SOLUTION: Windows Vista + iPod Shuffle 2nd Gen

My original question on this topic is closed, but I finally fixed the problem and wanted to share.
The problem was: Windows Vista Basic desktop machine and iTunes would recognize a Video iPod, but not recognize an iPod second generation Shuffle
The symptom: Vista showed an unknown USB device and kept searching for drivers, but never could find an appropriate driver. Some posts here and there suggested a power level problem on the USB ports.
The solution: the original USB 2.0 ports on this computer are all driven directly off of the motherboard. I purchased a $20 PCI USB card and installed it in the computer. I plugged the iPod shuffle into the new PCI card, and everything works fine now.
HTH

And since you have a laptop, a new PCI card does no good. Another solution I saw around the web was to use a powered external USB 2.0 hub. You might try that.

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Windows vista, Ipod shuffle 4th gen. Computer cannot find device driver software for ipod.

After several hours trying the troubleshooting options provided by the apple support site, I have come to what I think is the issue here. My girlfriend recently got an ipod shuffle and when plugging it into her computer the dialog pops up saying it is installing device driver software for the ipod. Eventually it asks me to insert the CD that came with the ipod. No CD came with the ipod, so I click the option that says "I do not have my cd". Then it gives me the option of searching automatically or manually for the driver software. The automatic way can't find it. Doing it manually, with the help of the troubleshooting page, didn't work either. google search can't seem to help me on this one. Also, I tried plugging the ipod into my computer (not hers) and it worked fine, it was able to install the device driver software on its own. Does anybody know the issue here? My computer has windows 7, and hers has vista. Hers is Serice Pack 1. When I tried installing service pack 2 it wouldnt work. I don't know if that is the issue though. I have tried just about everything, I think the issue is finding the device driver software. When I do a google search nothing comes up, so I have no idea what to do at this point. Any help would be appreciated, thanks.

Well its surprising to know that! But even have an ipod shuffle 3rd gen n dint face any problem like that. FYI no cd comes with the ipod jus take ur ipod to an apple exoert n he will solve ur problem .

Ipod shuffle 2nd gen not getting detected in windows 7 64bit

i got an apple ipod shuffle 2nd gen and it is not getting connected in windows 7 64bit,but it perfectly works in windows 7 32bit,what to do.tried installiny itunes,reset etc.

Hey, I hear ya and can sympathize. I have the same
issue. The difference is that my computer can "see"
my ipod but it refuses to show up in itunes itself;
therefore, I can't put anything on the ipod (from the
computer) and vice-versa. Apple support is clueless.
This is very frustrating to say the least. Itunes
keeps telling me that my ipod is synced to a
"different" computer, which isn't true. It's the
same computer. The difference is that when I first
got the 'pod and used it with this computer (and
everything worked fine), I was running XP. I
installed Vista and after that, all the problems
started. If I ever get this resolved, believe me,
I'll post something here.
I'm guessing that somehow, itunes "sees" what
computer it's hooked to by "looking" at something in
the OS. Change the OS and it "thinks" it's seeing a
"different" computer.
Try reformatting it.

IPod shuffle(2nd gen) is not recognised by Windows XP

I instaled iTunes software from the website
and transfered the songs to the iPod.
When i unpluged the iPod and turned it ON, the green light on one side is glowing continuously.
I neither responded to any of the button press.
When I plugged it in again, the system was not able to recognise the device.
Do help me resolve the issue.
Thanks in advance
Einstine A J
iPod shuffle 2nd Gen Windows XP
Windows XP

Hello,
I had a similar problem. I posted my problem in this link:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=836301&tstart=0
Would you read that and see if it sounds like something you're experiencing? If so maybe we can both scream for help on here at the same time, and get some answers!

