If you're freaking out about your iPod freaking out, don't. More than likely you can perform a few simple steps to get your iPod back into good working order. If your iPod refuses to do anything when you press its buttons, displays a sad iPod icon or a folder with an exclamation point icon on its screen, won't turn on, won't charge, or won't play certain audio files, this lesson offers some solutions. Just click your issue below to get help.

My iPod won't do anything
My iPod displays a sad iPod icon or a folder with an exclamation point
I can't turn on my iPod
My iPod won't charge
My iPod won't play certain files
My earphones aren't working correctly
My iPod issue isn't addressed here
My iPod won't do anything
If your iPod suddenly stops responding—it appears to "freeze," and no amount of button pressing seems to bring it out of its stupor—first make sure that you don't have the Hold function on your iPod engaged, which basically locks your iPod buttons to prevent accidental button pushing.

If you're using an iPod, iPod nano, or iPod mini, check the Hold switch and make sure that it isn't set to the Hold position (if you see any color, your Hold switch is engaged). You might also try toggling the switch to the Hold position, switch it back off, and then test your iPod.

If you're using an iPod shuffle, pressing the Play/Pause button for 3 seconds will put your iPod shuffle buttons on hold. If the front status light displays an orange light when you press a button, your iPod is on hold. To unlock the buttons, press and hold the Play/Pause button for 3 seconds until the front status light flashes green three times.

If your iPod isn't on hold (but your music enjoyment is), resetting your iPod should get things back to normal. If you have an iPod, iPod nano, or iPod mini, find out how to reset your iPod here. If you have an iPod shuffle, find out how to reset it here.

My iPod displays a sad iPod icon or a folder with an exclamation point
 
If you see one of these icons on your iPod (obviously, not on iPod shuffle), use the steps below to banish it.
If your iPod has a display, you might see a peculiar icon on it, either a sad iPod icon or a folder icon with an exclamation point. If you see either of these icons, here's how to get rid of them.

Sad iPod
Try resetting your iPod.
Make sure that your computer meets the system requirements for your iPod model. (Need help identifying your iPod model? See this article.) Connecting your iPod to a PC with older iPod software on it can cause this icon to appear.
If you're using a Mac but do not have Mac OS X 10.3.4 or later installed, you wont be able to connect your iPod over USB. If you can't update your software, you can use an iPod Dock Connector to FireWire cable to connect a FireWire-compatible iPod to a FireWire-equipped Mac. Note: iPod nano and iPod shuffle are USB only.
Put your iPod into Disk Mode and connect it to your computer.
If you see your iPod on your desktop, in My Computer, or in iTunes, restore your iPod (if you can't put your iPod into Disk Mode, you should still try to restore it).
 
 
Important: Restoring an iPod erases and reformats the hard disk. All music and other data on your iPod will be erased. Make a backup of your files before restoring it (please be aware that you cannot copy music from an iPod to a computer).
Alarmed Folder
If you're using a Windows computer with an iPod, iPod nano, or iPod mini, read this article before continuing with these steps.
Try resetting your iPod.
Charge the battery. A low battery could cause this issue. Connect your iPod to a high-power USB or FireWire port on your Mac or Windows computer, or to an Apple iPod Power Adapter, using the cable that came with iPod.
You may be using the wrong version of iPod software. Download and install the latest iPod Updater, then update or restore your iPod.
 
 
Important: Restoring an iPod erases and reformats the hard disk. All music and other data on your iPod will be erased. Make a backup of your files before restoring it (please be aware that you cannot copy music from an iPod to a computer).
Your iPod hard disk may have been reformatted with an incompatible format. If this is the case, restore your iPod to factory settings.
Try putting your iPod into Disk Mode and then use iPod Updater to restore your iPod (if you can't put your iPod into Disk Mode, you should still try to restore it).
Still having trouble?

If you can't banish a "sad iPod" or "alarmed folder" icon from your iPod screen, try following the troubleshooting steps in this article for Mac users or this article for Windows users (for more information about iPod iconology, see this article). You can also scope out a list of other iPod support articles for Mac or Windows users, and seek help from others in iPod Discussions. If you still can't resolve the issue, call in the cavalry.

