I think my iPod hard drive is dead

[LordMorpheus]

What are my options? Is the drive replaceable? Will apple give me a new iPod if I ask nicely?

The symptoms are:
1) it doesn't work
2) when it attempts to work and you put your ear to it you hear the drive spin up, click and stop.

A couple days ago iTunes said it needed ot be restored, so I did. The process took a really long time, and I haven't been able to get to connect cleanly to iTunes since - it freezes the entire program and will not accept music.

The interface works OK but I think that it's running off solid state memory, not the hard drive, and I can't put music on it to see if it will play it back or not.

 

[0roo0roo]

well supposedly u can rip the drive out. not sure if it uses the same contacts ...if it does than a normal laptop ide to ide converter will work and u can test it on the pc. and u can buy replacement drives off ebay and such. i have a dead ipod and i'm still considering doing this.

 

[keeleysam]

If you are out of AppleCare, your only real option is to get a new drive. If it is a mini, this is easy, any CF card or microdrive will do. If it is a full size iPod, hit up eBay for iPods broken for other reasons.

 

[LordMorpheus]

Originally posted by: keeleysam
If you are out of AppleCare, your only real option is to get a new drive. If it is a mini, this is easy, any CF card or microdrive will do. If it is a full size iPod, hit up eBay for iPods broken for other reasons.

apparently any 1.8" form factor drive will work. I'm going to try a couple thing first, and then I'll grab one of thems. Maybe up the storage some while I'm at it.

 

[keeleysam]

Originally posted by: LordMorpheus

Originally posted by: keeleysam
If you are out of AppleCare, your only real option is to get a new drive. If it is a mini, this is easy, any CF card or microdrive will do. If it is a full size iPod, hit up eBay for iPods broken for other reasons.

apparently any 1.8" form factor drive will work. I'm going to try a couple thing first, and then I'll grab one of thems. Maybe up the storage some while I'm at it.

Make sure to keep the same number of platters in your drive.

 

[LordMorpheus]

Originally posted by: keeleysam

Originally posted by: LordMorpheus

Originally posted by: keeleysam
If you are out of AppleCare, your only real option is to get a new drive. If it is a mini, this is easy, any CF card or microdrive will do. If it is a full size iPod, hit up eBay for iPods broken for other reasons.

apparently any 1.8" form factor drive will work. I'm going to try a couple thing first, and then I'll grab one of thems. Maybe up the storage some while I'm at it.

Make sure to keep the same number of platters in your drive.

is this just a dimensions of the case thing, or will a 40gb drive not work in my 20gb ipod? I know the 40 gb disc is thicker, but new backs are also available.

I'll probably just buy a 20gb replacement, plenty on eBay and i don't really need the space.

 

[0roo0roo]

probably, remember some of the ipods are thicker.

 

[0roo0roo]

i know frys sells the laptop hd to ide adaptor, so tell us if its a standard connector on that hitachi? drive when u crack urs open. i need to test the damn thing before i spend on another hd

 

[LordMorpheus]

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
i know frys sells the laptop hd to ide adaptor, so tell us if its a standard connector on that hitachi? drive when u crack urs open. i need to test the damn thing before i spend on another hd

It's open, the drive is definately dead (tried to reformat in a non-itunes computer, just whirrs and clicks).

The drive is a standard laptop 1.8" drive - you won't get far with a laptop-IDE adapter, as the 2.5" laptop drives use different connectors than the 1.8" laptop drives, and I feel like 90% of laptop drives are 2.5".

You can buy 1.8"-IDE adapters, though, saw a bunch on ebay when I was looking at drives.

 

[Geiser34]

iFixit is the best place to get replacement parts for iPods..
Plus, they have tutorials to install the stuff.

 

[ForumMaster]

the drive in the iPod uses a compact flash interface. you won't be able to connect it to a regular reader usually cause of limitations in the firmware of the drive. you can replace it easily and diagnose it.

since you have a regular iPod (or is it a photo?), anyway, google diagnostic mode. all iPod have a built in diagnostic mode where you can check the various parts.

first, reset it by pressing select and menu together for 6 seconds. then quickly press every button except play together. this should force the iPod to perform a built in hdd scan. if you see a check mark, great. if you see a triangle with an exclamation mark, bad. if you see a box with a right arrow, restore the iPod. if this doesn't work, then try this instead: reset the iPod and then press this while it's loading: the previous song, select and next song buttons all at once. this should bring the iPod into a diagnostic mode where there should be a test for the hdd. for an iPod mini, the combo is previous song and select buttons.

good luck.

 

[keeleysam]

ForumMaster, he already knows the drive is dead.