So I was using my ipod at work today, a song come on that i did not want to hear and I hit the next button. Well my ipod locked up and just froze.
Anyhow i searched google on “how to reset an ipod 40gb” and came up with nothing but crap answers, then finally found the apple manuals:
To reset iPod mini, iPod mini (Second Generation), iPod photo, and iPod (Click Wheel)
Toggle the Hold switch on and off. (Slide it to Hold, then turn it off again.)
Press and hold the Menu and Select(center button) buttons until the Apple logo appears, about 6 to 10 seconds. You may need to repeat this step.
Tip: If you are having difficulty resetting your iPod, set it on a flat surface. Make sure the finger pressing the Select button (center button) is not touching any part of the click wheel. Also make sure that you are pressing the Menu button toward the outside of the click wheel, and not near the center.
If the above steps did not work, try connecting iPod to a power adapter and plug the power adapter into an electrical outlet, or connect iPod to your computer. Make sure the computer is turned on and isn’t set to go to sleep.
Reset Apple iPhone instructions
Turn iPhone off and turn it on again. Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button on top of iPhone for a few seconds until a red slider appears, then slide the slider. Then press and hold the Sleep/Wake button until the Apple logo appears.
Reset iPod Touch Screen (instructions coming soon)
Reset Click Wheel Ipod (newer ipods including resetting an ipod video)
1. Flip the Hold switch on and off and make sure it ends up no longer on hold.
2. Press and hold the Menu and Select buttons (center Button) until the Apple logo appears (may take 5-11 seconds, and you may need to repeat this step)
If this not work for you try plugging your ipod into computer or wall power.
Resetting iPod (with dock connector)
Most problems with iPod can be solved by resetting it.
To reset iPod:
1 Connect iPod to a power outlet using the iPod Power Adapter.
2 Toggle the Hold switch on and off (set it to Hold, then turn it off again).
3 Press and hold the Play/Pause and Menu buttons for at least 5 seconds, until the
Apple logo appears.
If Your iPod Won’t Turn On or Respond
* Make sure the Hold switch is off.
* If you’re using the iPod Remote, make sure the remotes Hold switch is off.
* If that doesn’t work, connect iPod to the iPod Power Adapter and connect the
adapter to a working electrical outlet. Your iPod battery may need to be recharged.
* If that doesn’t work, your iPod may need to be reset (see above).
Resetting iPod (with out dock connector)
If that doesn’t work, your iPod may need to be reset.While the iPod
is connected to power, press and hold the Play and Menu buttons
for at least 5 seconds, until the Apple logo appears.
Resetting iPod mini
Most problems with iPod mini can be solved by resetting iPod mini.
To reset iPod mini:
1 Connect iPod mini to a power outlet using the iPod Power Adapter.
2 Toggle the Hold switch on and off (set it to Hold, then turn it off again).
3 Press and hold the Menu and Select (center) buttons for at least 6 seconds, until the
Apple logo appears.
If Your iPod mini Won’t Turn On or Respond
* Make sure the Hold switch is off.
* If you’re using the iPod Remote, make sure the remote’s Hold switch is off.
* If that doesn’t work, connect iPod mini to the power adapter and connect the
adapter to a working electrical outlet. Your battery may need to be recharged.
* If that doesn’t work, your iPod mini may need to be reset (see above).
Reset Ipod Shuffle
1. Unplug iPod shuffle if it is connected to your computer.
2. Switch the shuffle off (you cannot see the green stripe).
3. Wait 5 seconds.
4. Move the switch to either play or shuffle (green stripe would be visible)
Here is a link to the official apple website about resetting your ipod.
And to the people that report the following icons on your iPod screen:
* A sad looking ipod face with explamation
* an exclamation point on a folder
* an exclamation point on a battery
* a disk with a variety of icons, including magnifying glass, x, arrow and exclamation mark
* apple logo
* do not disconnect
* power adapter plugging into the wall
I have not seen many of these, but it may be due to me having a 3rd generation iPod, if you see any of these icons on your ipod check out this article from apple summarizing them.
