Problem with versioning on iPod, backwards compatibility issue with iTunes

Question

i apologize in advance because i'm sure this has been asked time and time again, but i did attempt several searches.
the search function is very muddled and does not narrow down the results very well at all
here's the situation.
from all accounts i've heard lots of people having issues with version 7 of iTunes.
i'm a simple kinda guy who definitely believes in the age old phrase "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."
so i've stuck with v6.
i recently got a new laptop along with my PC. so i downloaded and installed the latest iTunes without thinking twice.
i had completely forgotten about my concerns from hear say about v7 issues.
i plugged in my iPod and it proceeded to completely erase all of the media on it and then load all media that was on my laptop in place of it.
"well that's a cool new feature", i thought.
after my initial frustration wore off, i immediately uninstalled v7, deleted the .itl file and installed v6.
everything was all fine and dandy. v6 works perfectly on the laptop with no hangups.
here comes the issue...
i plug in my iPod to begin rebuilding my media onto it after the completely unauthorized deletion, creditted to iTunes v7.
as it autoplays and iTunes v6 opens i'm prompted with this error:
"The iPod [my ipod] cannot be used because it requires iTunes version 7.0 or later.
Go to www.itunes.com to download the latest version of iTunes."
i've attempted everything i can think of to completely erase my iPod of any "versioning".
- i reset it using the "select/menu" button method
- i reformatted it through XP disk manager
- i reformatted it through context menu in my computer explorer window
- i completely just deleted the "iPod control" directory in the iPod explorer window when clicking through the my computer directory
i'm at a loss.
i cannot figure out a way to get my iPod to function with iTunes v6.
and again, i'm really hoping to avoid going to v7.
iPod information:
2nd generation iPod nano 4GB
thank you in advance for any and all information/advice

Answer 1

I am guessing that you used your iPod enough with iTunes v. 7.x to update the firmware to the latest version. That being the case, reformatting your iPod won't "undo" the firmware update, so your only choice now is to update your iTunes software to v. 7.x.
FWIW, iTunes 7 is a vast improvement over previous versions of iTunes. I use it on both Windows and OS X, and without bugs in both environments.