john clanton, not sure how long this has been going on or what happened to the iPod. At this time , I wold most certainly change the battery of the iPod first. The guides for your iPod are [http://www.ifixit.com/Device/iPod_3rd_Generation#guideList|right here.] Once you changed the battery, you '''NEED A FIREWIRE''' connection to charge and to restore this model. IT will not '''NOT''' work with USB. Also, make sure that the connector is clean and that you check the cable. Hope this helps, good luck.