If your iPod freezes up, as mine did several times before dying completely, follow these instructions:
To reset iPod mini, iPod mini (Second Generation), iPod photo, and iPod (Click Wheel)
Toggle the Hold switch on and off. (Slide it to Hold, then turn it off again.)
Press and hold the Menu and Select buttons until the Apple logo appears, about 6 to 10 seconds. You may need to repeat this step.
Tip: If you are having difficulty resetting your iPod, set it on a flat surface. Make sure the finger pressing the Select button is not touching any part of the click wheel. Also make sure that you are pressing the Menu button toward the outside of the click wheel, and not near the center.
[note: this is the tip that got it unfrozen for me]
If the above steps did not work, try connecting iPod to a power adapter and plug the power adapter into an electrical outlet, or connect iPod to your computer. Make sure the computer is turned on and isn't set to go to sleep.
________________________
To Apple's credit, they replaced the dead iPod immediately, for free.
Needless to say I am purchasing the extended warranty. This is one case where it may be worth it.
UPDATE! If the steps above did not help, take a look at this page:
How to fix an iPod that won't boot
You just saved me from hurling my ipod against a brick wall in fit of rage. Thanks a million!
Posted by: Joe on October 19, 2006 8:58 AMMy 8Gig Nano has frozen a few times ,usually following a sudden removal of the iTrip or too many button presses in too short a time.
This tip here always works.
Posted by: Joe on January 14, 2007 1:59 PMty ty ty ty ty ty ty ty!
you saved me!
i'll tell the whole world what you told me!!
Posted by: Matt on April 7, 2007 11:29 PMThank you!! This totally worked!!!! Thought I was going to scream!
Posted by: Jan on April 20, 2007 8:00 PMmarvellous, felt a sense of achievement. Was going to give up and wait for my son to visit, but this tip worked for me. thanks
Posted by: j.dite on May 5, 2007 3:28 PMWow! You are awesome! Wonderful tip -- worked for me!
Posted by: zookeeper08 on May 15, 2007 1:18 PMi was near tears! thank you so much!
Posted by: onyx on May 17, 2007 12:35 PMThank you, thatwas just what I needed to know. Nothing like spending a couple hundred on a new toy only to have it konk out on you a couple a months later;)
Posted by: Marble on May 19, 2007 12:42 AMTHANK YOU SO MUCH.
Posted by: Jonathan on June 12, 2007 1:38 AMI can only agree with what the others have said.
Posted by: Lewis Lewis on June 16, 2007 7:58 AMThis is the first time that I have gone on to a website for help and recieved clear and correct instructions. This is the second time my ipod has frozen. You have saved me from more sleepless nights of worry. What make me more thankfull as a Scot it is free!
wow thanks so much! i had to do it a couple of times but you saved me from a lot of frustration! :]
Posted by: liz on June 25, 2007 3:07 PMMy ipod freezed when i was lisning to music. When i tried to change volume it freezed. With the song title. what should i do?
Posted by: Thomas on July 2, 2007 11:00 PMI don't know who you are. But thank you. Oh dear God in heaven thank you.
Posted by: Michael on July 4, 2007 12:57 AMIm from Argentina. Thank you very much! When my iPod froze I started to get nervous and was going to call the guy who sold me the thing. But thanks to you I�ve learned this so the next time I wont worry.
Posted by: German on July 4, 2007 7:10 PMBye.
I have been doing this for ages and it does not work !!!!!
Posted by: Becca on July 8, 2007 2:06 PMIt is a load of crap !!!
Thank you so much, I was so worried because my iPod is brand new! This tip is so helpful and I will tell everyone of my friends that has an iPod!
♥Much appreciation♥
Posted by: Nebraskan on July 9, 2007 9:38 PMTHANK YOU! good advice.
Posted by: julie on August 10, 2007 11:49 AMThank you so much!!! I thought that my IPOD was dead for sure! I did what you suggested, and it worked and didnt delete any of my stuff.
Posted by: Miriam on August 24, 2007 2:48 PMthanks man
Posted by: cool on September 9, 2007 4:10 AMgenius. thanks so much.