Ipod shuffle 2nd Gen- Not Recognised by Windows 8.1 Laptop

Hi All,
I have HP Laptop with .... Windows 8.1 / 4gb RAM / Intel i3 / 64-bit, i am trying to connect my Ipod shuffle (2nd gen) to laptop but its failed in Itunes (i got updated one) as well as in Windows..
at the same time, the same ipod i can connect and use at windows XP computer.
is anyone there to help me out.
Thanks in advance.
Regards
Rahul

Unfortunately, I use a Mac; I'm not a day-to-day Windows user... When you connect your USB flash drive, it should appear as a device in a Windows view, like the one you provided as a screenshot. When you connect your shuffle, if things are working normally, the shuffle should similarly appears as a device. Whether it is recognized as an iPod or not, it should appear as a device. If it does not, that means the USB (3.0) port (on your laptop) does not see that you have connected the shuffle. If it does (appear in Windows), that's good news. You may be able to trouble-shoot and fix the problem, using this document
iPod: Appears in Windows but not in iTunes - Apple Support
I suggested trying a self-powered USB 2.0 hub (if you have one), because the hub should be recognized as a device by Windows. In the screenshot, it looks like there are two hubs already connected ("Generic USB Hub"), unless that is something internal that is identified as a "hub." If a hub is older and works with the shuffle, then your laptop may be able to connect to the shuffle through the hub.
Here are two other things you can try.
(1) You said the shuffle still works with your older PC. Connect it to iTunes on that computer, and go to the shuffle's Settings screen (select shuffle in iTunes). There is a checkbox for Enable disk use. Check that box and Apply. With this setting enabled, the shuffle acts like a USB flash drive (to Windows). Maybe that will let Windows see it, and then iTunes will also see it (as an iPod). NOTE: When disk use is enabled, you need to Eject the iPod in iTunes before physically disconnecting it, because the iPod's disk is continuously mounted by the system.
(2) If the above does not help, connect it to iTunes on the older PC, and do a Restore on the shuffle. This will erase the iPod, reinstall its software, and set it to default settings.
Restoring iPod to factory settings - Apple Support
It's a long shot, but maybe there is some kind of odd data corruption on the shuffle's storage that is causing the laptop to not see it (even though the old PC can see it fine). After doing the Restore on the older PC, connect it to the laptop.

My ipod shuffle 2nd gen suddenly stops playing music after 15-20 mins.First it flashes green light and then flashes red light rapidly. Any solution to this ?

My ipod shuffle 2nd gen suddenly stops playing music after 15-20 mins.First it flashes green light and then flashes red light rapidly. Any solution to this ?

A 2nd gen shuffle is about six year old at this point. The likely cause is a battery that is worn out, with greatly reduced capacity or inability to hold a charge. The initial green light shows a good charge. The red light means the battery is drained.
Since the shuffle still appears in iTunes, you can try doing a Restore in case the cause is related to corrupted software on the shuffle. The Restore button is on the shuffle's Settings screen in iTunes. This will erase the shuffle, re-install its software, and set it to default settings.
Also, when the light becomes red and the shuffle stops playing, try turning OFF the shuffle for at least ten seconds. Then, turn it back ON. This resets the shuffle. Does it play again? If it does, let it play until it no longer plays again. Repeat turning it OFF and ON until it no longer plays. Then, connect it to power and charge it to full. See if that makes any difference.
If that does not help, the solution is to replace the battery. If you have a repair shop do it, the cost is probably uneconomical, compared to the cost of a brand new 4th gen shuffle ($50) that has more features, and a new set of headphones, plus a one-year warranty.
If you are good at such things, this web site has repair guides
http://www.ifixit.com/Device/iPod_Shuffle

IPod Shuffle 2nd Gen suddenly freezes PC and I've tried everything, Help!

