Rockbox Technical Forums

Installation / Removal => Rockbox Utility => Topic started by: FBX on November 25, 2019, 04:26:51 AM

Title: Corrupted my ipod classic 160GB trying to install Rockbox:
Post by: FBX on November 25, 2019, 04:26:51 AM
So during the installation process I hadn't noticed I was supposed to at some point hold the select and menu buttons. By the time I realized what was being asked of me, it was too late, and my attempt to comply failed. Now my ipod classic doesn't work at all. I can't turn it on, the screen is black, it's totally bricked. Is there a way I can restore it to try again? I've read that itunes no longer supports ipod classics, so I doubt I can use that software, which isn't installed on my Win10 computer anyway. How to I get this working for a 2nd try?
Title: Re: Bricked my ipod classic 160GB trying to install Rockbox:
Post by: FBX on November 25, 2019, 04:41:42 AM
Okay so I Googled and found I could recover the ipod classic by flicking the hold switch and then doing the select+Menu hold. This worked to let me try again. This time I followed instructions and I got to 99% with the following error:

Could not mount the device, try to do it manually. if the ipod didn't restart, force a reset by holding select + menu buttons for about 5 seconds. If the problem could not be solved, then click Abort to cancel.

Now when I try holding Select + Menu, after some seconds my computer then decides I need to format the device. Should I do that or is that not meant to be a part of the installation process?

Much appreciated for help & guidance.
Title: Re: Bricked my ipod classic 160GB trying to install Rockbox:
Post by: FBX on November 25, 2019, 04:57:26 AM
Figured out I had to manually install to get it to work. What a frikken nightmare. Thankfully it seems to be booting properly into Rockbox now. Next step is to see if I can actually put some music on it and have it play some tracks... I'll post another reply if I get stuck again. Thanks!

Edit: My FLAC collection with tags and cover art transferred over with no issues and play beautifully! I'd like to thank myself for guiding me through the troubleshooting process.  :P
Title: Re: Corrupted my ipod classic 160GB trying to install Rockbox:
Post by: Frankenpod on November 25, 2019, 06:03:35 AM
It's almost impossible (maybe literally impossible) to brick an ipod by such software means, so you were panicking unnecessarily.  Ipods don't work that way.  The only time I've ever known it come close is when there's a physical hardware fault with the ipod (and even that one I eventually got working again).

Just missing the requirement to go into DFU mode doesn't do anything catastrophic.  Either restore with iTunes and start again, or even just reconnecting to PC and repeating the RB installation process would likely fix it.

Also, itunes will still restore ipod classics (I restored one just yesterday), at least on Windows.  I have heard that Mac iTunes has been completely revamped, so I don't know what the situation is there, but Windows iTunes has hardly changed.

Edit - good point though that it wouldn't surprise me if Apple eventually removes the support for restoring classics.  iTunes already can't restore the earliest iPod Touch model unless you get the relevant files from somewhere else. But I think the files for restoring the classic are already "out there" so it should be possible to get around that even if it happens.
Title: Re: Corrupted my ipod classic 160GB trying to install Rockbox:
Post by: A11A on December 23, 2019, 02:51:35 PM
A fully manual install also isn't necessary, see here http://forums.rockbox.org/index.php/topic,53106.msg245387.html#msg245387
Rockbox Utility installs things in the wrong order for the ipod classic which causes stock > rockbox installation to fail, you just need to install the bootloader last and it will work fine.