IPod freezes iTunes when connected to computer

Question

Whenever I connect my iPod to my Dell laptop iTunes freezes. When this happens, iTunes does not crash, it only freezes. During this time, iTunes will finish the song that it is playing (if doing so), but after the song finishes no further media will play. Also, the iPod does not show up on the sidebar of iTunes at this time (iTunes appears exactly as it was before connecting the iPod).
I am unable to eject the iPod safely at this point as the computer tells me that the system is using the iPod. If I remove the iPod from the computer, the error message: "Unable to sync iPod" comes up in iTunes. At the same time the iPod shows up on the sidebar of the iTunes, but it disappears as soon as I click "Ok" on the error message. At this point, iTunes returns to normal and is no longer frozen, even without restarting.
I have tried using a different computer and the same thing happens. I have also tried a different cable and the same exact thing happens.
Most recently, I have tried putting the iPod into disk mode, but still the same thing happens when I connect it to the computer.
If I go into My Computer (the same thing occurs in or out of disk mode) and click on the iPod, it will take me to the iPod folder, but My Computer will begin to Not Respond and then the only way to close it is to force close the window (ctrl, alt, del). If I right click the iPod, the drop down menu to access properties or to format the iPod comes up, but once again My Computer begins to not respond and I must force close it.
My iPod is an iPod Classic, 120 GB.
My computer is a Dell Laptop, Studio 1558
I have also tried on a Dell Desktop

Answer 1

OK, lets check out the iPod's hard drive...
*Check your iPod with Diagnostics Mode*
It's possible that your iPod's hard drive has started to fail. Take your iPod and place your right thumb on the centre SELECT button and your left on the top MENU button. Press down both thumbs for about 6 seconds until your iPod reboots. Immediately move your left thumb around to the rewind button |<< on the left and hold this down together with SELECT for a further 6 seconds. Your iPod should now switch into Diagnostic Boot mode. Press MENU for *Manual Test*, then select *IO > HardDrive > HDSMARTData* to reveal your stats. For comparison here are mine for my 2 year old 6th Generation Classic:
Retracts: 889
Reallocs: 12
Pending Sectors: 0
PowerOn Hours: 2202
Start/Stops: 894
Temp: Current 24c
Temp: Min 10c
Temp: Max 50c
Take a note of your results. When finished press *SELECT & MENU* for 6 seconds to reset the iPod again.
With modern disc drives sectors are no longer marked bad by a disc scan, if the SMART firmware detects a sector it has trouble accessing it will attempt to invisibly reallocate it to a spare area of the disc.
Note that I've only 12 remapped sectors and none pending. To help explain what the numbers mean here is an extract from the Wikipedia S.M.A.R.T. article:
*Reallocated Sectors Count*
Count of reallocated sectors. When the hard drive finds a read/write/verification error, it marks this sector as "reallocated" and transfers data to a special reserved area (spare area). This process is also known as remapping, and "reallocated" sectors are called remaps. This is why, on modern hard disks, "bad blocks" cannot be found while testing the surface – all bad blocks are hidden in reallocated sectors. However, as the number of reallocated sectors increases, the read/write speed tends to decrease. The raw value normally represents a count of the number of bad sectors that have been found and remapped. Thus, the higher the attribute value, the more sectors the drive has had to reallocate.
*Pending sector count*
Number of "unstable" sectors (waiting to be remapped, because of read errors). If an unstable sector is subsequently written or read successfully, this value is decreased and the sector is not remapped. Read errors on a sector will not remap the sector (since it might be readable later); instead, the drive firmware remembers that the sector needs to be remapped, and remaps it the next time it's written.
Large numbers of Reallocs or Pending Sectors would suggest your drive is failing and that you may need to repair or replace your iPod. Check your stats after another attempt to update your iPod. If the numbers increase that again points to hard drive failure. While it won't be good news at least you'll know it isn't some random software problem and you can decide what to do next.
tt2