Ipod mini- Bad Hard Drive?

Question

Ipod mini- Bad Hard Drive?

Hi, I just got a 2nd hand ipod mini, which is having some problems. I can load about 35 MB of songs before loading slows to a crawl, then stops. I've reset it, (successfully) and tried to use HD utility (unsuccessfully). In HD utility it starts to erase freespace, then the program stops responding.

I'm doing this through the USB2 port, using two different cords, and have removed all other USB items.

I've tried to do the diagnositc mode, but it won't seem to go into it. I restart & get the logo, but when I press select + back, it ignores it and goes into regular mode.

That's everything I can think to try. If the hard drive IS bad, can I replace it? (Heck, can I replace it with a 6GB (or larger) drive in the same form factor?

Thanks!

ipod mini 4Gb v1 Mac OS X (10.4.5)

Posted on Apr 16, 2006 5:19 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Apr 16, 2006 7:00 PM in response to Captain Marsupial

Hi, I just got a 2nd hand ipod mini, which is having
some problems. I can load about 35 MB of songs before
loading slows to a crawl, then stops. I've reset it,
(successfully) and tried to use HD utility
(unsuccessfully). In HD utility it starts to erase
freespace, then the program stops responding.

I'm doing this through the USB2 port, using two
different cords, and have removed all other USB
items.

That's everything I can think to try. If the hard
drive IS bad, can I replace it? (Heck, can I replace
it with a 6GB (or larger) drive in the same form
factor?

Thanks!

ipod mini 4Gb v1
Mac OS X (10.4.5)

After major fiddling with the wheel got it inot Diagnostic Mode, and checked both of the disk tests, going by the test listing here:

http://www.finseth.com/parts/ipod.php

DISKSCAN returned a fail message:
DISKSCAN
END SCAN
121 ONE
RD FAIL
SCAN NG
40 S

Does anyone know what this means? here are the results of the HDD R/W
HDD TEST
4 GB
HDD PASS
HDD SND
N2HAEBMA
HDD FND
ID:HM

I'd like to use the little beast. Thanks

4 GB ipod mini Mac OS X (10.4.5)

Reply

Answer 2

Mitch 751

Level 6

11,624 points

Apr 16, 2006 7:27 PM in response to Captain Marsupial

http://www.methodshop.com/mp3/ipodsupport/diagnosticmode/

Reply

Answer 3

Mitch 751

Level 6

11,624 points

Apr 16, 2006 7:29 PM in response to Captain Marsupial

Instead of Erase the HD, can you go to Tab "Partition" (under disk Utility), do either "delete" or "Partition". Then go to do Erase again. Once it has been done, open the iPod Updater and click Restore.

If it does not work, find a PC and do a Restore there.

Reply

Answer 4

Apr 16, 2006 8:58 PM in response to Mitch 751

Did the partition, erase & restore steps. (No PC to try it on.) At about 165 MB it starts taking forever to add anything. At about 180 MB it goes into eternal load.

After the steps taken, the DISKSCAN test now reads
REG3FAIL
0% DONE

I'm no tech, but this doesn't sound good.

I've seen a number of sites which tell how to replace the drive. (Of course the $75 for a replacement was almost as much as I paid.) Has anyone ever tried to put a 6GB in a mini 1st gen? Thanks!

4 GB ipon mini Mac OS X (10.4.5)

Reply

Answer 5

Mitch 751

Level 6

11,624 points

Apr 16, 2006 9:09 PM in response to Captain Marsupial

Yeah, seems that there is a problem on the HD, do you mind to plug your iPod back with your Mac, and do the Erase again but with the security option of zero out data, which will take around 1-2 hours to complete. Once it has been done, do the Restore again.

Reply

Answer 6

Apr 16, 2006 10:28 PM in response to Mitch 751

I did the zero out. It only took about 10 minutes, which seemed pretty short. When I got it going again it did the same thing again- went to about 180 MB, then slowed down mightily.

I've now started getting error messages: "Attempting to copy to the disk 'iPod' failed. The disk could not be read from or written to."

Reply

Answer 7

Mitch 751

Level 6

11,624 points

Apr 17, 2006 1:03 AM in response to Captain Marsupial

Uhmm ... seems it does not leave any other option, try iPodResQ if your iPod is no longer under the warranty

http://www.ipodresq.com/

Reply