The Ipod cannot sync - disk cannot be read from or written to - Work around

I have been having the same problem and have talked to Apple support several times. It seems like the major problem is with Windows xp media center edition. They got back to me today with not a solution, but a work around. It seems to be working so far. If you are running media center edition open device manager and expand universal serial bus controlers by clicking on the + sign (with the itouch not connected) If you see "standard enhanced pci to usb host controller...right click on it and choose disable. Close device manager and reconnect your itouch to the computer. The sync will be much slower but it seems to be working for now. I spoke to a level 2 product specialist, and he was very helpful in giving me this "work around". He promises to get back to me with a fix asap. In that event I'll post the fix here.
Thanks,

Yes yes this worked for me too! ***?
I have Windows Media Center as well. I have tried EVERYTHING and I mean EVERYTHING including reinstalling my OS. I have spent all of yesterday and all of today not to mention much time over the last few months trying to get it to work better. Not since getting my iPod have I ever been able to get everything to sync. Restores simply resulted in movies that previously worked not working and ones that didn't start to work. Oh and this is my third individual one. Seriously this works, but is a pain because now a single movie takes about 20 minutes or so to copy. Lame. Well I am going to call Apple tech support and mention this to them and also put something into feedback. It is ******** that people have to jump through so many hoops to get this to work. Apple is lucky this isn't my sister or my girlfriend. Anybody who doesn't have much experience with computers would be lost.
Thanks though! Same here, you saved my life as I was seriously ready to throw this out the window, as much as I love it! :O
Apple, please do something about this.

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"Ipod" failed. Disk could not read from or written to

HELP me! I FINALLY got Itunes to recognize the Ipod, but when I go to auto fill the Ipod, I get an error:
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Anyone have any ideas? Please help me

I happen to be in Best Buy yesterday and went to the Geek Squad help desk and told them about this error. They told me that the Ipod Shuffle is probably corrupted, some kind of memory or something inside.
I got the receipt from my dad, so I'm going to go exchange it today. I hope I have luck with the new one tonight.

When I update my nano ipod I get an error message "User ipod cannot be updated. The disk couldnot be read from or written to." How can I overcome this error message.

In the iTunes window, when I update my nano ipod, I get an error message "User ipod cannot be updated. The disk could not be read from or written to." How can I overcome this error message.

Hello there dilip77707,
It sounds like you are getting this error message that your iPod cannot be read from or written to when you are trying to update your iPod Nano. I recommend the troubleshooting from the following article to help you get that resolved. Its pretty straight forward, just start at the top and work your way down as needed:
'Disk cannot be read from or written to' when syncing iPod or 'Firmware update failure' error when updating or restoring iPod
Thank you for using Apple Support Communities.
All the very best,
Sterling

ITunes Error when using Nas drive..Error occurred while converting the file the disk can not read from or written to

This is the error I get only when trying to convert a file to AAC. I have my itunes library stored on a network drive it all works fine I can add files sync files with my devices exc. Only when I dry to convert a flie from mp3 to AAC do I get this error. Any one have any suggestions.
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I wonder if the disk being referred to is actually your iPod which is not plugged in. Maybe something has stuck thinking the iPod should be there.
Try completely removing all the iTunes related programs according to this method.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1923
Restart you PC and see if startup improves.
If it doesn't improve you need to consider the possibility that there is something else going on.
If The problem goes away, hopefully a fresh install will be OK.

This iPod cannot be read from or written to

I have a 5th gen 30GB iPod that's about 18 months old and has been working fine until recently.
When I connect the iPod to the computer (2Ghz Macbook, 1GB memory, 80GB HD, OSX 10.4.8, iTunes 7.0.1), a message comes up saying "This disk cannot be read from or written to". The iPod itself works fine, but I'd dearly love to be able to update it! I am reluctant to erase it to find the error because I use it every day.
I don't have access to any other computers with iTunes installed, so I don't know if the problem lies with the iPod or the MacBook. Should I update iTunes/OSX?
Does anyone have any idea what's up with my iPod? I hope it's not dying...

The mystery deepens! Althout the iPod SAYS it can't be read from or written to, it is apparently being written to - I found some tracks on it this morning that definitely weren't there when I connected it last night. I didn't update iTunes or anything.
I guess my question is now "Why on earth is the computer displaying this message when it's not true?" I'm not sure about upgrading because I read that the latest version doesn't allow you to get songs off your iPod onto iTunes - which ***** if you suffer a HD failure or even just buy a new computer!

