PLEASE NOTE:
THIS ARTICLE IS VERY OLD AND OUT-OF-DATE. IT IS FOR REFERENCE & INFORMATION USE ONLY.
WE DO NOT SUPPORT ROCKBOX AND CANNOT PROVIDE ANY HELP WITH IT.
Read here -> iPod 6g Classic Rockbox Installation
Introduction
Thanks to some ongoing work by one of the EmCore developers (Thank you TheSeven!!). We have a development version which is working great on my iFlash boards – this includes CF, SD and mSata cards.
Installation is a two part process. First part we replace the Apple OS with EmCore and once that is running we install Rockbox.
You can get more info about emCore and Rockbox at these links.
One great side effect of installing EmCore / Rockbox, is it removes the silly 128Gb LBA28 limits of the Apple OS for 6g (80Gb,160Gb,120Gb) owners.
Be warned you are making low level changes to your iPod – so read this warning and disclaimer, understand the risks before proceedings :-
http://www.freemyipod.org/wiki/EmCORE_Installation
Installation
- You read the disclaimer and warning above?!?!?!? No crying if it goes wrong.
- Download the latest development build files here :- ClassicRockbox.
- Extract the archive to a convenient place, so you should have a folder called ClassicRockbox.
- If you have iTunes installed, hit ctrl + alt + del and start task manager. In task manager goto the Processes tab and click on show processes from all users. Then right click on these processes and select kill process tree :- iPodService.exe , iTunesHelper.exe , AppleMovileDeviceService.exe .
- Connect your iPod to the computer.
- Hold down Menu + Select, for around 5 to 10 seconds – keep holding until it stops resetting and the iPod looks like it has died – screen should be blank and no backlight.
- Wait a moment for the computer to install the iPod device recovery driver.
- In the folder ClassicRockbox, double click bootstrap_ipodclassic_itunes.exe.
- A UMSBoot drive should appear. Drag and drop the installer-ipodclassic.ubi file in to the UMSboot drive.
- Now safe eject the UMSboot drive.
- EmCore should now boot up on the iPod and finish installing itself.
- Select Rockbox and that will start the fallback Rockbox image on EmCore.
- Rockbox should start and enter USB mode, wait for the iPod to appear on your computer.
- Once the iPod drive appears, drag and drop the .rockbox folder to the iPod.
- Safely eject the iPod and remove the USB lead.
Remember this is a development version – so leave a comment let me know how it is working for you…. especially the storage cards you are using….
Thanks, Tarkan. As usual, this raises more question, ha. How can I put the iPod in disk mode? Do I need to get on a Win7 pc and run bootstrap? Or is there another way? I also don’t know what H2Testw is.
I believe Disk Mode is Center Plus Menu until it reboots, then immediately release and press center Plus Play/Pause.
@Chris – Search for H2TestW and download it, it is free. As I understand it the EmCore bootstrap program only runs under win7. Disk mode is as mentioned below – Hold down Menu+select to reset, and quickly hold down Play+Select.
Well, there may be some issue with the iPod itself. Used iTunes to try and sync the iPod, and the process stopped on the 247th song due to an unspecified error. Tried again, same problem. The song plays back fine from the PC, so the problem seems to be in the iPod. Whether it’s a bad hard drive, or something in the electronics, I don’t know.
Any suggestions on how to proceed? If it’s a bad drive, I’ll just go the iFlash route now, and worry about rockbox later. But there’s no point investing the time or $$$ if I don’t know whether it’ll do any good.
Thanks for any help.
@Chris – IF it is the hard drive you can normally hear it seeking and trying to read constantly before the iPod gives up. In diskmode you can try running H2Testw to test the drive.
IFlash? That’s one of your adapters? My iPod is stock. My intention was to make sure the Rockbox mod would work, before changing the hardware.
Yes, it runs fine on iTunes. Thanks.
Ok, I tried again, but this time, I tried your approach *after* double clicking on bootstrap, to see what Device Manager and Control Panel told me about properties.
In Control Panel, under Devices and Printers, it’s shown as UMSboot, and the driver details are:
C:\Windows\system32\drivers\USBSTOR.SYS
Version: 6.3.9600.17331
Under Device Manager, in the window UMSboot RAMDISK USB Device Properties, the following are listed under “Driver Files Details”
C:\Windows\system32\DRIVERS\disk.sys
C:\Windows\system32\driversEhStorClass.sys
C:\Windows\system32\drivers\partmgr.sys
Provider: Microsoft
File Version:
6.3.9600.16384 (winblue_rtm.130821-1623)
In Windows Explorer, This PC shows a Removable Drive E:. I tried right clicking on it, and the s-l-o-w refresh of ThisPc started, after which, nothing responded. I eventually got the blank pink/purple screen. I hit Ctrl-Alt-Delete, Shut f en, and after ~5 minutes got a message (still on pink/purple screen) that Device Manager was preventing shut down. I hit “Shut down anyway”, and after 1-2 minutes, it shut down.
