::grumble:: Mac won’t help me restart my iPod without paying them $60 so i’m hoping someone here might be able to help.
My iPod’s software thinks that it is on hold (even though the slider at the top says otherwise). It fell under this magical state in the first week of April. I web-searched and someone on the web said to let the battery die to nothingness. I did this. To no avail. Whenever i plug it back in to power, it’s still on hold.
There’s no way to do the restart via the three buttons because it’s on hold. Isn’t there a manual restart somehow? Like one where i can erase the whole disk and get it to restart?
I have to admit that i’m *really* cranky with Mac about this one. You’d think that a noticeable defect in the software (documented by others on the web) would mean that they’d support you in fixing it. I’m a bit resentful by being demanded to pay $60 to fix it when i was thinking of upgrading at the end of the summer. Now i’m just questioning whether or not it’s worth upgrading because my iPod has been broken for half the time that i’ve had it.
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