refuses to turn on. i've tried the different pressure on the sides(the silver and white seem to line up fine), ive tried resetting it numerous times, ive tried banging it on the corners little bits, i'm just scared to break it. could it be a battery problem with it not being able to hold a charge for some stupid reason? i haven't dropped it and it just randomly won't start on. Any advice for a poor soul like me?

Please help; my iPod has got a similar problem to some of the above but is also different. It says it is locked but I can move the switch, and when it's on the side where it's supposed to be unlocked, but there is a tiny bit of orange there. Even when I push it really hard, and the orange is gone, it still says it's locked, and when I stop pushing, the thing slides back to show a bit of orange. I have tried all of the main ways to unfreeze it, but none work. Can anyone help?

One day, I tried to play music on my iPod, but the music wouldn't play. So, can anyone tell me how I can fix my iPod?

I let the battery die overnight last night, I woke up this morning and recharged my iPod, and it worked! I'm so happy my iPod can sing again!

I had same problem as everyone else with hold switch and lock icon - i lived with it for a year using remote to be able to listen to tunes - eventually found site - bad news, Heather's solution did not work for me - Good news, Autumn's solution did! - poorly designed mechanical switch - easy to "fix" when you know how - all praise Autumn - praise him/her

my i pod will no play any music i select a track and it just scrolls through the songs without playing anything like i keep hitting the next button but im not so if any one can help i would appreciate it alot

Thanks a lot, Heather. Who knew this advice would keep on giving two years later? It's too bad I can't use hold again with out having to use your trick (well, I guess that might be addressed but I'm not going to scroll through all of this now).

Thanks again.

hey.. yea.. mine did that too.. and i just turned the lock on the bak off again and it worked... hope it works for u..

hey.. yea.. mine did that too.. and i just turned the lock on the bak off again and it worked... hope it works for u..

Okay...how do you unlock the ipod nano,after the hold button breaks off?Please please help!

This shit works on a Nano too. Just tried it cuz i had the problem too. Thanks Heather!

I had the same problem. Haven't read the whole post, but the problem where the hold button seems stuck on hold, and none of the buttons are responding.

I opened the ipod, and the external hold switch on the outside of the case connects to a little one that is connected to the hardware. It seems like the two were misaligned. after flipping the little switch, the hold function worked correctly. I then put the case back together, and it seems like the two aligned themselves again. hope that helps.

OK...I've opened up the iPod while I was trying Heather's solution, and I found a cable disconnected on the top of the ipod that connects the hold button and the earphone jack to the main part of the iPod.
I put it back into the slot and I found it working! XD

I have a nano that was having the same "stuck hold" problem...I was seriously surprised to find out how many people were having my same problem. I don't know all that much about ipods, but I would seriously advise against that suggestion of hitting it against a hard surface until it works, since that was probably the initial cause of the problem...

I tried pushing the hold switch really hard to the left. I thought it was going to break off....but it worked. Awesome.

I had the same problem. I noticed that when I put a lot (a real lot) of pressure downward (toward the screen) on the hold button while it was in the non-hold (to the left) position the lock would disappear. However when I released the pressure the lock icon appeared again. (If you cannot apply enough pressure with your finger hold the nano in both hands and push it against a hard surface (edge of a desk)with only the lock button making contact with the hard surface.) I then tried applying a lot of pressure on the hold button when it was in the right side lock position (again using the two hands and hard surface method) and I think I heard the small click noise that some of the other's have mentioned here. Then when I moved the hold button off the lock position, the lock icon disappeared and my problem was solved. I guess this is a variation of the Heather solution. The problem was mechanical ... not software.

I was looking for a solution and i found one

just hold down it will still work even when frozen and "on hold" just hold down the menu and middle select button for a while the screen will turn black and then go to normal
I just found this i was scared i was going to get in trouble for breaking it even if it broke itself

I have found the answer. I was looking for it on the internet and a site said to hold down the menu and the middle select button. The screen turns black and then ur ipod will be normal. I swear! I just did it.

If your video ipod is stuck in the hold mode and it doesn't seem like it's a physical issue, hold down the menu and the middle select button at the same time for about 10 seconds. I tried smacking the ipod as suggested by a few folks but it didn't seem like a hardware issue because the ipod is only 45 days old.

"OK...I've opened up the iPod while I was trying Heather's solution, and I found a cable disconnected on the top of the ipod that connects the hold button and the earphone jack to the main part of the iPod.
I put it back into the slot and I found it working! XD"

Zeraxeal...do you have a normal Ipod with a click wheel? I think this might be my problem. Is the "cable" you're talking about sort of a flat, wide piece of copper wire with circuitry on it? It seems like it should be connected to something on my Ipod but I can't figure out where.

I accidentally locked my colleague's ipod when itunes crashed on my pc while he was connected. stressed out for 40 minutes then fixed it by holding down the menu and select buttons for 10 sec.

/phew

My iPod nano was stuck in hold too... i could move the button but the lock symbol wouldn't go away. Holding down the MENU and SELECT button at the same time (with the hold switch off) for a couple seconds worked for me!!!

I'm so glad I wasn't the only one with this problem.

Thanks for the help everyone!

Our iPod had the same problem with being locked and having no way to "reset" it because the keys were frozen.

We tried the method that was mentioned above where we "squeezed" the actual iPod on it's sides until we heard an audible "click" sound and it worked!!

The original cause of the problem was a drop incident, so something must have been knocked out of place and the sqeeze puts whatever it was back into place.

Good luck everyone else!

Hey, I had the same stupid problem with it. I was so frustrating! Then I went to apple.com an they said it would a $100 to fix it but then i went to where they said how to fix it. The said to put the ipod on lock and then unlock it. After you do that you press and hold the menu button and select button (the button in the middle)for about 10 seconds unitl the apple logo appears on the screen. Sure enough it worked.

Amazing...I had a locked icon that wouldn't disappear with any amount of on-off-on-off back and forth with the hold button. Found this site,I used a version Grant's solution (5/5/05 post) and voila! A click, and off went the dreaded stuck lock icon. (Instead of the tiny screwdriver Grant suggests, I used the thin blade of a steak knife, sliding the blade gently between the silver back & white front on the iPod's LEFT side. I didn't pry hard, just sliding the blade in produced the "click" and the lock/hold icon disappeared!) Thank you Grant, now I can get back to savoring the stunning narration on Crime and Punishment.

Oops, that reference was for Grant's 4/5/05 post...

HELP!!! I have a first generation iPod mini, and this past weekend it dropped into a hot tub for about 10 seconds. I pulled it out as fast as I could and wrapped it in a towel to dry it off, but the screen went blank and everything shut down. I have put it in front of a fan to dry it out, but it still doesn't turn on and nothing has worked...I really would love any help whatsoever...my husband gave it to me and had it engraved...so, I would love to get it fixed for very sentimental reasons...please e-mail me at jmain214@hotmail.com Thank you!!

::Sigh:: I've tried EVERYTHING here...an am about to give up. I've Only had this dumb thing since Christmas and it was working fine up until an hour ago.. I plugged it in to charge...and the computer didn't respond to the Ipod, the clock won't work, and the lock icon is there...no matter where the switch is....and the battery won't run out....Any help? If not....R.I.P. Ipod

WEEEE!!! I also took Heather's advice -- turned the ipod on its side and pushed on the silver side right around where the hold button is, until I got the distinct click sound. Sure enough it WORKED, as if the casing and the silver popped back into place. So happy! The screen no longer shows a permanent lock symbol.
Thanks Heather! Great solution. :)

I USED EVERY METHOD THERE WAS I EVEN TRIED YOUR IDEA HEATHER, AND NONE OF IT WORKED. I WAS SO ANGRY I WAS READY TO JUST THROW MY IPOD OUT THE WINDOW UNTIL I SAW DAVE'S SUGGESTION. HE SAID TO HOLD DOWN THE MENU AND THE MIDDLE FOR 10 SECONDS LO AND BEHOLD THE IPOD IS WORKING AGAIN, THANKS DAVE YOU ARE A LIFESAVER!