In the past few days, my iPod Shuffle 2nd generation suddenly started to freeze my computer moments after it syncs new music onto it or is plugged in for awhile. I've tried everything to find out why it's begun doing this. Here's what I've tried:
- I recently updated to iTunes 9 around the time it began freezing, and thought maybe that was the problem. I completely uninstalled it and installed an older version. Didn't work.
- I reformatted and reset my iPod to factory settings. Didn't work.
- I've done many complete virus scans on my PC. It didn't find anything.
- I've synced the iPod with another PC to see if it would freeze it. It didn't and works fine elsewhere, leading me to believe there's some software issue going on.
I've checked many forums and read many stories about similar issues but nobody has a concrete answer. I don't have a free Customer Service call left with Apple. Any body have any ideas?
My computer stats:
- Windows Vista
- Plenty of free space
- HP Pavillion notebook
- iPod Shuffle 2nd gen
- Currently using iTunes v. 8.2

Still no solution here, even with the help from Apple's tech support team. The first person I spoke with was the most helpful in knowing about this issue. He guided me on how to cleanly uninstall iTunes (all 6 components) and then reinstall. He said the Apple Mobile Device Support Assistant has been causing issues when updating and sure enough, I looked at the date when I updated to the latest iTunes, it was the exact date when my computer began having the freezing issue. Unfortunately, this didn't work. I completely uninstalled the iTunes again, and tried installing an older version. Didn't work.
I called Apple tech again today, and the person felt there was a conflict issue with other programs, so he sent me a guide on how to use msconfig to figure out which program could be doing that. Again, that option didn't work and iTunes froze again.
I really, really, really agree with the first Apple tech support person I spoke with that iTunes' latest version is the issue. It's no coincidence that the problem began right after the update occurred, but now I'm left with two iPod devices rendered completely useless since whatever was installed onto my PC in the latest iTunes has glitched up the system.

IPod Shuffle 2nd gen and Mac problem/troubleshooting guide

Ok, warning this is going to be a little long...
The problem: Brand spanking new out of the box ipod shuffle 2nd gen won't play songs after ipod assistant setup. Flashing green/orange lights. Also will not update or restore (greyed out). Shows up as formatted for Windows. Software and Serial show up as "n/a".
System specs: Powerbook G4 17inch 1ghz, 1gb RAM, 10.4.9 running iTunes 7.1.1
Attempted solutions that have NOT worked:
1) mac retail store visit to genius bar. it restored on mactel machine. worked and played songs. unfortunately resyncing to my library caused ipod to return to problems above immediately.
2) another mac retail store visit to genius bar, this time with laptop to show them the problem. they told me it was my machine not the shuffle. i explained i am a mac sys admin and that is ridiculous...my machine though a few years old is completely up to date. we then deleted all receipts out of the Library dealing with iTunes and reinstalled iTunes via software update. same problem immediately after the setup assistant. no software version and no choice to update or restore ipod. downloaded the ipod reset utility for mac for 2nd gen shuffle and error message shows "the selected ipod is not supported by this utility". also shuffle icon shows up as generic white ipod. mac genius stumped so they swap out my brand new shuffle for another brand new shuffle.
3) 2nd shuffle in a week and same problems occur. will not update in iTunes. will not restore in iTunes. will not restore in ipod reset utility. icon shows generic white ipod. i can copy music to it but it will not play, lights flash green and orange.
4) tried to use disk utility to reformat. erase using MS-DOS, but it says FAT16 instead of FAT32. same problems as above.
*weird that I can't reformat to FAT32 when selecting the MS-DOS format. I only see FAT16 as a choice. Disk utility should do FAT32 but I can't seem to get it to work on shuffle and i don't have a spare hard drive to test it on. Anyone have any experience reformatting ipods via Disk Utility to windows format? Please share...
At this point I have access to a mactel book and will attempt to fix it on the newer machine. I will be very upset if it works because there is nothing saying that you need new hardware to use the new shuffle. i also get the usb 1.1 error message but again there is nothing saying you need usb 2.0 for shuffle use.
if anyone has tried anything different with good results please respond! from my experience this seems to be an issue specifically between older mac ppc machines and the new windows drivers installed on the shuffle. i use windows drives all the time with my mac and there are no problems. however a brand new ipod shuffle 2nd gen out of the box does not seem to like my older machine...even after two reinstalls of itunes! even the reset utility is not working as described....
any help with this is much appreciated!!!
Powerbook G4, 1ghz, 1gb RAM, usb 1.1, 17inch Mac OS X (10.4.9)

