There are some settings you have to get right with an iPod connected to a PC.
First, despite the nice Firewire lead that comes with the iPod, it won't work with Firewire. Use USB.
Second, there are two ways to configure the iPod: as an iPod or as a hard drive. The Fine Manual explains what you can and cannot do with each.
Third, your PC will assign it a drive letter. Normally, that's no problem, but sometimes it assigns a letter that won't work for some reason.
If you're using XP, you can check: Start - Control Panel - Administrative Tools - Computer Management - Disk Management (wait!). Look in the lower right hand side of the popup box, and scroll till you see your iPod among the other drives etc. It may be an idea to assign it a fixed drive letter - pick one a fair way down the alphabet that you're not going to use for something else. Keep a note of it, just in case.
Fourth: I don't recognise a "synch" tab. What's he using - iTunes, or ActiveSync? On my PC, I don't get any option - when I plug the iPod in and start iTunes, it does all that stuff automatically.