Forgot your password to unlock your iPOD...
Let this for the pros... Go to the explorer, tools, folder options, view files types, and the uncheck de Hide protected operating system files... then go to your iPOD on My Computer Icon you will see your iPOD as a hard drive like H:\ or any other word the go like this:
H:\iPod_Control\Device you will see this file:
_locked copy to your computer for safety and erase it and thats it, you wont spend any money... jaja so easy. there is no such word file and if you want to know your forgoten password just open the file in word with the files type (*.*) and you will see your password... please apple reps don?t read this

ok my ipod mini would never turn on since the day i got it so i opend it up and unpluged the batter and hard drive and re pluged them back in just like i would if i lost a pc drive and it finnaly turned on now when i installed the soft ware that came on the disk it said it had to be formated to ipod config so i began to do that then my ipod turned off half way through and now i have no OS on it so i plug it in and try to restore but for some reason my ipod keeps rebooting turns off then on again and i have tried doing the manual reboot by pressing menu and select at the same time for 10 sec and tried the hold button trick but nothing works if any one has any idea how to fix this problem plzzz tell me im desprate

my ipod is stuck in disk mode.. help would be nice..

right this one worked for me after trying everything else on this site!!! Get a small tool very fine but strong like a dental probe!!! Place it in between the screen and the middle of the hold button ( inside the ipod) and bend it down towards the screen while toggling the hold switch and hey presto the padlock is gone. Just don't put it back on hold, you'll never get it off again!

My iPod nano has been having trouble with only having half of the screen show up. Ive tried the menu center button thing but that doesn't work. HELP!

I've the same problem today on my iPod Video 30gb, the Dave solution (September 20, 2005 05:15 AM) to
"try holding down the middle button simultaneously with the menu button for 10+ seconds" worked fine for me.

Thank you Dave!

WOW!! My iPod got stuck and I tried all the recommendations on the Apple site and nothing worked. So i tried the "push hard" method described here. I push hard on the edge of the screen directly under the hold switch. Nothing happenend. I then moved the hold switch back and forth a few times. Then I did the "push hard" thing again. Then I did the reboot by holding menu and the center button and all of a sudden it reboot! SWEET!!

This is the second time the "stuck on hold" thing has happened to me. Last time I just let the damn thing die over night and re charge it the next day. Hopefully It'll work this time

i have an ipod that will not respond to a charger or to the computer when i plug it in with the usb, the manual reset wont work and the screen just stays permanently blank it ownt turn on and there is no symbol to say it is stuck in lock mode...help!! what can i do??

throw it to the wall and then pick it up if dont work throw it agin and if it dont work throw it one more time to the wall and if that dont work well can can i say... i ran out of ideas...lol

Carl, thanks man. I was about to flip out because I restored my computer (deleting 2,500 songs), reconected my i-pod, and the damn thing wouldn't unlock. I did what you said, and it saved me. Can't thank you enough

I bow before you heather.
Click and it works again!!
I'm glad I didn't have to pry it open =)

hey guys could u pliz help me i was sitting with my ipod on my legs and i forgot so i standed up and it fell down from a jheight of 15 cm and for my bad lock it was locked and know it doesn´t unlocks pliz help me
e-mail me annah8a@hotmail.com

i am an ashole because i was holding my ipod on the window of a 30 floor building i was in the last floor and i said to myself lets throw it to see what happens so i let it go and it is locked and does not respond any more send me any recomendastions to my mail aditi281@hotmail.com

okay so i dont know what happened to my ipod (i have the nano) and all of the sudden i turned it on and half of my screen was blank. i googled this page and it said that some one had the same problem but half way i got tired of reading the post and i just want to know if some one could help me.

I had the same problem..... just happend earlier today.I had my ipod on that screen lock.. then like 2 hours later i tried to unlock nothing happened. I was so frustrated. I heard that if you cant unlock the ipod plugging it into itunes will unlock it. well i tried that but the damn computer didnt pick anything up. so i came here. saw that alot of people had the same "fricken" problem. But the Pressing Menu and select button for a few seconds helped me. Now to wait 1 hour while i re-install windows xp because i was so damned freaked out i thought my xp computer was messed up. well thanks for all the info.

Geuss what... all u guys were giving advidce that didn't work, then i got angry and lobbed my nano across the floor and vwaula perfect ipod.apophenia

Violence IS the answer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Alright seen one other post that describes my problem, but no responses, am a bit lost as to what to do, I have a 30 gig Ipod. Oddly it charges fine, it connects and plays from the computer fine, just the click wheel is completely frozen, and if i toggle the reset button from on to off, poof the whole thing resets. Screen fades out, and then the apple logo comes up.

hi i really need some help my ipod nano has completly frooze i connected it to my computor bythe usb cable to put some more songs on it and it has frooze for the first time with the song still on it and the lock button on it won't do a thing i even took the battery out and then back in and it didnt even turn off??? its completly frooze iv tried the reset tips none work and the light finally turned off 20 minutes ago but is still froozen and i cant turn it off to reset or do any with it. can someone please help!!! kirsty xxx

my ipod nano is stuck in hold even though the switch isnt on hold and ive tried everything even resetting it and nothing works. i need to know how to fix it because i have over 1000 songs on it and i cant afford to erase them all.

hi i went to work earlia and left it in my bedroom n wen i came bk it had turned bk 2 normal n was working fine!! i took the battery out then put it staright back in and switched the hold button back and forward repeativly then left it for 3 hours in my bedroom and it went back to normal try it it mithe work but its wrth a try! kirsty xxx

heathers method doesnt work, and neither do any of the others!!!!
what should i do???????????
need desperate help...the ipods not mine!!!

i tried to fix it using heathers method, but the screen broke...thanx a lot heather...you just cost me $200

i used heathers advice, and it WORKED, but know i havwe to tape down the hold button because if it shifts just a little, it goes on lock again!

I SET A 4 DIGIT CODE ON MY IPOD AND I FORGOT WHAT IT WAS AND MY IPOD WONT UNLOCK. WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP ME

I dropped my 20GB color photo ipod at work yesterday . For an entire day it was messed up . The ipod kept on showing me everything from the sad face icon , to the Apple logo but it would'nt light up . I even heard the clicking sound. I kept trying to reset it switching it back and forth between my fire wire cables and my USB cable that came with the ipod . I searched every ipod website on the net and I was about to get fed up . I plugged the ipod up the usb cable into the wall adapter and held the menu and play/pause button and VOILA - its working !

My Ipod is stuck in the "hold" position. I can't do anything I have reset the whole thing and it is still in the lock position. Someone help me please!!!!

Thanks Heather ur solution of using might rather than software subtelities worked for me even...I brought it from Germany and I stay here in India..so i was pretty confused ..hoe to get the damn thing working again if this had not worked....

Cheers
Sourav

ok so i got my ipod nano 6 months ago a couple days ago the hold switch got stuck no matter which way you moved it, it was still STUCK! i heard about the people banging their ipods on a desk but that just sounds stupid to me im not gonna do that even if they say it works and i dont think im gonna open up my ipod ( im not that handy) so im just thinking about going to an apple store and getting an exchange, what do you think?

Thanks Heather!!!
After trying all the reloads and wiping my ipod clean.
Nothing ever worked.
but your method did

I HAVE FOUND A FIX I HAVE FOUND A FIX
I HAVE FOUND A FIX I HAVE FOUND A FIX
I HAVE FOUND A FIX I HAVE FOUND A FIX
I HAVE FOUND A FIX I HAVE FOUND A FIX
I HAVE FOUND A FIX I HAVE FOUND A FIX
I HAVE FOUND A FIX I HAVE FOUND A FIX
I HAVE FOUND A FIX I HAVE FOUND A FIX

GET A FLATHEAD SCREWDRIVER OR KNIFE AND PRY AT THE SIDES A BIT, THIS SHOULD FIX IT. TRUST ME!!!!!!!!
TESTED AND PROVEN

I HAVE FOUND A FIX I HAVE FOUND A FIXI HAVE FOUND A FIX I HAVE FOUND A FIXI HAVE FOUND A FIX I HAVE FOUND A FIXI HAVE FOUND A FIX I HAVE FOUND A FIXI HAVE FOUND A FIX I HAVE FOUND A FIXI HAVE FOUND A FIX I HAVE FOUND A FIXI HAVE FOUND A FIX I HAVE FOUND A FIXI HAVE FOUND A FIX I HAVE FOUND A FIXI HAVE FOUND A FIX I HAVE FOUND A FIXI HAVE FOUND A FIX I HAVE FOUND A FIXI HAVE FOUND A FIX I HAVE FOUND A FIXI HAVE FOUND A FIX I HAVE FOUND A FIXI HAVE FOUND A FIX I HAVE FOUND A FIXI HAVE FOUND A FIX I HAVE FOUND A FIXI HAVE FOUND A FIX I HAVE FOUND A FIXI HAVE FOUND A FIX I HAVE FOUND A FIXI HAVE FOUND A FIX I HAVE FOUND A FIXI HAVE FOUND A FIX I HAVE FOUND A FIXI HAVE FOUND A FIX I HAVE FOUND A FIXI HAVE FOUND A FIX I HAVE FOUND A FIX

i alreaky tried that method it just won't work for mine please help me,,,,the screen lock is on and i don't know the passwork please help me

An ipod i had for a while was cutting out one of the earphones i took the back off and there is a flat wire that runs from the circuit board to the top controls including lock, moving this about as the conections had come a little loose, possibly from movement (general walking) made the earphone work but the ipod lock continually, i repeated moving the wite until everything was fine and closed it back up and it is fine now, only recommend this if you happy to open it and its out of warranty, but get a guide on how to open it as you could cut the wire inadvertantly.