'Disk cannot be read from or written to' when syncing iPhone 3GS

Hi everybody,
I have had a problem for a few weeks now, and can't find a solutions to it. My iPhone 3GS won't sync music anymore. It gets stuck at the first song, sometimes it can copy a very few and then crashes, with iTunes displaying the message "Attempting to copy to the disk iPhone failed. The disk could not be read from or written to." I found this article but none of suggested procedures gave results http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1207. What is weired is that Mac OS crashes with iTunes for a few seconds, not only iTunes.
Maybe sou should also know that I don't only have problems syncing my iPhone to my Macbook Pro, I also have the same kind of problem with Time Machine. It gets stuck during the backup and displays the same kind of a message. At first, I thought it was a USB problem, but after having run the test from the DVD "Applications", the USB ports don't have any problem. I have the feeling that it might be a software problem.
I'm thankful in advance for any suggestion !
Have a nice evening,
Damien

I have the exact same frustrating problem. It starts to sync and then get's stuck on some song and says it could not sync because the disk could not read from or written to.
I've rebuilt my hard drive from my time machine and reinstalled the combo OSX update as well as reinstalled the latest iTunes. Still won't sync any of my iPhones or iPad...
Anyone have an idea whats going on?
Thanks

Cannot be read from or Written to. And cannot eject ipod! PLEASE HELP

I'm having tonnes of problems with my ipod and itunes:
1. I just bought a brand new macbook, and wanted to put all the music from my ipod onto my macbook, So i followed the directions on here for how to do that. incidentally, it did not work, and i was prompt to do nothing else but restore my ipod. Now that i've restored my ipod i can't sync songs from my Macbook to my ipod, and message occurs say " Attempting to copy to disk "LAUR'S IPOD" failed, device could not be read from or written to" The same message occurs on my home PC with windows. I have the latest version of itunes, the latest software on my mac, i've called 1800 they couldnt help, My ipod is still recognized by my computers, and still charges, it just doesnt sync, i've also tried deleting damaged music files too. I've restored my ipod about 3 times and still no luck.
2.I also can never eject my ipod, a message occurs saying " cannot eject ipod, try closing applications first" and there are no other apps open. WHY IS THIS SO HARD!
PLEASE HELP ME!! I've been with music for too long!

Start with these articles and see if that gets you anywhere...
iPod is not recognized properly by computer when USB drivers are not installed properly or are out of date
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=305136
iTunes for Windows: iTunes 7 doesn't recognize iPod
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=304434
iPod missing in "My Computer" or in iTunes for Windows
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=61711
Also you might try forcing the iPod into disk mode first, then connecting it to your computer and see if that makes it show up in iTunes...
Putting iPod into Disk Mode
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93651
Windows confuses iPod with network drive or hard drive and may keep iPod from mounting or songs may seem to disappear
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1493
Cheers,
Patrick

Disk could not be read from or written to during syncing to iPod touch

Hi there,
I just got the iPod touch 16gb. When I try to sync videos to the iPod, it will ultimately stop and give me the error about disk not be read from or written to during syncing. In addition, when the iPod charging battery logo and the whole screen for that matter go blank, iTUNES displayed an error message of Device has timed out. Thus, I have to close and reopen iTUNES to sync new music or video files. This didn't happen with my iPod video 30gb. It seems like the device times out so quickly. It is annoying. Anyway, please offer any suggestions. Thank you.

I'm having the same synching problem. It looks like file size is a factor. Most of my music library transfered over ok, but only after I de-selected podcasts and videos.
The movie file I'm testing with is 1.2 GB. It gets about 7/8's of the way, progress stops, and then a dialog opens saying that the disc can not be read from or written to.
When moving just music the Touch consistently gets through 263 songs (2.38 GB) of 275 songs (2.70 GB). It seems to miss the long audiobooks.
Interestingly my 1st gen 2 GB Nano is also having the same error "can not be read from or written to" when I synch my podcasts. In disc mode I can copy over the 1.2 GB movie no problem.
Any help would be appreciated. I would really like to stick some movies on the Touch.
iTunes 7.4.2 (4)
iPod Touch 1.1.1 (3A110a)
1st Gen Nano 2 GB (1.3.1)

Ipod cannot be synced. The disk could not be read from or written to.

Help. For some reason my ipod connection makes itunes quit working. If I try to eject, this is the message I get. Message is in the "subject" above

Take a look at this Apple KnowledgeBase article:
"Disk cannot be read from or written to" when syncing iPod
Hope it helps. Good luck.

