various hardware problems (i think)

[tikimotel]

hey guys, this is my first post, so forgive me.

i am currently running windows xp. anyway, the other day out of the blue my printer had errors printing. then, the same day i plugged in my iPod and that wasn't taking me directly to iTunes like it normally does. so then, i plug in my thumbdrive and thats recognized.

i manually reinstalled my printer (which is a brother mfc 8500) under brother mfc 600. now that works but my iPod doesn't. i looked in control panel>system>device manager and there are no devices listed! it is totally blank. i then looked in control panel>portable audio devices and i see mikes iPod drive F. yet it still wont come up in iTunes. it seems all my devices are messed up except the thumbdrive and the printer (only after i manually re-installed it under a false brother model). i know my hardware still works physically i just think its corrupted in someway. I NEED HELP WITH THIS.

 

[H4x3r]

try re-installing your ipod...and use ephPod (nifty lil ipod program) to keep from having to format it

 

[tikimotel]

should i re-install with my iPod cd (which I think i lost) or this iPod program you say works? what exactly does this program do?

 

[kurt2439]

try downloading the files off apples website if you lost the cd

 

[tikimotel]

so you all just think its a reinstalling issue? it would kind of make sense because it comes up in control panel>portable audio devices. but if it comes up there why isnt my ipod being shot right to itunes to be updated? where is it going instead?

 

[H4x3r]

does it come up in My Computer as a mass storage device? i also would recomend using Ephpod for updating your pod... and not itunes