Chosen Solution
When I picked up my Nano after a year of non-use, the battery was completely dead (the battery did hold a good charge from what I remember before). I plugged my Nano into my computer, and Windows showed a “USB Device was not recognized” bubble. The Nano itself managed to boot up after a few seconds. However the battery bar shows a tiny red sliver rather than a charging sign and the backlight does not come on. As soon as I disconnect, the iPod dies. And trust me, I’ve tried multiple computers/USB cables/wall chargers. So there’s my symptoms. Any suggestions would be awesome. I’m quite clueless at the moment. It would seem like the battery’s dead, since that seems to be common for an iPod at this age. However I don’t understand why the iPod can’t sync if it’s only the battery that’s dead. I mean, laptops can function perfectly fine on AC with the battery out.
I found a very simple fix. I know this will sound silly. But i had the same exact problem not charging then some how it was fully charged after two days of just sitting on my desk but then it just wouldn’t sync, so after trying everything apple suggested with no luck the thought of those old nintendo cartridges came to mind.. I thought ha wouldn’t hurt to try.. So I blow into the connection port of the ipod.. Then i plugged it in and it worked. I was blown away man But it worked! :) I’m syncing my Nano as I’m typing this. Try it, Good Luck.
Try holding the select and menu key down simultaneously for 10 seconds to reset the ipod then try to connect again.
After some more research, I think I’ve found the answer to my own question. Anyone else can feel free to verify or refute my claim. I have found two instances (here and here) of iPods not getting recognized by a computer due to lack of a battery. Therefore I conclude that iPods, unlike every other battery-powered device out there, requires a battery for proper function despite the fact that a charging cable is present. That means my iPod’s simply suffering from a dead battery. And because I’ve already fully disassembled my iPod, and Nano batteries are dirt cheap, I think I will be doing a battery replacement. Problem solved?
dude my ipod has the same exact thing, how wierd, well anyway I wanted to tell you that if you find a solution if you can tell me.If you choose to replace the battery please tell me if that was the solution. thanks so much - Alexandra
Sounds like a bad hard drive or logic board, I’m inclined to think logic board, you can get replacement boards here.
Not sure if u tried this but worth a shot! Im trying to find a reliable repair shop to change battery in my 5th gen….apple wont touch it! Good Luck Don Update (12/29/2018) The steps to reboot or restart your iPod are different depending on the model. For the original iPod, iPod (2nd Gen), and iPod (3rd Gen) plug the iPod into the power adapter and plug the power adapter into an electrical outlet (or plug the iPod into a computer), and reset it by depressing the “menu” and “play/pause” simultaneously and continue to hold both buttons until the Apple logo appears. For all models with a “Clickwheel” – starting with the iPod (4th Gen) and provided by all subsequent models with the exception of the iPod shuffle and iPod touch lines and the iPod nano (6th Gen) – plug the iPod to the power adapter and plug the power adapter into an electrical outlet (or plug the iPod into a computer), and reset it by depressing the “menu” and “select” (the center button) until the Apple logo appears. For additional details on resetting the iPod, please refer to “Resetting iPod” from the Apple Support Site. sorry…;-)
