Resurrecting your dead iPod: Whack-a-mole theory
The Last Gasp Solution
Right. So my 4th-generation 20GB clickwheel iPod died yesterday morning. I figured, when I saw the dead ipod face, that I’d just reset it and restore it later.
No dice.
Then I figured I’d have my buddy Bryan look at it.
Even he was stumped.
So I thought, well, my the good folks over at an area Genius Bar will have something to say.
Nada, except buy a new one [pffft! ha.] or spend $250 to have it replaced.
So a quick troll of the apple support pages, discussion forums, and the internet at large revealed a few tidbits of information:
1. The 5 R’s
2. The dead iPod epidemic
3. Apple Customer Service blows monkey chunks
4. The firm-slap repair method [which I have redubbed Whack-a-Mole].
Since neither I, Bryan, nor the Apple Geniuses could get the iPod functional by using Apple-recommended tips, and since even third-party repair was quickly looking to be cost-prohibitive [or downright untrustworthy], I decided to try beating it into submission.
Whack-a-mole: How to bring your dead iPod back from the grave
Only recommended if you’ve done everything under the sun and want to see what happens to your pretty white paperweight. I will not be responsible for damage to your ‘pod if you undertake this advice, dumbass.
1. Plug it in.
2. Whack the hell out of it.
You could hold it firmly and whack it bottom-side down on a flat surface. Since my flat surface was also supporting my laptop, I decided to hit the iPod on an angle on the stiff arm of my crappy loveseat, instead. I gave it a few very firm whacks and then set it down gently on the coffee table, made sure it was connected to my mac, and did a reset [hold down the Select and Menu buttons simultaneously for 10 seconds or so].
Boom: it powered up. Then I made sure the software was up to date [it is] and restored the whole motherfucker.
Now I’m reloading all my music onto it.
So far, it works like a dream.
Let this be a lesson to you: If at first you don’t succeed, resort to violence and cross your fingers.
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yay! good to know…I will be the dumbass that searches down whack-a-mole in 6 months to remember what your advice was.
I am stymied that this actually worked. Good for you!
I know. it flies in the face of all common sense.
I do have a caveat: It doesn’t work so hot after it shuts off, either automatically or manually. Seems that it has to be reset.
This is definitely a drawback, but something is better than nothing, in my book — and it was FREE.
A gentler method is the “hold and slap” documented in the comments of this post [in which the dude pries open the iPod and totally guts it and replaces the drive]. Thanks to Matt for A.) offering to fix my iPod and B.) that link right up there ^^. Sweet.
If it dies again I know a certain techie in Ohio who’s getting all my business
I always said you were a genius.
No, really. I did.
One thing I learned from my years working on military hardware, when in doubt, concussive maintenance always works. way to beat the system.
Update to my comment, #3: It’s working like a charm now, even when it pauses and shuts off. It’s back to booting up like normal, without requiring a forced reset.
iPod spanking is the new video iPod.
Wow.
I’m going to try this on my toaster oven.
And then maybe on my cat, who seems to be listless lately.
ha: concussive maintenance. i love the military.
let me know how your toaster fares, SPM. and, uh, your cat.
oh belinda. you flatter
Well worked fine for me with my local LAMP testing server. Yep, that’s right. I have an old 600 mhz box I used to build a LAMP set up (RH v.9/apache/mysql/php). Linux (at the time) was very new to me. At one point I became so frustrated, it was not the power supply or this or that, what ever it was… after I smacked it good, right up side the head, with the keyboard, it stopped booting. It would power up for 15 seconds and shut down again. I got a fab deal on the thing used and with it got tons of accesories. I made the descision (this time calmly), I gave it one good drop kick. It’s been running like a champ ever since
Wow good job, you have some good karma. Funny how that fixed it but if it happened to be working and you accidentally hit it like that it would probably break and never come back to life.
god, you know it, right? for all that time i spend coddling it and be ever so gentle, and a good hard smack was what it needed all along.
yeesh.
Oh my god. I can’t believe it, but this actually worked. Just two minutes ago, I was reading this and thought it was a joke; I decided I’d try it, because hey: my iPod wasn’t working no matter how many times I tried to reset it, and I don’t have enough cash to get it fixed. I decided smacking it on my mouse pad would be a better idea than smacking it on my desk. I plugged it in, gave it a hearty smack, and prayed. The main menu popped up briefly, then the “Do Not Disconnect” message, then an alert from my computer about a new device. Fucking awesome. Thanks man.
that is AWESOME, keith. Glad I could help. And glad for you that your iPod is working again.
