How To Put Your iPod Into iPod Disk Mode

Sometimes the iPod can be a stubborn ‘lil bugger who refuses to mount on your computer.  A quick fix is to slip the iPod into Disk Mode, which is a helpful way to troubleshoot most iPod disk mounting issues.

NERD NOTE: The iPhone, iPod Nano, iPod Shuffle and iPod Touch don’t have “hard drives” they have “flash media drives.” So you can’t put them into disk mode. Just the other iPods.

iPod Disk Mode Tutorial

1. You need to restart your iPod before putting it into Disk Mode. Make sure that the HOLD switch is off and then restart your iPod. Depending on which iPod model that you have, restart instructions are slightly different. For newer iPods, try holding down the CENTER and MENU buttons until the screen turns black. If that doesn’t work, then read this article for additional instructions.
2. After your iPod begins the restart process, then immediately hold down the “Fast Forward” and “Rewind” buttons or the CENTER and PLAY buttons. This will force your iPod into Disk Mode.
3. At this point, plug your iPod into your computer if it isn’t already. Your iPod should now mount to your computer. If not, try restarting the computer.
4. Once your iPod is in iPod Disk Mode (it should say that on the top of the iPod’s LCD screen) and is flashing the “Do not disconnect” icon, then you should be all set. You can now do tasks like restore your iPod or copy files on or off your iPod.
5. Once you are done, you will need to unmount your iPod from your computer. Look for an eject icon in iTunes. You can also drag the iPod into the Trash (Mac) or right-click on the iPod and select eject.
6. If your iPod fails to resume normal functionality after being dismounted, then try restarting your iPod again.
7. If this procedure didn’t work, then you may have a hardware problem. Check out our VIP Repair Service for more information and how to get it fixed.