I had the hold switch problem (lock wouldn't go away no matter what position the switch was in) this morning, but it was fairly easy to fix. After trying a few suggestions on here (squeezing/hitting the 'Pod), I decided to pry the thing open with a guitar pick and see what was inside. Try this if Heather's solution didn't help:

-Open up the iPod. There are many ways to do it. Guitar picks, fingernails, knives, screwdrivers, etc all work.
-Try jiggling the flat wire connecting the front of the iPod to the back where the hold switch and headphone jacks are. This might be all you need. If not, continue reading.
-Bust out a tiny hex screwdriver and unscrew the green board-thingie (I'm not very technical) inside the top of the iPod's back panel. There are two screws. When you take this out, you'll see a tiny black switch right under the hold switch. Simply line it up with the hold switch that sticks out through the top of the iPod.
-If you accidentally separated the flat wire from its connection on the green board-thingie, having the board detached from the inside of the iPod's back plate makes it easy to put the wire back in. Flip up the tiny black piece on the connector, insert the wire, and close the black thingie again.
-Once you've set the hold switch back in place, close up the iPod and try it out.

Hope this rather non-technical description is of some help. It saved me from buying a new iPod!

hey, i dunno if anyone can help. my ipod got wet for the second time a few days, as before i left it to dry then tried recharging it except this time that doesnt work :( the apple signs comes up then is followed by an exclamation mark picture. no light comes on and it doesnt recognise that its being charged. i am distraught, i want it to work - any ideas???
ta

ya well my sister gave me her old ipod but she forgot the password so does any one want to help me

plaese help

I have a 3rd gen (touch wheel) 30 GB iPod. A modified version of Heather's advice worked for me:
Place the iPod on its face, press down in the middle of the back (silver side) until it 'clicks' into place. Presto! Hold switch is back in action. (PS. I tried everything else -- software updates, slide the hold switch fast, etc. but those did not work for me...)

ok, my ipod had the same problem. The hold icon was on the screen yet the slider said otherwise. This is what I did and it worked for me. The press on the back thing didn't work, what I did was I threw the ipod on the floor (which is probably how it got stuck on hold in the first place). Don't do it strongly, just throw it as if it were an accident. Hope this works!:)

I'm currently having the same problem. I can't even turn on the screen because it's on hold. I have to plug it into my computer to turn the screen on. I NEED my music, I can't live without i'm just glad my warrintiy isn't up so I can get it fixed!

one absoloute cure without having to loose your data on your ipod.
1.Connect your ipod to the computer
2.Browse your ipod from my computer
3.Make sure that your computer shows Hidden files
4.Open the folder named " iPod_Control "
5.Then open the folde " Device "
6.There is a file in this folder named " _locked " or maybe " _unlocked "
7.open this file either wit Notepad or Wordpad
8.Amazingly your password is written there!
You know what is confusing me is that why doesnt
the apple site tell this to the people having this issue!! anybody can answer me?!
cause im sure they know this trick better than me.
hope it helps.

i had the SAME problem and it took me FOREVER to figure out!! but hold down the middle circle button and the MENU (top button on click wheel) and its fixed. at least it worked for me. GOOD LUCK!!!!! :D

Hi,
I saw that everyone is using Heather's method to fix the hold problem. However, and I believe it works, I'm not exactly sure where to push. I have the 30 gig black video ipod. Please Help!

I also have the stuck on hold problem with my Nano. I dropped it, and then it wouldn't turn on or go off hold. I tried heathers method, banging it, throwing it, and even took it apart and moved the switch into place, but nothing is working. Does this mean my battery is dead? I've had my nano for about 6 months. Does the warranty mean I can get it fixed for free? Because I desperately need my nano for a nine hour plane ride in a few days! HELP me find a way to fix it!

I've tried everything to get my nano off hold after I dropped it, Ive opened it up and thrown it and tried heathers method but nothing works. I need to fix it as soon as possible! Help!

So I got a new ipod nano, and tried to put my itunes on it but it wont work. Do i have to get a new itunes program to go with my new ipod? Because I have too many songs to lose! Someone help!

shut up with heather crap, mine was stucked and that didnt work so, some people need to try something else, please enough thanking let other people post

i found a ipod nano but it is stuck on hold. i have tried everything but its still stuck. PLEASE HELP!!!!!

hey i had the problem where my hold wouldnt turn off. what worked for me is i just let my battery run out. when i charged it up again, the hold was off and it worked fine.

i had the same lock up problem and heathers way didnt work at all as it happened after id tried 2 reinstall the li-lion battery in my ipod mini. this was because of a hardware problem with my motherboard so it was kind of obvious what to do - replace the motherboard! it works a treat now and you can get motherboards off of ebay really cheap now so id try that if nothing else has worked or it happened after battery replacement. hope this helps you

I had the same problem with my 7 month old 30gb video iPod. I was getting really frustrated and just about ready to take it to the Apple store when I first found this website. I tried the pushing on the silver side *hard* and it worked again - for all of a week. And even during that one week, I had to occasionally slide the hold button back and forth a couple of times to get it to unlock.
But then it froze again and I tried pushing it from every conceivable angle, but couldn't get it to unlock. When I tried sliding the cover back and forth, I realized that it was a little loose and on closer inspection (i.e. (wo)manhandling it with a screwdriver) I realized that there was a little gap at the top between the hold button and the plug for the earphones and at the bottom right where the dock connector was. I took it the iPod in my hand with my thumb on top and my index and ring finger on either side of the dock connector and squeezed gently - now it's working perfectly fine again and the cover and silver back where they're supposed to be.
I guess the cover and the silver back can get slightly dislodged and that will cause the unlock button to no longer unlock it. Depending on where they are dislodged, you'll have to apply pressure on different parts of the iPod to slide it back into the right position.

As i think my last comment was sent to the junk folder, i'll try and help you again. I had the same problem but this was due to me installing a new battery and the my ipod froze and set in the same way with the locked symbol on it. If you know how to take apart your ipod like i did with mine to change the battery then the fix is extremely simple - but another motherboard. They're really cheap on ebay these days and when i did it it fixed mine perfectly. Hope this helped

....I have the 20G ipod (~2 yrs old). I, too, am stuck on "hold" even though I am able move the selector. I went to the apple store and they suggested that I remove the back (silver) cover and attempt manipulate the hold switch underneath. anyone have any experience with that?

Thanks once again are due to Heather! Your trick worked first try. You rock!

I had the same problem discussed in this lengthy string. After two weeks of trying to "reset" my ipod I followed the advice a friend gave me; drop the ipod in the yard from head high let it hit in the grass and this should unlock it. No lie, this worked!! DO NOT DROP YOUR IPOD ON ANY HARD SURFACE THOUGH! Dropping it in the grass was enough to get it unlocked.

OKay I have tried EVERY DAMN THING everyone has said.

I have a 30G Ipod Photo and i think i have had it ever since Christmas. I was also given a BOSE SOUND DOCK speaker thingy in which you place the ipod on the speaker and it blass music while charging it.

ok so i left my ipod in the car and it was a very hot day. i forgot about it, i went back in the car and it wouldnt turn on. the next 4 days i kept banging it on tables and what not. when i stuck it on the BOSE thing it turned on, but while the logo showed a picture of an ipod with X's as eyes showed up. it was weird. then it finally turned on!

but the lock was showing and the switch said otherwise. i tried everything.

please help!!!

I locked my Ipod video and i dont rember my code... tried reseting it and letting batery die out and still wont work

I was having the same problem too with the switch stuck on hold and i read earlier in this blog that if you sit to ipod on its side and press the side on it next to the hold switch while the hold switch is in the off position it will go off. I tried it and it worked! It was weird and i don't understand it, but it worked!

i forgot my password on my ipod and am unable to download vidoes or music from my pc... i am lost and need help

hi everyone,

please help me! When i plug my ipod nano into my computer it says "do not disconnect" and when i try to restore it, it says "please plug in an ipod" so my computer does not understand its plugged in. When i unplug it i reset it and its all ok but i cant put any more new songs on because my computer doesn't understand it's there! I've tried practically everything now. Is it time to get a new one?? Please help!!!!

the exact same thing happend to me and i just bought thr thing i put it on screen lock and then i put my password in and then pressed enter and nothing happend i am so pissed off i took it back to where i bought it from and they said that there is nothing they can do about i am so pissed i spent $367.00 and there's nothing they can do about it

i had this problem, and another one where it kept turning itself on and off, non stop, the apple sign at the beginning was all it would go to, then it would turn off, and on, and off, and on, and off, etc.. so i let the battery die, it turned off completely, charged it up again, turned it on, apple sign, off , on , off , on, so i pressed all the buttons really fast and it went off it and refreshed the screen, its like a test for ur ipod, u jus press all the buttons really fast then the ipod will test itself to find whats wrong with it

My son fiddled with my 30Gb Ipod Video until he keyed in some numbers into the Lock Code. Apparently not knowing the numbers he keyed in I couldnt unlock the Ipod.

