ios5 can't sync with itunes

[mk7]

I recently updated my itunes and ipod touch with the new ios5 update.... since then I haven't been able to sync my ipod with itunes. Every time I try to sync, it gets stuck on "step 2: backing up" for hours. I let it run for about 10 hours one time, just to see if it would sync if I waited long enough, and it still said it was "backing up". Every time I want to sync my ipod, I have to restore it because wifi sync doesn't work either. Also, I can't connect to the itunes store on my computer - no error messages come up, but when I click on the itunes store the only thing that happens is a white page comes up saying "iTunes Store", but it never connects. Even when I try to get album artwork it says the artwork could not be found. Can anybody help me fix this problem, or tell me how to undo the ios5 update??