How To Fix A Corrupt iPod

Question

Okay, this is my first and possibly last post here, I just thought that I should write my solution to this problem as there are a lot of people suffering with a corrupt iPod. I will first recommend you read this topic also if you're still having problems
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=3639883&#3639883
This will be a long post (sorry), so I'll break things up into an EXPLANTION of the problem and the SOLUTION as I think some people will be thankful for a bit of insight and some people just want a solution.
read on...
EXPLANATION:
My problem occured when receiving a second hand iPod, it had some bugs, stutters and general problems so I tried a restore, this is where my real problems started. After the restore music would not always copy correctly to the iPod, some times returning with a "Windows Delayed Write Failure", also some songs and videos would not play sometimes requiring a restart (reset), sometimes they would return me to the menu straight, and sometimes they would play fine. Also the hard disk would make a lot of fuss just to select certain songs or videos, I would even have trouble booting the iPod or detecting in iTunes.
These things led me to believe either: The hard disk was cactus; The hard disk had bad sectors; Or there was a file system error on the hard disk.
When the iPod got really bad it wouldn't properly detect in iTunes, iPod Access, Anapod or Windows, it wouldn't restore in iTunes, and I couldn't access it through windows explorer even in disk mode as it claimed the disk or the control folder had corrupted.
Using some diagnostic tools I discovered the problem was nothing more than a simple and easily fixed FAT32 filesystem error.
The problem is that the iPod uses a FAT32 filesystem which is a 'kind of unstable' but not yet redundant filesystem we used back in the Windows 98 days, I assume it uses this filesystem for compatability reasons as pretty much any pc with Windows 98 or above can access FAT32.
FAT32 stores files in chains, linking one file to another, and branching out like a tree, this system is very easily corruptable due to anything from bad shutdowns or yanking the dock cable of the iPod during copying.
SOLUTION:
1:(optional) Check your iPod by reseting it and when the apple logo first appears hold the middle select button and the rewind button to enter a diagnostic mode. Then press the menu button to enter manual testing. Scroll down to IO and press select, then select the hard disk option, then select the hard disk specs option. Read the data to check your hard disk is detected as the correct size (30Gb in my case), if it isn't then reset the iPod and repeat this step until the hard disk detects as the correct size.
2:Reset your iPod, as the apple logo appears hold down the middle select button and the play button, it will then boot to a screen with a tick in the middle and it will say Disk Mode along the top of the screen.
3: Now load iTunes and then plug the iPod into your computer and let it detect. iTunes should detect your iPod though it may not properly detect it. If iTunes doesn't detect an iPod AT ALL then reset your iPod and repeat steps 2 & 3 until it does.
4: Now your iTunes should display your iPod or an iPod just call IPOD, click on your iPod and restore, you can use the same version software or update - it doesn't matter. Even if your iPod normally recieves an error when retoring it SHOULD restore as long as you're in disk mode. When it is done restoring DO NOT UNPLUG THE IPOD, just let iTunes redetect it.
5: Now go to My Computer and right click on your iPod (could be called Removable Disk and go to properties. Now click on the tools tab and run Scandisk (Check Disk). In the scandisk box that opens tick both check boxes (fix automatically and surface scan) and click run, this will take a while but when it's done go to iTunes and eject the iPod, unplug it from the computer, and reset it.
You have jsut fixed your iPod.
Please if you use this solution and it works for you, post your thanks or comments so I know my time wasn't wasted writing this.
thankyou
-odsmart

Answer 1

alright... this one's for raab in Montana
I'll break your question down into parts to make things easier.
1: The download error. I don't think your problem is actual iPod corruption per se, it sounds more like an Internet download problem. iTunes requests software (firmware) updates from the server for you and downloads it to your computer, Then updates your iPod. If the problem is that iTunes can't download the software then all the restoring/formatting and scandisking in the world won't help you. I really need a little more info but I think this may help: Are you on ADSL? Alot of Internet providers will not give you a static IP unless you ask and/or pay for one. Long story short, If you are behind a router, gateway or firewall your pc may be blocking the ports that iTunes requires for it's update service. One solution would be to boot your pc into safe mode, cancel the restore option and when your pc is finished booting just try to update your iPod through iTunes. Using safe mode means most antivirus/firewall services won't be running so you may be able to update that way. If not? Well post me some info on your internet connection, all I need to know is if you're on ADSL or not, and what make and model of router you use if you have one. In the mean time, try taking your iPod to a friends pc and installing iTunes and updating it there, if it works there then you'll know it's your pc/setup. Oh well, let me know.
2: The grinding noise? They do make a noise when scanning through looking for songs and the like, and sometimes they do it for a while but I'm not sure if I'd describe the sound as "grinding". Perhaps if my first answer didn't help then you have bigger problems (hardware problems) I'm not sure, if I could hear your iPod from Australia I'd be able to tell you if it's alright or not.
3: I mentioned above that my main posts are fixes not to be undertaken unless your iPod has similar symptoms to mine, I cannot stress enough that things like scandisk and format are NOT supposed to be run on an iPod, at least not on a regular basis, and definatly not one after the other. IF ANYBODY'S iPOD DOES NOT EXIHIBIT THE SYMPTOMS IN THE MAIN POST DO NOT USE THE FIX. In particular Raab, your problem seems to be elsewhere.
Let me know how you go...