A Google search brought me to this site.I tried presing both the Menu and Centre button but to no avail.I also tried a solution here by browsing my ipod from 'My Computer' in order to locate a folder named 'Ipod_control'in order to find a password/code stored somewhere but that didnt help either.I then connected my Ipod to my PC and updated it with some stuff on my iTunes Library and...presto! the Ipod interface was restored simultaneously/instantaneously.

I had a problem with my 6 month old Nano. The hold switch was not working. Unit thought it was on hold no matter what position the hold switch was in.

I did all the tapping and pressing that everyone suggested but what ended up working for me was the
comment about pressing "select" (white circle) at the same time as pressing "menu"...hold for a few seconds and the apple screen comes up.

I didn't lose anything on the Nano either!
Thanks

Heather you are something else, had hold switch problems like the rest read you fix, read others who tried your problem, they got good results why shouldn't I me thinks. give it a try, after a few hard pushes to the rightk low and behold hold icon disappears, me happy again.
thanks again heather you have just made a lot of instint friends

My iPod nano is indeed stuck on lock too. It is playing songs but it's frozen on lock. I'm really frustrated. Any suggestions would be nice :]

Hi. i have the ipod 30gb video one.

so i was uploading some songs onto my ipod. then i unplugged it (it was safe to)

and then decided that i wanted to put more on, so i re-plugged it.

now the ipod is saying it locked and it won't unlock....so i can't edit ANYTHING on my ipod or put anything else on.....

i've tried everything....resetting, restarting, clicking hold back and forth.

fairly new ipod!! will the apple store help me out, you think, or is this an easy thing to fix that i'm just stupid??

I just found a tip. ıf any one ıs ınterested. If you forgot ur lock code. plug the ipod ınto ur computer, go to my computer and open the ıpod drıve, make sure you can see the hıdden fıles, open the devıce folder and look for a fıle called "_locked" . just deletd that and PRESTO! hope ıt helps worked wıth me

press the menu and middle buttons and hold them for 6-10 seconds should work if not ur screwed

Hurrah! My ipod 60 G got totally stuck on "hold" for two days. I tried (almost) everything until I tried the fast switch movement - which did it! Some conneticon is probably weak and I have to keep on repeating the trick. Time will show. Thanks anyway!

holy crap, I had the hold button problem too. I too dropped mine - a 15GB iPod that has worked flawlessly for a long time - and the hold got stuck. After reading this, I tried pushing the iPod down on the hold button on my desk, heard a click and it fixed it!!

Hey, I have a question, I have an ipod mini, and the menu button won't work. It will turn on the backlight an all of that, but it refuses to bring me back to the last page, meaning at the moment I'm stuck with my ipod on shuffle mode. Can anyone help me? Thank you very very much!

~Rose

my ipod is lock

my ipod has a lock on it and i dont know what it is. the ipod isnt showing up on itunes either
i just got it too

Hi There

Hey guys, this is a helpful site.. I have a similar problem: My hold button just doesn't seem to work on my iPod mini.

The "lock" appears for a few seconds then disappears, I have tried the switching the hold button really fast, but the same thing happens.

Do you think this is software or hardware problem? As I have dropped my iPod a few times.

Do you reckon I try open the iPod, and see if the hold switch has "jumped off" the switch on the inside?

Also, do you know any website that show how to open an iPod mini?

Any help would be great! Thanx

it sed on my computer update ipod so i pressed ok and now its wipe all my songs and locked it what shall i do

I tried to restore the iPod, but it won't let me as it says that it needs to Lock the iPod, and it is unable to do this...?

I too had "famous ipod lock" problem. The lock switch didn't seem to work. No other buttons were functional. I tried out all the banging tricks, talking to local (Bangalore,India) Apple store folks (who btw shamelessly offered me for Rs. 11000/- (around $250) exchange offer)... So I was left with no option but to try and fix it myself. I used a knife and carefully wedged out and separated the white front and metallic base of the iPod. The lock switch and other parts that are attached to the metallic base. While the main iPod mechanism is connected to the white cover. The parts on the base are connected to the parts on the cover via a connector wire. In some cases when the iPod is dropped this wire comes out causing the base parts to be disconnected from the parts on the white cover. So the switch stops working. In some cases, this becomes lose hence banging around the corners works in some cases and doesn't in some others. Opening the cover and pushing this connecter into its rightful place (There is only one so you can't miss it, atleast in the click wheel model) and will make your iPod work like before i.e without you adding additional dollars to Apple's topline. Hope this works for all of you. Opening and closing the iPod is not too difficult. The white portion has a hook kind of mechanism which holds it to the metallic base. Be careful if you are using a knife. A precision screw driver is a better option.

I didn't expect Apple iPod service to be so bad. I will not recommend anybody to buy an apple anymore. Pay $500 plus and I do expect some decent service.

Thanks soo much for the post soxos!!!

Holding the menu and select button down did the same thing for me..

It reset the hokd button and turned it off.

Ty =]

I had the same lock problem and I tried the move the lock back and forth quickly technique. That worked for me.

A DOES ANYBODY KNOW HOW TO UNLOCK AND IPOD SO U CAN PUT MUSIC INTO IT USUALLY THE NAMES OF THE SONGS ARE BLUE BUT THERE ALL GREY AND I CANT HIGHLIGHT THEM ANY IDEAS OR HELP GET BAK AT ME

Why does apple replace ipod with refurbished ones, if its not our fault for it having a manafacturing default we pay so much and they give us used shit thats how these assholes make money

HELP ME, i got a nono and i forgot my code for it and now i cant do anything.I NEED HELP,PLEASE

Hi

Can anyone help me??? My nano got wet with clean water. I let it dry out over a few days, but now when i connect it up it just makes a clicking noise almost like the click wheel is stuck on. I think it may be dead as it does nothing when i plug it in except make the clicking sound.....Is it doomed?

the flip the hold swith really fast thing worked for me
come on mac

heather, amazing. AMAZING. thanks! Put the ipod on its right side, pushed down from the hold-switch side, and it snapped right into place.

thank god. it was gonna be a long bus ride w/o it.

umm i does someone think they can upload a video of pushin there ipod or a video of them opening their ipod and puttin the ipod wire back in place?

hey well um my ipod got wet and well i think it dried and i connect it but nothing happens what do i do.and yes i left it in the sun for 2 days.

My Ipod, keeps turning off and on..I let the battery run down..and i plugged it in the computer..but it just keeps turning off and on..i really need help..sucks...

i dont know my i pods unlocking combanation i forgotet and know i cant hear music

i neeed help i locked my ipod and forgot the fricken code what do i do!!!!!!??????

all right
u should just have to restart the ipod if u still have the box and or instructions there is a code you type into your ipod and it will restart the whole operating system. if this does not work please contact a local retailer near u like best buy or circut city.

how do i unlock mi ipod on itunes wen i open up itunes it has a lock nxt to mi free space and i cant put over music from other computers on to it cos of this lock if any1 knows how to take this off could they plz email me dvs_sk8er01@hotmail.com

Okay so i'm stupid and set my ipod on screen lock, but the password i thought it was set to wasn't the right one...so now i have a brand new 4gig nano that i can't use. does anyone know how i can get the code?

i found an answer to the screen lock problem if you forgot your code-

Connect iPod to the primary computer you use it with (the first one iPod synced with), and open iTunes. When you disconnect iPod from the computer, it will no longer be locked.

Mine was locked and I just applied alot of pressure to the right hand side of the Ipod (top of the silver side near hold switch) and its free again. Thanks for all the tips.

My ipod is stuck on lock and i don't understand what heather means on putting on its right side?? How do i get it to get unstuck

My IPOD 60GB Video wouldn't unlock.
I accidentally got it wet 2 days ago and dried it off with a hair dryer.
I could access the files through the computer, but not through the IPOD.

I couldn't figure out how to correctly use Heather's solution, as I tried to push everywhere and from every angle - to no avail.

I tried the fast switching - to no avail.

I tried the suggested solution of wedging a screwdriver between the silver cover and the plastic frame near the hold switch. This didn't work either.

