Virus in Ipod!

[wickedcoco]

Hi all,

Need your sage advise on the following dilemma:

My PC was infected with a virus that creates new folders labeled "my Administrator" and "my Username" (whatever it is). Of course, this got passed onto my ipod, which is now out of commission. Itunes prompts me to restore it, and I can't access it as a drive. I know though that all my mp3s are still in it. I know this because the ipod still operates, and it lists the memory capacity as the same as it was before the virus hit...so all my songs are still in it!!!

I'm scared lang to have external outfits fix it because I don't have a back-up for my mp3s (smart right?).

What shall I do??

[dryxzzz]

Good thing with apple products, they're immune to virii because its Mac OS. Virii from your pc won't bother your iPod at all. Unless you passes those files to any other windoze PCs.

So don't be bothered. Your iPod doesn't mind them at all.

[rafaelc378]

wicked,

Try using a Utility program called SenUti. When my old laptop died on me, all my songs and some tv shows, and all my games were on that iPod. Instead of rebuilding my iTunes library CD by CD on my new MacBook, I used that Application to copy all my songs from the iPod to my MacBook.

One question however, what happened to the Library on your computer? Why would you need the songs on the iPod? Did the library get deleted or otherwise affected? If it did, this is the reason why it won't read your iPod. Since the Library on the iPod differs from the library on the computer, iTunes doesn't recognize the songs and prompts you to restore.

Here's what you do:
1) Run an antivirus to clean your computer
2) Run SenUti to copy your mp3s back onto your computer
3) Run the antivirus again to see if the mp3s are the problem
4) Rebuild and Backup your iTunes library
5) Restore your iPod using your rebuilt library

@dryxzzz

While viruses won't affect the iPod, if the MP3s he's using are infected there is a chance his PC will constantly be reinfected whenever he syncs.

EDIT: I just realized SenUti is Mac OS only and most likely you're using Windows. So I took the liberty of looking up how to copy from iPod to PC on the internet:

http://lifehacker.com/software/ipod/...-pc-105256.php
http://lifehacker.com/394046/copy-mu...puter-for-free

[wickedcoco]

@rafa: I've tried to access the ipod through Windows Explorer and Ephpod (which I think is the Windows counterpart of Senuti). The iPod can't be accessed through either.

I don't sync the iPod to my iTunes library -- to cut down on disk space. Never had a problem with it before, until the virus hit. Thanks for your input, really appreciate it. Will try to run an antivirus on my iPod, maybe that'll help. If you can recommend anything else, would be happy to hear them

@dryx: Since I enabled my iPod as a disk drive, it got affected by the virus. Sucks

EDIT: Just adding a note that I can't use my iPod now, it works but the songs don't even show up in the menu. The only clue I have that the songs are still there is the fact that the disk usage indicates that the iPod is full.

[theelhombre]

@rafa: I've tried to access the ipod through Windows Explorer and Ephpod (which I think is the Windows counterpart of Senuti). The iPod can't be accessed through either.

I don't sync the iPod to my iTunes library -- to cut down on disk space. Never had a problem with it before, until the virus hit. Thanks for your input, really appreciate it. Will try to run an antivirus on my iPod, maybe that'll help. If you can recommend anything else, would be happy to hear them

@dryx: Since I enabled my iPod as a disk drive, it got affected by the virus. Sucks

EDIT: Just adding a note that I can't use my iPod now, it works but the songs don't even show up in the menu. The only clue I have that the songs are still there is the fact that the disk usage indicates that the iPod is full.

have you tried CopyTrans? It's a windows app that can copy your Ipod music and automatically rebuild your itunes. but assuming it really won't open- i guess you must do the drastic and restore your iPod.

[davidvgonzales]

WTF? Hey man, you don't need anything but your infected iPod and a Windows PC. Just connect it to your PC and let it get detected as a removable disk, open C:\ on MY COMPUTER, head for Tools, Options and select Show hidden Files and Folders. Then you'll be able to see the hidden folders of your iPod (as a removable disk) and just copy your music to your desktop before reformatting the thing. It should be that simple. Right?

If it's not detected as a removable disk by your PC, and you can't access it through any other way, regardless of whether the memory stats say you've got something saved on it, I think it would be best if you just sacrifice what's in it and restore the darn thing however you can just to make it usable again.

Or maybe you can try asking someone else other than me... hehe.

[rafaelc378]

wicked,

Have you tried going into Windows folder options so that hidden files and folders are visible? I think you need to do that in order to see the contents of the iPod.

Other than that, I don't know what to say. If it means anything, you're not the first person to lose media content due to virus infection. Life lesson I guess. Back up your stuff and buy a good anti-virus, and be sure to keep the virus definitions up to date; especially since you're using a Windows-based PC.

[davidvgonzales]

yeah, get antivir or something

[dryxzzz]

Or get yourself a mac to avoid such disaster...
Most of all, iPods weren't built for windoze, they're for macs. It's just a compliment for windoze.

[rafaelc378]

Or get yourself a mac to avoid such disaster...
Most of all, iPods weren't built for windoze, they're for macs. It's just a compliment for windoze.

While I no longer use Windows for similar reasons and encourage any and all to buy macs, buying a mac isn't going to help the OP in his current situation. And while iPods initially were Mac only, they've been built to work with Windows for the last 6 years and counting.