If you own an iPod Classic, then you know that it can be hard to keep it in good shape. Over time, the plastic on the inside may start to brittle and crack. The scratches on the outside may become too deep for your fingers to reach. And the Earphones might start to fall out. If you have an iPod Classic, then resetting it is a must.
How To Reset An iPod Classic?
1. Connect your iPod Classic to a computer and iTunes will automatically detect it. If not, then click on the “Devices” tab in the iTunes window, select iPod Classic, and click on the “Summary” button at the top left of that window to show additional information about it.
2. Click on the “Restore” button at the bottom left corner of the iTunes window and choose the “Erase and Reformat” option from the menu that will appear on the screen. Then choose “Yes” from the menu that appears afterward, this will erase all of your information from the iPod Classic and reformat it as new.
3. After resetting is done, disconnect your iPod Classic from the computer before iTunes completes its process and you can now use it again like before (in case you had synced with music already).
Note: If you are using Windows, then there’s no need to install any software. All you need to do is plug in your iPod Classic and then click on the “Restore” option under the “Summary” tab.
4. If you are using Mac then open iTunes, go to the Devices tab, and select iPod Classic. Then click on the Summary button at the top left of that window and choose the “Erase and Reformat” option from the menu that will appear on the screen. Then choose “Yes” from a menu that appears afterward, this will erase all of your information from the iPod Classic and reformat it as new.
5. After resetting is done, disconnect your iPod Classic from the computer before iTunes completes its process and you can now use it again like before (in case you had synced with music already).
How To Clean An iPod Classic
1. Turn off your iPod Classic then remove the back case by gently prying it off with your fingernail.
2. Use a soft cloth to clean the screen, this will avoid scratches and smudges from appearing on your screen.
3. Clean both sides of the screen with a soft cotton cloth and do not use any liquid or dryer sheets that might damage or get stuck on the plastic surface of your iPod Classic.
4. When you are done with cleaning, place the back case back on and turn on your iPod Classic again, then connect it to iTunes for syncing process to begin again (if you had synced with music already).
5. If you are using Windows, then there’s no need to install any software. All you need to do is plug in your iPod Classic and then click on the “Restore” option under the “Summary” tab.
6. If you are using Mac then open iTunes, go to the Devices tab, and select iPod Classic. Then click on the Summary button at the top left of that window and choose the “Clean” option from the menu that will appear on the screen. Then choose “Yes” from the menu that appears afterward, this will erase all of your information from the iPod Classic and clean it as new.
7. After cleaning is done, disconnect your iPod Classic from the computer before iTunes completes its process and you can now use it again like before (in case you had synced with music already).
What To Do If Your iPod Classic Is Broken?
- Turn off your iPod Classic then remove the back case by gently prying it off with your fingernail.
- Unscrew the headphone jack from the iPod Classic and unscrew the other three screws holding the front panel on.
- The front panel will come off and you’ll be able to see inside your iPod Classic, make sure to take out all of the screws that hold down the screen when you do this (if there are any).
- From inside, use a small flathead screwdriver to remove all of the screws that hold down the back panel (if there are any).
- Then carefully remove all of those screws (make sure not to break them while removing them) using a pair of tweezers or needle-nose pliers, once they’re removed you can now lift up up the back panel of your iPod Classic and unplug it from its connector at bottom of the casing. Make sure not to touch any metal parts while doing this process.
- Now that you have access to the circuit board of your iPod Classic, use a small flathead screwdriver to remove all of the screws that hold down the circuit board of your iPod Classic (if there are any).
- After removing all of those screws you can now lift up up the circuit board and disconnect it from its connector at bottom of the casing, make sure not to touch any metal parts while doing this process.
- You will now be able to see the motherboard and all of its components, carefully remove all of those screws that hold down the motherboard (if there are any).
- There is no need for you to take out or replace any component on this section as long as you don’t touch anything metal and just clean them with a soft cotton cloth or tissue paper only. Here are some components that I would highly recommend cleaning: battery connector, headphone jack, speaker grilles, microphone hole, and USB port cover in the front panel (this part is very important as it’s the only way to get to your iPod Classic’s mainboard).
- Once all of the screws are removed you can now lift up up the main board of your iPod Classic and disconnect it from its connector at bottom of the casing, make sure not to touch any metal parts on this section.
- Use a toothpick or something like that to clean away all of the dust that may be on your mainboard, you can also use compressed air if you have one.
- Now take out both sides of your iPod Classic and clean their connectors using a cotton cloth or tissue paper only, make sure not to damage any part on this section while doing this process.
- After cleaning all connector ports, put back together with the side parts and put them back onto your iPod Classic by aligning the small clips with each other and pushing them down until they click firmly into place (make sure not to touch any metal parts while doing this process).
- Now you can use a soft, cotton cloth or tissue paper to clean all of the connectors on the front and back panel of your iPod Classic (make sure to remove those protective plastic films from the first).
- You can now put your iPod Classic back together again by aligning the small clips with each other and pushing them down until they click firmly into place (make sure not to touch any metal parts when doing this process).
- Now you can now put it back together with your iPod Classic in reverse order of how you took it apart.
- Once you have put it all back together, plug it in and test if everything is working properly, if not then try cleaning the connectors one more time or try another charger or USB cable that may work for you.
Once you have tested that everything is working properly, then you can proceed to the next step:
- Remove the protective plastic film from your iPod Classic’s connectors if you haven’t done so already, if not then I recommend you do it now before proceeding to the next step.
- Now take out your iPod Classic’s battery and clean its terminals using a cotton cloth or tissue paper only (make sure not to touch any metal parts).
- Then take out both sides of your iPod Classic and clean their connectors using a cotton cloth or tissue paper only, make sure not to damage any part on this section while doing this process.
- After cleaning all connector ports, put back together both sides of your iPod Classic and put them back onto your iPod Classic by aligning the small clips with each other and pushing them down until they click firmly into place (make sure not to touch any metal parts while doing this process).
Now you can use
How To Keep Your iPod Classic In Good Shape
1. Keep your iPod Classic in a clean, dry, and cool place.
2. Ensure that you have good quality original Apple accessories for your iPod Classic.
3. Do not use the iPod Classic with any other accessories besides those officially licensed by Apple.
4. Do not expose the iPod Classic to extreme temperatures or direct sunlight for a long period of time, this can damage its internal components and lead to hardware malfunctioning or even malfunctioning of the navigation buttons on some models.
5. Do not charge your iPod Classic while it is still connected to a power source, instead disconnect it from the power source and then connect it again after charging its battery fully (this will help in extending the life span of your battery).
6. Keep an eye on all scratches and dents on your iPod Classic because they are prone to harbor bacteria that can lead to hardware malfunctioning (you may have noticed that some scratches/dents start acting up after a period of time).
Conclusion
Congratulations, you have successfully restored your iPod Classic and it will now work like new again.
If you have any questions or comments then please use the comment box below.