Then I tried wedging the same screwdriver to take off the entire silver cover going up and down the top, left side, and right side until the cover popped off. This worked!!!

Thank you for all your suggestions,
Miracle

i have the 30 GB ipod and when i switch the ipod on from hold it doesnt always work. If im on HOLD, i have to press down hard and switch it. It doesnt always work and im getting sick of it. i wish i kept my iPod mini.

i was putting pictures on my ipod and i went to up date the pictures then it didnt say " do not unplug your ipod" so i just pulled it out and now the light wont turn on and the buttons dont work, and now its stuck on a picture!!! its like its stuck in hold mode and one i didnt put it like that and two i turned hold off then back on and it still didnt work. when i re hook it up to the computer it makes the sound when i put it in, but it says its not hooked up.. someone helpp please :(:(:(:(:(

i put in a lock on my ipod and i forgot it.
its not frozen and it wont unlock when i hook it up to my computer. what do i do?

hello this is alex again. i forgot to mention that i tryed to restart it again but it wont.
please help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

hi,

can someone please help me. my ipod nano (2gb)is not starting up.. :( i don't think the hold button is stuck. cus if the hold button was stuck it would still detect when i plugged it into the computer... im getting no response.. it is not starting up and it is not dectected by windows or itunes.. i tried it on my laptop as well and its still the same problem.. it wont get detected.. some advice plz...

thankx :)

hey everyone was reading all post people put up and if updating and restarting your nano does not work the only solution is to get a 1mm screw driver or anyting thin just stick it in the crack i gurantee it will not leave any mark the link above shows you how but i used a phillips which is a minus sign one and jsut gently pop it open and here the lock button is on the circuit board push it againt then screen if the lock button appears then thats the problem so add tape(make it a ball) to the back of the circuit board and it should add pressure then screw things back and thats it, this similar problem occured on another of my mp3 player which is a nano look a like player same method was applied hope it works

Okay, I'm going crazy! I have tried everything that people have mentioned that worked for them to unlock my stupid ipod...obviously, it didn't work. I just bought it a week ago and apple is still charging me to fix it! I don't know what to do....any ideas?

i dont know my code

i forgot my code

hey ipod doesnt unlock even though my the hold button says other wise can u please help

hey ipod doesnt unlock even though my the hold button says other wise can u please help

unlock your ipod (ipod nano and video)

go to mapoptions
choose the tab "view"
choose "show hidden files and folders"
click ok

connect the ipod to your computer
go to the folder "ipod_control" on the ipod and choose the folder "device"
change the filename of te file "_locked" to "_unlocked" (the _ must be includit)
open the file with the notepad and delete the line with tekst
save the file in the same folder and call it "_unlocked"
disconnect your ipod from the computer and you are now in the normal menu`s and

all the files and music are saved

Hi, first let me thanks for all the directions you have posted on this "posting board", it has been very helpful... Never the less, my iPod Video didn’t come back, so I keep asking until some body told me to press the center button and the bottom button at the same time till the “disk mode” comes enable… this at least let me backup some files from my iPod Video… I guess the next step would be synchronize it with itunes…

Hello,

I accidentally left my video iPod in the back pocket of my jeans and forgot to check them when I was doing my laundry..so unfortunately my iPod took a trip thru the wash. On a brighter note it is perfectly fine besides the fact that it is permanetly locked and no matter what I do it hasn't unlocked. I've tried all of your great advice, yet it remains locked. Any help would be greatly appreciated before I attempt to send it into apple and get charged a million dollars.

Thank You,
Jared

Hello,

I accidentally left my video iPod in the back pocket of my jeans and forgot to check them when I was doing my laundry..so unfortunately my iPod took a trip thru the wash. On a brighter note it is perfectly fine besides the fact that it is permanetly locked and no matter what I do it hasn't unlocked. I've tried all of your great advice, yet it remains locked. Any help would be greatly appreciated before I attempt to send it into apple and get charged a million dollars.

Thank You,
Jared

Ok yesterday i was at a friends house. He had one of them cool ipod speakers so i decided to plug it into his speakers. I have never insterted my iPod into one of these speakers and when i did, my ipod started going to random songs. Then my ipod froze and my friend suggested me to flick the lock and unlock button back and fourth very fast. Then it got unlocked but then it froze. It was still turned on and after a few seconds (3-6) this message came up saying "restore iPod using itunes". Then i turned it off and plugged it into the computer. The computer did not respond to the plugging in of my ipod. Then I i tried to turn it on presing the buttons but my ipod did not respond. Can some one help me? I have a frozen ipod that won't even respond to the computer or the buttons!

Ok yesterday i was at a friends house. He had one of them cool ipod speakers so i decided to plug it into his speakers. I have never insterted my iPod into one of these speakers and when i did, my ipod was responding very slowly. Then my ipod froze. It was turned on while it was frozen(there was no lock symbol) and my friend suggested me to flick the lock and unlock button back and fourth very fast, which i did but then it got unlocked but then it started responding slowly again. It was still turned on and after a few seconds (3-6) this message came up saying "restore iPod using itunes". Then i turned the ipod off and plugged it into the computer. No message cameup saying 'new device found' to the plugging in of my ipod. Then I i tried to turn it on presing the buttons but my ipod did not respond. Can some one help me? I have a frozen ipod that won't even respond to the computer or its buttons!*

I have an older Ipod (15 GB) click wheel (no color) that I bought several years and it has worked flawlessly...until a few days ago when I turned it on after not using it for a few weeks to find that it was stuck in "hold mode" despite the toggle switch not being in hold. I came across this site after trying EVERYTHING listed on the Itunes web site for tech support. I was about to trash the thing when I read a post that said to slide the hold toggle back and forth rapidly. Though it sounds silly, I tried it for about 15 seconds and sure enough, it came out of hold mode. Bizzare fix for this but try it!!!!

I've had my ipod for about a year, this was my second ipod, i got my first ipod in 2004 and it worked fine until 6 months later it just stopped working and it wouldn't turn on, it just had a file with an exclamation point, so me and my dad tried EVERYTHING...nothing worked...so i exchanged my ipod for a new one...now it doesn't work again.....my ipod use to just skip every song and then have the picture of the folder and an exclamation point, i let the battery die and then it would work, this would happen every few months after about 8 months after i got the second ipod...it did the same thing again...except now it has an ipod with a sad face and it won't turn on or charge...when i plug it into my computer it doesn't even show up....and when i do plug it in a picture pops up of the charging icon but then it would freeze...so now nothing works...please help me!

i am so annoyed at my new beautiful white ipod video ::haha:: but the only really annoying problem is that it won't play the MUSIC that goes ith the VIDEO. i can see the video but the music doesnt play. i was hoping some of you smart little bunnies might have an answer? i /have/ configured my videos but i think they may have to be downloaded in the right format? maybe? anyway please help -- desperate here ::haha::

i don't think i'll remember i wrote this so if you could email me 'megahann12@hotmail.com' /if/ you would be so kind XP

i'm such a scatterbrain -- it's probably reeeally easy but i can't find ANY help on the internet thanks guys :S:S

Brian- My ipod does this, but there's a fix most of the time. When the little folder w/ the '!' mark by it comes up, or the sad ipod face does, there's a little website that it says to go to at the bottom. The website is...

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93936

Go there, and it tells you how to fix it. It stills happens like once a week, but at least you know how to fix it.. I found a quick fix to mine on accident... I dropped it when the sad ipod icon came up, and it worked again, lol. But I don't reccoment that method, as it's not exactly the safest way to fix it.

ok so my friend put an egg in my purse... long story... and it broke and the yolk got all over my ipod. I cleaned it thoroughly and the ipod even was playing as i was cleaning it. A couple days later the battery died so i went to plug it in to my computer. I plug it in , its fully charged and when i disconnect it the buttons wont work. So i updated it and then set it bac to factory settings. It charges fine but whenevr i disconnect it the first language page appears. The hold button is off but none of the other buttns or the scroll menu work. i tried all these methods and nothing worked. please help.

:'(

and my computer won recognize it

I was scrolling back my songs real fast when my pod just froze up. I tried the just about every recommendation to unfreeze this puppy but nothing seem to work until I went for the craziest solution. Lightly bang you pod on a soft surface like a mouse pad then flick the hold button on and off then hold the menu and select buttons together. Voila, it unfroze, just be prudent as to how hard you bang it. Crazy, perhaps, but nothing else worked before I tried this. Goodluck.

I JUST FIXED MY IPOD NANO WHILE IT WAS STUCK IN THE HOLD POSITION! I PUT IT INTO MY COMPUTER TOGGLED THE HOLD BUTTON THEN FLICKED THE ENTIRE PAD AND IT WORKED!