Posted by: mark on September 10, 2007 11:00 PMI know you have heard it a million times...but THANK YOU!!!! You made my day. Although, does the fact that the ipod keeps freezing mean impending doom? Is it going to die soon?
Posted by: Kristen on September 11, 2007 10:52 AMEllen you're the man! noticed Kristen and I had the same problem bout the same time (pacific)
Posted by: Ben on September 11, 2007 2:37 PMthank godddddddddddddd your poppin
Posted by: john on September 11, 2007 6:37 PMwow.... never has something someone posted on the internet ACTUALLY been specific enough to solve my problem. until now. thank you tons!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: jimmy on September 13, 2007 11:31 PMHey Dude you totally Rock, I cant believe I got good, clear, tech advice for FREE, I Nearly threw my Ipod away, Darn man you should be working for Apple, running one of those Genius Bars, Kudos to you Mate.
Posted by: Machavelli on September 26, 2007 6:31 PMTheres hope yet for America !!
Lucky Londoner
i think i love you
wait...i know i love you
Posted by: ron g on October 1, 2007 6:40 PMthanx!!!
HAHAHAHAHA THIS IS AWESOME. I THANK GOOGLE FOR FINDING THIS BLOG TOO.
Posted by: CAAKE on October 8, 2007 1:25 PMu don't know ow much u jus saved my *ss. was using a friend's ipod and it froze when i was changing tha volume. was bout 15 mins when i thought this wasn't jus gonna go away, cudn't/ can't afford an ipod so i was freakin delirious. got on tha net an typed "ipod freeze" an ur blog was first up and THANK GOOOOOODDDDD!!!! u totally rock. thnkz a mil. :-)
Posted by: craig on October 10, 2007 8:18 AMThanks alot, i just got the ipod classic and i thought it was broke, i was going mad!
Posted by: Gary on October 25, 2007 6:05 PMThis worked perfect!! Thanks!
Posted by: Anne on October 26, 2007 5:44 PMlegend.............. thanks
Posted by: warren dodd on November 1, 2007 2:58 PMOh wow!!! Thanks SO much!!! :D
Posted by: Jenn on November 1, 2007 8:46 PMThanks! Your advice worked well!
Posted by: jim on November 7, 2007 7:58 PMYou Genius!!!
Posted by: Dom on November 15, 2007 7:36 AMThis really works.... fantastic!
Posted by: Nigel on November 22, 2007 1:03 AMThis just worked for me as well, today! Many many thanks. I found this site simply by entering "ipod freeze." Yours was the first one up! Yea!
Posted by: Amos on November 25, 2007 7:42 PMIpod sucks.
Posted by: Chris on December 7, 2007 4:20 AMThanks alot. I was freaked out because it got slower and slower and then froze completely. I didn't know what was wrong. How did you know about that bizzare restart sequence?
Posted by: Platinum on December 25, 2007 3:27 PMHow do you freze your ipod?(so i can prevent it )
Posted by: Bob on December 27, 2007 8:30 PMWTF?
Posted by: me on January 1, 2008 4:10 PMAs soon as I did this to my freezing ipod it completely died.
wow this is the most obvious answer to Ipod freezing. If this doesnt work its going to die as mine has. The 5 R's are the easiest way to fix it. Its all over the internet and apple.com
this guy isnt that smart but if you think cutting and pasting is then u must be that dumb your self.
Posted by: jdhfjkhdsf on February 22, 2008 1:08 AMthankyou,thankyou.....I thought I should try your idea instead of the usual, fix it with a hammer approach. Ipod man your the best!
Posted by: kevin on February 22, 2008 10:58 AMwow, thanks guy.
Posted by: simon on February 28, 2008 6:49 PMYou rock! I almost crushed my ipod over this, last time I let it die
Posted by: NCSU7 on February 29, 2008 11:30 PMEXCELLENT advice! At first it didnt work, but then I realized I was reading the directions wrong! My bad! Your advice fixed everything and dropped my stress level severely!! Thank you!
