Why does my iPod continue to say "do not disconnect" long after sync is done?

[Califiddler]

I have a 30G iPod Video. I think it's now called the iPod Classic. I have a computer running Windows Vista and the latest version of iTunes.

When I first got the iPod, almost 2 years ago, when I would sync the iPod, after it was done sync-ing I would get a message saying that it was OK to eject the iPod, or something like that, and I think that there was a button to eject the iPod, so that you could then disconnect it.

Now after I sync, iTunes gives me a message that "sync is complete" or something like that, but my iPod continues to say "do not disconnect" and to flash the red circle with a line through it. It does this forever, it never stops. I wind up just disconnecting the USB cable.

Anyone know why it's doing this, whether the issue is iTunes, iPod, or computer, and how to fix it?

Thank you!

[tbp0701]

Does Vista and the new iTunes give you the option of ejecting the iPod from the computer? (Like on a Mac, there's an eject symbol next to the iPod). Try that.

[araT]

Yes, it sounds like you have the iPod in disk mode, disk mode means the iPod also appears as an external hard disk in your "Computer" folder. You will need to "Eject" the iPod from within iTunes before removing it. You can disable this in the iPod's preferences in iTunes..

[tiktok]

An iPod is a hard drive, with a battery, a display and some software that allows it to play music and a few other things--when it's not connected to a computer.

When it is connected to computer, it's a mounted volume, like any other external drive. The OS needs to do some bookkeeping (i.e. "unmounting") before the drive can be removed. Until that bookkeeping is done, it's in "Do Not Disconnect Mode". A lot of times, it doesn't really hurt anything just physically disconnect before you've "logically" disconnected it via unmounting, but sometimes it fouls things up, even to the point of data loss/corruption.

[pengipete]

In Vista and XP there is an additional icon in the task bar next to the clock whenever a removable drive is attached. You can right click this icon to "safely remove" (M$ speak) the device. It ensures that transfers are completed and the buffers are flushed.

In Vista, there is also an option to mount drives in such a way that this is not necessary but it removes a buffer stage and will slow down transfers so only use it if absolutely necessary.

[TheShawn]

There is a button in Itunes where you can eject your Ipod and if you still have the problem remove it from your PC as you would remove an external hard disk.