I just bought my new iPod classic a few weeks ago, but now it’s shut me out from using it. It doesn’t respond to anything I do, even when I try to force restart it. I tried restoring its software through iTunes but still it just shows me a little lock symbol in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.

Ah, you had us stumped until you mentioned the lock symbol. You’ve actually stumbled upon a feature of your iPod that you didn’t realize was there: the hold feature. The top of an iPod (or the bottom of an iPod nano) has a little switch called the Hold switch. When you slide this switch, an orange bar appears under it, and the iPod’s controls are disabled. This prevents you from accidentally pressing buttons on your iPod, protecting your battery life when the iPod is sitting in your pocket or bag.

By the way, you can set a virtual lock to prevent others from using your iPod without your permission. From your iPod’s main menu, choose Extras > Screen Lock. Then use your clickwheel to set and confirm a code for yourself. Now whenever you want to lock your screen, simply choose Extras > Screen Lock > Lock. Just don’t forget the code—If you can’t remember it and you’ve locked yourself out of your iPod, you’ll have to erase and restore your iPod using the Restore button in iTunes.