If your Windows-compatible PC won't start up until you disconnect your iPod, the computer's BIOS1 may be configured to start from a FireWire or USB drive.
If this is the case, you will see a black screen with a flashing white cursor at the top of the screen. Once you disconnect iPod, the computer starts up normally.
This can happen if:
- Your Windows PC is capable of starting up from FireWire or USB drives.
and - The BIOS of your Windows PC has been configured to look for an external startup disk before looking for an internal startup disk.
The simplest solution is to disconnect the iPod from its cable or dock.
If you want to know more about why this occurs and another option to resolve it, keep reading.
Windows PCs have something called "boot order" that is configurable in the computer's BIOS ("boot" is an alternate name for a computer's startup process). The computer scans connected disks, in the specified boot order, for a compatible operating system to start up from.
A few examples of possible boot orders are:
- Floppy disk, CD-ROM, primary hard disk
- CD-ROM, primary hard disk, external hard disk
- Primary hard disk, floppy disk, CD-ROM, external hard disk
While iPod can be used as a hard disk in disk mode, it cannot be used as a startup disk.
What happens when a startup drive doesn't have an operating system?
What happens depends on the particular drive:
- When a PC checks a floppy disk and does not find a valid operating system, it typically prompts you to remove it before it can go to the next device in the boot order.
- When a PC checks a CD-ROM and does not find a valid operating system, it typically skips over it to the next device in the boot order without an error.
- When a PC checks an external disk for a compatible operating system, however, it typically does not say when none is found, nor does the PC automatically skip to the next disk in the boot order.
How can I start up without disconnecting my iPod?
If you do not start up your computer from an external hard disk, one solution is to change your BIOS settings so that the internal hard disk is before any external hard disks in the boot order. Note that changing the BIOS may not help the issue and you may still need to disconnect the iPod at startup.
Another solution may be to disable your computer's ability to start up from FireWire and USB drives. Information on how to modify the BIOS settings of your specific PC should be available from your computer's manufacturer. If your PC is custom-built, you will need to consult the documentation that came with your logic board or look online at the logic board manufacturer's website.
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