Ok, so I get this IPOD, ya man, it works, no worries, blah blah blah. I go get a charger for it and plug it up. It charges a bit, then shows a folder with an exclamation point on it. So I spend two days googling the hell out of this lil folder. Gets a lot of results and all that. I download and install Itunes. Doesn't see my IPOD. I download and install HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool. No dice, doesn't see it. So then I try to "reset" the thing. Move the hold button back and forth, hold down menu and select....EUREKA!! The apple logo, then the infamous folder with an exclamation point. So then I try to put it into disk mode or file mode, one of the two, anyway, again, hold button, menu/select, apple logo hit the play button as I am supposed to do. No dice....folder. So then I get iPod Updater 2006-01-10 not even sure if this is the right version. I've never so much as touched an IPOD before lol. It keeps telling me...Invalid IPOD Service Version and exits. I'm at the end of my rope. I'm trying to get this thing fixed so I can give it to my daughter for xmas. All I can tell you is that it's a pink 4GB IPOD Mini. No warranty. Thanks everyone.

PS. At one point I opened Itunes, just once, but it saw all the music that was on the IPOD. I was actually able to play it and everything. So I don't think it's actually "broken"

Have you emailed Apple to see what they say?

More than likely it needs to be restored,
So you need to force it into Disk Mode

Quote:

1. Before placing the iPod into disk mode, you should verify that it is charged. 2. Toggle the Hold switch on and off. (Set it to Hold, then turn it off again.) 3. Press and hold the Menu and Select buttons for at least 6 seconds until the Apple logo appears. 4. When the Apple logo appears, release the Menu and Select buttons and immediately press and hold the Select and the Play/Pause buttons until the Disk Mode screen appears. 5. Connect the iPod to your computer; the screen on the iPod will change and say "Do not disconnect"

Then download and install the latest version of iTunes (The ipod restore software is now built in to iTunes)
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=60983

I've already tried this. I've listed the steps I've taken in my original post......

chunk the iPod and buy a Zune

If you have a Mac, iPods work great with them. I have never like the iTunes of Windows......

Yeah, your probably in trouble than, there isn't much that can be done unless you can get it into Disk Mode so the computer will recognize it

ok kool thanks guys. I picked it up cheap as hell so I'm not entirely dissappointed. I don't really like Zune's version of the IPOD though. I used a buddies for a while and just was not satisfied in any way.