Weird Shuffle (2nd Gen) connection behavior on Mac

Hey all,
My shuffle is behaving a bit strangely when I connect it to my Mac. The same thing happens with both my PowerBook and my G5. Basically, if it is plugged in while the computer is off, it is not recognized when the computer boots.. I just get the blinking amber light.
Similarly, if I put it in its dock while the computer is on, iTunes tries to start (ie, there is an arrow under it in the dock) but it never comes up - it locks up. I get the same blinking amber light. The only way to make iTunes open is to disconnect the iPod.
The only way it seems to work properly is if I boot the computer, start iTunes, THEN connect the iPod. This is not a big deal, but it is an annoyance, so I thought I'd post to see what's going on.
Both my PB and G5 have all the latest software/updates. On the PB I plugged it in directly - no other USB devices. On the G5, its plugged into the powered hub in my monitor. Same result with both computers.
Any thoughts?
Power Mac G5 Single 1.8 Mac OS X (10.4.8) 2Gig RAM

I have this same behavior. The iPod works fine if I unplug it before I startup my iMac and plug it in after startup is complete. But if I start up with it plugged in it does not show up on the desktop or in iTunes (it does show up in the system profiler).
In the console it is full of this: "Found a transaction past the completion deadline on bus 75, timing out!"
Also if I startup with the iPod connected it effects my use of Toast Titanium. Toast will not open and it will not force quit either. Even going into terminal and using the kill command does not work. When that happens the only way to shut down or restart the computer is to do a hard restart.
The strange thing is that all works fine if I unplug the iPod before startup (both Toast and the iPod).
Is there any solution to this problem? Is there anything I can do?

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IPod shuffle 2nd gen not recognized in Mac either Finder or iTunes (but is detected and works perfectly fine on Windows)... i tried using iPod Reset Utility, but no luck...

i've been working on this for the past few days, and still no luck... iPod Shuffle 2nd generation (i know it's old).... not detected in my home MacBook... but works perfectly fine on Windows....
i tried using iPod Reset Utility, soooo many times... and i only had twice the luck of having it formatted... but even though it is formatted, it still isn't recognized in iTunes or even in Finder.... other than the 2 times of having it formatted using iPod Reset Utility, i had seen all the reuslts, like: Error ressetting the ipod blah blah: iPod has been reset, keep plugged in, until reset is completed blah blah: iPod has been reset, unplug and replug your iPod blah blah... etc, i have seen all the possible effects of iPod Reset Utility, but still no luck getting it recognized in iTunes or Finder....
and then , i tried connecting it to a windows computer (but i didn't restore it from there, and just ejected it from windows iTunes), after ejecting it from windows, and then connecting it to Mac, it worked miraculuosly.... perfectly synced and able to put music and listen to them... ejected iPod... after a few minutes, i wanted to add some other music, but when i connected it again, Bam!!!! not working again... even after connecting to windows, it didn't work anymore... guess the magic trick has been doomed...
i badly need help... puhlease... (^_^)

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 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- 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.

Apple iPod USB Device driver issue on Win XP - syncing shuffle 2nd gen.

Hello fellow iPod shuffle users. Any of you run into this problem using the following configurations? Any advise/recommendations/workarounds much appreciated as I've burned 3 days on this issue and I'm still stonewalled.
I personally think it's a device driver issue/bug and am searching for a way to update my Apple iPod USB device driver for Win XP. Two brand new ipod shuffles (received for Christmas 2008) are both behaving this way, so the problem most likely points to a global software issue more-so than to shuffle hardware issue.
PROBLEM STATEMENT: Driver data i/o streaming issue does not allow shuffle to sync data with iTunes after initial sync (i.e. reading the content of the shuffle is good, but writing modified content fails). Posted error message "The ipod ... cannot be synced. Required disk cannot be found". After cracking the hood on my device driver, the problem seems to point to the Apple iPod USB device driver for Win XP. Driver will recognize the shuffle and read to it, but subsequent write attempts will result in device driver balks that "this device cannot start (code 10)".
ATTEMPTED WORKAROUNDS:
*Read All "How to Get Started Manuals" to make sure I was using the right technique for syncing my two shuffles from within iTunes... tried and failed
*Ensure only one shuffle was plugged in at a time (saw notice that two shuffles plugged in at the same time is not yet a supported config)... tried and failed
*The 5 R's as recommended by Apple Support... tried and failed.
*I've tried all 3 built in USB ports on my Lenovo T60. no love... tried and failed.
*Per discussion board: From Window's Device Manager-> Scaned for new hardware while shuffle was syncing...tried and failed.
* Per Discussion board: From Window's Disk Management -> Ensured shuffle came up as a FAT32 filesystem... connection tore down as quickly as windows recognized it.... tried and failed.
*From Windows Software config utility: Ran repair to re-install itunes 8... same results.
*From Windows software management utility: Uninstalled and reinstalled itunes 8... same results.
Hardware: IBM Thinkpad/Lenovo T60. Using build in k/b & no external mouse. Has 3 USB built in ports.
Software: Windows XP Pro SP2/iTunes 8.0.2/shuffle (2nd gen) driver 1.0.4 (same behavior using the original driver 1.0.3).
Apple iPod USB Device properties:
Driver Provider - Microsoft
Driver Date - 7/1/2001
Driver Version - 5.1.2535.0
Digital Signer - Microsoft Windows Publisher

