iPod Social Outreach Program

iPod repair log.

Model:
2G 20GB
(Windows formatted)

Initial Condition:
small scratch on left hand side
left side of case and back bulges slightly

Action:
Connected to Mac
– iPod powers up to “do not disconnect”
– iPod appears on desktop
– can’t access iPod though Finder
– iTunes and Disk Utility crashes (become unresponsive)

Charged battery for half-hour
– iPod powers up to

Opened iPod

The headphone jack has broken away from the motherboard (it’s under the metal box on the left).

To get to the headphone connectors you need to de-solder the shielding cage.

When the headphone jack broke off the motherboard it took some of the circuit tracks with it.

One connector pad is completely missing.

Re-soldered the headphone jack. By-passed missing connector pad with jumper wire.

Reattached the shielding cage.

Reassembled iPod
– iPod powers up to disk check image below (haven’t seen this one before)

Connected to Mac
– response unchanged (still crashes iTunes and Disk Utility)

Installed known working HD.
– iPod behaves normally
– headphone connector tests OK.

Reinstalled faulty drive.

Connected to Mac.

I tried a variety of methods to reformat the drive. The various approaches can be found on the HD repair page. I got the drive to function by making the HD partition map take up the first 32 MB of the drive, this forced the iPod firmware to a new location on the drive. My reasoning was that this would bypass any bad blocks that may be preventing the drive from working. It seems to be having the desired effect.

This approach requires you to copy the firmware off the iPod and then back onto the new firmware partition. You need to do this in the Terminal because if you use the iTunes “Restore” function it reformats the drive and you end up back were you started.

With the firmware back the iPod appears to be operating normally.

Report:
Repaired broken headphone connector.

HD tests faulty. Re-mapped HD partitions and reinstalled iPod firmware.

iPod is now functional.

The iPod is formatted for Mac (sorry, I don’t have access to a PC with FireWire). If you are planning to use this iPod with a PC you could try repeating the formatting procedure with a PC disk utility (you will need a PC version of the iPod firmware for this to be successful). Alternatively you can use third party software such as XPlay 2 , MacDrive , or MacOpener that allow PCs to read Mac formatted drives.

Notes:
If you use iTunes to “Restore” your iPod the HD problems will return but I think the iTunes “Update” option should be OK (it doesn’t wipe the iPod). Also, if you disconnect the internal battery the iPod will forget where the system software is located; to fix this simply plug the iPod into a computer.

Component Summary:

HD (some bad blocks, these have been bypassed by re-mapping the partition table)

Battery (working condition unknown)

Logic Board (headphone connector repaired)

Screen

Buttons

iPod has been returned.

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