ipod Classic and xp pro DONT MIX?!?!

[infinitemilitia]

Well I got a replacement ipod today. And i'm in the same spot i was before i sent the first one away! It did work on my friends PC running xp pro just like mine. So I can't help but think its something that is wrong with my mobo or something. All my USB drivers are up to date, I changed the drive letter of the ipod. It seems to stay connected for a bit longer if itunes isnt open, and then auto ejects when itunes starts. I updates the firmware the one time it did stay connected in itunes, but then auto ejected after reboot.
Does anyone have any other suggestions? I dont feel like doing a fresh XP install, mostly since i dont have an xtra HDD to back everything up on. Could it be something messed up in my registry? Apple support cant help me and they've tried all they know...

hmmm, sad.
i wish my pc just worked correctly...