iPod v5(80Gb) - Unable to restore partition?

[DigitalHelix]

Hi
I am a complete newb and experienced a problem installing RockBox.

Not entirely sure what went wrong, but the Ipod simply kept rebooting in a continual loop. I found a post about the same problem and managed to get the ipod back into emergency disk mode. So that wasn't so bad.

I figure that if I roll it back to apple's default then I can start the Rockbox install again.

However, the problem I am having is that I can't see the iPod under windows (previously my F: drive) although the USB drivers are loading fine. Itunes also does not detect it and when I run the itunes diagnostsics it simply says 'connection status failed'.

I can see the ipod partition via Acronis Disk Director. Thinking I was clever (read 'dufus') I thought that deleting the partition and creating a shiny new one would help. All I now get it only options to format it to Linux. I can't find any way to get it to FAT32.

REALLY would appreciate any help/thoughts on what I need to do!

BTW I did root around to see if this had been a previous topic but didn't turn anything up, so apologies if it already exists!

Jason

[AlexP]

I don't know what formatting something to Linux is (ext2, ext3...? - Linux is not a file system, but on operating system!), but anyway:

Windows refuses to format anything bigger than 32 Gb to FAT32 to try and force you to use NTFS (a windows filesystem, although linux can now read and write it too).  To format to FAT32 over that limit, try either Swissknife or fat32format.

[DigitalHelix]

Nailed it with fat32format.
Nice one!
ITunes is busy restoring it now. Sweaty palms going away...

Will have another go tomorrow at  installing RockBox properly.

Useful tip for anyone else who gets this problem for formatting the drive back to the way it was :

In Windows Computer Management Console, select the partition, assign it a drive letter and leave it with no file system (unformatted). This then lets other tools such as fat32format work with it.

Thanks for your help on this.
Jason