I also have found a site that shows you some advanced (void the warranty) tricks to try and fixing your iPod problems, involving opening them up to fix the hard drive. Try these at your own risk.
Remember you are not alone when your ipod freezes. Best of luck resetting your ipod and thanks for leaving your comments!
{ 50 comments… read them below or add one }
This is awesome. I just fixed my classic
thanks so much!! this was the first time my ipod had ever done thas and your directions had it up and running again in around 20 seconds! thanks!
Thanks for the help, it really work. I was ready to trash the dam thing.
Thank man. Worked like a charm.
thank you for the instructions! good entry!
Genius! Thanks for the clear instructions.
thanks> your advice worked!
thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaank you a bunch my brother said that he froze it then we couldn’t get it back so checked and it worked
i recently bought an ipod 4th gen click wheel of me mate , installed itunes software ok and then it asked me to reboot my ipod so i did then it asked me to plug it into the mains which i did but nothing happen and all i getting now is a charger and socket on my screen and it no loger reconises it when connected to usb either …. is this a software problem like i think ?
Thanks bud, it worked. I was at the point of hitting the thing then I thought I’d search and your site was top of the list. hey presto 🙂 Happy music listener once again.
thanks a million lol. i almost had a heart attack. i turned it off and it was stil playing the song, so i was like wtf. and i tried to turn it back on and it didnt go. after that i plugged it into the usb cable, afterall it was dead, but that didnt seem to make it light up either. so i looked this up and tried that and it worked :D:D:D <3333
have you got anything for 15gb ipod’s i have put mines on charge for about 3 days and itunes didnt show up when i put it in… is my ipod broken ..? ive got the really old 15gb ipod.. with the 4 buttons at the top..
These little music players aren’t cheap either. I don’t like the way they tried to protect music because it doesn’t allow me the freedom to listen to my music collection the way I want to. Unless I can get used to listening to everything in alphabetical order this toy will not see very much use. It just sucks that you buy something this expensive and you can’t use it any way you want to. :((
cant get my ipod touch to reset i have connected it the the computer and its been recognised then i click the restore tab on itunes but then have way through it just says there is an error !!!!! Someone help i’m completely lost without it !
Laua
This is really great and it worked…. I had my boyfriend’s ipod and was so afraid it was broken!!! So I googled ipod 4GB and I got this it only took me about 20 seconds to get it to work I was SOOO relieved!!!!
Can anyone help?Some water got into my ipod few months ago and has sat dead ever since as those at Apple said it was broken forever…is there anything I can do or shall I bury it?! Thank you
helllo friends…first i woud like to thank you. becoz i folllowed ur instuctions and i resolved my problem..actually my i pod was hang up and i couldnt listen song but now i can….thanks ……
Thanks very much for the video. I fixed my Ipod in seconds!
Barb in Cincy
LOVE you!!! Thanks!!!
oh my god. thank you very much for that video. i fixed my ipod in seconds. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
Apple really screwed up with reset on iPod Video. Toggle hold button (wow a physical switch, GENIUS), press Select without touching anything else, press outside edge of Menu, sanitize fingers, trim nails, hold breath, repeat until one hour has passed. Hey Apple, how about a physical reset switch. Oh, I forgot, you are the Mighty Apple, Lord of Design and doers of no wrong.
THANK YOU!!
I was sure this wouldnt work on mipod as my play and centre buttons werent working 🙂 u just saved me having ot get a new ipod !
Thanks for the tip. That helps. I had my ipod frozeen yesterday. I’ve just unfrezeen it after watching the video
DIdn’t think this would work since the center button didn’t seem to work…but it did. I put the iPod flat on a table and used a pecil to push the center button. It works fine now…
Thanks very much! I just had the same problem and your steps worked for me. Great to come across people happy to share info! Good on ‘ya!
thank you
thank god for having youre instructions…..
