How to Restore an iPod to the Original Settings

by Jared Huizenga
Resetting your iPod means losing all the songs and media on the player.

Resetting your iPod means losing all the songs and media on the player.

ear buds image by Darrell Sharpe from Fotolia.com

There's any number of reasons you might want to reset your iPod to its original settings: having problems with software, getting rid of an old iPod or switching from a PC to a Mac or vice versa. Regardless of the reason, the only way to get your iPod back to the way it was the day you took it out of the package is to restore it using the iTunes software.

Step 1

Connect the USB end of the supplied iPod cable to a high-speed USB port on your computer.

Step 2

Connect the dock connector end of the supplied iPod cable into the dock connector on the bottom or your iPod.

Step 3

Open the iTunes software on your computer.

Step 4

Locate and click on the iPod icon in the "Device" section of iTunes. The device section will be located on the left-hand side of the iTunes interface below the "Library" and "Store" tabs. When you click on the icon, a summary window containing information about your iPod will appear in the main iTunes window.

Step 5

Click on the "Restore" button to restore your iPod to its original settings. The "Restore" button is in the middle of the window next to the section titled "Version."

Tip

  • If you restore your iPod to factory settings on a Mac, your iPod will be formatted to work only with Mac computers. If you restore it on a PC, it will be formatted to work only with PCs.

Warning

  • Restoring your iPod not only will reset your iPod to the factory settings but also delete everything---music, photos, videos and games---from your iPod.

About the Author

Jared Huizenga is a journalist living in Minneapolis where he works for one of the nation's largest weekly newspaper groups, covering city government and school news. While in college he managed two weekly entertainment newspapers in central and southern Minnesota and has contributed to many entertainment websites. He holds a Bachelor of Science in mass communication.

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