methodshop
sign in/up  
submit
 
facebook
 
twitter
 
flickr
 

 
home   gadgets   games   music   video   picts   reviews   tutorials   about corner
   
@methodshop
Buy this ad!
 


.
iPod into Diagnostic Mode
Quickly find out if your iPod has a hardware problem
Created: 05/12/2002 | Updated: 09/10/2011 | By: Staff

Even though you are probably not aware of it, virtually everything you own, which uses electricity, has a diagnostic mode. Everything from your cell phone to your dishwasher can tell you what is wrong with it, or at least give you a clue, if you know the secret combination of buttons to push. The iPod is no different.

If you suspect there is something wrong with your iPod, you can switch it to diagnostic mode to determine what the problem may be.

1. You need to restart your iPod before putting it into Diagnostic Mode. Check that your hold switch is off by sliding the switch away from the headphone jack. You should not see any orange. Toggle it on and off to be safe.

2. Press and hold the following combination of buttons simultaneously for approximately 10 seconds to reset the iPod.

  • iPod 1G to 3G (scroll & touch wheel iPods): "Menu" and "Play/Pause"
    ipod

  • iPod 4G+ (includes Photo, Nano, Video, and Mini): "Menu" and "Select Center Button"
    ipod

  • iPhone & iPod Touch: "Menu" and "Sleep Button"
    iphone

If you iPod is't listed here, please see this page for more info.

3. The Apple logo will appear and you should feel the hard drive spinning up. Press and hold the following sequence of buttons:

  • iPod 1G to 3G: "REW", "FFW" and "Select"
  • iPod 4G+ (includes Photo, Nano, Mini, etc.): "REW" and "Select"

You will hear an audible chirp sound (3G models and higher) and the Apple logo should appear backwards. You are now in Diagnostic Mode. Don't worry, running these diagnostic tests will NOT damage or corrupt the data (music, photos, playlists, videos, etc.) on you iPod?

4. Navigate the list of tests using "REW" and "FFW". The scroll wheel will not function while in diagnostic mode.

NERD NOTE: If you run the Hard Drive Diagnostic Test, make sure you have your iPod connected to a power source. This test requires a lot of power will drain your battery in the matter of minutes.

 


Older iPod Diagnostic Mode Tests:

The following tests are for the older iPods, 1G to 4G. If you have a newer iPod (Photo, Nano, Video, Mini), please scroll to the bottom of this page.

You can run the following tests on older iPods.

iPod Diagnostic Mode
A. 5 IN 1 E. REMOTE I. OTPO CNT M. FLASH
B. RESET F. FIREWARE J. LCM N. OTPO
C. KEY G. SLEEP K. RTC O. HDD SCAN
D. AUDIO H. A 2 D L. SDRAM P. RUN IN

 

Here's a breakdown of the tests:

A. 5 IN 1: This runs the following 5 tests at once (J through N as listed below): LCM, SDRAM, RTC, FLASH/CHECKSUM, and FIREWIRE/FW ID. If you have a 3G iPod, at the end of the test, your buttons will now play a series of sound effects.
B. RESET: Can your iPod reset? Run this test and find out.
C. KEY: After you start this test, you need to press all the buttons on your iPod within 5 seconds. If you don't do it fast enough, it will fail.
D. AUDIO: Plug in headphones, but don't expect an electronic rendition of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. This test checks the audio subsystem. You will see a message that says "0X00000000 DONE" if your iPod passed the test.
E. REMOTE:

This will test your iPod's Remote if you have one. Plug it in or the test result will be "RMT FAIL".