Hi. Ive got pretty much the same problem.... Got a new shuffle for christmas..having real problems syncing with itunes. Funnily enough I managed to get 25 tracks on it but then it just stopped. error message says " The ipod shuffle cannot be synced. The required disk cannot be found." Ive done restore, and downloaded a reset utility thingy to try but still no joy.

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.

My ipod shuffle 2nd gen isnt recognized in itunes

my ipod shuffle 2nd gen isnt recognized in itunes
it charges normally when its connected to a power outlet but when i plug it into my mac nothing happens

Hi HossamDorgham,
Thanks for using Apple Support Communities. This article contains some information on what to do if your iPod isn't recognized by your Mac:
iPod not recognized in iTunes and Mac desktop
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1410
Cheers,
- Ari

Shuffle (2nd Gen) not been used for a few years - not working at all - any ideas?

My Ipod Shuffle (2nd Gen) has not been used for a long time and now will not give any reponse at all. It won't charge and it is not recognised by ITunes - is there anything I should do?

Sorry... I did not notice your reply.
The initial blinking is good. That means there is a connection between shuffle and computer. But it should continue blinking or become a solid color (ON but not blinking).
It could be a problem with the battery. If a lithium battery is left completely drained for an extended period, it can become unable to hold a charge. However, it could also be a problem with the USB port (such as not enough available power or a USB device conflict). As a test, you should try shutting down the computer and disconnecting all USB devices, including any hub, except for standard keyboard and mouse (if normally used). If your computer is a laptop, connect its power adapter (so that it's not running on battery power). Do this to reset the shuffle
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1655
Start up computer, run iTunes, and connect the shuffle by itself to a direct USB port on computer.

Shuffle 2nd gen not recogines by explorer and Itunes (XP pro)

After 3 days i have to admit that i can't fix the problem myself, i hope someone can help me.
I think i've tried all the suggestions done by Apple on their site, but my Ipod Shuffle 2nd gen still isn't recognised by explorer and Itunes (XP pro).
Below is the report from the diagnostic Ipod test (from the help menu of Itunes). I think it says all is well exept for the login procedure. (Since it was in Dutch i translated it myself). Does anyone know what the "error" means and what i should do.
Microsoft Windows XP Professional Service Pack 2 (Build 2600)
Paradigit System Name
iTunes 7.0.2.16
iPodService 7.0.2.16 activ.
iTunesHelper 7.0.2.16 activ.
User is administrator.
Connected harddisks:
IDE\DiskWDCWD2000JB-00GVA0____________________08.02D08, Bus Type ATA, Bus Address [0,0]
IDE\DiskWDCWD2500JB-00REA0____________________20.00K20, Bus Type ATA, Bus Address [1,0]
Universal Serial Bus-controllers:
VIA Rev 5 or later USB universal host-controller, PCI-bus 0, apparaat 16, function 0. Working.
VIA USB Enhanced host-controller, PCI-bus 0, apparaat 16, function 3. Working.
IEEE 1394-hostcontrollers:
OHCI Compliant IEEE 1394 Host Controller, PCI-bus 0, apparaat 13, functie 0. Working.
Loginformation from the iPod-service:
[SERVICE: 0x238,22:47:40 INFO] Started C:\Program Files\iPod\bin\iPodService.exe (Thu Feb 01 22:47:40 2007)
[SERVICE: 0x238,22:47:40 INFO] ##### iPodService starting as a service, version: 7.0.2.16
[SERVICE: 0x628,22:47:41 INFO] Timed out... Starting device manager!
[SERVICE: 0x5C8,22:47:41 INFO] Listener Window created
[SERVICE: 0x5C8,22:47:59 INFO] [DevNodesChanged]
[SERVICE: 0x5C8,22:47:59 INFO] [DevNodesChanged]
message above [SERVICE: etc. is repeated 100 times (with different numbers).
Windows XP Pro

