Erasing all content and settings

Question

Not sure this is the correct forum topic, but it came closest. My Ipod touch 3gen has been freezing for weeks. I kept resetting it by holding the sleep/wake button & home button, but recently that became less effective because I was no longer able to open any of my apps. So I used the erase all content & settings option. I started this on Sunday (1/30/11) around noon. It is still erasing...I guess. My screen is black with that little "thinking" circle rotating in the middle of the screen. Is that typical of the Ipod erasing the content, or has something gone awry?

Answer 1

The Users Guide says that it can take up to four hours:
Erase all content and settings: Connect iPod touch to your computer or a power
adapter. Choose General > Reset and tap “Erase All Content and Settings.”
This resets all settings to their defaults and erases all your information and media:
On iPod touch 3rd generation or later: by removing the encryption key to the data
(which is encrypted using 256-bit AES encryption)
On iPod touch 2nd generation: by overwriting the data
Important: You can’t use iPod touch while data is being overwritten. This can take
up to four hours or more, depending on the model and storage capacity of your
iPod touch. (On iPod touch 3rd generation or later, the encryption key is removed
immediately.)
Thus, if you really have a 3G (if it has 8GB capacity it is really a 2G) or even a 3G it is taking too long. I would stop/reset and then try restoring the iPad via iTunes.
For you stated problem the best solution would have been restoring to factory defaults/new iPod via iTunes instead of resetting via the reset all setting.