The ipod cannot be synced. this disk could not be read from or written to..

this is the message that appeared when i tried putting songs on my shuffle..what should i do?

I had this same issue and stumbled across this solution on a random web sales site for second gen shuffles.
"It is ESSENTIAL that when you first sync the shuffle you enable disk use via the option in iTunes. This prevents iTunes from automatically disconnecting the shuffle. If you do not do this, the shuffle is disconnected automatically as soon as you plug it in, which means you are unable to update it. You will get the messages "Unknown error: Device cannot be read from or written to" which is displayed because the iPod has been disconnected although iTunes doesn't' realise it has disconnected it. iTunes will then freeze and you will be unable to reset the iPod or enable disk use. So make sure you enable Disk Use the very first time you plug in your shuffle! Otherwise you will have to manually reformat the Shuffle"
So I downloaded the ipod restore utillity to reset the ipod to factory defaults. I then ran itunes, gave the ipod a name and let it autofill to give me time to change settings in the ipods setting tab in itunes. Down the bottom of this tab I ticked the checkbox to allow ipod disk use and clicked the apply button and all is working fine now. If the ipod completes synching before you click the apply button then you will need to reset the ipod and try again.
Hope this helps.
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The ipod cannot be synced. The disk cannot be read from or written to

What does this mean?

I am getting the same message: I don't know how to reboot, or restore. Can someone help me? This is what I've put up with so far:
I have an iPod shuffle, 1st gen. I couldn't download any music, so I took it to my Granddaughter. She put some songs on for me, and showed me how to do it. (or so I thought). When I connected it to Itunes, I got a message saying since I was connected to another library, I couldn't be connected to that one. I had to erase what she put on, to be connected to the library on my computer. Then I dowloaded new version 1.5. When I connected my iPod to the Itunes, I got a box with a green square that said :updating My iPod. The box with the green squares chugged for an hour. Then I tried to download my music from my library to my iPod. I keep getting a message saying They iPod "My iPod" cannot by synced. The disk could not be read from or written to. Can anyone tell me how I can get music on my iPod?

Ipod cannot be updated the disk could not be read from or written to?

So my iPod seems to be working fine except today when I plugged in I get the above error message?
What's it mean and how do I fix it?

Welcome to Apple Discussions!
Have you seen if this Apple article about your issue is helpful? (linked below)
"Disk cannot be read from or written to" when syncing iPod
I hope this helps,
-Kylene

The ipod cannot be synched. the disk could not be read from or written to?

So I've done everything possible to try to get my touch to sync all my songs from my itunes library at once and nothing is working. So sadly i spent the entire day plugging and unpluggin the usb cord because at most i could put 30 songs on my touch before it came up with the error "the ipod cannot be synched. The disk could not be read from or written to." this is very frustrating as i have many videos i purchased on itunes with anticipation of putting them on my touch but if i try to do so at most it downloads half then it pops up with the same error. If anyone of y'all can help, that would be greatly appreciated i'm slowly but surely giving up on the touch all together even though i love it this error to it is very time consuming and annoying.

Same problem. With an iPod Touch.
This began after I accidently pulled out the USB before it was fully ejected. (I hit eject, and the icon vanished from iTunes, so I THOUGHT I was okay...) But I got the error. And since then, I've got the error you speak of. Mine may be a tad off.
When I drag a song from iTunes or the Finder into the iPod it copies fine but then the error pops up.
But now it's fixed, and I'm not sure why. And I'm hoping it doesn't come back.
I remember I went into the iPod Touch itself. Went to...
Settings > General > Reset > Reset All Settings
After that, I got back to the window from iTunes asking if I want to manually manage songs. I unchecked the box next to the choice of letting iTunes do it automatically.
But Even after that, I had the synching problem.
So I went into the main iPod Touch tab in iTunes. Under options the "Manually manage music and videos" box WAS CHECKED. I decided to uncheck it. Maybe the iPod was observing 'Opposite Day'. I know my cellphone does. On my cellphone, when I choose to play videos without sound, it plays WITH sound. So, I dunno...
Anyway, after I UNCHECKED "Manually manage music and videos" I ejected the iPod and reconnected it. And I plugged the USB into another port. Guess what? It didn't automatically synch. And when I added music on my own from either iTunes or the Finder, it worked well too. The weirdest thing... when I went to have a look at the box next to "Manually manage music and videos" - it had been checked again, without my doing.
UPDATE: And as I began typing that last sentence - THE ERROR CAME BACK. So.. NEVERMIND! I'm still stuck and angry!
*UPDATE II:* The error happened again after a song I was listing to in iTunes from the Touch ended. Once it ended, the error popped up and music stopped playing. I tried dragging a new song from iTunes into the Touch and it wouldn't let me. I unplugged and then plugged the iPod back in, and dragged songs again. So far it works... SO FAR. So far no errors. I tried deleting a song from the Touch and also no problem.
*UPDATE III:* I did a test. I added album artwork to songs that had none, already inside my Touch. It took a bit longer than it would have on my computer, but all tracks on the album got the art work, and the error message has yet to display since I did so.
*UPDATE IV* I've only been adding up to 10 songs at a time, worried that it would freeze. This time I added 31 songs, and they all imported - no error messages. Currently I'm worried that if I play a song from my Touch through iTunes the message will return. I'm too afraid to do it deliberately. I know I was able to do so with no problem with my 2nd Gen 10GB iPod I've had for years. That was working with my computer as of 3 days ago!
Message was edited by: Daniel Brown

