ipod wont connect anymore

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support (More info?)

I revently bought an hp pavillion zt3000 laptop with windows xp. I installed
my 15gb ipod to the laptop with no problem and transfered songs with no
problem, initially. I was using a 6pin to 4pin firewire adapter becoase i do
not have a firewire port. When i went back to connect it to my laptop for the
second time, the computer wouldn't recognize it. So then i tried connecting
it to my brothers computer, and it worked perfectly, he has a firewire port
thought. So then we tried connecting his ipod to my laptop, and his wouldnt
connect. We even switched all the connecting wires to rule them out as the
problem. So then i bought a usb/firewire wire and that initially worked
really well. then i disconnected it and it wouldnt work after that. I
recieved an error message that said "usb device mallfunctioned and windows
could not recognize the device." I tried reinstalling the software and that
wouldnt work. any help is welcome and appretiated. thank you.