I used my friend's iPod classic thin version on my macbook pro running iTunes 12.3.x and synced without any problem.
Now, when she is trying to sync it to her macbook running snow leopard and iTunes 11.4, it doesn't recognize the iPod.
Is it because it has been synced with the latest iTunes version and it will no longer be recognized by an older version of iTunes? Anybody experienced this before?
MacBook Pro, OS X El Capitan (10.11.3)
It should still be recognized on her Mac, especially if it worked before with her Mac. However, any content you synced from your iTunes library will be erased if she sets up syncing with her iTunes library. It can only be set to be "in sync" with one iTunes library at a time.
If she has not already, do a Reset (restart) on the iPod and connect it again with iTunes already running on the Mac.
Learn how to reset your iPod - Apple Support (see section iPod with a click wheel)
If that does not help, she should try putting the iPod into Disk Mode
Putting iPod into Disk Mode - Apple Support
Run iTunes and connect the iPod to a direct USB port on the Mac, with all other USB devices disconnected. If iTunes picks it up, it may prompt a Restore. The Restore erases the iPod, reinstalls its software, and sets it to default settings.
It should still be recognized on her Mac, especially if it worked before with her Mac. However, any content you synced from your iTunes library will be erased if she sets up syncing with her iTunes library. It can only be set to be "in sync" with one iTunes library at a time.
If she has not already, do a Reset (restart) on the iPod and connect it again with iTunes already running on the Mac.
Learn how to reset your iPod - Apple Support (see section iPod with a click wheel)
If that does not help, she should try putting the iPod into Disk Mode
Putting iPod into Disk Mode - Apple Support
Run iTunes and connect the iPod to a direct USB port on the Mac, with all other USB devices disconnected. If iTunes picks it up, it may prompt a Restore. The Restore erases the iPod, reinstalls its software, and sets it to default settings.
Hello,
Thanks much for your reply. I will ask my friend to try the suggestions, as we are in different cities.
A bit more info on the iPod. The original hard drive in that conked out and I replaced it with a hard drive sourced from another dead iPod Classic. I then synced it with my macbook pro using iTunes 12.3 to check if everything is working fine. Now, I have given it back to her and she couldn't make her iTunes 11.4 read it.
So in this context, will the older iTunes version read it considering the new hard drive was never possibly used in iTunes 11.4?
Also, the apple tech support executive in my country said the older iTunes will not recognize the iPod anymore. This threw me. Any thoughts on this is appreciated.
Arun
The hard drive mechanism is the same and "swappable" between 5th gen and later iPods (4th gen and earlier use a different type), except for the physical thickness of the drive. Some iPod's use the thicker (two-platter) drive and some use the thinner (one-platter) drive. Since this iPod is "thin," it uses the thinner drive, so I assume you got a replacement drive that is thin. And you both use Macs, so formatting of the hard drive is not a consideration, and iPod storage has been formatted the same way since the original iPod.
If you took the replacement out of a "dead" iPod, it's always possible that the hard drive was "on it's last legs." It may have become faulty, from the stress of being used again, if it sat not being used for a while (and it was already "well-used"). If you need to replace it again, instead of finding another used 1.8-inch hard drive of unknown reliability, you may want to consider using a commonly available (and affordable) Compact Flash card or SD card, on an adapter. This web site has relevant info
I have not used these particular adapters for 5th gen and later iPods, but I have performed equivalent mods (with Compact Flash and SD card) on my older 4th gen iPod, 3rd gen iPod, and iPod mini (using different adapters). They work quite well, and with much higher storage capacity, and other advantages of replacing hard drives with "solid state" storage.
the apple tech support executive in my country said the older iTunes will not recognize the iPod anymore.
That's nonsense. The currently sold 7th gen iPod nano requires iTunes 12 (does not work with iTunes 11), but that's because it's a brand new iPod and it requires the current iTunes, by design. The last iPod classic design is from 2009. Here's the official tech specs page for the last iPod classic model
iPod classic 160GB (Late 2009) - Technical Specifications
It says for Mac System Requirements
- Mac OS X v10.4.11 or later
- iTunes 9 or later
Thanks again for the reply Kenichi.
I would have tried replacing the hard drive with a flash drive. But this was a strictly no-money-spent repair of an old device. So no flash drives 🙂
Anyway, the hard drive I took out from the dead device was pretty okay. The pending sectors were null and reallocs numbers were reasonable.
Sounds like the only option is to restore it and hope it comes on fine. I am a bit afraid of restores because an older iPod just went dead while doing that with an iTunes update. Thanks for your suggestions. I will post an update if the restore is successful.
Good Day!
UPDATE: Tries putting it in to Disk Mode. It failed. Now displays the Red circle with the "x". I guess the hard drive is gone again. Just hope that the logic board is intact 🙂
Ipod classic not recognized by iTunes 11.4