I have a particular problem my ipod scrambles my movies. Meaning that a movie will play fine and then something happens and the movies freezes or the order of the movie jumps around. any thoughts? the movie plays fine in itunes. I have 80g ipod classic
I’m just going to say thank you. The two hard whacks on my desk worked…my track wheel was stuck…80 GB classic. Awesome.
Ok um. I have an ipod touch right, and it wont turn on. i put it on the charger and it only comes up as the red bar and the little lightnig bolt! it stays like that for a while and then just turns off!! what do i do?!
Thank you so much! Your instructions were spot on!
i want to kiss u right on the lips, I hate going anywhere without my music and i thought I was going to have to borrow money to buy a brand new ipod thank u so much 🙂 You have saved me many boring musicless journeys.
Looks like I also have a broken menu button. I failed fixing it using the proposed techniques, but occasionally I recognized the functionality seems to have “moved” a bit to the lower left on the click-wheel. With this knowledge I can now use the Ipod normally again, although the new area of the menu button still doesn’t allow me to reset it.
I don’t know if anyone already have written this but there is simply just too many comments to read through by now. I have just changed the battery in my 3rd gen ipod. When I turned the Ipod on again it just switched between showing a symbol consisting of a folder with a caution sign and an apple logo. I was sure that I somehow had destroyed the harddisk of the Ipod but then I read an article from a website explaining that the Ipod sometimes shows this sign because the harddisk have removed slightly from the connectors in the Ipod (sometimes due to the heat within the Ipod) I decided to follow a few easy steps explained on the site. So I opened up my Ipod once again and followed the instructions. 1) Make sure that the harddisk is connected to the microchip board in all possible ways. 2) Make sure the harddisk is placed correctly – you can see and feel when it slots together with the other parts. To make sure that the harddisk won’t disconnect in the future this website suggest one to put a visit card or something like that between the harddisk and the back cover. So i did as explained and then reassembled the front and back covers making sure that the harddisk didn’t move from the position I had placed it in. And bingo! Now the Ipod works fine once again and right now I am charging it up with the new battery. But as you’re told on several pages opening your Ipod also means that you lose the warranty. And I don’t know if it can cause the Ipod trouble to place a visit card or anything like that in it so if you do as I did it is on your own risk. I won’t take responsibility for any damage you might cause the Ipod.
hank you my fifth generation
Thank you, thank you!! *does the happy dance*
Great website dude!!!
thank you, thank you! I thought my ipod was a gonner…
Wheww, thanks for the help!!!
thanks soooo much my ipod nano 5th gen froze and i thought i had to have it fixed. thaks. you’re a lifesaver just like my ipod!
Wow I nearly went out and bought a new one. You are cool dude thanks it worked Allan
my ipod says its full but its not its 4 generation and 4gb…pls help me…:(
I followed your instructions to the T – even the part where you recommend keeping the IPod on a flat surface. It worked like a charm! Thank you very much for posting this!
thanks sweeeetie this helped alottttt
Hey it works thank you so much. I just followed the video:)
All the best,
J
i have a newer ipod.. black with speakers and video camera and its stuck on hold. nothing i do will work .. its snot coming off of hold how do i fix this
Thanks!!!.(: it really works.!
thankx a lot dear!
OMG I LOVE YOU!
thank you sooooooo much. You have no idea how happy i am right now.
my ipod nano 5th generation suddenly keeps on reseting by it self as i connect it to the laptop,,,,,but its ok without connecting to the laptop,,,,, some how it says its fulll,,,i wanted to syn some new songs,,,,since it keeps on reseting when i connect it to the laptop,,,i wanted to format it,,,but thats also not possible,,,please help me :'(
thanks so much for sharing this. my ipod froze today after i used a car fm transmitter…very helpful.
verry good suresh