[northfifeduckling]

my daughter lost all her music she had on her ipod and itunes refuses to let it back in to re-sync....I have spent days trying to recover the lost files with all sorts of ways found on-line (Thanks to the weather I was not tempted to go outside much  ) but nothing works. Of course it might just simply be a goner just in time for Christmas  but the photos are still on it. I do wonder how she may have messed up the music part  - maybe caught a virus as teens have some ways of getting music I don't know about/ Give me your thoughts!

[SallyintNorth]

It is feasible for any computer technology to get a virus - regular phones, iPods, iMacs, iBooks and iPads, Linux and other Unix-based systems as well as Windows machines.  But most of the hackers focus on Windows because there are more of these systems out there, the security is inherently weaker (although that is supposed to be less so with Windows 7 and I think Windows-XP too), the majority of their users are less likely to have secured their devices well than those of Unix-based systems and are more likely to readily fall prey to the likely means of entry of viruses.

It has always been only a matter of time before they start on the Apple systems - there are far more of them out there now, the users are now less likely to be savvy, and wireless connections makes access so very much easier.

So it is possible that it's a virus yes - but if there are starting to be attacks then someone will be writing about it - have you Googled?

[Sylvia]

In words of one syllable, how on earth do these things get viruses? What kinds of virus? (and are they catching )

[CameronS]

what sort of ipod is it?? i am pretty certain they can,

 in which case the best thing would be to completley "wipe" everything off the ipod putting it back to it's basic settings - there should be unless it is one with out a screen, an option ON the ipod (within the settings folder) to go back to basiscs.

 then attempt to resync it to your computer files

 (or have they gone from the computer aswell?)

[northfifeduckling]

it's a classic 4th or 5th gen. Settings on it don't make a difference, so I will have a go at erasing all through the pc. At least I will be able to sell it as broken on ebay for a couple of £ if itunes does not accept it after that  . All her songs are still on itunes but the ipod doesn't show at all when it's connected so can't resync - it shows in Windows as a USB device, but no folder there for any songs on ipod.

[CameronS]

it might be an idea to back up her files on the computer, i have a feeling when my sisters did this it tried to wipe everything not 100% certain though - good luck 

[doganjo]

If a virus did exist, spreading it would be easy: P2P networks... lots of people download music illegally and a lot of them have iPods.

[northfifeduckling]

but if it gets done through a youtube converter (I really know nothing about) , wouldn't the pc antivirus pick it up?

[northfifeduckling]

Just to let you know that formatting it did the job - when there was no data left on it itunes recognized it and I could put it all back on - the Apple paradox  Cost me days to get there but saved £50 for buying her a "new"one, I'm so proud of myself, you won't believe it 

[CameronS]

WELL DONE 

[doganjo]

Brilliant, Kerstin!  You can justifiably call yourself a 'techie' now.  All they do is switch everything off, reformat, and restart!

[northfifeduckling]

yup  that sums it up, Annie - just so many ways to do it with Apple, should have gone for the Windows forum first to look for help