You'll find this troubleshooting information in article 61771: "iPod does not appear in iTunes or on the desktop, an exclamation point or sad iPod icon appears onscreen." and article 61003: "iPod shows a folder with exclamation point when you turn it on."

I can't turn on my iPod
If you can't turn on your iPod, try these steps, in this order, to find the cause and a cure.

Make sure that your iPod isn't "on hold"—If you're using an iPod, iPod nano, or iPod mini, check the Hold switch and make sure that it isn't set to the Hold position (if you see any color, your Hold switch is engaged). You might also try toggling the switch to the Hold position, switch it back off, and then test your iPod.

If you're using an iPod shuffle, pressing the Play/Pause button for 3 seconds will put your iPod shuffle buttons on hold. If the front status light displays an orange light when you press a button, your iPod is on hold. To unlock the buttons, press and hold the Play/Pause button for 3 seconds until the front status light flashes green three times, then test your iPod.
Make sure that your battery is charged—Your iPod won't turn on if the battery is depleted. Instead, a low battery screen may appear for about 3 seconds when you try to turn on your iPod:
 

To charge your iPod, connect it to a high-power USB or FireWire port on your computer, or to an Apple iPod Power Adapter that's connected to an electrical outlet, using the cable that came with your iPod. Note: iPod models without a Click Wheel cannot be charged over USB. iPod shuffle and iPod nano require a high-power USB port to charge. All other models can use either USB or Firewire to charge the battery. Once it's got some charge, try turning on your iPod again.
Reset iPod—If your iPod still won't turn on, reset it. If you have an iPod, iPod nano, or iPod mini, find out how to reset your iPod here. If you have an iPod shuffle, find out how to reset it here. When you reset an iPod, all of your songs and files are preserved, however, you may neet to reset some customized settings.
Let your iPod battery drain—In rare cases, your iPod might get into a state in which the battery needs to be drained completely before you can reset your iPod. If you reset your iPod but it still won't turn on, follow these steps:
Disconnect your iPod from all power sources and leave it disconnected for about 24 hours.
Connect your iPod to a high-power USB or FireWire port on your computer, or to an Apple iPod Power Adapter, and reset your iPod.
Update your iPod software—If your iPod turns on after you reset it, download the latest version of iPod Updater, and update your iPod.
Still having trouble?

If you still can't turn on your iPod, try searching for your issue to find other helpful articles in our vast technical support database, scoping out a list of other iPod support articles for Mac or Windows users, and seeking help from others in iPod Discussions. If you still haven't resolved your issue after consulting other sources, call in the cavalry.

You'll find this troubleshooting information in article 60942: "Your iPod won't turn on."

My iPod won't charge
If you're connecting your iPod to a USB or FireWire port on your computer to charge, make sure that the computer port is a high-power one. For USB, the ports on the computer itself are usually high-powered. You can also connect your iPod to a powered (as in, connected to an electrical outlet) USB hub that's connected to a high-power port on your computer. Don't connect your iPod to the USB port on your keyboard, which is usually a lower-power port.

If you're connecting your iPod over FireWire (please note that iPod nano and iPod shuffle can only be charged over USB), make sure that the FireWire port on your computer or FireWire card is high-power. All FireWire ports on Macs are high-power. If the FireWire port on your Windows computer has six pins, it's a high-power port; if it has only four pins, it doesn't provide electricity.

If you're connecting your iPod to an Apple iPod Power Adapter, make sure that you plug the adapter into a working electrical outlet. To test it, plug a lamp or other working electrical device into the outlet to verify that it's working.

Still having trouble?

If you still can't charge your iPod, see this article for more information about charging the battery. You can also scope out a list of other iPod support articles for Mac or Windows users, and seek help from others in iPod Discussions. If you still haven't resolved your issue, call in the cavalry.

My iPod won't play certain files
If you can't play certain songs or audiobooks on your iPod, here are some things you can try to resolve the issue.

Make sure that you can play the song or audiobook in iTunes
Double-click one of the affected files in iTunes.
If prompted, enter your iTunes account ID and password, then click OK.
Select your iPod in the Source list, then choose Update iPod name from the File menu.
If you can't play the song or audiobook in iTunes, skip to the "Problematic files" section below. If you can play the file in iTunes:

Read this article to find out which version of iTunes you have, and to download the latest version.
Make sure that your iPod software is up to date. See this article to find out which version is installed on your iPod. If your software isn't current, download and install the latest iPod Updater, and then update your iPod with it.
iPod doesn't support the file format
Make sure that the files you copy to your iPod are in a format that can be played on your iPod.

