Update, Restore, Reformat - it all either hangs, "fails", or is unreadable.

Question

My husband reformatted the iPod to PC (he didn't read the prompt or realize that reformatting the device would erase it - Grr...). He had always used it on a flat panel iMac running 10.2.8. We also have a laptop now with Tiger, which has never run the iPod.
I thought all I'd need to do to fix his iPod is to reformat it back to Mac, then reload the songs from iTunes. I started out using the laptop. I reset, ran disk utility (sometimes it couldn't repair the volume - it said "error -39" once, several times it said "failed upon exit", and sometimes it could), restored (sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't), tried to update (it wouldn't), used firewire port and tried USB port, recharging, sometimes it was recognizable, sometimes it was an "unreadable disk", and the closest I came to success was about 1600 of 1800 songs, at which point it hung overnight (two days in a row) and I quit.
My next thought was that it may not be compatible with Tiger, so I spent all day today trying it with the flat panel on 10.2.8. I went through all of the motions, but the iPod never would appear in iTunes. Updater and restore never worked on the flat panel. Restore would hang without finishing, so I reset over and over again. I tried firewire and also USB on this machine, too.
I must be i-missing something simple here. I'm beginning to feel like an i-moron! : )
I've been poring through the discussion boards and manuals for three days now, and the articles have taught me how to reset and restore, but the end result is that I still have an empty iPod.
I really don't have a preference as to which of the Macs we dedicate to music, but the Macs have an external HD with lots of free space, so I don't want to use it on PC mode.
Any advice?
Thank you so much!

Answer 1

Hello,
Please read this first
C. Windows users having trouble with their iPods should locate a Mac user. In many cases when an iPod won't show up on a PC that it will show up on the Mac. Then it can be restored. When the PC user returns to his computer the iPod will be recognized by the PC, reformatted for the PC, and usable again. By the way, it works in reverse too. A Mac user often can get his iPod back by connecting it to a PC and restoring it.
Tips
a. It does not matter whether the format is completed or not, the key is to erase (or partly) the corrupted firmware files on the Hard Drive of the iPod. After that, when the iPod re-connected with a computer, it will be recognized as an fresh external hard drive, it will show up on the iPod updater.
b. You may need to switch around the PC and Mac, try to do several attempts between “Format” and “Restore”
Ok, now please connect with your Pc first
Go to folder “My Computer”
Hope you can see your iPod there and right click on the iPod
Choose “Format”. Ensure the settings are at “Default” and that “Quick Format” is not checked
Now select “Format”
Eject your iPod and do a Reset
Open the iPod Updater and click “Restore”
If fails then
For Mac computer
1. Open the disk utility, hope your iPod appears there (left hand side), highlight it
2. Go to Tab “Partition”, click either “Delete” or “Partition”, if fails, skip this step and go to 3
3. Go to Tab “Erase” , choose Volume Format as “MAC OS Extended (Journaled), and click Erase, again if fails, skip it and go to 4
4. Same as step 3, but open the “Security Options....” and choose “Zero Out Data” before click Erase. It will take 1 to 2 hours to complete.
5. Eject your iPod and do a Reset
6. Open the iPod Updater and click “Restore”