Help! I just replaced the batteries for my mini ipod with one of those do-it-yourself battery kit. Now, the hold function won't turn off. I've even tried prying off the top and switching the actual switch on the inside of the ipod, but it is still on hold. What should I do!??!

my ipod video has a picture stuck on the screen. None of the buttons work, my itunes doesn't pick it up when I plug it in, and it won't turn off. What shuld I do?

OMG! I was having SIMILAR probs w/ the ipod. It kept going back to the fle icon and took it to apple and they restored it. As soon as I plugged it back into my new laptop (which is where all of this started), it went back to the file. It wouldn't stay connected to the computer long enough to update or restore, so I assumed it was the computer's fault or XP SP2. After FIVE days of this, I was ready to just get a new one until I saw this board. I have tried everything on Apple's site and in EVERY forum alive and nothing worked. I read something in here a/b someone tapping the ipod on the desk, so I tapped it on my hand and holy moses, the thing is alive, restored and completely updated!!!!

I used a variation of the Heather method on my 3 gen ipod with the lock problem. The hold switch didn't slide far enough because the case halves were misaligned on the left side. I slid my thumbnail into the split between the case halves and popped it out gently. Fixed!
I suspect that people's units become misaligned in various ways, making one solution ineffective on someone else's player. Look carefully at the case and find where the halves don't align properly. Then, try to gently wedge a thin plastic blade (or a fingernail)in and coax it into position.
Mine was pushed in in the middle of the left side, making a noticeable difference in alignment, but the rest of the perimeter was exact. It popped right into place as soon as I got my nail wedged in.
I hope this helps!

Don't forget to Praise Heather. We owe her.

help me!!!!!!!
i cant get it to work!!

hi heather,
i forget my unlocking password wat i do. plz help me and i don't hav installation cd or driver of i pod, i hav a 2gb white color ipod pleasssssssssssssssse help me plzzz.

HOLD PROBLEM?? :(

i have a 40gb ipod. its old i know but whats the point of gettin a new one if this still works?? :)
i wasnt quite ready to lose 10gbs of music

after readin a lot of this, i tried to restore when my itunes opened. so that cleared the whole drive... leaving nothing on it UGHHHH

ok well
i started to read on how if the chrome/white didnt match it could be that....so i didnt want to damage the ipod, so i set it on my kitchen counter... pushed on where i could see that the white/chrome was offset...

DONE! it worked i have to put all the music on there again, but to not have to pay apple or anyone else :) im happy.

THANKS AGAIN!! EVERYONE!!

gladitsover :)

Okay. I have a 30g ipod, and it has decided that it wants to scroll through all the songs on one of my cds. Any ideas on how to get it to quit? It's okay when it comes to every other artist and such, but for some reason it's hating my Regina Spektor CD. Suggestions?

After trying lots of ways to unlock my ipod (I wouldn't even try asking Apple for help - once they've got your money and your warranty's out, they genuinely don't want to know), I tried a variation on Heather's idea, but instead of banging it (though I really wanted to...), I forced the 'hold' switch as far to the off position as I could, with my teeth. It worked! Just as easy a way would be to place it on its side, with the hold toggle nearest the surface, then using a small-headed screwdriver to force down the hold switch.

Good luck everyone!

Heya,just had exactly the same problem (got so annoyed) after trying loadsa the stuff out on here i found that if you take the hold off at the top of your ipod then hold down the middle button and the menu button and the same time just for a little while until the apple sign comes up.It may take a few attempts but it worked.And the good news is all my music and pictures are still there.Thanks to everyone who posted found this really useful!!Got my Ipod back =)

Good Luck

Oh man Sean O Your my hero love!

i have a nano and im always afraid of snaping it
but honestly if you push as hard as you can so the hold button is off push it untill your ipod is unlocked

I wish you guys luck!

YOU ARE ALL FUCKIN RETARTED IVE TRYED ALL OF THOSE THINGS AND NONE OF THEM WORK MY HOLD BUTTON DOESN'T WORK IT MOVES BUT DOESN'T CHANGE ANYTHING I CANT RESET IN BECAUSE ITS LOCKED

you all are fucking dumb asses

hey...i read this entire forum. when i plug my ipod in to the computer it recognizes it and everything (i can put music and everything on it) but when i unplug it the hold stays on...i have restored 3 times, menu+select, play+select...and still absolutely nothing! i took it apart and manually moved the switch while it was still on...still nothing! either it is the switch that is malfunctioning or their is a software bug (not likely). i have even tried going to version 1.2 instead of 1.3. NOTHING! i know that it is not an alignment problem because i took it apart and moved the switch. so if anybody knows where i can take it (besides the store (already tried)) or what i can do, that would be greatly appreciated! whats weird is when i use the dock and remote i can control the ipod with the remote but i just cant use the buttons on the actual ipod which is very strange. so if anyone can help, that would be greatly appreciated! thank you and good night.

My ipod is froozen and the light won't turn off what should i do?

K so my problem is that one day I was just uploading songs onto my ipod and all of my songs got deleted. Now I have this pop up that appears anytime I connect my ipod to the computer and it says something like itunes corrupt file, the file or directory\ipod_control\itunes is corrupt and unreadable please run the chkdsk utility. I have searched around and most answers have suggested to restore the ipod but my ipod doesnt stay connected long enough to select restore immediately it shows this message, what do I do any suggestions?

Ok, so my iPod wouldn't respond and was stuck on hold just like yours was. I tried resetting it for a while and nothing was working. So I did what Apple recommends and set it flat and tried resetting. It worked, finally, and that is the only advice I can give you. Lay the iPod on a flat area and hold down menu and the center "Select" button until it resets. Hope this helps you.

This sucks, sometimes you have good days and bad days.This day just happened to be one of each.:(
PS.don't the manufactuars of ipod know what's at stake? If I don't get to listen to my music I shall... I shall...oh what's the use, I'll get an mp3 player insted; but until then I'm going to cry my eyes out and burry the sucker.

A FIX! My son's iPod Nano (1st gen) had a hold switch that was permanently on with the lock symbol showing all the time. (He didn't drop it; it just happened one day.) After trying all the software-type solutions suggested (reset-which wouldn't work b/c the clickwheel was non-responsive- & restore, etc.) and the physical ones (like tapping it, pressing on it, toggling the hold switch, and checking that the case wasn't warped) to no avail, I decided to take the sucker apart. (I couldn't pry it apart until I got a plastic Safe Tool for $5 from ipodmods.com. They also have good photos and a take-apart guide for the Nano. I did not have to remove the clickwheel ribbon like they show b/c I was able to rotate the main board enough to get at the switch.) This is scary, but if you're out-of-warranty, what have you got to lose? Besides, if a 45-yr old mom can do it, surely you can! The problem is that the hold switch had come loose/unsaudered on one side from the main board so there physically wasn't an electrical connection. Re-saudering did not look feasible given the minute size and position. However, pressure against the base of the switch (inside the unit) restored function. So, I applied a bead of hot glue to the base of the switch; not to glue anything together, but just to provide a physical bulge. The glue dried hard and, when I closed the unit, it kept pressure on the switch by pressing against the inside of the screen. So far, it's working fine.

i had the oppisite problem the lock wont turn on at all and i dont no what to do...but earlier today i dropped it in my tub so that might have had something to do with it but im not sure.

my nephew got hold of my ipod nano 2gb and now it is locked and every time i turn it on there is a combinatio lock and i don't know the numerical 4 digit code can you help is there amaster reet code for it

my nephew got hold of my ipod nano 2gb and now it is locked and every time i turn it on there is a combinatio lock.

Gods! I love everyone in here! 'Specially Kent cause that guide worked for me after a few trys!! I'm so happy that I won't have to go cross town to talk to some stupid fuck who'll probably blame me for their fucking iPods not working proberly!!! I mean I paid too fucking much for that video-iPod as it is! Only fair for it to work... hehe sorry, I'm spazzing, I'm just so happy it works again, I can't live without my music! yays! *kisses all around*
-alice xx

I need a software to unlock my ipod. What is it

Ugh! I tried EVERYTHING on here, tapping, pushing, taking apart. I dropped my iPod (20 gig photo) from about 2 feet and the back came off.
Now it's stuck on hold. I called apple and they said my warranty is up, so send it in for about 200 bucks. The thing only cost 100 more than that! Someone please help! I love love LOVE my iPod, and this sucks SO MUCH!!!

I'm in the same boat. Dropped my nano, and everything still works fine, but I have to push the hold button hard to the left to get it to unlock. As soon as I let it go, it goes back on hold. Oh yeah, also, if I push the select button firmly at all, it goes back on hold just long enough to ignore my selection.

