Hold switch on:

Before delving into the guts of your iPod, check to make sure the hold switch isn't activated. If the hold switch is on, the iPod will ignore any input on the click wheel and refuse to do anyting. If your iPod's problem isn't so easily solved, read on.

Drained/bad battery:

If your iPod won't turn on, especially if it has not been used recently, you may simply have a drained battery. Plug your iPod into your computer or AC adapter, and see if anything happens. Ideally your iPod will recognize it has been connected to a power source and charge its battery. If it will no longer charge, the battery must be replaced.

Bad logic board:

If your iPod does nothing when plugged into a computer, the problem most likely lies in the logic board. We stock logic boards for both 20/30 GB and 40/60 GB, as well as the instructions for installing them.

Bad display:

It is possible that it appears nothing is happening because the display is bad. If you hold the iPod up to your ear you should be able to hear the hard drive spinning. If the iPod sounds like it is working properly but nothing is visible, it is possible the display is bad and must be replaced.

Bad headphones/speakers

It's unlikely your headphones or speakers are bad, but it's worthwhile to eliminate these as the source of your problem at the beginning. Try your iPod with another set of headphones or speakers just to make sure that the problem is with the iPod.

Bad audio jack:

The most likely cause of audio output problems on iPods is a bad audio-out jack. We sell the thin (20/30 GB) and thick (40/60 GB) headphone jacks, and we offer free guides for replacement.

If this does not restore audio, the headphone jack cable ((20/30 GB) or (40/60 GB)) may be the culprit.

Corrupted software/data:

Sometimes, a reset and restore will fix a sad iPod. Restoring the iPod will erase everything on it, so make sure everything on the iPod is stored elsewhere prior to restoring. To restore, connect your iPod to a computer with iTunes installed. Upon connecting, a message may pop up, informing you that your hard drive is corrupted and/or in recovery mode. If one of these messages pops up, click the "Restore Now" button and follow the directions. If no pop up message appears, click "Restore" on the iPod summary page (click on your iPod icon on the left menu to find this page). Follow the directions to restore.

If you are unable to restore your iPod using iTunes, you can hard reset your iPod. Photo iPods can be hard reset by booting while holding the menu and select (center) buttons. This should result in a quick dark screen followed by the standard apple boot graphic.

Bad logic board:

If restoring the iPod didn't work, the sad iPod is likely caused by a problem with the logic board. There's not much to troubleshoot here. Basically, the only option is to replace the logic board.

Corrupted software/data:

It is possible that a simple restore may resurrect the hard drive. Restoring the iPod will erase everything on it, so make sure everything on the iPod is stored elsewhere prior to restoring. To restore, connect your iPod to a computer with iTunes installed. Upon connecting, a message may pop up, informing you that your hard drive is corrupted and/or in recovery mode. If one of these messages pops up, click the "Restore Now" button and follow the directions. If no pop up message appears, click "Restore" on the iPod summary page (click on your iPod icon on the left menu to find this page). Follow the directions to restore.

Bad hard drive or cable:

One of the best methods to diagnose a failing hard drive is to listen to the drive. If you put your iPod up to your ear, you should hear a smooth-sounding whirr of the hard drive spinning. Any loud clicking or grinding sounds may mean that your iPod's drive is failing. If you don't hear anything, the drive is not getting power or is very damaged and can't spin up.

One possible way of predicting whether the hard drive or cable is the culprit is to watch what happens when the iPod is attempting to boot. If the iPod goes from the Apple logo to the folder icon almost immediately, the cable is most likely at fault. In this instance, replacing the hard drive cable first is a good idea. If the iPod hangs on the Apple screen for a few seconds before displaying the folder icon, the hard drive is probably the problem and must be replaced. Browse our hard drives and check out our iPod ID page for compatible drives.

Bad logic board

This is likely the cause, and the logic board must be replaced.