Posted by: Jules on March 4, 2008 10:35 PMWow! This really rocks! I was scared because at first I thought that I was going to have to restore my Ipod, which meant that I was going to have to delete all of my stuff off of there, which would have sucked. But, when I did that, it was like awesome! Thanks so much for the tip!! :-)
Posted by: Computergal on March 5, 2008 9:05 AMOMG i was just about to flush this thing down the toilette!!! arrrgggh!! thank you SOOOOOOOOOOO much!
Posted by: T. on March 14, 2008 9:00 AMthank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you. thank you.
Posted by: Jasmine on March 19, 2008 2:05 AMyou saved me from being bored in class ever again.
Fantastic, thank you so much, did exactly what it said on the tin.
Posted by: Rich on March 23, 2008 5:29 PMI HAVE TRIED REBOOTING AS SUGGESTED BUT THE PROBLEM REAPPEARS
Posted by: P.CARON on March 29, 2008 2:29 PMHey man thanks bunches, i actually was going to *cry*. No im just kidding, but it pissed me off a lot. So i typed in Ipod Freeze (on Google), u were the first link. This totally helped me a lot!!!!!!!! thanks!
Posted by: Jarred on March 29, 2008 9:26 PMThe tip worked like a charm. Thanks so much!
Posted by: Mike on April 1, 2008 9:39 AMThankx, worked liek a charm, I was due an update for my G5 anywayz. ThanX again.
Posted by: Brandon on April 9, 2008 1:37 AMWOW!! if anyone feels like there is no hope left and they can't think of a feasible, possible answer to why their ipod is acting stupid, THE ADVICE REALLY WORKS! i was reading all of the comments and feeling like i wouldn't be able to listen to my ipod on a long plane ride... i felt pretty crappy (as technology can always make you feel). although, by pressing the menu button and the center button at the same time, it reset it. my screen was saying "do not disconnect" even though nothing was plugged in, and nothing was working.... THANK YOU SOOO MUCH
Posted by: G.I on April 9, 2008 11:46 PMYou are a legend!!!!
Posted by: Ally on April 15, 2008 12:22 PMI was getting realllly pised off at my ipod. Thank you soooooooooooo much.
u saved my life how could i live without music.???? You are a legend!!! Thanks
Posted by: Ally on April 15, 2008 12:24 PMthanx so much i was lyk omg mum n dad r gna kill me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: sammi on April 15, 2008 10:13 PMthak you so much you the best YEAH!
Posted by: adallberto rubalcava on May 21, 2008 10:54 PMI love you.
Posted by: Kevin on May 21, 2008 11:26 PMthank you soo much. i thought i broke my ipod and i was freaking out.
Posted by: anna on June 1, 2008 1:10 AMLike so many before me, I bow to your greatness. I too, thought my iPud (yes, pUd) was destined to serve out it's life on this planet as an eclectic coaster. But NO! It's ALIVE!!!!
Thanks man.
BIG Daddy
Posted by: Big Daddy on June 2, 2008 7:57 PMOMG I LOVE U!!!
i nearly smashed my ipod!
Posted by: Anna on June 4, 2008 12:29 PMthank you thank you thank you thank thank you! I was about to have a major breakdown! You saved me from punching a wall!
Posted by: Kat on June 7, 2008 11:00 PMAlmost slammed my iPod on the pavement when this happened the other day while jogging. You saved me some cash. THANK YOU hahah
Posted by: Adam on June 10, 2008 12:32 PMThank you so much! I owe you my life. I used to just wait for the battery to die but now I don't have to. Thanks again!
Posted by: Ava on June 14, 2008 5:54 PMThis is my very first iPod and I've only had it a few months, but this is the first time it ever froze on me. I almost freaked out (well, I did a little) because I had no idea what was going on and had a nightmare thinking about having to have it replaced and all of that (although I did get an extended warranty, going through replacing it would be so annoying)
Anyway, your page is what popped up on google first and oh my gosh, I can't believe it worked! I tried everything, including plugging it into an outlet and nothing happened but your directions were so clear cut. I couldn't believe it was that easy to unfreeze. Thank you so much! I will save this for future reference incase I forget and it happens again. :)
Posted by: Maggi on June 24, 2008 12:45 AM