Ok here it is, my final post on thoughts on this issue...
Unfortunately, my guess was correct, there does seem to be a hardware issue related to iTunes 7.1.1 and whether it is on a mactel machine or an older ppc machine.
I can confirm this because the ipod settings screen on my older PPC powerbook is TOTALLY different than the screen I saw on the newer mactel macbooks, even though the software version says its EXACTLY THE SAME! (iTunes 7.1.1)
On a mactel macbook, I see the ipod shuffle settings such as "Autofill" etc with the correct icon and software version and serial number.
On my PPC powerbook, I see a generic white ipod icon (even though the finder shows the correct icon of my 2nd gen shuffle) and the settings tab for the ipod is completely different....the update and restore continued to be grayed out, there is no software version or serial number available as well. This is probably why I am not able to register my ipod shuffle from my machine.
I did not erase and resync the ipod shuffle to my PPC machine to see if that would allow it to continue working. So far so good. After unmounting, it still plays songs. However, I checked the "manage songs manually" option and added just one more song to the shuffle. I tried to then play that song but it would not play even though it was copied onto the shuffle...I could play it from the ipod via iTunes but not when I was just listening to the shuffle. I confirmed this with the application "PodWorks", the song I copied from my library does NOT show up in the list of songs on my ipod shuffle...however it DOES show up and play in iTunes.
So I feel pretty stuck right now...
I can have a working ipod shuffle but NOT from my ipod library. It seems I can only listen to songs off my friends newer machines because for whatever reason, the ipod shuffle DOES NOT WORK with a PPC Powerbook 17inch, 1ghz, 1gb RAM, 10.4.9 running the current latest version of iTunes 7.1.1.
***** to be me. Anyone else come to same conclusion?
If this is real then other users with older macs should not waste their money on the 2nd generation ipod shuffle. Please respond if you have any suggestions or thoughts on this matter.
Mac OS X (10.4.9)

Ipod Shuffle 2nd gen

having major problems with my ipod shuffle 2nd gen. I installed i tunes 7.02, then installed my new shuffle. I checked the auto update of the ipod and the ipod then loaded all of the songs it could from my library onto the piod. I attempted to change the songs on the ipod and i was given a 50 error code and told that the ipod could not be written to or read from. I restarted the shuffle then restarted my pc. I tried to restore the ipod only to get the 1418 error, the ipod now has no songs on.
Please help???????

This problem pops up since the very first days of the 2G Shuffle and Apple continues to ignore it or does not know how to solve it. My educated guess is that it's got something to do with an older iTunes file that sits on your HD somewhere and prevents the Shuffle from working. I had the same 1418 and 50 error code problems with 3 different Shuffles (exchanged by Apple because they said it's a hardware problem) and worked through all these "helpful" Apple support documents and nothing solved the issue. The (I admit: very poor) solution I found is: a) using the Shuffle on a computer that never had iTunes installed before (uninstall and new install does not work) or, if you don't have access to any: b) do a clean installation (with HD formatting) of Windows and directly install the latest iTunes version 7.0.2.16 and SURPRISE SURPRISE - all 3 Shuffles worked without any problem.
Windows XP Pro

Ipod Shuffle (2nd Gen) Does Not Recognize Songs

My Ipod Shuffle (2nd Gen) does not recognize the songs that are loaded on it. When I turn it on after a full charge the green light stays on for about 5 seconds then turns off. When I press play, the colors flash orange and green indicating there are no songs loaded. I've tried all the recommendations and also seen that people with similar problems have not been able to resolve the problem as well. I've seen some cases where the use of the Ipod Rest Utility is recommended however I have Vista on my PC and there is no version available for that o/s that I could find. Does anyone have any other suggestions. Thanks.
Ipod Shuffle (2nd Gen) Windows Vista

I changed the iPod to Disk mode and it just blinks orange while it is connected to the PC. It says that it is synched on the PC screen but I thought the blinking orange light means that it isn't. I took it back out of disk mode. The original problem still exists...when I turn it on, the green light stays lit for 5 seconds then there's no light at all....when I press play the lights alternate orange and green indicating no music is loaded which is wrong since it shows all my songs that are loaded when it is connected to my PC. What a mess.

