Frusturating error messages

Question

Up until this morning, my ipod was working wonderfully. I have a 20 GB photo ipod, which is probably relevant somehow. My ipod is not even a year old yet, and I'm really frusturated with the problems it's having.
So this morning, I got up and was listening to it. I turned it off, and when I was on the bus, it did that weird thing that ipods sometimes do where you select a song and it doesn't play it and just keeps doing that over and over until you reset it. So, naturally, I reset it. But instead of just turning back on, my ipod showed the sick ipod icon. I tried resetting it a few more times, but no more luck.
When I got home later on, I was hoping that the problem was simply lack of battery. So I plugged it into my computer, and the ipod displayed the charging icon, but it didn't say 'charging' in a bar on top. There was no bar at all, actually. Then it displayed the apple logo, as if I had restarted it, then the sick ipod icon, then it turned off. I can get my ipod to do this over and over again as long as I am resetting it when it's connected to the computer.
I also tried charging it in the wall, and it just displayed the no battery icon for a minute before charging and turning off. (It had full battery this morning, by the way). So then I searched all over the FAQ, and followed all of their instructions. I had been working on it for an hour, when I decided I would have to restore it. So I hooked it up to my computer and began to follow the instructions, but the ipod wasn't showing up as connected to my computer at all.
So now I'm here, writing my problems out in the forum hoping somebody will know what's wrong. Thanks for any help you can offer. (:
Dell something   Windows XP  

Answer 1

The Sad iPods icon, clicking sound or folder with an exclamation mark are the toughest problems to deal with, and must do a Restore in order to fix it. However, when your iPod is showing this icon, it is probably too late for your computer to recognize the iPod.
1. Try these five steps (known as the five Rs) and it would conquer most iPod issues.
http://www.apple.com/support/ipod/five_rs/
2. Try to put the iPod into Disk Mode if it fails to appear on the desktop
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93651
Still can't see your iPod?
Several things could keep iPod from appearing in iTunes or in the Desktop/Finder when you connect it to your PC/Mac. The most likely causes are listed below in logical order. Check from the top of the list to see if that is what's keeping iPod from appearing.
3. Try to wait 30 minutes while iPod is charging.
4. Try another known-good FireWire or USB through Dock Connector cable.
5. Try another known-good FireWire or USB port on your computer .
6. Try to disconnect all devices from your computer's FireWire and USB ports.
7. Windows users having trouble with their iPods should locate a Mac user. We've found that in many cases when an iPod won't show up on a PC that it will show up on the Mac. Then it can be restored. When the PC user returns to his computer the iPod will be recognized by the PC, reformatted for the PC, and usable again. By the way, it works in reverse too. A Mac user often can get his iPod back by connecting it to a PC and restoring it.
There are also some cases being reported that some unrecognized iPod being able to be erased with Linux, then reconnect the iPod with the original computer and do a Restore there.
8. Try to do an Erase (Disk Utility) on a Mac computer or a format with a PC (Disk Management tool) but ensure you choose the right Drive (your iPod not your Hard Disk of your computer). You may need to plug and unplug your iPod with the computer for several attempts, and switching around Format and Restore, and hope out of sudden, it will get recognized.
9. Diagnostic mode solution – which I copied from a thread of a post from thinktwice
“Then I cam across this special Diganostics Mode that you can get to by resetting and then while the Apple is showing pressing the Select and backwards keys simultaneously. It bring up and weird Diagnostic utility witha a abunch of tests. Here is what I did
- I tried the 5in1 test and got and error on Firewire.
- I did the HDD R/W and surprisingly it passed.
- I went on to the HDD scan. This supposedly tkaes acouple of minute so I waited. I think 4-5 dots appeared then nothing. The iPod started to get hot. THe disk was spinning away. After a while the battery got very low. THis test chews up the battery. So I escaped out by resetting and went to connect it to a power source.
My USB was dangling out of my computer and I was too lazy to get the Firewire AC adapter thing going so I connected expecting the whole lockup thing with iTunes. Surprise. IT was recognized immediately and has been working like a champ. So go figure.
Details on Diag mode can be found at http://www.methodshop.com/mp3/ipodsupport/diagnosticmode/index.shtml
10. Let me ask you a question, if an iPod with no iPod software with it. When your connect it with a computer, what would happen?
Yeah, the computer will treat it as a fresh external hard disk, which will get force mounted, the computer will ask you to format the iPod. It does not really matter the format is completed or not, the key is to erase (or partly) the corrupted iPod software on the iPod, after that the computer will recognize it.
Once it has been completed, eject your iPod, open the iPod updater and interestingly, you will able to do the Restore this time.
Base on the above, that's why I suggest Windows users who experience trouble with their iPods should locate a Mac machine or vice versa. PC computer will not recognize a Mac formatted iPod, but it will get mounted in an attempt to format your iPod.
11. Put your iPod in disk mode and plug with a computer, and have a boot of your computer using the Mac OS or XP startup disks, hope that your iPod will be seen on Mac's Disk utility and allow you to do a Erase there. Or, under the XP, you will be able to find your iPod there for you to do a Restore.
But, if none of these steps address the issue, your iPod may need to be repaired. You can arrange for service at the iPod Service Website.
I have just read an interesting solution about the Sad iPod, it does make sense but the warranty will be waived once you open the iPod, I would not do it myself as I am not good on doing this
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=412033&tstart=0
Pictures and instructions of how to open the iPod case for battery replacement
http://www.kokopellimusic.us/KM_instructions.htm