Picture me walking around the city holding my hold button off with one hand, trying to select a song with the other, but not too hard... yeah, I'm going to get hit by a bus.

everytime I go to listen to my ipod on itunes I can't because there is this little lock that is on the bottom of itunes and I don't know hoe to get it off. I'm soooo confused plz help!

im pissed my ipod showed a little apple and then the screen turned of and it wont work its not on hold people and even when i connect it to the computer it wont fu**in work

so... i havent dropped my ipod and i have only had it since christmas, so it is pretty new and its a nano idk if that helps but yea my problem is that it was playing then all of the sudden it locked even though the slidey lock thing wasnt pushed to the left and i tried to lock it then unlock it and it is still locked. if ya can help i would appriciate it. thanks

i got my ipod 4 a late christmas present and i really like it and its a nano.I was turning the screen lock on and then i tried out my screen lock again.I put my code in and it wont let me do anything unless i put in the right code in.PLEASE help me! I really want to listen to my music.

i have been having the stuck on lock problem and i tried just about everything on this page. i ened up trying to open the ipod up and used a guitar pick. well when i pushed the pick right underneath where the hold button is and it unlocked. i dont know how long its gonna last or if ill have to use the pick everytime but try it!

I dropped my ipod while running on the treadmill and when I picked it up to use it again, it was also stuck on hold and the little hold button wasnt working. I was desperate to get it working again because I love working out with it and also becasue I'm a poor college kid living off off scraps and can't afford another one. I tried all of the techniques listed above and nothing worked. I sat on it, I stepped on it, still it remained locked. I took he little gray button off at the top of the ipod and stuck a small pair of scissors in it and jiggled it around, still no luck. Finally I took my mechanical pencil, put the lead of the pencil in the ipod and puhed down, and what do you know the lock symbol is off. Some of the lead broke off inside of it too, but it works great. My solution isn't as clean as the others, but thought I would share my solution in case anyone is as desperate as I was. Original idea originated in part to the Heather Method.

just put the damn ipod in a drawer and wait until the battery goes flat. when you plug it into power again it should be fine

helloo.. welll i guess.. the suggestion, really working out... and heather made a lotta people lives easier.. yeah..

neways i borowed my friends ipod... andeverythng was working fine.. until... i connected it, to my laptop, for the first time.. n then nuttin would pop up.. the usually pop up everytime theres somethng connected... infact there was no detection of the device.. after a few seconds... it said device not functioning properly..
i saw the ipod screen and i was in the menu section wid a song playin... it was frozen "no screen light, the pause sign on, but the menu.. still showing.. so im guessing its frozenn... i think... im using an ipod for the first time... please people can u help... i cannot afford to return it back to my friend in such condition... and no i did not drop it...
help

hey! i had the same problem! my ipod was locked and i couldn't get it unlocked! so i moved the hold switch really fast back and forth and it went on! now ill just never put it on hold again!

thanks for the help!

well i was being stupd and playin around with my ipod when it came up with a screen lock and i dont remember my answer. for like the last day ive been tryng to do EVERYTHING! but nothin is working. what should i do to get the screeen lock off.

I dropped my 30G ipod video in the water and let it dry off for a few days before i tried to turn it back on. I am able to plug it up to the computer and everything else seems to be working just fine but the screen is stuck on lock even though the switch does not say so. I've tried the "Heather" method and a lot of other stuff but maybe i'm not doing something right. Can someone please help me out b/c i am helpless without my music.

i cant get passed my screen lock

Hi everybody, my friend had the same problem, but the lock button on the ipod was smashed in, so i took it apart and i found how to unluck it forEVER!!! check this video clip i recorded to show you how...

www.dhclan.com/ipod/ipod.swf

Thanks to all, i had the same problem of may here (my ipod dropped on the floor and remained locked and the hold button didn't seem to work); i pushed hard on the ipod and the lock icon went off and the ipod works again now. I 'm really grateful..

Pasquale

the battery died on my 30 gig i pod i charged it up now its locked help me

My old iPod seized up with these same problem six months ago. It was long out of warranty and, I figured, unfixable. Yesterday I fiddled around some, thinking I could at least use it as a portable HD. Decided to look up the "won't unlock" problem. Found this page - by one of my already-favorite authors, no less!

This morning got out the tools that came with the battery replacement kit I used over a year ago. Ran the little iPod opener around the edge at the top. Heard a loud click. Bingo! iPod works again! Just in time for a long trip. Yay!

My ipog 4g locked out after changing the battery... problem was caused by the tape connector between the two halves coming adrift. By unscrewing the two small screws I was able to remove the cicuit board with the hold button on it. I re inserted the tape connector and put it all back together and it works fine.... might be usefull if all else fails ! ;-)

This happened to me too. What you got to do is open up your ipod and cut the cord that runs from your hold button to the battery.

hey i cant unlock my ipod nano, some website said that i had to update it and i did but nothing happened... please help me a.s.a.p

thank you

Having the same problem. Tried the heather method and everything but it is not working.

no click.

please help!

My Nano locked. I read every blog and none would fix it. I took the back silver panel off using a knife. I couldn't find any wires connected to the HOLD switch, but was able to wiggle it and pull it up, the lock came off. It won't lock anymore, but I'm good with that.

Good Luck

hi everyone check this site out it worked perfectly
this guy knows what he's talking about

http://blogs.tech-recipes.com/professoripod/2007/03/19/ipod-wont-respond/

LOCK KEY WON'T GO AWAY?

Press and hold the MENU and the CENTER button. It worked for me.

Tons of posts, and I lost my patience and just took the thing apart. I had the lock problem, and my hard drive had locked. I opened the case using my pocket knife, leatherman, and drivers license.

*I'm not recommending this unless you're really comfortable working with this kind of stuff! You might kill your iPod!*

Take a thin blade at one of the narrow ends of the iPod. I started at the top by the hold switch. Use the blade as a wedge to create a little space, and slide the license in.

Now that you have this little gap, using the knife blade gently pry outward. There are little plastic clips that you're un-clipping.go all the way around the iPod un-clipping the little clips.

Once you have it open you'll need a pair on needle nosed pliers (I used my leatherman). First thing is to disconnect the battery. at the bottom of the iPod, near the dock port, there is a ribbon cable with a white piece of plastic attached to it. The copper in this cable looks thicker. Pull that cable from the metal back of the iPod. Be gentle of course.

Plug that back in and see how it goes.

If that doesn't work, try disconnecting the hard drive (THIS IS WHAT I DID). This is another ribbon cable. Be gentle with it, the white plastic pieces aren't coming with it, it's just coming out. Then disconnect the power. I know it's counter intuitive, but it will cause your iPod to have to do a hard restart, which might be what it needs. You can try the power first, but then I don't see any point in disconnecting the hard drive...

Put everything back the way you found it. I just used my fingers to push the hard drive ribbon back in, and the pliers for the power.

GOOD LUCK!

-SailRacer

See what im trying to do is open it manually. my friend got an i pod and he did'nt know what he was doing HE THOUGHT I WAS PLAYING A GAME SO HE PLAYED WITH IT AND THEN LOCKED. A FRIEND OF HIM PUT MUSIC ON IT BEFORE ME .SO YEAH HIS NEVER GOT BACK TO HIM ABOUT

WELL IM TRYING TO OPEN IT WITH THE LOCK ****
0001
KEEP MOVING THAT WHELL

WELL GUESS I HAVE TO KEEP TRYING TILL
KEEP MOVING THAT WHELL
I GOT SO FAR 0200

TRY THIS IT WILL EVECULY GET THERE ONLY 9999 DIFERNET CODEWELL GOOD LUCK TO YOU

& WELL ME

holding down the menu and centre button together until the apple logo appears, should all boot up now. Worked for me.

thanks folks

The Goose

if u all rly want to know how to fix it just do this if the others didnt work. i tried heathers idea nickys all of them no luck! so what i did is i got so angry i ripped off the hold switch for the 100th time and dug my siwtchblade into it. sounds stupid but i pushed it down and hard to the left and twisted the balde back and forth. it kept on blinking almost as if not being able to decided to be locked or unlocked so i pushed it harder. my ipod has been on hold for around 6 months. now my 1st generation 2gb nano is back =]

Thanks, Heather. Ours was stuck on hold and we did the side trick. We were on vacation with no computer to reset. Thanks for saving our vacation!

Thanks, Heather. Ours was stuck on hold and we did the side trick. We were on vacation with no computer to reset. Thanks for saving our vacation!

