iPod fail

[Aedilred]

I don't know what's going on here.

About eighteen months ago, my external HD died for no apparent reason. It had all my music on there, but it didn't seem like a huge deal at the time, since it was all backed up on my girlfriend's computer, and I had the CDs at my parents' house. It was all on my iPod too, so I carried on updating that from my gf's machine and all was well.

Then we split up, so I don't have convenient access to my music library any more. The iPod was still fine though and would charge through RhythmBox with no worries, so I still had my music.

Today I tried adding a couple of extra tracks I'd just downloaded to the iPod- and now it's claiming there's nothing on it at all. I can still see all the tracklist on RhythmBox, and it's claiming that the space is still occupied, but I can't see (and therefore play) the music on the device itself.

I don't really want to have to re-copy my entire music collection from CD, because life's too short. It seems like if the tracks are still there I should be able to play them but the iPod isn't playing ball. Anyone got any ideas what's going on and if there's a workaround?

[Haruki-kun]

Not sure about what's going on, but they sell some software to recover files from the iPod into the computer. My brother bought one at Best Buy when our main computer died. I don't know if there's a free version anywhere.

[Lolzords]

There's a freeware program called SharePod which lets you take music off your ipod onto your computer, don't know if this'll be any use to you?

Edit: Link. (http://www.getsharepod.com/)

[Kjata]

Its also possible to take your music directly off your Ipod without any software. It tends to miss a few tracks so if there is free software that might be best.

[raitalin]

Am I correct in thinking that the Ipod was originally used in Windows or Mac and you are now trying to use it in Linux? The different filesystems might be the problem

[Aedilred]

Yeah, I originally transferred the music across using iTunes in Windows Vista (my ex's OS, not mine!). I haven't really touched it with my Linux machine since then except to charge it, but RhythmBox was displaying it all accurately so all seemed well until I tried to use it to move new music across and it all vanished...

[raitalin]

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=9683712

Looks like that might solve your problem.

[Aedilred]

Thanks for the link- I've given it a go but still nothing :smallconfused:

[factotum]

Sounds like the iPod may have failed, then--they're not somehow more reliable than normal hard discs.

[raitalin]

I wouldn't jump to that conclusion yet, especially if the iPod itself still finds and plays the music. I'm thinking you're missing a plugin or something. Unfortuneately I have neither a Linux box set up right now nor an iPod, so its tough for me to know where to go from here. If you haven't search the Ubuntu forums I'd check there first, then start a thread there for it if one doesn't already exist.