A challenge for the Ipod Experts

Question

My 5th Gen 30gb ipod (18 months old )has worked flawlessly until I
upgraded to latest software (1.3) last weekend. Since then, my ipod is
completley knackered and the problems have definetley started since the recent download.Firstly All of the music has been completley erased and when
connected to computer it refuses to sync anything from the library
advising ''error 48''. I spoke to someone at Apple help desk last friday
who emailed me something to fix error 48 but it has not made a bit of
difference - error 48 still keeps coming up. In addition to this my ipod
will not let me re-store to factory settings, when I try this a
different error comes up - saying files in use by another application.Ipod
will therefore not re-store or re-set. I have tried putting it into disk
mode, but again it won't let me. I have completley drained the battery
and re-charged it - still same problem. I have changed the drive letter
on PC- still makes no difference, I have uninstalled and re-install
ed itunes several times - still no difference, constantly comes up
with error 48. As well as this, the ipod is showing up as 25gb of used
disk space on the orange bar, but there is nothing at all on the ipod so
how can it be full? Sometimes it shows up on my computer - sometimes it
doesnt.
My ipod is out of Warranty now and therefore its apparently down to me
to have it fixed??!! I am sooooooooo frustrated because I have taken very good
care of an item that cost me alot of money and which now appears to be
completley useless.
There appears to be a lot of posts recently relating to similar issues following download of software, but nothing specific that seems to fix it. I've tried all of the advice given to others and just nothing works, so could one of the experts please try and help me?

Answer 1

If you get that network message when you try to uninstall iTunes with add/remove programs, you usually need to do an installer clean up with the Microsoft Installer Cleanup Utility.
Here is a method for full removal of iTunes and related programs with clean up and reinstall:
Download a fresh copy of iTunes and the stand alone version of Quicktime (the one without iTunes)
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/win.html
http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/
Download and install Microsoft Installer cleanup utility, there are instructions on the page as well as the download. Note that what you download is the installer not the program – you have to run it to install the program.
To run the program – All Programs>>Windows Install Cleanup
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/290301/
Now use the following method to remove iTunes and its components:
XP
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1925
Vista
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1923
*If you hit a problem with one of the uninstalls don't worry*, carry on with the deleting of files and folders as directed in the method.
When you get to deleting Quicktime files in the system32 folder as advised in the method, you can delete any file or folder with Quicktime in the name.
Restart your PC.
Run the Microsoft Installer Cleanup Utility. (Start > All Programs > Windows Install Clean Up)
Remove any references you find to the programs you removed - strictly speaking you only need to worry about those programs where the uninstall failed.
If you don’t see an entry for one of the programs that did not uninstall, look out for blank entries or numeric entries that look like version numbers e.g. 7.x for Quicktime or 1.x for Bonjour.
restart your PC
Install the stand alone Quicktime and check that it works.
If it does, install iTunes.