How to Fix Errors with the iPod Shuffle

The iPod shuffle is the adorable, tiny version of the original iPod that caters to those who don't need all the frills of its larger variety. Without a screen or a large click wheel, it has only a limited amount of functionality but this won't prevent it from having its own series of problems. Here's a few ways you might be able to solve the problems you're having with your Shuffle.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Your iPod Shuffle

1. The dreaded "1418" error message that appears on your computer screen when trying to update or restore the iPod shuffle is the most widespread issue thus far in the history of this music player. After being plugged in and attempting to update, you might see "An unknown error has occurred" followed by a number (typically "1418"). The easiest attempted fix would be to make sure you've updated your iTunes to the latest version and then try to restore the iPod again. You can also try to connect your iPod through a different USB source (if you have any). It helps to disconnect any other devices you may have plugged into any of the USB ports (the exception being your keyboard).

2. If you're still having problems and use Windows, try reinstalling your USB drivers. To repair the USB drivers, you'll have to become a little bit more familiar with your PC.

3. After you've connected your iPod to your computer, quit out of iTunes (if it launches or if you already have it opened).

4. Go to "Start" and click on the "Control Panel".

5. Open "Administrative Tools", followed by "Computer Management".

6. Open "Device Manager" in the left column, and then click on the "+" icon next to "Universal Serial Bus Controllers" to expand this section.

7. Find your iPod in the list it should have "iPod" in the name, but if not it will be called something similar to "USB Mass Storage Device".

8. If at any point your see a red "X" next to any of the devices, this is showing you that the device is disabled. To enable, right-click on the entry and choose "Enable".

9. If after this point you're still experiencing problems, you'll want to try updating the drivers.
   
   1. Right-click the iPod entry in the Device Manager and choose "Update Driver".
   2. When the "Hardware Update Wizard" appears, select "Yes, this time only" and hit "Next".
   3. Choose "Install the software automatically" and hit "Next". Windows will search for and install any updated drivers it finds.
   4. Hit "Back", and choose "Install from a list or specific location" and hit "Next".
   5. Select "Search for the best driver in these locations", followed by "Include this location in the search" and type "C:\Windows\INF" in the blank field. Hit "Next" again. Windows will search this location for drivers and install what it finds if it doesn't find any, you'll have to reinstall the USB drivers manually.
   6. Go back into your "Device Manager", right-click the iPod's entry, and choose "Uninstall". Hit "OK" when the dialogue box appears.
   7. Right-click "Universal Serial Bus Controllers" and choose "Scan for hardware changes" in the shortcut menu. From here, Windows will reinstall the needed drivers.

10. If at this point, you're still having a problem with connectivity or functionality, you may want to try to use the iPod shuffle's Reset Utility. This will clear the iPod of all music and data and will reinstall the software.
    
    1. Turn the shuffle on and press the "Play" button. This should cause the orange and green LED's to flash for a couple seconds. You will not be able to play music or sync it to iTunes at this time.
    2. In Windows, the shuffle with appear in My Computer as a "Removable Disk". On a Mac, the unit will only be displayed in the Apple System Profiler under Hardware USB, but will not appear in the Finder.
    3. If you get an error message, simply try again. It may take a few attempts to get it right, so don't be discouraged.

[luv2blog]

on 12/14/2008 Excellent info for IPOD users. ^5!!