Rockbox not starting - iPod 80GB 5th Gen (no hold button)

[PugRallye]

Hi guys,

Apologies that my first post is a question, but I'm stumped already.

I recently installed RB on m,y old 3rd gen iPod and it works like a charm, but I needed more storage and so got my hands on a 5th gen 80GB model.

The problem is that the 5th gen model's Hold switch doesn't work and I can't for the life of me get Rockbox to start - it always boots into the standard iPod firmware.

Do I have to have a working Hold switch for Rockbox to function properly?

And how can I get Rockbox to start (I've tried the Menu+Select thing to make it restart etc).

Any help would really be appreciated.

Thanks

[Febs]

If the hold switch is broken but in the off position, Rockbox should start.  If it is broken in the on position, then the original firmware would load (that is, if you were able to get the player to power up at all, as the hold switch should deactivate the buttons).

Are you sure that you have installed the Rockbox bootloader?

[LambdaCalculus]

I know that this may not be *the* help you're looking for, but why not repair the hold switch?

[PugRallye]

The hold switch doesn't work - as in, it does nothing.

Every time I power up the iPod it starts it's own OS.

I hope I've installed Rockbox OK - I used the automated "wizard" utility and it said all was OK.

I'll look into this bootloader and ensure it has been installed....

[dreamlayers]

You can put Rockbox into the firmware partition with "ipodpatcher -wf rockbox.ipod".  Then Rockbox must load. On my 30GB 5th gen, Rockbox sometimes locks up on the first boot after writing the firmware partition, but after that it works properly.  If Rockbox thinks the hold switch is stuck in hold position, when starting it will tell you that settings have been reset and the controls won't work.

If something fails, you can always turn on while holding select (centre) and play buttons and get into emergency disk mode.  You can also save the and restore the current firmware partition with ipodpatcher.

[PugRallye]

Hmmm,

Not sure what the problem was, but I un-installed and re-installed and would you believe it? It worked!

Loving Rockbox so far - amazing what the iPod can do, and how little Apple give you out of the box....

Although I still can't get Doom to work - it loads OK, but then just sits there, none of the buttons seem to do anything, but this is hardly a top priority.

[Chronon]

You might want to investigate the InGame menu a bit more closely.   

[GodEater]

...which is mentioned in the manual