iPod Replacement Hard Drive
Apple does state that the iPod as a unit is sealed and requires a qualified engineer to repair it. Reality is, however, its fairly simple and will probably save you a good chunk of money if you do this yourself. And it will only take around 20 minutes of your time.
All that is needed to open the case and reveal the internal workings is a small flat head screwdriver.
The most difficult part of this process is actually choosing a hard disk replacement. Apple uses modified Toshiba drives in iPods resulting in generic replacement drives not working in Firewire iPods. The easiest way to do it is to buy replacements taken from old iPods with prices beginning at approx $120 for the 20 GB model.
If you own a 3rd or 4th generation iPod (come with docking cradle) and a Mac that runs Mac OS X 10.3.4 with USB 2 ports any replacement hard disk can be used using USB2. This wont work through Firewire but it’s a loss that’s acceptable.
It may be a good idea whilst you are replacing your drive to upgrade to a larger capacity as there is no limit as to the storage size of your replacement.
If you are happy enough using a small screwdriver and voiding the warranty on your iPod, that’s if you are still in the warranty period, then watch the video below for instructions on how to replace the iPods hard disk. If you are within your 1 year warranty period and you are having problems with your iPod then it is advisable to contact Apple for servicing.