Remove iPod software

[Assassin]

Since I got a new iPod recently, I want to make an external HD out of my old one, which is a 30Gb video iPod. Now I could just format it and use it like that, but it's causing some problems. First of all, since it's getting older, the battery keeps running out without even having used it, so when I hook it up it first has to charge for half an hour before I can access it. Second of all, every time I hook it up it automatically starts iTunes and starts installing stuff I don't want it to.

So my question, does anyone know a way to remove the software from my iPod, just so I can access it like any other external HD, without the screen turning on, etc.? Simply formatting doesn't work.

 

[Trebor]

There's an option in Itunes to stop it starting automatically when you plug in your Ipod but you'll have to plug in your Ipod and load Itunes to do so which is annoying:

If this doesn't help you can try this: In your CPU Monitor kill iTunes Helper process and it will prevent iTunes from loading when you connect your iPod. You would have to manually start iTunes every time you connect your iPod.

Also, to preserve this state, you might want to remove iTunes Helper from your startup programs (msconfig in run).

 

[Assassin]

Yeah, after some digging I figured it out myself. Is there a way to turn the screen off though, since I still have to wait a few minutes every time for the battery to charge before Windows recognizes it. If you're in a hurry to put something on it, this doesn't really help.

 

[InsaneNutter]

Can you not just leave it connected to your pc? That way even if your pc has been off all night and the ipod battery goes it will begin getting a bit of power as soon as your pc powers up, hopefully by the time you need the ipod it will have enough power to work. I dont have an Ipod but it sounds like the battery is going to die anyway even if you could turn the screen off.

 

[Assassin]

Will I still be able to use it as a HD without the battery (probably not since windows won't find the iPod without it being charged)?

 

[InsaneNutter]

It’s hard to say, you can get USB harddrives that are powered entirely off the usb port so it’s possible, it depends how the Ipod has been designed.
If it’s not hard to remove the battery I would try it, the ipod can’t exactly say it needs to charge then.

 

[Trebor]

Is there a way to turn the screen off though, since I still have to wait a few minutes every time for the battery to charge before Windows recognizes it. If you're in a hurry to put something on it, this doesn't really help.

If you mean on your Ipod, if it's anything like my Nano just hold down the play button and your Ipod screen should go off after 5 sec.

 

[Assassin]

Yeah, it works the same for my iPod. The point is though, every time I hook it up to my PC it tells me the battery is very low and it has to charge for 15 minutes before my computer recognizes it. I thought maybe it needed power for the screen to work, since it turns on when hooking it up as well.

I can't open the iPod up since it's glued shut. Maybe I shoot look for some videos on youtube of people opening it up, see what's inside.

 

[Assassin]

After some checking I found out I could just pry the iPod open since it's just some click mechanism. So when I got in I disconnected the battery and then closed the thing up and connected it to my PC and I still got the same battery is low message, with the difference that it's not charging.. Now I reconnected the battery to see if it will charge again and if I didn't wreck the thing. I'll see if I can disconnect the main board somehow later and just connect it to the hard drive directly.

Edit: Ok, I broke the connector to the screen of my iPod, amazingly enough this thing doesn't need anything hooked up to work. It still runs without the screen connected. It still need to be charged though. I guess there's no way of getting around the fact that it needs a battery.

 

[MunkyMagikUK]

After some checking I found out I could just pry the iPod open since it's just some click mechanism. So when I got in I disconnected the battery and then closed the thing up and connected it to my PC and I still got the same battery is low message, with the difference that it's not charging.. Now I reconnected the battery to see if it will charge again and if I didn't wreck the thing. I'll see if I can disconnect the main board somehow later and just connect it to the hard drive directly.

Edit: Ok, I broke the connector to the screen of my iPod, amazingly enough this thing doesn't need anything hooked up to work. It still runs without the screen connected. It still need to be charged though. I guess there's no way of getting around the fact that it needs a battery.

I'm guessing you've had it a while and can't send it back to Apple to get a new battery installed?

Actually, having said that I think the fact that you have opened it may well have voided the warrenty, still worth a try though. Just drop them an e-mail and they may be able to help.