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Subject: Re: Problem putting iPod into disc mode for RB install

Re: Problem putting iPod into disc mode for RB install

From: Jacob Rau <jacob.rau_at_gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 07 Sep 2006 19:17:32 -0400

I wish there was a way to tell if it was showing the "sick iPod" symbol
on screen but you said it's broken...there's obviously no way to tell...

Apple support is probably not going to help at all. I think you're
probably sh** out of luck.

Sorry
Jake

Mark wrote:
> Hi Jacob,
>
> "Jacob Rau" <jacob.rau_at_gmail.com> wrote
>> I don't know hardly anything about XPlay, but from the page I found
>> it looks like if Xplay tried to install itself, it might have
>> formatted it for the Mac (an HFS+ filesystem that Windows doesn't
>> know how to read) or it might have corrupted the firmware. My guess
>> is that the file system is corrupt or isn't FAT32.
>
> My thought is that it looks like the firmware might be corrupt, since
> my understanding is that the iPod needs to get itself into some sort
> of very primitive state (i.e. disk mode) before it presents itself to
> another PC as a "external drive" (which it isn't really since the iPod
> is a "PC" in itself)
>
>> As for what to do with it...Windows should've mounted it as a drive
>> even if the file system was corrupt and you'd be able to format it.
>
> Yes, I thought that was what should have happened, and the fact that
> it didn't is what makes me think that the problem is not with the
> drive, but in the flash bios inside the iPod simply not being able to
> get the iPod into any sort of disk mode state where it could then be
> seen by another PC.
>
>> Did you have it in disk mode when Windows detected it and Xplay tried
>> to install itself?
>
> Yes, I'm assuming that was the case, since I connected it to the PC
> and it showed up in "My Computer", for a while at least.
>
>> Maybe windows isn't mounting it to a drive because of the file system.
>
> My fairly uninformed view on that is that it shouldn't be the file
> format that causes Windows to not see it. When it was previously
> detected the drive format showed as "Raw" under the drive proprties.
> That might be what Windows says when it sees a Mac-HFS file system
> iPod, I'm not sure, but at least it saw something.
>
>> Also, do you use iTunes?
>
> No
>
>> Another problem may occur if you are using network drives. In this
>> case, the iPod's letter might be taken up by a network drive and you
>> will need to use the instructions at
>> http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93499 to change the
>> iPod's drive letter to stop conflicting with the network mapping.
>
> I'm pretty certain that's not the problem, because Windows does
> dynamically allocate drive letters OK. I've got an external USB drive
> assigned to drive M, and others after that, but this iPod (and other
> iPods) are usually allocated to drive H, which is the first free drive
> letter.
>
>> If you need anything at all, feel free to mail the list, or me. I
>> think a Rockbox install issue is a Rockbox issue and definitely
>> belongs on this mailing list.
>
> Thanks,
>
> I have this sneaking feeling that the bios might have been corrupted
> during the XPlay installation, which means that there's no way for me
> to get the iPod to boot itself into a state where it can then be seen
> by the PC. And so if it can't be seen, then there's no way to restore
> or format the iPod, since the PC cannot see it. That's the worst case
> scenario, but I'm not giving up on it just yet. All I need is a way
> to get it into disk mode! My last hope might be that the local Apple
> store have a magic box for re-flashing the bios. Any thoughts anyone?
>
> Mark
>
>>
>> >
>> Mark wrote:
>>> hello,
>>>
>>> Firstly, I realise that my problem is not directly a Rockbox issue,
>>> more related to trying to get an iPod in a state where I can install
>>> Rockbox, but I'm hoping that there's someone who can help.
>>> Apologies for wandering off the RB theme, and if you think it's
>>> better please reply off-list.
>>>
>>> OK, I'm trying to install Rockbox on a 60GB iPod 5G.
>>> The problem is that when I plug it into my PC, it is not detected.
>>> I have spent hours trying to get it into iPod "disk mode" so that
>>> it'd be seen by the PC, to no avail.
>>> I know it was working because I had earlier today plugged it in and
>>> it had been detected by the PC, and also then by XPlay which then
>>> proceded to try to install itself on the iPod.
>>> subsequent disconnection and reconnection of the iPod now mean that
>>> it is no longer being detected by my PC.
>>> (One slight minor complication is that I'm blind... but that's not
>>> too relevant since the iPod screen is broken anyway. The rest of it
>>> was working fine though)
>>> Once it is in disk mode, I'll be fine doing the rest of the
>>> installation.
>>>
>>> I suspect that the probable solution will be to take it along to an
>>> Apple store, but I'm not sure exactly how helpful they'll be when
>>> they see this 5G iPod with a broken screen that won't even get to
>>> disk mode. I will give them a try, but if there is anyone on the
>>> list who has experience of trying to get a stubborn iPod into disk
>>> mode, and who can help then that'd be great.
>>>
>>> Many thanks,
>>>
>>> Mark
>>> London
>>> England
>>>
>>>
>>
>
>
Received on 2006-09-08

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