I have the 80gb video ipod and nothing here helped. I opened my ipod and just took the harddrive out of place, and it magically became unlocked, something inside mustve been loose, it seemed to me that it was one of the ribbons, and now all of a sudden its working for me

i got a little problem...well to me it isn't little..my i was sitting in my room i went into the password thing and i didn't no what the code was so i tried everything i could think of....its so *frustrating* now i cant even go to my songs!!! can someone help me out plz!

my ipod was locked on, i just took a knife and started from bottom left hand side and opened it up if you stick the knife down between front case and board near the hold switch for some reason it lit up ipod then lock disapeared.

Hi there... just to let everyone know what worked for me..

Had the same prob as all of the above, i have a remote for my Ipod and one day it stopped working...thought the remote had died as Ipod still worked with headphones...but after a week or so the lock was there to stay, however i could sometimes get the lock off if i twisted the headphone jack whilst plugged into the Ipod so i knew it was hardware related and no amount of holding down button trickery would work for me...eventually this also stopped working and i was stuck.

In short... follow Sailracers instructions as to how to open your ipod.

When you open it, on one side will be the hard drive, screen, circuits.. blah blah blah...and on the empty silver side will be a small circuit board where the headphone jack plugs into and the Hold Button mechanism is housed...

Coming off that circuit board is a tiny ribbon cable that connects over to the 'other half' of your now open ipod.

If you look closely, that ribbon cable more than likely has either come loose or become totally disconnected from its plug. (i didnt notice this until i had given up and was putting everything back together again)

Because the ribbon cable connects under the circuit board, you now need to remove the 2 tiny screws, lift the board so you can now see the plug, push the ribbon back in, the screw the circuit board back down.

As soon as i did this i flicked the Hold switch and my Ipod came back to life, so i got a tiny piece of security tape and placed it over the ribbon which will hopefully stop it from working its way out in the future!

Worked for me, good luck folks.

I have a similar but different problem. My ipod won't LOCK. The hold button moves back and forth but it never actually locks the ipod. I tried the Heather fix of putting it on its side and pushing but it didn't work. Grrr....

yeah same thing happend to my i-pod it froz and people said the same thing to me wait until the battry dies then it would work again they said it happend to them and it worked after the battrey died

I have just RESTORED FACTORY DEFAULTS of my ipod 4th gen 40GB. In the end, he said the process was completed but I needed to plug my ipod into a wall charger to finish the preocess. I didn't have one, so I just unplugged and plugged again my USB cable that also works as a recharger. This didn't work. My ipod now just shows me an image of a wall socket goint into the directions of an electrical wall socket. Then, after talking to support, they told me to buy or use someone else wall recharger. I bought a wall recharger like the one in the link at the end of this message, but it didn't solve my problem either! I tried to push strongly the silver back of my ipod against my desk, but it didn't work either.
Can anyone help me? PLease!

Sorry about my bad english. The image above is: image of a cable going
into a wall electrical socket.
The link of the recharger:
http://produto.mercadolivre.com.br/MLB-61839991-carregador-bivolt-usb-para-mp3-mp4-ipod-fone-bluetooth-_JM
Thanks

tHaNk YoU sO mUcH!!!!

tHaNk YoU sO mUcH!!!!

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

My old Ipod has been gathering dust on the shelves since last year after I dropped it and it froze on lock.

Heather & others - THANKS :D

**

So after 4 hours of reading, clicking, rock, paper, sissors, and every other solution here I did the following. Dissassembled the 5th gen iPod. Removed the battery, all ribbon cables, disk drive. Removed the 5 screws that hold the earphone jack and hold switch to the case. Removed the one screw that holds the hold switch together. Reseatted and cleaned all cables and connections and switch, and layed unit out on a towel with all the bits attached. Still dissassembled, for easy access to the wheel and buttons. Reenergized the unit on the bench by reconnecting the battery ribbon cable. The iPod was reborn and asking to be restored. Hooked unit up to computer. Held down select and play for 10 seconds. Computer then recognised an iPod that had to be restored. Restored the iPod this time as MAC formatted rather than PC formatted. Be warned this solution is absolutely last resort. Not for folks without some tiny tools and a gentle touch. The trick will be getting it all put back together again. At this point who cares, it is generation 5 and still has this flaw from the gen 1. Works fine on the bench, even the battery guage works again. If you take on this solution you have a 47% chance the iPod will not survive the operation. Those ribbon cables are fragile little rascals. Good Luck. E&OE

I dedicate this post to beast who in my opinion had the lol best post in this whole forum.

**

iPod nan 2 GB froze in hold mode. Holding the middle and top button to reset does not work, flicking switch back and forth does not work. All of the physical solutions I've been able to find seem to assume that you have an iPod classic or similar. Are there any solutions other than resetting for the nano's?

please mail me if you have a solution bryanscot@gmail.com thanks!

After dropping my ipod nano on its head, it was stuck in the locked position -- no matter how much I flipped the lock/unlock button, the little lock symbol remained displayed on the screen.

Soft fixes didn't work. Holding the MENU and center button didn't work because it was locked, not frozen. Restoring the ipod to its factory settings didn't work, and it remained locked.

After attempting Heather's fix (see upthread) for the better part of an hour, I decided the fault did not lie in a misaligned case.

So I resorted to the Luis method. Taking a steak knife I popped the HOLD button off entriely. A slim hole is underneath. Again using the knife I jammed it into that slit (not plumbing too far into the ipod of course) and wiggled the blade around. The switch was flicked, and it unlocked.

Not the prettiest fix -- and my HOLD button flung to reaches unknown -- but it works. I put a small piece of black electrical tape to cover the hole.

hey my ipod locked itselef and i dont know the password how would i unlock it

hey my ipod locked itselef and i dont know the password how would i unlock it

i locked my ipod and didnt mean 2 and i dont no the password how should i unlock it? email me pleas at rubenornelas@yahoo.com

My problem is....I was going to listen to music through itunes on the computer and itumes wasn't coming up automatically. Long story short, I am stuck on lock with Do Not Disconnect still on...not flashing. Completely jammed. What to do? Please help! Cannot go on treadmill without it. lol I'm very serious!

My problem is I was going to listen to music through on the computer and itumes wasn't coming up automatically. Long story short, I am stuck on lock with Do Not Disconnect still on...not flashing. Completely jammed. What to do? Please help! Cannot go on treadmill without it. I'm very serious!

solution for screen lock issue:
Go to my computer, then click on your ipod's icon.
Next, go to iPod_control, then Device. There should be a file named Locked or something similar. Delete it and your ipod should be back to normal.

i tried the menu/select thing but the lock still appears help me please someone

i tried the menu/select thing but the lock still appears help me please someone

michael, are you blind or what? The answer is above your post.

I finally found the issue with my sister inlaws ipod.

I have posted my solution with pictures here:

http://www.cliqs.com/ipodfix/

If none of the software and other solutions worked for you, this could be your problem also.

I hope this helps some of you out there.

i have a ipod nano first gen. and the hold switch is messed up, it fell off, and im not sure if i should try to solder it, because i dont have any experience soldering... is there any way to download a software to overide it?, or is there a way to rig it without having to solder??? please HELP!!!!! thanks!

i have a ipod nano first gen. and the hold switch is messed up, it fell off, and im not sure if i should try to solder it, because i dont have any experience soldering... is there any way to download a software to overide it?, or is there a way to rig it without having to solder??? please HELP!!!!! thanks!

with my ipod the same. the hold button did not work. I just opened the housing (with my fingernails) and did slide the botten. I couls see the slider was not moving. by applying some pressure to the little metal-nose the swith was working again.

my ipod says that on tha top it is lock and i it is not on hold so what do you do ........................P.S..please help me

my ipod is locked and i don't know the password to it .....so can u please help me thanks

i lock my ipod from my sisters aand now it wont unlock.

Any recommendations on this same fix for an old iPod mini? The case isn't split so the "click" trick will not work...

Congrats to all who now have working iPods!

Hi, thank you so much for this blog. None of these other suggestions was working, because my hold button wanst "stuck" - it was sliding back and forth jsut fine. However the lock icon still showed up on the ipod. This worked for me though, hooray!!!

David:
Just hold the "Hold" button down and switch it at the same time, my old 3rd gen got squished and that fixed the problem.

I hope that helps,

David

WAAH!
i locked my ipod and forgot the four digit code thingyy...
any help??
anyone know... email me at brandy.ray@hotmail.com!!

Well lets see my 2nd gen ipod got washed and about a month later after drying it out i pluged it in and nothing happened the computer didnt even notice when i pluged it in then a week later it magicly appeared at the bottom of the washer again.. made me mad i dryed it out for another month and now it comes on when i plug it in to the computer.. but i wont unlock. the lock button stays on there no matter what i do.
Please send me an email if you can help me unlock my ipod.
Thank you.

Jewel

Psycofarmbosdaughter@yahoo.com
my email.