iPod Classic 6thGen 160Gb with iFlash-Quad problem with installation

[tonibordallo]

Hello, everybody.

I normally request the help in Forums only as a last resource, when I dont find any help else in forums or tutorials, and that seems the case.

For starters, the specs
iPod Classic 6thGen 160Gb (Logic Board number 820-2168-A)
now with iFlash-Quad + Sandisk Ultra MicroSDXC 200Gb
installing Rockbox via Windows 10


First I have tried to follow every single step of these tutorials :
-  https://www.iflash.xyz/how-to-rockbox-installation-on-ipod-classic-using-new-bootloader/ 

 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sc8WMcGBu8o&t=303s

But in both ways I got the error message "Action required: Could not remount the device, try to do it manually. If the iPod didn't restart, force  a reset by pressing SELECT+MENU buttons  for about 5 seconds. If the problem could  not be solved then click 'Abort' to cancel.

Right after this I tried to do the bootloader again, and got the message that the Mount point is wrong.

Then, every time I reconnected it was required to reformat before using it.

So I have tried unticking the Bootloader square and unticking it. Same problem.

Then, once I tried to paste in the memory card  the contents of the Rockbox folder, and it was when things got worse, because after this ,when I press "menu"+"center button" for 5 seconds, iTunes offers to Restore the ipod (and it even shows its serial number)but  the green bar doesn't stop the process of "Restoring iPod", it stays with the green bar moving and no end to it .

When I press "menu"+"center button" for 12 seconds, iTunes also  offers to enter in Recovery mode, I accept it, but when the green bar of "preparing ipod for recovery" gets full, nothing happens, it doesn't not show a recovered iPod icon there after.

Windows Explorer does not recognize the ipod  when I connect it, and neither its memory card, when I take it out of the iPod and put it on the memory card reader.

In the partition management softwares, one said that the partition is offline, the other says that it is read only. I tried to  change this Read-Only staus via DiskPart, but it "Failed to clear disk Attributes". Reading on the internet I even saw an alternative, on RegEdit, putting a WriteProtect file with value 0, but still, it has not changed anything.

Does anybody here can help me  to resolve this?
Is this memory card indeed gone or is there any alternative to recover it?

thank you very much!

[Bilgus]

Where did you buy the memory card?

Also you do realize this isn't really a rockbox issue right?

that being said windows is terrible for dealing with memory cards or anything with corrupted partition tables

in windows
you might try these tools:

RMPrepUSB
https://www.rmprepusb.com/documents/release-2-0

HDD LLF Low Level Format Tool
http://hddguru.com/software/HDD-LLF-Low-Level-Format-Tool/

otherwise maybe you know someone with Linux?

[tonibordallo]

Thank you for your answer, Bilgus.

Tweaking here with the things I managed to save the memory card.
Just to let it available for future reference, I used another computer and there I managed to reformat the card. Also there I managed to restore the iPod, which now is working as it should.

But I still have this challenge of installing it properly.

Recently I have followed the steps of this tutorial
https://www.iflash.xyz/howto-install-rockbox-on-the-ipod-classics/

but between the steps 7 and 8, things had not worked as expected, because after recovering it
"Could not open DFU device". What do you suggest me to do?
Or what installation you suggest me to follow with such configuration below?

iPod Classic 6thGen 160Gb (Logic Board number 820-2168-A)
now with iFlash-Quad + Sandisk Ultra MicroSDXC 200Gb
installing Rockbox via Windows 10

thanks!

[Bilgus]

Someone will be along with more knowledge I'm going to change the title of your post though.

[tonibordallo]

Thank you, Bilgus.

The latest news in my attempts to install it s that, using the last method I managed to launch the bootstrap_ipodclassic_itunes.exe file while it was recovering, so I managed to get the message "UMSboot has been launched" , but the  UMSBoot drive had not appeared at all, despite on the iPod itself it was showing the message "Please copy a UBI file to  the mass sotrage Device and safely  eject and unplug it when you're done".
In brief, it shows no folder for me to put it.

[GreyBeast]

tonibordallo, I'm having similar issues with what appears to be the same model iPod. What's the status of your installation?

[tonibordallo]

well, I simply had to get over with it.
It seems that not many people here bother much in resolving the bugs in the iPod anyway.
It is sad, bc i really would like to have an alternative to that, but if it doenst work, they don't care about bug fixing anyway...

[GreyBeast]

Gotcha, OK. Well, I'm still in the midst of trying to get this solved, so you might want to stay in the picture.

Can you, at least, revert back to the Apple OS? If not, but you want to, check this out, it worked perfectly for me:

https://www.freemyipod.org/wiki/Restore_iPod_without_iTunes.

[saratoga]

Gotcha, OK. Well, I'm still in the midst of trying to get this solved, so you might want to stay in the picture.

Maybe this isn't the answer you want to hear, but you have bought an adapter that isn't compatible with rockbox. I think the only solutions are to either buy a compatible adapter, use the Apple firmware, or reverse engineer whatever is in the adapter you have and then write or adapt a driver to work with it.

[GreyBeast]

saratoga, I've understood you so far. I know my options. Unfortunately, I don't have the skills to manipulate either the ATA drivers, nor the adapter.

And yet, there's still a chance to swap logic boards, as I stated earlier, turning the 6g (hopefully) into a 7g, as all other parts seem interchangeable, as far as I could research. It, too, might not work with Rockbox, but I'll be able to use it as a "regular/Apple OS" iPod, while being able to use more than just 128gb storage.

When I wrote I'm still trying to solve the problem, I meant I'm trying to find out if it's as simple as swapping logic boards, that's all.

By the way, I could be wrong, but using the installer in my reply #7 AND transferring the music files in Linux, as opposed to Windows, is running pretty smoothly, actually. No glitches thus far.

[GreyBeast]

It's done.

The iFlash card manufacturer confirms that the iPod Classic 6g is "sensitive" in combination with Rockbox, blaming the type of microSD cards used for the problems with the ATA drivers (skipping while transferring files).

But both he, and the guy running everymac.com confirm that the iPod Classic 6g's logic board can be swapped for the 7g's, turning the iPod into a de facto 7g. This information could be useful for fellow iPod Classic 6g owners, unless I'm not the first in dealing with it. It's basically cheaper to replace the logic board than to try out a different manufacturer's SD cards, which I doubt will run better.