Ipod Touch 2nd Generation please help!!!

[Me2]

I know this isn't a Thinkpad question but here goes. I have a 2nd generation Ipod Touch running software version 3.1.3

For about 3 or 4 days now when I use Safari the back and forward buttons are faded. It seems to be on every site I go to and I have tried holding the home and power button to reset but it didn't work. I have searched Google and the Apple website and the only things I have found either aren't relevant or if it is relevant it is unresolved. I would rather not restore the original settings if I don't have to.

[emtee3511]

Have you checked your Safari Settings:
JavaScript: ON
Accept Cookies: From visited

You also might want to update your Version -- its been quite a while since I have updated, and my Version is 4.0

[Me2]

The two settings are what they should be. I might have to try upgrading my software.

[emtee3511]

I also noticed that when I go to a website, such as msn.com -- the back and forward arrows are grey when I first get to the website -- then when I navigate around the site the forward or back arrow turns white because I have left the original page and have opened a second or third page -- The arrows in the menu bar at the bottom of safari only show if you have more than one page open --

Maybe your arrows are grey because you only have one Safari page open?

Try this:
Open Safari--
Clear your web pages using the bottom menu bar/far right pages symbol -- X each page out --
Then in the top Safari search bar type msn.com --
Then in the bottom right menu bar tap GO --

When you get to msn.com you will see your arrows in the bottom menu bar are grey --
Touch one of the photos or info ON THE MSN PAGE and a second page will open in Safari --
You should now see a white arrow in the bottom menu bar

[Me2]

I think we are talking about two different things.

[emtee3511]

Sorry -- I thought you were talking about Safari back and forward page buttons -- what buttons are you not seeing?

The only buttons I see in Safari are in the bottom menu bar?

[Me2]

I am but I am looking to for example go back to msn.com from google.com just by pressing the back or forward button. It worked just fine til a few days ago. I never needed to have more than one page open for it to work.

[emtee3511]

In order to go "back" to msn.com from google.com, you would first have to have those pages open and have been at both of the sites and have those sites in your safari history -- if you cleared your history, there would be no open pages to go "back" to, and the forward/back buttons would be grey --

So sorry for being kinda dense here -- someone else with better experience and info will probably come by with a better answer -- I know it can be so frustrating when your "toy" is not working correctly -- hopefully you will get it figured out soon

[Me2]

I have left the history uncleared for a few days and nothing.

[emtee3511]

I'm sorry if I'm being dense -- I'm really trying to understand what your iPod is doing. I have several iPod Touches, as well as several iPhones, fron gen 1 through iPhone4 if I count my husband's 4. I rarely use his iPhone4 -- So I tried Safari on several different models to see if I could create what you are having to deal with.

You are right -- clearing history did not change anything with the arrows. I opened three separate pages by tapping the pages symbol in the lower right corner = msn.com; forum.thinkpads.com; google.com; The navigation arrows stay grey, and the only way I can navigate between the separatre websites is to tap the pages symbol on the lower right and touch-scroll between the pages.

What I noted on all the iPods/iPhones-Safari is: the arrows only turn from grey to white when I navigate from a main page using the touch screen/not arrows:

When I FIRST OPEN a new page/website, the arrows are grey. When I navigate within the website by touching a link on the screen, then the left arrow becomes white so I can navigate back to the original page. If I navigate from the first page by touching a link on the screen to a new page, and then again to a second new page (all by touch screen links within the webpage/not with arrows) I now have three or more pages open from that one main page, and the left and right arrows are now white so I can use them to back or forward.

If you open Safari, tap open a new page (using bottom right 'pages' symbol) and type in the address bar forum.thinkpads.com, when the Forum Index Page appears, you should have only GREY arrows in the bottom bar.

Then if you touch scroll down to "Marketplace" and tap it open -- after it opens, you should have only a LEFT WHITE arrow available.

Then if you touch scroll down to a listing and tap it open -- after it opens, you should have BOTH LEFT and RIGHT arrows available.

I apologize if this is what you are telling me does not work -- sometimes (well, truthfully lots of times) I am a little slow -- just wanted to clarify that this is what is not working. Surely someone **NORRISCELL** will come by with a definitive answer for you.

[NorrisCell]

Been a little bit since I last used Safari Mobile, but I believe there was a fairly common issue with software 3.1.x on the iPod Touch where the browser buttons would disappear at times. I didn't think it spanned to 3.1.3, but I could be wrong. An update to 4.0 or higher clears everything up, supposedly. If you update the iPod officially through iTunes, it shouldn't delete any of your items on the iPod. Let me know if this helps at all

[Me2]

Thanks for the help. Oddly the problem is now gone and I am able to navigate using the back and forward buttons again.