IPod Shuffle (2nd Gen) not charging, just blinks orange once.

Hi,
I was using this iPod Shuffle 2nd Gen for almost 4 years without any problem, After I got iPod Touch 4G a year back, I stopped using shuffle for almost a year. When I looked at it recently, of course, to give it to my niece - it's not responding. Thinking that battery drained, I tried to charge the shuffle using the then supplied USB doc.
When connected it just blinked orange once - only once that's it. Nothing happend. Even after keeping it for a whole night, nothing happend. It doesn't play, iTunes won't recognize, but windows 7 says "USB Device not recognized", and it was showed under Generic USB Hub as "Unknown Device"
I used USB 2.0 port back of my computer.
Tried using 3rd gen shuffle charging cable, but this time not even the orange blink.
Tried suggested resetting option (http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1655), but invain.
Any suggestions?

If you do
Apple Menu -> About This Mac -> More Info -> System Report
to run System Information (or System Profiler), does the "iPod" appear as a connected device under
Hardware -> USB
Try doing the above with the shuffle connected directly AND using the power USB hub you mentioned.
Have you tried connecting something else to that USB port, to confirm it is working properly? Preferably, it should be something similar, like a USB flash drive or port-powered external drive (data storage devices that get power from the USB port).
Two other related tests... Create a new user account in System Preferences Users & Groups pane. The new user account can be Standard or Admin. Log out and log in to the new user account (do not use Fast User Switching). In the new user account, run iTunes and connect the shuffle.
And the other test. Start up in Safe Mode
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1564
Connect the shuffle while started up in safe mode, to see if it appears anywhere. These two test are to see if you have a process running when you start up normally, that interferes with the iPod being recognized.

IPod Shuffle (2nd gen) and iTunes 8.1.1.10 not synching...

My iPod Shuffle 2nd Gen seems to be unable to sync with iTunes 8.1.1.10 -- in a way. It is recognized in iTunes (shows up in sidebar, correctly labeled; I can view its content) and it will charge and autofill. However, it will not sync with iTunes and communicate playcounts or show me in any way that the autofill is occurring or has occurred.
I have used the "Restore" function and it did not correct the problem. Additionally, when I try to File>Sync iPod, the option is unavailable (not a clickable button/option). I really would like to be able to sync my playcounts again...
Thank you!

Are you using iTunes for Windows to sync your 1G and 2G iPods? Reading through the forums, I've only seen this issue come up on Windows machines.
As I stated in my message above, the new release 8.2.0.23 has not resolved the issue. I've actually reloaded my computer completely at this point and the issue still exists. I've confirmed that the problem is not the iPod, as I was able to successfully erase and sync using a Windows XP machine and iTunes 7.4 then move music on to the iPod. When I went back to my primary machine, I did an erase and sync, but was unable to move any music on to the iPod. The iPod Shuffle 2nd Gen will show up in iTunes, but if you try to drag songs to the iPod, autofill or apply a change of setting, iTunes will state that it is "Syncing iPod. Do not disconnect." It will stay in this mode for 2-3 minutes and iTunes will be unresponsive during this time. Once iTunes starts responding again, nothing has been copied to the iPod and none of the settings changes have been saved on the iPod.
Please note that my 60GB iPod Video syncs without issue (and no, I'm not trying to sync both at the same time).