@Chris – I assume your iPod works ok when restored with iTunes and the iFlash installed? Also it might worth trying this on a win7 machine, not sure if the bootstrap for EmCore works under win8.
Have tried your suggested approach, twice, and got an error both times. The computer performed an auto shut down. A error message flashed *very* briefly, so I’m not sure I remember it precisely, but I think it was
somethingsomething_NOT_EQUAL
Also, after clicking “Let me pick”, the next screen that comes up shows only the Apple Recovery (DFU) USB Driver. But if I uncheck the “Show compatible hardware” box, a list shows up, with “Manufacturer” on the left and “Model” on the right. I chose “Compatible USB storage device”, which showed “USB Mass Storage Device” as the driver.
Between 7 & 8
Jeremie,
Thanks for the alternative approach. I will try it.
Just to be clear:
— I *did* disable the iTunes services/processes as specified in the tutorial (except for the one time, when I wanted to let iTunes recover the device). Also, although my PC basically stops dead in its tracks after bootstrap, Device Manager *does* show the iPod as a USMboot drive, and if I double click on it, the properties window comes up, but there’s very little info. No volume, no capacity. But it *does* list three drivers, all of which IIRC are USB mass storage, and none of them says Apple or ipod anywhere in the file name. Just FWIW.
— At which point do I do as you suggest, setting the drive as USB Mass Storage? I assume I do this *after* step 5 and *before* step 6? Or is it between steps 7 and 8?
Thanks again for your help.
Chris, I believe there are some funky apple driver issues sometimes… I believe I had a similar issue on my Win 10 system. You do want to make sure iTunes and all iTunes or Apple software is not running while you work on it.
***If I remember correctly*** this is the process I used:
I went to Devices and Printers, scrolled down to Unspecified, right click on the Apple device there, click Properties, go to Hardware, click Properties again, then in the new window, click Change settings, then click Driver, then Update Driver, then click Browse my computer for driver software, then Let me pick, then choose USB Mass Storage Device, instead of the Apple…
Then the process will detect the device…
I tried having iTunes restore the iPod, and then starting from scratch. But I’m still having the same problem. I still don’t get any kind of prompt or pop up telling me that a recovery driver is being installed, though when I double click the bootstrap, I do get the pop ups I described previously (“USMboot has been launched!”, and “Device control: Error 31: An attached device is not functioning”).
Nevertheless, WinEx lists a Removable Drive:E (though this time, it subsequently disappeared, and when I tried to refresh This PC in WinEx, nothing happened). I looked in Device Manager, and DM *does* list a USMboot drive, even after WinEx had stopped showing a Removable Drive E:. WTF???
I don’t know if it’s my hardware configuration, or because I’m using Win8, or my iPod, but I can’t get this to work.
Three are several issues:
FIRST — I’m not sure whether step 7 ever happens. I wait a few moments, and then some, but there’s no pop up or dialogue; no indication that any recovery process is happening.
SECOND — If I go ahead, anyway, and click on bootstrap, I do get a new drive. The iPod screen shows a message along the lines that it’s in USM mode and I should drop in a ubi file. HOWEVER, my pc sites two pop ups; one which says USM drive created, and another which is DOS looking (black background with white lettering), that says the attached device is not operating. BOTH of these poo ups disappear when I click on either one of them. NEVERTHELESS, my pc does register the iPod as “removable drive e:” (i.e. NOT as “USMboot Drive”), usually after a delay of 5 to 10 minutes or more, and only after scanning/reloading “This PC” in windows explorer. The scan/reload never completes. It stops progressing with just the last little bit left in the progress bar. It reaches this point after 2-3 minutes, and if I wait as much as twenty more minutes, it’s still at this same point.
FINALLY — If I go ahead and try to drag and drop the ubi file, either nothing happens (no progress bar pop up showing the copy in progress), or I get a poo up message saying I need to insert a disk into removable drive e:. Either way, once I reach that point, if I try to do anything further, the pc stops responding and I have to do a hard shut down.
Sorry for the long post. Just trying to describe the problem as thoroughly as I can.
I’m thinking that the problem lies in the iPod recovery driver. Maybe what I need to do is start over (again!), and skip the part where I kill the iTunes tasks, and then let iTunes reinstall the os/firmware, and then go back to step 1?
I have an iPod Classic 6th gen (I thought it was a 7.5 when I bought it); does anyone know if there’s a way to apply this EMCore / rockbox to remove the 128GB for the regular Apple firmware? Or is it just for Rockbox?
Thanks,
EmCore will only work with Rockbox – there is no way I know of to change or upgrade the original Apple firmware.
Thanks, I figured that would be the case, but that it wouldn’t hurt to check
@Tarken
Just confirmed it again synced ACDC (hold judgements pls 😉 ).
Same error after going through the same setup guide. open to advise
@Tarken
Yup all restores and syncs a song ok but I’ll do it again shortly…
If it doesnt sync what then?