I think Apple used some bad drives in their 4G 20 gig iPods. My daughter has been through 4 in the past 8 months and based on what I’ve read, this model seems to die a lot. We’ve got 4 other iPod models in our house that pur along with no problems. I’ve brought 3 dead G4’s back to life with a good smack against my hand. I turn them in for a replacement when they need to be spanked daily! I suspect Apple keeps refurbishing the same bad ipods and handing them back out.
i wonder if that isn’t the case, linda. I’m happy that spanking works [mine is still running!] but it’s sucky that A.) i need to do that and B.) it’s so hard to find that particular tip to save oneself $300. I think apple [love them mightily though I do] is probably profiting even more from those faulty drives.
I wonder if people are having better luck with the Nanos.
Holy Shit!! I can’t believe this actually worked!! I (like many sad iPod widows) have been searching nonstop for days for a solution to my dead iPod Photo. This site was my last stop, and last hope. Having nothing to lose, I whacked it firmly (metal side down) about 5 good times on a wooden desk, then 5 more good whacks, a little harder. Nothing happened. I left it connected to my laptop and set it aside, again. After about a minute, I was utterly shocked to see that it suddenly turned ON!! iTunes immediately booted up, and the iPod icon appeared in My Computer. It appears completely normal in all respects so far. HALLELUJAH!! Supa be PRAISED!!
Kickass! I’m glad to help.
I think smacking it just gets the connections, you know, connected again. Here we are six weeks later and mine still works a treat.
WOW! Man I want to give you a big ass hug right now. I was so mad that my iPod died yesterday because school is starting tomorrow for me. And I was just about to send it in for it to be fixed. But I read this and first thought this was BS, but WOW it worked, I’m so amazed. Violence solves everything, thanks ALOT!
“Violence solves everything.” Ha.
Glad I could help, Ian! Hope it stays working for you.
Hell yes. Totally worked for me too. My 4G 30 gig iPod died over a month ago, and I’ve been having to burn CD-Rs (so 90’s, huh?) in the meantime. Today I decided to try what I could before giving up, and nothing was working until I came across this site. I thought, sure, why not? I had nothing to lose. So I gave it a few good, hard whacks against the desk and reset it. No dice. Then I tried one more time, dropping it from about a foot up. On the third (or was it fourth?) drop, my iPod reset itself, and sure enough, it’s working again! Just to be sure, I did a full restore and am now in the process of copying my music over. I’m not sure how long it will last, but it seems to be alright for the time being. Thanks Supa!
it worked
kewl
Ah, so glad you guys have your iPods back!
Now I just have to get mine working again. (It’s not a permanent fix, unfortunately, though it did give us seven extra months together).
But I have to say, the new 80GB models are looking pretty tempting … Damn you, Apple.
My iPod died today while I was listening to the new Killers album. The UnHappy iPod face stared back at me. After some research I popped the iPod into Disk Mode with high hopes and decided to the suck it up and just format the drive.
“Error 1418”
“Error -20”
“Error I/O”
Forums and Forums later I happened upon this site. My plan at the end of this all, if nothing worked, was to launch the iPod from my balcony anyway and bid adue to apples line of self destructing pods.
Long story short, this solution sounded like a win win. Get some frustration out by shaking the shit out of it, have fun actually doing something rather than sitting on my ass waiting for the error screen to pop up and the ultimate, to restore the mofo.
I hooked it in, started to restore, and immediatly banged on the corners like a maniac.
IT WORKED! By the beard of Zeus, IT WORKED.
Woo! Very rad, alejo.
In sadder news, my iPod is fully dead. But this trick got me an extra eight months, and for that I am grateful.
Sorry to hear it, supa. Guess it’s finally time for that 80 gig model, huh?
I’m a little worried about mine. It crapped out again last week and I had to smack it around a little more before it came back again. Good times.
I was about to dump my 20g ipod when I found this site. Perfecto. I wanted to smack the shit out of this dumbass thing anyway. Talk about a win win. I hit it really hard on my other hand about four times. Very satisfying. It friggin’ worked! So far so good. Songs are reloading.
Mamacita. Sometimes it is sooooo simple.
a
Why, yes, Havron. The 80GB would certainly be the silver lining in this situation, eh? Hope yours stays all right for a while.
Awesome, adam! There really is something satisfying about slapping your broken gadgetry around.
Again, I didn’t invent the method, I just spread the word. Good luck keeping yours going!
You are my hero. I tried all the Apple suggested stuff, my husband tried it again after me. Like I could not read and follow directions myself.
