iPod 6G (iFlash Solo 256GB) Installation Problems

[beeverboy]

Good evening guys and gals.
I've been screaming at my computer for two days now so thought I'd sign up and ask you guys for help!
I have a 6G iPod Classic which had HDD failure (I believe anyway, had the red cross on the screen). Replaced with iFlash Solo and 256GB SD card (class 10). Now from what I've read, as far as Apples firmware goes, this size isn't supported. Which is fine, I want Rockbox.
I've tried installing on both windows and mac.
Rockbox utility I've had no hope with at all apart from removing the SD card from the iPod and putting it in the card reader of my macbook. Following the manual installation steps, I've copied the .rockbox folder onto the SD card (after formatting twice as FAT32). I've then managed to run mks51boot with the ipod in DFU mode and sent the command for the bootloader-ipod6g.ipod file.

The ipod then loads the rockbox boot loader by the looks but says no partition found, entering USB mode. What am i missing? I dont seem to ever be able to access the ipod via 'mass storage device' at all, on my mac it doesnt show once plugged in at all, on the windows laptop it shows (eventually) but you try and open it on file explorer and just says please install drive..

I've googled and googled and googled and im lost now. Please bear with me as im no tech wiz and dont know abbreviations or what all these codes are ACTUALLY doing!
Thanks for ANY help!!

[cereal_killer]

I'd say restore with iTunes on Windows and try installing with RockboxUtility again.

[beeverboy]

I'd say restore with iTunes on Windows and try installing with RockboxUtility again.

From what I understand I can’t do that due to the 256gb memory? Also, I managed to try a restore this morning on the windows laptop (running an older version of iTunes) and it took about 3-4 hours for the progress bar to complete and then it ejected the iPod and nothing else happened, went back to not showing on the computer at all apart from like previously mentioned, it shows briefly in file explorer but won’t let you access it, as if it ejects itself or something (I’m only speculating), iTunes has been the least hopeful from everything I’ve tried to communicate with the iPod with put it that way

[cereal_killer]

If you managed to install the rockbox bootlader, you can just format the SD card to FAT32 using a card reader and put the .rockbox folder on the card and insert it into the adapter. Make sure the cables are seated correctly. Then the bootloader should load the rockbox firmware. The apple firmware might not work properly then, though disk mode should work. But if you have a 6g iPod which is limited to 128GB, as far as I know disk mode might cause problems. If you stay with Rockbox the 256GB should be fully available.

[beeverboy]

If you already have the bootlader installed, you can just format the SD card to FAT32 using a card reader and put the .rockbox folder on the card and insert it into the adapter. Then the bootloader should load the rockbox firmware. The apple firmware might not work properly then, though disk mode should work. But if you have a 6g iPod which is limited to 128GB, as far as I know disk mode might cause problems. If you stay with Rockbox the 256GB should be fully available.

Thanks for the reply.
I had already put the .rockbox folder on the SD card before then doing the bootloader bit, so I presume I’ve already done what you suggested. I’ve never enabled disk mode on the iPod (previous HDD was dead and never had it working since the new SD Card to be able to enable disk mode?)

Hopefully that all makes sense thanks

[cereal_killer]

I mean, that the bootloader needs to be installed first. If the bootloader is installed, you can swap the storage (containing a .rockbox folder) and Rockbox will boot. I don't know if installing the bootloader works without a HDD or a flash card.
As I said, as far as I know, disk mode is part of the apple firmware and limits the iPod to 128GB.

[beeverboy]

I mean, that the bootloader needs to be installed first. If the bootloader is installed, you can swap the storage (containing a .rockbox folder) and Rockbox will boot. I don't know if installing the bootloader works without a HDD or a flash card.
As I said, as far as I know, disk mode is part of the apple firmware and limits the iPod to 128GB.

Many thanks for the help. Whilst the iPod is saying 'no partition found' if i restart the iPod, with no SD card whats so ever in it, it still loads the bootloader. I've reformatted the SD card (again) with it plugged into my card reader on my macbook, i've then installed the .rockbox files using the rockbox utility (wont allow me to select bootloader anyway as it says its not required for this device, i presume because its realised its an SD card or something and not the iPod direct?) and refitted the SD card to the iPod an restarted it and same message appears. I've tried another SD card, albeit only 8GB but that doesn't do anything different either.
Thanks

[cereal_killer]

You don't need Rockbox Utility to put the .rockbox folder onto the card. Just format the card to FAT32 using a card reader (I suggest guiformat for Windows: http://www.ridgecrop.demon.co.uk/index.htm?guiformat.htm). Download a recent build or the release http://download.rockbox.org/release/3.15/rockbox-ipod6g-3.15.zip unzip it to the crad an put the card into the iPod. Then Rockbox should start.

[beeverboy]

You don't need Rockbox Utility to put the .rockbox folder onto the card. Just format the card to FAT32 using a card reader (I suggest guiformat for Windows: http://www.ridgecrop.demon.co.uk/index.htm?guiformat.htm). Download a recent build or the release http://download.rockbox.org/release/3.15/rockbox-ipod6g-3.15.zip unzip it to the crad an put the card into the iPod. Then Rockbox should start.

I have also tried this and made no difference
Thanks

[cereal_killer]

If the bootloader is installed, the card formatted to FAT32 and containing a .rochbox folder, I can not see a reason why it shouldn't work besides hardware issues.