Home button doesn't respond.

Question

Hi-
I'm having difficulty operating my iPod, and I was wondering if anybody had a solution.
*ISSUE THAT MAY RELATE TO THE MAIN PROBLEM:*
I needed to install the Myst Update (about 550MB) on my iPod touch, so I did it over WiFi via Mobile App Store for iPod Touch. (Yes, I know, large files SHOULD be downloaded through your computer, NOT through a mobile connection.) Anyway, I just decided to take the risk and do it anyway; I had to delete some content before the update could install. While the update was installing, I decided to watch a couple of podcast/TV show episodes just to keep the device awake while it was downloading. About 30 minutes later, the device started acting very strangely. It notified me several times that the app was over 10MB (Remember Myst: About 550MB), which I knew, and it also prompted me several times for my password. I typed in my password every time it prompted me, and when my current episode finished i went to go check on the download. The app displayed "Installing..." underneath it's icon, but I waited for about 5-10 minutes and the application's Install Bar didn't move. (I can assume that even the Install Bar an application of that size would move at least a little bit within 10 minutes.) Also, the icon wasn't responding at all when I tapped on it. (Like it didn't switch to "Paused" or anything like that.) So, in hopes of resolving the problem, I reseted the device. When the device booted back up, it asked me to unlock the device with the slider, which I did. Then upon entering the home screen, I saw that Myst had been installed. But right next to it was a grey application icon labeled "Loading..." with an empty bar. I tried to remove the icon by reseting the home screen layout, restarting the device, and reseting the device. My last idea was to just restore the software. (By that time it was like 12:00, and I was REALLY tired, so I decided to fix it in the morning.
*THE MAIN PROBLEM:*
I didn't get around to restoring the software till a few days later, but I did it eventually. I plugged it into the computer, powered it up, and clicked the restore button in iTunes. After the restore completed, I was prompted to restore from a backup, or set up from scratch. I chose set up from scratch, and after an hour of syncing ALL of my media back on to my device, I ejected it safely from iTunes, and umplugged it from the computer. First, I wanted to set up one setting in peticular. I went to Settings>General>Home>iPod to access the iPod features with a double click of the home button. Immediately, when i tried it out, it didn't work. I tried going back to the home screen. Nothing. From the main settings window, I went back to General>Home>Home hoping to reverse whatever changes I had made. But that didn't work either. I tried reseting the iPod, but that didn't work. So now, whenever I launch an app, I'm stuck there, until I shut the device off or reset it. I'll be bringing it to the Apple store in the next few days, but i wanted to check for a solution here first.
It sounds like a perplexing problem, but anything helps!
Let me know what your suggestions are if you have anything.
-intforte

Answer 1

you won't like this response, but it could be some sort of file corruption that occurred during the sync process. if it's a software problem, restoring (as new) it should fix it (you probably don't want to do that again, but it may fix it.) if not, apple is where it needs to go, a restore is pretty much the last solution we 'mere users' can offer.