July 22, 2005 12:38 AM PDT

iPod Special Report: Using Apple's Disk Utility, other disk tools to solve iPod directory/permissions problems

by CNET staff

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MacFixIt reader Bill reports that performing a reformat of the iPod's hard drive in Apple's Disk Utility (located in Applications/Utilities) can sometimes work as a last-resort option before sending the unit in for repair. He writes:

"In this first failure iTunes simply locked up, displayed the rainbow pin-wheel of death, and required a force quit of iTunes. [...] So I reset the iPod. Reconnected the iPod. iTunes locked up again. Disconnect, reset iPod, launch iPod Updater 2004-08-06, restore iPod. Disconnect, reset iPod, re-connect, iTunes asks to name iPod (update automatically is checked), iTunes begins to transfer songs but soon reports 'Attempting to copy to disk 'iPod' failed. An unknown error occurred (-36).'

"Over the next two weeks I try various combinations of iPod resets and restores. I even get Disk Utility and DiskWarrior to check the iPod after being freshly restored. Neither program reported a problem. I installed a squeaky clean 10.3.5 without the Sept security updates on another freshly reformatted internal disk, with the latest iTunes, latest QuickTime, latest iPod updater, and permissions repaired. Still no success, iTunes continued to lock up or reported 'attempting to copy disk failed.' A simple restore whether or not the iPod was in 'Disk Mode' did not correct the problem. Very frustrated, I pulled out the iPod's warranty booklet. But wait, lets try one last thing before calling Apple...

"The Solution: Reformat the iPod using Disk Utility, being sure to use 'Mac OS Extended' and in 'Options...' check 'Zero all data.' Before doing so, it is necessary to put the iPod into disk mode (see Apple Article 93651), otherwise iTunes will try to launch when the iPod is connected to the computer. It takes a long time to reformat when "Zero all data" is checked. In my case, it took somewhere between 30-60 minutes to reformat. The progress bar moves very, very slowly and I would put the iPod next to my ear just to be sure the disk was still spinning. Now with a completely reformatted and zeroed iPod, disconnect it (being sure to Eject it first!), launch iPod Updater, reconnect iPod, and hit Restore. Surprisingly, the iPod was still in Disk Mode after going through this exercise, so I reset it. Connecting it once again to the computer, iTunes launched, asked for a name, I left checked the "automatically update" selection, hit OK, and to my great relief the transfer of my entire iTunes library completed without a problem. Hurray!"

Meanwhile, MacFixIt reader Tut reports that severe fragmentation of the iPod's internal drive caused some strange behavior that was resolved with Alsoft's DiskWarrior:

"The problem: After about an hour of listening to my 'Least Played' list (the iPod on battery power) it just stopped at the end of a song. Just the way it would do if you reach the end of a play list. But this was in the middle of the list.

"The screen is lit all the time (I have it on for 5 seconds normally), and no buttons function, though I can hear them make that clicking sound. The padlock icon is visible no matter what I do to lock/unlock the iPod. The drive keeps humming all the time. The play icon shows that a song is running, but no sound at all is coming out. The iPod changed songs in the song list and eventually settled back to the main menu after a few hours.

"The first time this happened I used the iPod updater to restore everything, but when it happened again (at the same song as the time before!) I used DiskWarrior to check the drive. It was 67% fragmented. I have never had a drive reach double digits before. Having been given a new directory it has now been good ? we'll see for how long."

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