Some songs purchased from the iTunes Music Store don't play
Try deauthorizing and reauthorizing your computer. Repeat the deauthorization and reauthorization process for any other iTunes Music Store accounts for which your computer is authorized.
In iTunes, double-click one of your affected iTunes Music Store songs.
Enter your account name and password in the resulting dialog.
Click OK.
After you've deauthorized and reauthorized your computer, open iTunes, select your iPod, and choose Update iPod name from the File menu.
If that doesn't resolve the issue, you may want to try restoring your iPod. Please be aware that restoring an iPod erases all of your music and files from it. Make sure that you back up your files before restoring your iPod.
 
 

After you've restored your iPod, open iTunes, select your iPod, and choose Update iPod name from the File menu. If that doesn't resolve the issue, try recreating your iTunes library.
After you've recreated your iTunes library, open iTunes, select your iPod, and choose Update iPod name from the File menu.
Problematic files
If none of the above steps resolved your issue, there may be an issue with the music files. If you have a backup of the affected song files, delete the files from your iTunes library and then add them back in from your backup. If you haven't been keeping a backup of your purchased music, you can find out how to do this here.

If the affected files came from an audio CD, try importing them into iTunes again from the disc. After you've replaced the affected files with copies from your backup or CD import, open iTunes, select your iPod, and choose Update iPod name from the File menu.

iPod nano and long-playing slideshows
If you have an iPod nano and view a slideshow for over 8 hours, you may notice that the display indicates that a song is playing when, in fact, it isn't or it immediately skips to the next song repeatedly. To resolve this, just reset iPod nano.

Still having trouble?

If you still can't play certain audio files on your iPod, try searching for your issue to find other helpful articles in our vast technical support database, scoping out a list of other iPod support articles for Mac or Windows users, and seeking help from others in iPod Discussions. If you still haven't resolved your issue after consulting other sources, call in the cavalry.

You'll find this troubleshooting information in article 300766: "Troubleshooting songs and audiobooks that won't play."

My earphones aren't working correctly
If the earphones that came with your iPod aren't working as expected, work intermittently, or aren't working at all, try the following steps to isolate the issue. If the sound quality is the issue, see the article, "Getting Optimal Audio Quality."

Connect your iPod earphones to the audio ouput (speaker jack) on your computer or another audio device that has a 3.5 mm stereo headphone jack. If the issue with your earphones is still apparent, call in the cavalry to order replacement earphones.
If your earphone issue isn't apparent on the other device, try connecting a different set of headphones (one with a 3.5 mm stereo plug) to your iPod. If the issue is apparent with the alternate headphones connected to your iPod, call in the cavalry to request service for your iPod.

My iPod issue isn't addressed here
If you have another iPod issue that isn't addressed here or these steps didn't work for you, try these five troubleshooting steps (known around here as the five Rs) to see if one of them resolves your issue. Please make sure that your iPod is fully charged and then toggle the Hold switch on and off before performing these steps.

Reset your iPod, iPod nano, iPod mini, or iPod shuffle.
Retry your iPod with a different USB or FireWire port on your computer (please note that the latest iPods can only be synced through USB).
Restart your computer, and make sure that you have the latest software updates installed.
Reinstall your iPod and iTunes software. You can download the latest versions of iPod Updater and iTunes from our website.
Restore your iPod using the latest iPod Updater. Please note that this will erase all songs and files on your iPod and restore it back to its original settings. After restoring, you can transfer your music and files from your computer back to your iPod again.

We may also have a solution for your particular predicament in our huge technical articles database. Be sure to visit our iPod, iPod nano, iPod mini, or iPod shuffle support site for more troubleshooting and how-to information, and do a search for your issue by typing a few keywords in the Search box in the upper-right corner.

Our search engine will pull up all articles that match your search criteria. You can also do an advanced search here to get better results that are more specific to your issue, scope out a list of other iPod support articles for Mac or Windows users, and seek help from others in iPod Discussions. If you still can't resolve the issue on your own, call in the cavalry.