ITunes 8.1 and iPod Shuffle (2nd gen)

Since "upgrading" iTunes to 8.1, I find that my iPod shuffle is behaving erratically for the first time in its life. Now, this may simply be a coincidence--no way to know for certain that the 'pod isn't just suddenly, magically on its last legs--but it seems that the Shuffle now sometimes won't play a cut while I'm listening to it as a 'pod; and also won't play cuts when clicked in the iTunes window, while it's attached to the computer for updating. I've clicked on cuts up and down the list and nothing plays. Eject it, quit iTunes, plug the Shuffle back in, and maybe it will work. Reordering the cuts in the playlist also seems suddenly a little wonky. Long, spinning ball delays now and then when I drag cuts up the list to rearrange their order in the list. Pauses before the iPod synchronizes.
And, no, I do not sync it automatically, thank you.

I have just 'upgraded' to iTunes 8.1 from 7 and now my iPod Shuffle 2nd gen plays songs ONLY in a random order if I fill it using the 'Autofill' button (selecting random songs), REGARDLESS of the play mode switch position on the iPod itself. Have tried resetting it to factory settings but to no avail! If I fill it using the Autofill button but let it choose the songs in order (not random), it does play sequentially but some songs don't get played.
I used to be able to fill it randomly with Autofill and then sort the songs it had selected by clicking the Artist or Album etc column heading in the iPod window and this would be used as the order when playing back in sequential mode. This is now broken too! My shuffle has had very little use (perhaps 20 charges) and it is in fab condition.
What is going on, Apple?

PowerBook won't recognize iPod Shuffle 2nd Gen, PC will

Just before I throw yet another iPod Shuffle 2nd Gen 1GB down the toilet, I thought I'd check here for "Death Row"/"Life Support" suggestions. I've read similar questions with no, or unhelpful, answers, but here goes anyway:
After a whopping two weeks of use, my iPod stopped being recognized by my PowerBook. Not in iTunes, not in System Profiler, not in UNIX (etc etc). However, it is still being recognized by an old PC laptop I have that runs Windows 2000. So far I've tried the following:
-- The 5 R's
-- rolling back to iTunes 6 on Mac
-- iPod Reset Utility on the PowerBook (Mac doesn't recognize it so that's a dead end)
-- Restoring the iPod on the PC via iTunes
-- iPod Reset Utility on the PC
-- formatting the iPod as a drive on the PC
-- running Yamipod on both Mac and PC (admittedly, that was desperate)
Nothing, absolutely nothing, got the Mac to recognize the iPod. At this point, I've already used my one phone call with Apple Support (owning an iPod is kinda like being in jail!) and, even though it's under warranty, since I'm in the middle of nowhere in Mexico, getting the iPod back to Apple will cost me, oh, about the cost of a new iPod Shuffle!

If anyone comes across this post because they have the same problem, and you're "tech-savvy" enough to figure out how to reset your iPod, forget it, do yourself a favor and stop looking in this forum.
Below are links to three recent posts, all people with the same problem, none of them got any help from any Apple moderators and got "helpful" answers like "try cleaning your USB port" and "did you sweat too much while using it?"
"Not recognized by OS X or Windows XP -- charges and plays fine, though"
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1572062&tstart=0
"Shuffle not recognized by itunes after a couple charges"
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1508538&tstart=15
"constantly blinking orange light; no longer recognized by computer"
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1444289&tstart=30
It's a common problem, Apple knows, Apple doesn't care, so, if you can, send it back or, better yet, throw it away and save yourself future headaches.

My Ipod Shuffle 2nd gen won't update!

I'm having trouble with my Ipod shuffle 2nd gen. Every time I try to update it, it won't update. And when I try to charge it, it will only charge when I'm not using Itunes. I really need my shuffle right now this month because I'm going on important trips and I don't mind listening to the same songs I already have on it but I really would like to have this problem fixed. I barerly got my shuffle 2 months ago, is there anyways I can return it for another one?! Please help!
Windows XP Windows XP

How do you know if won't charge with itunes open? The USB port should be charging unless the PC is off, regardless of what software is running. But if that is the case, eject the ipod and close itunes.
You don't state whether you get any error messages. Does in give you a message the its syncing then finish and no songs transferred? Have you checked your settings on what library (music) it is being filled from?

SOLUTION: Windows Vista + iPod Shuffle 2nd Gen

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