Fixing iPods

Diagnostics

Key combinations

See the graphic at http://www.command-tab.com/2006/03/30/hidden-ipod-commands/ for key combinations.

iPod 5th gen

MENU+SELECT

restart

SELECT+REVERSE

diagnostic mode

Disk repairs

Skipping bad blocks

See http://www.openobject.org/isop/?p=47 for how to re-partition an iPod's hard drive so that bad blocks are part of the partition-map partition instead of the firmware or data partitions.

See http://www.macgeekery.com/node/6 for nice examples of partitioning that helped people with both new and old disks.

Take-apart guides

Good guides are at iFixit.com, for example their page on the iPod 5th generation (Video): http://www.ifixit.com/Device/iPod_5th_Generation_%28Video%29