My iPod is dead ?????

My lovely iPod who accompanied me everyday for 3 and a half year is dead ???

I brought this dear 2nd Generation iPod (Touch wheel) of mine in Sept 2002 and have been in use almost everyday !!! Recently I note my iPod sometimes fail after I unplug it from charger or from the computer. It will go back to the language menu and then all songs would seems gone !!! But the song wasn't really gone as the iTunes would shows that all songs are still inside the iPod if I reconnect it to PC.

The details are as follows :

My setup :
2nd Generation 10G iPod
Windows format FAT32
Upgraded to version 1.5 with Windows iPod updater dated 17.11.2005

Background :
For the past 2 years, the iPod may sometimes report no songs. But after several reset (i.e. holding menu and play keys together), the songs will suddenly re-appear. The situation get worse recently and repeatitive reset now cannot bring back the songs.

Symptoms :
1. Reset will only go back to 'choose language menu'
2. "About" menu report :
- Songs : 0
- Capacity/Available : 4294967295 GB (yes, it said GB)
- Version : 1.5
- S/N : [correct s/n]
- Format : Unknown



Action taken :
1. I did complete reformatted the iPod in Windows 2000 to FAT32
2. Run the 17.11.05 updater with PC for version 1.5 (Restore option used)
3. Then connect the freshly restored empty version 1.5 FAT32 iPod to iBook
4. iTunes 6.0.2 at iBook works perfect with the iPod
5. Updating (songs) to iPod runs smoothly and observed all songs transferred to iPod successfuly (about 7 GB of songs)
6. iTunes automatically disconnect the iPod after completed updating (songs)
7. Unplug the iPod from iBook --> Apple logo appeared on iPod ---> Boom ... No songs ... symptoms above appeared !!!!

Additional info :
I tried to reformat the iPod with iBook and used appropriate Mac version updater to restore also into Mac version 1.5 iPod and the above symptom will sometimes appears also, normally if after I drained the battery ....
i.e. After drained the battery, then after rechage of the iPod it will also report no songs and capapcity/available 4294967295 GB .....