How to figure out what is wrong with your iPod and whether you can fix it or not

 

Are there icons on your iPod screen?  The most common:

 

The folder with an exclamation point:

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This usually indicates you need to reload the software into your iPod.  In many cases, you can do this from iTunes: iTunes will ask you if you want to restore the iPod, click yes.  You will lose whatever is on your iPod but presumably your music and files are already on your computer.

After iTunes restores the software, it will show you an icon of a plug going into a wall socket.  You will need to supply more power to your iPod than it can get from a computer.  You need to plug it in to either a wall charger or to a car charger.

 

The sad ipod face icon:

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This is a hardware issue which is probably not recoverable.  It is probably a hard drive or a main board problem.  There are not many options here except to get another hard drive or main board.  One option is to try to get a broken iPod on Ebay which has a different sort of problem and use the good parts of it.  This route may be more expensive than just getting another iPod.

 

Notice we didn't say "get a new iPod".  There are very good deals to be had on Ebay for older iPod models which work.  Personally, I think the 4th gen iPods are a really good deal.  They are easy to work on and you will get 20 GB, 30 GB, 40 GB for less than $100, sometimes as little as $50.