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Problems with iPod mounting/disappearing after connected? Try enabling disk mode
As previously reported, enabling hard disk mode on various iPod models can alleviate a slew of mounting and unmounting issues, including a problem where the device sporadically disappears from iTunes (and from any type of connectivity) shortly after being disconnected.
MacFixIt reader Steven Greeen is the latest to experience success with this workaround.
He writes:
"I have recently read that people are having problems with their iPod disappearing from the desktop just after it is plugged into the computer. I have found that you need to enable disk mode within the iTunes Preferences."
In order to change the toggle the disk mode setting, open iTunes' preferences ("iTunes" menu > Preferences) and click the iPod tab.
For more information on resolving iPod connection issues, see our iPod special report.
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Worst reliable case I've found is for it to succesfully connect to a user who is not the 'active' user. Since iTunes can't come to the front, this leaves the iPod partially connected. Telling that user's iTunes to not connect helps slightly, but not much. (The iPod will still attempt to connect to it, and not to any others.)
On occasion it seems to get 'stuck' between two currently running instances of iTunes. The only solution I've found at that point is to pull the iPod off and quit all instances of iTunes. (And iTunes Helper. In this instance iTunes helper often hangs, and needs to be quit manually, through Activity Monitor.)
Note that leaving an iPod connected when switching users will cause it to attempt to mount in the new user. If it is already mounted this will fail, with a nice error message.