Hi MJ,
after reading a lot of posts concerning connection problems with the iPod Shuffle 2G I finally found a solution. A lot of people had similar problems because of broken or damaged connection cables, pins etc. but also because sometimes the USB plug didn't sit tight enough.
That's how I recognized that this was also the case with mine. I was able to move it quite a lot, even plugged-in. So I tried the second USB port that seemed to be a little tighter already. Nevertheless I still got the short amber blinking light when I plugged it in completely.
What did the trick for me was to pull the USB plug back out a little until a short green light appeared, then I pushed it back inside a little until I got an alternating amber light. At the same time iTunes recognized the iPod. Also the plug sat stable at this point and I didnt move it anymore until I disconnected again. In the beginning a tried this method a couple of times until it actually worked, as the point of the best connection seems to be really small.
So as it seems in the end it wasn't a software problem but one of a too loose USB plug. Probably buying a new cable could also solve your problem.
Richard

IPod Shuffle 2nd generation not recognized by Mac Book Pro

iPod Shuffle 2nd generation not appearing in Mac Book Pro device window. USB checked and OK as I can charge iPod by connecting to power outlet. Reset iPod and no change. Kindly advise on what to do next.

Hi SultanAshraf,
Welcome to Apple Support Communities.
It sounds like there is an issue with your iPod shuffle being recognized by iTunes on your Mac. Try the suggestions in the in the troubleshooting assistant below, they will resolve most issues like the one you described.
iPod shuffle (2nd generation) Troubleshooting Assistant
https://www.apple.com/support/ipod/five_rs/shuffle2gen/#
I hope this helps.
-Jason

Ipod Shuffle 2nd Gen won't turn on

Hey,
Just recently found my mom's unused Ipod Shuffle 2nd Gen, sealed, not opened and still in the box. So i wanted to check it out see if it works, it connected to the computer just fine, put all the music on, charged fully and the green light was on while it was connected to the computer, the problem is as soon as i unplugged the ipod from the computer it wont respond the the on and off switch, its suppose to give out a green light when its on right? i dont see any.
Can anyone tell me what the problem is here?
Thanks

Lithium-ion batteries, if left in a completely discharged state for an extended period, can become unable to hold a charge. That 2nd gen shuffle has been sitting in its unopened box for about five or six years. If that's the case here, it operates fine while getting power from the USB port, and appears to charge, but it is unable to hold that charge when disconnected from power. Therefore, nothing happens when you move the power switch. Here is a document from Apple about batteries
http://www.apple.com/batteries/ipods.html
(see Long Term Storage section)
You can try doing a Restore on the shuffle in iTunes, in case the problem is related to software. The Restore button is on the shuffle's Settings screen, when it is selected in iTunes.

IPod Shuffle 2nd gen not recognized by iTunes anymore

I have had this ipod shuffle 2nd gen for almost a year. I am unable to recharge it. iTunes does not see it anymore. What do I do?

Does it show in Apple System Profiler's USB tree? Have you tried connecting it (through its dock) to another computer?

Ipod Shuffle 2nd gen isn't recognized by my MacBook with new cable.

I have an Ipod Shuffle 2nd gen, I used to charge it with the original dock that came with it, but my cat ate that and I had to buy a new cable. I'm a newbie to computer stuff so bear with me if the info I provide is insufficient. The cable I bought looks like this:
http://www.reghardware.com/2009/03/13/ifixitshuffledisassembly/
But now when I connect it to my MacBook Pro it won't get recognized at all! Does this new sync cable only work with the latest generations of Ipod Shuffle? What gives?

The Apple store shows that the type of USB cable you bought is only compatible with the 3G and 4G shuffles.
http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC003ZM/A?fnode=MTY1NDA0OQ&mco=MTA4MjUwNDg
The 2nd generation shuffle is compatible with the dock style USB cable:
http://store.apple.com/us/product/MA694G/A?mco=MTY3ODQ5OTY

Ipod shuffle 2nd gen only recognized as storage device.

I have an ipod shuffle 2nd gen and when i connect it to my PC it is only recognized as a storage device. How do i get my computer to recognize it as an ipod?

Hello KombatAction,
The article linked below details a number of troubleshooting steps that can help get iTunes to recognize your iPod.
iPod not appearing in iTunes
http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203449
Sincerely,
Allen

Ipod shuffle (2nd gen.) not recognized by my powerbook (g4)

My new iPod shuffle (2nd gen.) not recognized by my powerbook (g4). Get error message "The disk you inserted was not readable by this computer". It works just fine with my iMac (g4). If iTunes is open the shuffle is just not recognized. Have tried my shuffle on a friend's PowerBook (Intel based) and it works fine. His new shuffle behaves exactly like mine on my powerbook. All other uses with USB ports appear fine - flash drives etc. I did initialize a new flash drive with 128 bit encryption before the 1st attempt to initialize my new shuffle.
Help! Thanks

Does it show in Apple System Profiler's USB tree? Have you tried connecting it (through its dock) to another computer?

Weird Shuffle (2nd Gen) connection behavior on Mac

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