Anywho, I found your post while he was working on it. It was funny to read outloud. Then he lightly tapped my ipod on the coffee table. Guess what?
It came back to life!!! First the lighted white apple then the menu screen. Now iTunes recognizes it.
I am so happy. Life has sucked for 3 days without it. I have no radio in my car (stolen by crackhead - who else would want a 10 yr old radio that played cassettes?) and I had to drive a hour each day in silence to/from work. Now life can get back to normal.
I tried this method after the same huzah speech you got from the Genius Bar the whole “your harddrive is completely corrupted blah. you won’t be able to get anything off it blah.” i tried this, smacked it hard ten times, and presto! it works.
so much for “corrupted harddrive, you’ll need the $180 fix”. i’m in the midst of writing the fraudulent activities letter right now.
Worked like a charm.
After 2 days of sad ipod icons, sometimes working disk mode, 1418 error, and general failure, a good smack was all it needed.
Brilliant.
Count me in friends. My 20 gig pod died last night with a chirping hard drive and ending with the awful sad Mac icon. Found this suggestion and pursued it. Whacked the pod once- like Frankenstein’s lightening bolt, this maneuver breathed life into my 15 month old iPod. Think of it as CPR for your iPod. Saved me from buying a new pod. Many thanks!!!!
Rob
Oh wow, you guys, this is such happy news. I’m glad the spanking got your ipods back in working order! Let’s hope they stay that way for a loooooong time.
These things (as with all tech lately) are obviously designed to fail EARLY and OFTEN. Get on the bandwagon and come tell us all about your dead iPods, cameras, etc. at http://www.designedtobreak.com. We are keeping track and will help you make your next purchase based on the track records of these products.
I too got the dead IPod face on my 20G iPod yesterday. I went to the Apple support page and tried to reset it. No dice. So today at lunch I went to the Apple Store. There was nothing they could do either and they recommended I get a Nano instead.
When I got back, I found this thread and thought I’d give it a try. It certainly couldn’t do any harm to dead iPod. After 5 whacks on the floor, the “Do Not Disconnect” screen came on and ITunes could see it again. I am amazed!
Yay, Kelly!
Mine, however, is deader than a doornail, almost a year after I first wrote this post.
The happy news is that I got a new 30GB video for Christmas. I think the best advice I could give myself at this point is BUY THE APPLECARE. A little extended warranty actually goes a long way in this case.
Best of luck to y’all still struggling with iPod Sad Face. May the Whack of Resurrection bring your dead iPod back to life, if only for a little while.
Gah! It worked!
Why? WHY???
Well, the theory is that something gets “sticky” with the hard drive, and this knocks it loose.
Or maybe it just rejiggers the good juju. I’m not sure.
Thanks very much - I applied percussive maintenance and it fired right.
So my 20gig 3rd generation just crapped out on me over the weekend. It will be 2yrs old in a month so I am happy to have had minimal problems. Came here looking for a way to revive the ipod….gave it about 4 whacks face up on my mouse pad and now it works! Thanks for the advice!
well, i just tried it on drop-holster and and the brick wall, in front of me. nothing yet. i think i’ll give it a few GOOD whacks, when i get to my hooch (room) and see what happpens. I sold my 30GB to a buddy and she said she didn’t do anything to it. it looks like someone MAY have tried to open it. I told her i’d give it a whirl and try to see if Apple will exchange it, when i get back to the states. I told her I’m not gonna give her her money back ($180) cause it worked fine when i gave it to her. I may give her like 80 bucks though, if it doesn’t work.
Good on ya folks that got theirs workin though!
——————————————
“Do illiterate people get the full effect of Alphabet Soup?”
It really works!
I had an iPod that was dead for 4 months. Finally read the whacking fix. Did it. It powered up. Go figure.
I have tried al the slapping and resetting to no avail. On a whim, I opened the iPod, unplugged the battery, and then reconnected and turned it on. I was amazed to see all my songs and it works like a charm. I am now reformatting it and will restore.
Prior to doing this, the unit powered up, I could run the HDD test and R/W test OK, it did not see any of the songs on the unit and I got a 1418 disk error when I tried to restore it.
I hope this helps someone!
Paul
wow. you just fixed my long dead 4th gen ipod. thanks!
YUP!!!!!!! IT WORKED!!!!!!!! Amazing… 5 nice whacks flat on the floor while plugged in and with in about a minute it was working. It has been sitting in my drawer for 8 months dead and now it is alive and well. Thank you so much.
this is hilarious. i just read your post to my boyfriend and laughed hard about it. I then just as a joke hammert our dead ipod on my chair, and … it’s revived! thanks!
