Forums | MacLife

If I eject it, but not disconnect it, it goes to the Main menu.

This is what's supposed to happen. When this happens, it is charging but not transferring files or spinning the iPod's HD (waiting to transer). The Do not Disconnect message only displays when the iPod is mounted because when it is, data could be transferring and if you disconnect it when that's going on, that's bad.

When you unmount the iPod, it should go back to the main menu screen without the DND message anymore. Because it is now OK to disconnect. But you don't have to; I dislike having my iPod mounted when all I want to do is charge it, so I unmount it and it sits there doing nothing but charging. In 3G iPods, there is no "OK to disconnect message." They just assume that they don't need to tell you to disconnect, you just will when you want to unless they tell you not to.

Then again, maybe I misunderstood you and you really do have a problem. That would explain the "Started in 10.2.8 upgrade" comment, since the above rules have applied since the 3Gs came out, if not before (I dunno, I've got a 3G so the 2Gs are a mystery to me).

thats how mine is. i think the okay to disconnect screen is now reserved for when the ipod is unmounted but in disk mode (booted up with << and >> buttons pressed)

No problem, but that was a loooong time ago.

StrummerFan wrote:

What kind of awful things does it do to your iPod if you ACCIDENTALLY unplug the USB cord from your iPod when it says Do Not Disconnect???

Accidentally did that last night, and today (after charging all night, and not having even turned it on yet) it displayed an almost-depleted battery.

Coincidence? Or did I mess it up??

If yours is an older iPod then the battery may be dead or dying. Even if it isn't that old, this likely is just coincidence and has nothing to do with the accidental disconnect.

Apple made the iPod overly cautious in putting up the "Do not disconnect" warning whenever your iPod is in a state where you might be transferring files. If you happen to be transferring data when the disconnection happens, then you might 1) lose the file being moved/copied at the time, 2) damage the file list on the iPod, and/or 3) damage the iPod, which is why you want to avoid this situation; otherwise, there shouldn't be any harm which won't be fixed by doing a soft reset on the iPod.

StrummerFan wrote:

Thanks.
I'm hoping I just didn't push the plug in all the way while charging last night, and THAT's why it was almost dead.
Mine's a nearly-brand-new video 30G. Got it just in March or so. Definitely shouldn't be a dead battery!!

Thanks for your help!

Well, it's possible that you got an iPod with a bad battery (not that this is a common problem, but it can happen), so I hope that you accidentally didn't plug it in all the way.

Another thought: are you using a USB hub to connect your iPod to your Mac? The hub might only provide power when it is plugged into its own power transformer. If so, try plugging in your iPod directly to your Mac or using your hub's power transformer.

If you are still having problems, you might bring it in to an Apple Store and see if they can fix it or replace it since it is still under the first year's warranty.

I'm still using the same iPod that I started this thread with and the battery is good for at least 4 hours.

StrummerFan wrote:

[snip]
I'm charging it now via USB cord directly between Mac and iPod. Is that what you mean?
[snip]

Yes, that is what I meant.

Another thought: it is possible that the battery calibration in your iPod is a bit wonky for some odd reason. After you let it charge overnight you should run the iPod until its battery runs out--you may find that your iPod will still run for several hours despite the on-screen battery meter being only half full. Recharging it after doing this may allow your iPod to recalibrate its battery charge system.