h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

It's a Shuffle iPod.
It has been in my drawer, unused for months.
I tried to plug it into the USB port to recharge, but it will not wake up.
The XP 'puter doesn't know it's there.
I tried the help pages on the 'net, but it says to recharge before I 'restore' the thing, but how can I recharge when it pretends not to exist?



/Milla

Traveller in Time on the repair desk
"Put it in a plasic bag in the freezer for a while (though no below -5 degrees Celcius, or 23 Farenheit). The battery may remember it is alive after some cooling down. "

My Shuffle died a while ago - and its ring fell off. I took it back to the store in London and 'persuaded' them to let me trade it in for a Nano.

Sorry - can't help with your predicament apart from suggsting that you reinstall the pc software that came with the shuffle.

Have you tried to recharge it directly via a wall socket instead of through a computer?

I've no idea if it makes any difference, but maybe the computer blocks the recharge as long as it doesn't know the iPod is there...

Another hint that might or might not help: Not all USB ports give out enough power - keyboard ones (I think) doesn't, so be sure you connect to a good one...

I disagree with TiT on the freezer thing. That is the worst possible thing you can do to the battery. Intense cold kills batteries. They are happiest when they are very warm.

Traveller in Time with some good experiences
"Do not freeze it deep, just a chill, have had several batteries brough back to (temporary) life after some cooling.

Using an external USB HUB can be an alternative to the PC power source. "

I still do not recommend exposing the battery to cold. I have had car batteries and watch batteries all die on my from a cold night in the alps. I've lost about thirty batteries over the years that were exposed to cold.

On the other hand, you could heat the iPod up slightly, not too much, and it might restart the battery. Try putting it in the hot press/airing cupboard.

I suspect in your case, TiT, it was the heating rather than the cooling that did it. Batteries operate best at about 50 degrees C, but the other components in the iPod won't like that sort of temperature.

Traveller in Time no longer storing his batteries in the freezer
"It will have been the change in temperature. . . Got enough dead car batteries in winter, nearly none in summer. "

Hi all, thanks for your ideas!

I might try having it close to my body to warm it a little. Reluctant to put it cold - definitely not freezer, but maybe fridge?

Since it's a Shuffle, I got no external loading cables with it, so can't try that loading tip.

I have tried all 5 usb ports on my laptop, they are all on the bottom part of the thing. Have no keyboard usb...

I have downloaded the latest update (I think!!!) but since the gadget doesn't even show up on 'My computer' as a device, it doesn't kickstart anything.

So, after warming it, I suppose all that remains is to take it to the Apple store and have it swapped.

Will update you!

No external loading cables for a Shuffle? That's odd - it's not like you'd happen to have a computer with/near you when the need to load it arises, like on travels and such. Are you sure?

It was a conference reward for doing an interview... I don't think there was more than the Shuffle and the lanyard...

I suppose I left it too long without using it and it died of a broken heart?

I didn't get anything extra with my shuffle - you're supposed to be able to plug it directly into a USB port.
Methinks they make rather a lot of money flogging us all the extra bits and pieces.

For travelling with a shuffle - it is possible to get a thingummyjig which connects it with a battery pack - so you don't have to worry about plugging it into a pc.

iPods do go into "deep sleep" when left unused for a while. But I can't remember how to wake them up!

If it's not been used for a while it could be that the battery has totally discharged. You need to charge it for at least 4 hours from a active/powered USB port (not a hub or a passive/unpowered usb port) on your computer, and preferably a desktop PC rather than a laptop as they have a habit of going into sleep mode even on mains power.

Oh and the following page might help if the above doesn't

http://www.apple.com/support/ipodshuffle/

You could try looking for a small pinhole sized hole, somewhere on the things body, maybe marked 'reset'. I don't have an Ipod but both a Sony Walkman and a PDA I use respond to a 'hard reset' when the battery has gone flat, and you poke it with the opened out end of a paper clip.
It's a bit of a last resort as each time I've had to use it I've lost ALL the data saved, but any port in a storm I Guess.
Deke

The deep sleep/reset thing can be done by holding the Menu and Select buttons for over 10 seconds whilst it is connected to the computer. It shouldn't change your preferences or files on there.

Wow - what a lot of interest!

I did look at the support pages, but the stuff that seems useful required a charged battery...

There is no reset hole for a paperclip end (which most things have)

There is only one large pause/play button, and the volume/next/previous circle button around it, so can't use the Menu+select tip.

Bewildering, isn't it?

If it is a lithium battery (I believe it is), it needs to be "exercised" about once a month, which just means using it until it needs to be charged and then charging it. If you don't do this, you run the risk of the battery dying completely so that it won't hold a charge ever again. This could be what happened, but most of the advice above is good - your laptop simply may not be providing enough consistent power to charge it. Try a desktop pc, a powered hub, or an external charger. I lost a lithium laptop battery from disuse, but my ipod battery is still going after weekly chargings for the last 3 years. Maybe 4, I can't remember when I bought it, it's a first-generation model.

You can also read a lot more about what is good or bad for batteries here: http://www.batteryuniversity.com/ , especially the page about lithium batteries http://www.batteryuniversity.com/parttwo-34.htm , and at the iPod battery FAQ http://www.ipodbatteryfaq.com/ The bit about "exercising" your battery comes from the Apple site, in the column on the right http://www.apple.com/batteries/