Ohh my…
I was looking for 4 mounths for a less costly idea for fixing my 5th gen ipod then paying $250 for it to be fixed. When i first read this i thought it was a joke. I read it to my mom and sister, who also have dead ipods, and they decided to give it a WACK…. and
BAMMMMM…
it is on.. and charging again…
Thank you so much for the advice..
I cant believe it worked..
Laney..
OMFG!!!!!!!!!
I came here and read this suggestion…And the testimonials.
Then I said…WTF,I got nothing to lose.
People I swear…For SEVEN LONG MONTHS I have gotten the prompt “Connect your iPod and restore” or something like that…And I beat this damned iPod like it owed me money!!
And now There is this Triangle with an iPod with a sad face…Maybe thats a bad thing to some of you…But I FINALLY AM Seeing SOMETHING ELSE!! So Ima just beat this Beeatch some more
Are you friggin kidding me?! I had the frowny face icon of death and couldn’t get anything to work until I punched the damn thing a few times and Voila! It worked. Absolutly rediculous that apple tells people to go buy a new iPod when all you have to do is beat yours up for not playing music.
[…] the whacking cure: Resurrecting your dead iPod: Whack-a-mole theory : supafine My daughters 3g ipod stopped working about two years ago. Unfixable, dead hard disk was the […]
I went to the Apple store with an appointment to see their “genius” and wasn’t too surprised to see a person with a similar problem as mine. So I watched the interaction with him and the sales person only to find her jump to selling him a new one. (oh and the “genius” asked who she was, she was a short girl in a orange shirt, dark hair, and was doing door duty at 5:45pm (I hope they give her the training to do the following because she was lost as to what I was talking about)) I then piped up “have you tried diskmode?” I mean his light on his ipod still came on unlike mine. I’m sure his could have been saved. She gave me a dirty look and said “CAN I HELP YOU?” Like why are you staring? and talking about stuff I don’t know. She offered him the 10% off your next iPod offer. Which was $25 off the next, I should have offered the guy $40 in cash for his iPod, but I wasn’t thinking. I was upset that she was being rude.
N-e-ways, I get to the genius bar and the guy was like what’s the problem. I tell him all the information and all my solutions and he goes, wow actually you did everything I would have done… I was like…what… Are you kidding? This is my second day here and I was told you would do more than what I did, why did you make me drive back out here? Fine whatever, thanks for nothing. I leave…Frustrated now, I stood there thinking of this article and I go, why not, what do I have to lose right? So I grab onto the iPod firmly into my hand and give it a good whack against the railing (mind you I’m on the second floor of a mall right outside the apple store) and bam, the light comes on and it starts working. I’m like WTF!!! I run back into the store with my impossible to fix, going to cost hundreds to repair, iPod. I show the “genius” and go, “Whack-a-mole works.” Funny thing is the “genius” during the appointment knew exactly what it was, because when he was telling me I didn’t have many solutions, I said sure I do, I could take a hammer and smack it real hard (he said oh, you mean “whack-a-mole”, lol) I go yea, and if that doesn’t work, I’ll turn the hammer around and pry it open. Check connections and if not, oh well, I did more than was offered to me.
Thanks a million for posting this! You saved my 60g old school iPod.
such great stories, everyone. i’m glad that it’s working for (most of) you. crazy iPods.
Ha - My 20gig just croaked on me - first skipping from track to track unable to find, harddrive chirping, then folder icon, then sad ipod icon. I’d seen this before and knew it was terminal.
So I decided to try “concussive maintenance” - smacked it hard a few times, and then rapped it sharply all over the backside with a good sized socket wrench, pretty hard.
And it worked!
Googled “ipod concussive mainenance” and found this page - just wanted to mention mine was NOT plugged in - simply beating the crap out of it seemed to work fine.
Hmm…I wonder if this works on a 30gb video…lets find out
Well I for one had no forewarning that my 30G video ipod was about to croak. It’s worked like a dream for two and a half years I really haven’t had one problem at all. Then mid-dance two nights ago the music just stopped and there pops up the little dead face and a stupid churning sound from inside it. I went on the apple website which surprisingly offered no real help, at least not for a 15 year old girl like me who has no idea about technical bits and bobs.
After googling dead face ipod thingy thing I found this website and have spent the last 30 minutes bashing it, throwing it, singing to it and everything else recommended. The stupid thing still isn’t working. I think this is my punishment for going so long without problems. My infallible ipod can not be resurrected by this fool-proof method. Is there no hope?