@Darryn – The error you are getting is strange, it is possible that EmCore does not like the SD card you are using hence why you need to confirm everything is working ok on the Apple OS via iTunes.
@Tarken
Yup it was the SD card all along… Thanks for the advise.
Hi Sorry for filling up the forum.. I have progressed from my issue I had and for the record I can only put it down to Windows 8.1… I am now on W7 but I now get the below issue after formatting via Emcore screen.
*PANIC*
Dir entry 6 in sector 0 is not free! FF FF FF 00
I have rebuild MBR via AOMEI with no love. I am using..
Ipod classic (Ex 60g)
iBundle thin CF-V11
Verbatim SD HC 32g
@Darryn – have you confirmed that everything is working ok with the original Apple OS, check syncing is ok and playback works with no problems.
OK not sure i follow… I received my thin bundle and am installing on a 32g SD card until my 256 arrives..
What I did….
1. full restore to get 32g card useable
2. ended said tasks
3. plugged in ipod classic
4. entered dfu mode
5. d/loaded link in above description and extracted ( I had 3 files .rockbox, bootstrap.exe and installer.ubi)
6. opened bootstrap and received an error. “device control. error 31
7. I read screen of ipod and it said copy the ubi file and safe eject so I did.
8. removed cable and device stays in booting…. for ever if I’d let it…..
Should have I copied the .rockbox over PRIOR to going into DFU it didnt say to so I didn’t.
Help anyone
Thanks for the tips Tarkan I’l check out the partition section of settings. The only issue I tend to have is itunes not seeing the ipod when in DFU mode while running rock box. Quick question, is there any way at all to run itunes with access to my 250 gb hard drive?? even if it only displays 127g?
@Gerry – No iTunes / Apple OS for your model of iPod will not access anything above 128Gb. In DFU mode iTunes can only restore the iPod it will not see it as a storage device or an iPod, only as an iPod in recovery mode which requires a restore.
After installing the new Iflash SATA card and my new crucial MX200 250GB mSATA SSD, I have tried installing rockbox twice on my Itunes classic 120 model PB565L and it still sees only a 127gb drive. , Rockbox flashes OK the snowing background shows up I go into settiongs and it still shows 127gb HD. The Ipod will NOT boot from itunes either with the “menu hold button” or the “lock button” after boot. I can see the music on the ipod and I can play it but I can’t fit more than 127G of music on a 250g HD. Now I cant even play my ipod in my car either because the ipod cannot load the itunes software. I feel like I wasted my money on this “upgrade”
@Gerry – The reason EmCore/Rockbox only shows 127Gb is because that is the size of the partition created by the iTunes restore, in EmCore under the tools menu you can get EmCore to format the data partition – this should re-partition the drive so a new 238Gb partition is created and formatted.
You cannot dual boot between Rockbox and Apple OS on the iPod Classics, and also not sure Rockbox is very car system friendly – I would suggest doing some research over at http://www.rockbox.org and http://www.freemyipod.org.
To return to the Apple OS, you need to get the iPod back in to DFU mode like for the install, but this time start iTunes to restore the original Apple firmware.
can someone point me to guide or tel me how to uninstall emCore from iPod Classic 7th gen? I searched already for how-to but did not find a thing, I try to restore to original apple software.
Restore it with iTunes. It will format the drive & re install the Apple OS. All traces of rockbox & emCore will be gone.
@Mike – it is the reverse of installing, so put the iPod in to DFU mode and on connection to the computer iTunes will detect an iPod which needs restoring.
@Tarkan, @Kevin Thx
ok, got it now, just have to hold Select+Menu for about 15sec, the emCORE will restart few times then will go in to recovery. It was too simple for me to understand 🙂
Well after many hours and tons of restores, and getting nothing but ATA errors and such. I have pretty much given up on installing Rockbox on my iPod 6g & 7g Classics with the Samsung msata 512gb drive. I have decided to put the drive back in my iPod 5.5 Video, and sell it. Then use the money to get a Sandisk class 10 512gb sd card, use the appropiate program to rebuild the mbr and create a partition. Then put that in my iPod classic 6g 160gb (fat version), install Rockbox, then put all my music on it and call it a day. Since it seems no one anywhere has successfully run an msata drive on the Classics with the Rockbox successfully installed. And believe me, I have looked all over the web and couldn’t find any sites or posts saying they did. Oh well, the cards run more efficient and use less battery power. And they are faster than an SSD, to each their own I guess.
Okay so since yesterday I have tried to get Rockbox to work on my iPod Classics. I tried both the 6th and the 7th ones to no avail. I keep getting errors pretty much every time I put the bootstrap and the ubi file. I can’t seem to get past that step. It is really frustrating, and driving me crazy. I am using the Samsung 512gb msata drive, with the 2000 mah battery in my iPod 6th 160gb Classic. I really need some help on this, and I have tried pretty much everything, and I am getting nowhere. I am tired of running the drive on an iPod video, as the video is slower and not as good on the battery on Rockbox. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.