I am posting this for a friend (since I don't use Itunes or an Ipod):

"hey all.
i have a new mini Ipod that i use with I tunes on my PC...i connect it with the Firewire port and have had nothing but problems since the day i brought the 'pod home.
it locks up/freezes the os (XP pro), won't mount the Ipod, freezes when i am transfering files, etc....just about every problem there is...i am running the most current version of Itunes and there is nothing wrong with the Ipod....
can someone recommend other software?
i know there are programs out there that let u take the mpthrees of your Ipod and transfer them to your harddrive (something Itunes won't do!)....i have a feeling those would probably work better but the only one i have seen (Podworks) is only for OSX...
can someone help me? it's taking an average of 45 minutes and at least 20 restarts and re-mounts to get my computer to see the Ipod and successfully load in some new mpthrees...this is just not acceptable!
thanks."

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Upgrade the XP driver for your FW chipset?

Bartaug - I let my buddy know what you said and he had this reply:

"sounds good. how do i do that?
if it involves getting intimate with the specifics of my PC's component's, a friend of a friend assembled the computer for me.... meaning i do not know anything of my FW chipset..."

You (or your friends friends friend :) can lookup the chipset type in the motherboard manual, or in the system->drivers part of the XP control panel. Then look at the motherboard manufacturers website (or Intel's/VIA/AMD) for the latest XP SP1 driver. If you're on XP SP2 you're betatesting for Microsoft and you will hace to wait for a driver fix.....

I'll send this to him now... we'll see what he says.

..and it isn't me. I am not a fan of the Ipod or Itunes.

try xplay from www.mediafour.com

this is the original windows ipod software, available way before apple brought itunes to xp.

Thanks... i'll pass it along.