Journal rdewald's Journal: My MacHead Friends - Help! Big problems.... 10
First, I have a recent backup.
This summer, I bought a new iPod for a friend as a birthday present -- the U2 video model. I used my iBook to initalize it for her and transfer her music library to it, using an account I created for this purpose, not my account.
Then, iTunes 7 comes out, I install, and it immediately tells me I need to do the iPod updater. I do this.
Since then, whenever I connect my iPod, the 60GB color display model, iTunes crashes. I have sent multiple reports to apple about this, hoping they would fix in a future update. It has not happened in the last five months. I can't use iTunes with my iPod attached, but in that millisecond that iTunes recognizes the iPod before it crashes iTunes does something to my iPod so that it won't play the DRM'd files I purchased from iTMS.
When I plug the iPod into the iBook without iTunes running, it mounts it, starts iTunes and crashes, losing the drive mount in the process. Jeebus, you'd think Microsoft was writing this software.
I have googled and googled and googled. There's lot's of information about uninstalling iTunes from Windows machines, but aside from just dropping the application and the assorted plists in the trash and killing the iTunes helper in activity monitor (I've done all this) there's nothing about uninstalling iTunes from Mac OSX.
But, there is this ominous document which suggests to me that I may have to do an erase and reinstall in order to really fix this.
I have also been having a problem with filevault, I want to revert to an unencrypted file system (because of incremental backup issues) and that process fails every time with an "unknown error." I know the erase and reinstall will fix this, so I'm inclined to kill all the birds with this stone.
So, okay, fine. I do have a unix file system, so I have my home folder segregated from application data. I do have an external HD where I have dropped the disk images of all of my after-market software packages. I seem to be okay for an erase and re-install (the second one for this machine - grrr), but before I pull the trigger on all this (which I will do while watching football this weekend), I want to make sure I am not missing something, and I would like to preserve my keychain information, so that I don't have to re-enter all that.
Yes, I could call applecare, but what's the fun in that if we can all work on this together? Besides, from my previous experiences with applecare I think I might get better advice here.
So, SamTB, Ellem, BandwidthHog, SquiggleSlash, and anyone else who cares to assist, HELP!
By the way, I have to tip my hat to SquiggleSlash. He said somewhere that he did not think trusting apple with DRM was a good idea and I disagreed with him at the time (though I may not have said so, I don't remember). Well, I now have an iPod (which I legally own) which has music I legally purchased on iTMS, which, because I dutifully followed the instructions I was given, I can not listen to. Hear that? I did everything right. I paid the piper. I can't listen to music I have a license for.
Hey, iTMS, you've seem my last dime. I'm going back to buying music licenses on plastic disks. SquiggleSlash? You were right, I was wrong. I should have listened to you.
So, this is what online communities are for, right? We can make this our little project. I will be available via google talk and skype during the ordeal. I promise I will make a how-to page out of it and post it on teh Intarnets for the benefit of others so afflicted.
I think my particular situation has something to do with the fact that I plugged the later iPod model in once for the upgrade and then reverted back to my 60GB color right before doing the iTunes "upgrade" (yes, that's a funny term for what happened) and then I stupidly accepted the recommended iPod updater update right after the v7 install.
I also need to re-organize my music folder, which I keep on an external HD and is RIFE with duplicates and crap because iTunes kept changing my default music location and copying music where-ever the hell it pleased. I plan to avoid this by *not* checking the "keep my music folder organized" option on the new install. *BUT* I do not want to import a bunch of duplicates into my library. Does anyone know of any tools that will do something as simple as examine a bunch of files for duplicates and then provide a method for deleting them until there is only one unique copy of a file in a particular file tree?
Jeebus on a hockey stick, that seems like that should have already been done.
HELP ME!!!
Ok... this isn't the answer... (Score:2)
You must not use File Vault. It's just loaded with bad ideas. You can totally backup your KeyChain. You need to get a copy of iPod Rip. It has saved me several times AND it restores your playlists. I think it's like 12USD.
Don't wipe yet. Give me a few hours.
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Ok, I won't do anything until Sunday afternoon.
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Now.
It seems like iPod confusion is the real issue.
Perhaps an iPod "hard" reset and RENAMING followed by using 1 REV BACK iPod firmware and then trying to remount the iPod.
1) Wipe iPod
2) Initialize iPod using a totally New Name (I would suggest LouRox)
3) Install firmare
Nothing here can make the sitch any worse. I think were beating up IT7 and maybe we should be looking at the hardware.
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I'd recommend TrueCrypt, which is great, but it doesn't exist on Mac OS X it seems.
Separate iPod Update Software (Score:2)
Try downloading the separate iPod Updater software to see if that will resolve it.
Rather than toasting everything to remove FileVault, I wonder if you could copy your Home directory into another, create a new user with Admin rights, log out of your primary account, and switch your home directories. Worst that *should* happen is you have to switch your folder back.
Also, you might try plugging the iPod as a different user... no guarantees there.
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Checking in as requested, sir! (Score:2)
The big computer problem I’m working on right now is trying to hold out until some Core 2 Duo PowerBooks hit the refurb pipeline before blowing my christmas bonus. I agree with ya about their DRM, though. From what I can tell FairPlay is the easiest to live with of the various schemes, but although I di
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