Cheapest way to repair an iPod Classic

[vexecuter]

Hi there,

I've got an iPod classic with a 160gb hdd, but it seems as though there is a mechanical failure with the hard drive, as I can't format it, restore it, access it or move any files on to it; iTunes encounters these same problems.

So, what's the cheapest way to repair it? The options I know of are:

-->Ebay a replacement mechanical hard drive with a ZIF connector
-->Ebay an SSD drive with ZIF
-->Ebay a CF adapter and CF card.

It doesn't have to be 160gb again.... I'd be happy with 60-80gb.

Cheers,
Vex.

[miles01110]

Buying a new hard drive isn't going to help you if you can't detect the existing drive. How will you load the operating system?

[vexecuter]

The drive comes up in my computer, but cannot be read, entered, formatted, or anything. I have come to my own conclusion that it's a faulty hard drive, and that the rest of the iPod is fine as it is coming up in iTunes and Windows is detecting it fine.

[miles01110]

Isn't the OS stored on the hard drive?

[vexecuter]

It is either on the hard drive or on firmware.

This is another of my questions; I presume it can be done, if you can enlighten me that would be great.

[skate71290]

So what you are saying is that the iPod is detectable in both iTunes and Windows Explorer/Finder, but you cannot accessthe HDD via Windows Explorer/Finder nor write songs to it using iTunes? When you attempt to access the HDD from Windows Explorer or Finder does it give an error message? P.s. I am pretty certain that the OS is stored on the HDD, as with the iPhone and Mac OSs

[instaxgirl]

Just to reassure you - once you fit new memory all you have to do is plug it into iTunes which'll give you a message saying that the iPod needs to be restored and then it'll reinstall the OS. Simple.

[vexecuter]

Thanks instaxgirl.

Skate: yes exactly that, and an error message saying the device needs to be formatted and unable to access device. All varients on these messages.

miles01110 went a bit off topic. I was simply asking what is the cheapest way to repair the ipod to store around 500 tracks at the average codec/bitrate? 8gb would do me fine, but 8gb hard drives are probably old, and unreliable. I want a cheap, reliable fix.

[miles01110]

miles01110 went a bit off topic. I was simply asking what is the cheapest way to repair the ipod to store around 500 tracks at the average codec/bitrate? 8gb would do me fine, but 8gb hard drives are probably old, and unreliable. I want a cheap, reliable fix.

It wasn't off topic at all. If you bought a new hard drive and it didn't fix the problem (which I'm still not convinced it will; is firmware enough to make iTunes recognize that the device plugged into your machine is an iPod that needs to be restored?), you'd be out however many dollars back at square one.

[vexecuter]

It wasn't off topic at all. If you bought a new hard drive and it didn't fix the problem (which I'm still not convinced it will; is firmware enough to make iTunes recognize that the device plugged into your machine is an iPod that needs to be restored?), you'd be out however many dollars back at square one.

I understand where you are coming from, however, my question is simple, yet still not answered.

Firmware is fine I can access menu on the iPod, but can't store anything or read any files off it, or play any tracks. Conclusion; partial disk corruption/mechanical failiure. Everything else works.