IPod partially syncs & I get "Disk cannot be read from or written to"mssg.

Here's my initial problem:I think I Blew It. Tried to move iTunes from OS (C:) to DATA (D:). First I now realize that I should have come here first. But I didn't. I basically copied all of my iTune files into DATA (D:) and deleted them from OS (C:). Now when I open iTunes nothing is there. I left a couple of folders that wouldn't transfer from (C:) to (D:). One is a temp file 2, another is iTunes Music Library XML. doc. My iTunes music folder is empty and my iTunes library folder is pretty much empty too. The folders in DATA (D:) still have my 30 GB of music. So I wonder if I can undo this fiasco?
Here's where I am at today:Well I somehow got my library back. But I think I now have a couple copies of it on different drives. I configured the iTunes settings to feed off D drive but my problem now is I can't sync my ipod completely. I get the infamous "Disk cannot be read from or written to" when syncing iPod" message. I've tried restoring the ipod, creating a sync folder,checking and getting windows updates, and enabling the disc. I'm totally lost here.Please help all wise ones....

Let me add the advice Polydorus gave me to get back library: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1327455&tstart=0 You haven't give enough information to tell exactly what the problem is.
Did you copy the iTunes folder to the d: drive, this folder contains the library databases and the iTunes Music folder.
If you did that, you can try starting iTunes with the shift key held down, when asked to choose a library, navigate to the iTunes folder on the external drive and choose iTunes Library.itl.
This only works if you copied the iTunes folder and you had a default arrangement with all your music files in the iTunes Muisc folder in the iTunes folder.
If you didn't do that and you don't mind losing your counts, ratings and playlists you can do the following:
I am going to assume that you still have your iTunes folder on the c:drive. Close iTunes and drag iTunes Library.itl and iTunes Music library.xml out of the iTunes folder to the desktop.
Then open iTunes and an empty library is created, first go to Editit>>Preferences>>Advance>>Gneral and check that the location of the iTunes Music folder is correctly set, then add the iTunes Music folder to iTunes with File>>Add folder to library. If you have music in other folders, you add those too.
Note that these two possibilities do not cover all eventualities, you will need to explain exactly what you did for further advice. POST NOTE: I basically drug the libray to the desktop and opened iTunes with the shift key held down, when asked to choose a library, I did and it came back.

"Disk cannot be read from or written to" When syncing CERTAIN songs to iPod

So I bought my friend's iPod Touch. I've talked to her about this issue and she's never experienced anything of the sort. When I got her iPod Touch I downloaded the newest software (3.1.2).
It's still currently running on 3.1.2 (as I know of no way to set it back to a previous version). When I try to update the iPod it will sync fine until reaching certain songs. These songs will freeze iTunes entirely for a few moments, an error message will pop up saying "Disk cannot be read from or written to". The only way I could go around this predicament was to go through my library and un-check the songs which caused the iPod sync to fail. This is quite annoying having to have several songs un-checked as some of them are the songs I want to listen to.
What can I do to fix this? I've reset and restored everything. Multiple times. Yet to no avail.
The error occurs only with songs, I have not run in to any errors updating applications (yet).
I'm running Mac OS X Snow Leopard, the iPod Touch is running 3.1.2 (the newest update), the iPod was originally purchased back in July.

I suggest you read through the following article for some help: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1207
Normally, if you have a DRM'd song that you do not own, you will get an error (not this one, however) that the song will not/cannot be copied to your iPod. My feeling is that you might have some corrupted files.

The Ipod cannot sync - disk cannot be read from or written to - Work around

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