F.FIREWARE: Checks your iPod's FireWire port. A successful completion of the test will return "FW PASS".
G. SLEEP: Will put your iPod to sleep. You will need to reset your iPod to wake it back up.
H. A 2 D: Tests the iPod's power. Your results should look something like this: "3.7V 0X000000E2 CHG OK FW 1 BAT 1". The results will be different depending if your iPod is plugged into your computer, a wall outlet or is just running off battery power.
I. OTPO CNT: Tests your scroll wheel. Results are returned in hexadecimal.
J. LCM: The LCM is your iPod's screen. Keep pressing the "Select" button to toggle through several pattern tests.
K. RTC: Tests the iPod's built-in "Real Time Clock".
L. SDRAM: The RAM memory test. Hopefully it will tell you "PASS"
M. FLASH: Your iPod has built-in Flash memory that stores firmware information. This test will tell you what Firmware version you have installed.
N. OTPO or
Wheel A2D:
Tests the A2D (analog to digital) input of your iPod's scroll, touch or click-wheel. You need to reset your iPod to exit this test.
O. HDD SCAN: Scans your iPod's hard drive. This is a great way to see if you have a healthy iPod. This test will take a few minutes so be patient.
P. RUN IN: Tests your iPod's chip sets continuously.

 

If your iPod passes the diagnostic tests, you should see a screen like the one below:

iPod Diagnostic Mode

 

To get your iPod out of Diagnostic Mode, you will have to restart it again.


Diagnostic Mode Tests for newer iPods:

Compared to the oddball geek speak of the older iPod diagnostic tests (see above), the terminology used in the newer tests is much closer to plain English. The bigger screen of newer iPods and higher resolution must have enabled Apple to improve this feature.

Once in diagnostic mode, you can run either the Manual Test (Menu) or Auto Test (Back). Here's the breakdown of Manual mode:

NTF
Memory
IO
Power
Accessories Test
SysCfg
Reset

 

Here's a breakdown of the tests. To cancel a test, just press the MENU button:

NTF:

Run the Autotest and it will do the following:

  • Graphic self test
  • SDRAMQuicktest
  • Checksum
  • RTC
  • USBtest
  • Keytest
  • Wheeltest
  • Headphonedetect
  • Accessory Test
  • ChargeADC
  • Backlight (brightness)
  • Color
Memory:

The Memory tests include diagnostic procedures for your iPod's SDRAM, IRAM and FLASH memory.

SDRAM: The RAM memory test. The SDRAM Fulltest will take several minutes. A successful pass result is "SDRAM OK."

IRAM: Not sure exactly what this test does. It takes several moments to load before running a quick test and rebooting your iPod.

FLASH: This test will do a checksum test of your iPod's flash memory.

IO:

iPod Diagnostic Mode

Comms: This tests the communication ports of your iPod including USB, FireWire and Remote. If the Remote is not connected to your iPod at the time of the test, you can expect a NG (no good) for the HP (headphone-port).

Wheel: This option has two tests, Keytest and Wheeltest. Push each button once to pass the Keytest. The Wheeltest just gives you a coordinate of where your finger is on the Click-Wheel.

LCD: This option has two tests, Backlight (0 to 255; 128 is the default) and Color. Much like a VRAM test, the Color test will run through a series of colors, patterns and gradients.

HeadphoneDetect: This test checks the Hold Switch and Headphone port.

HardDrive: This option has four tests.

  • HDSpecs will tell you everything from hard drive temperature to serial number.
  • HDScan scans your iPod's hard drive. This is a great way to see if you have a healthy iPod and if your hard drive is fragmented. This test will take a few minutes so be patient.
  • HDSMARTData returns SMART data for professional repair applications and personnel.
  • HDRW tests the ability of your hard drive to RW (read and write data). A FAIL result probably means you need to get your hard drive replaced.

Audio: This option has two tests. Playback plays an audio sample to make sure your iPod can produce sound. MIC tests your iPods ability to record audio.

Power:

A2DTests: This test has multiple sub tests.

  • PhilipsID checks the power system of your iPod
  • A2D lists a series of A2D (analog to digital) tests.
Status:

Status displays the status of several of your iPod's key systems.

  • Sharp: LCD screen
  • HP: headphones. Are they connected? [0 = no, 1 = yes]
  • FWPWR: FireWire power. Is your FireWire cable charging your iPod?
  • USBPWR: USB power. Is your USB cable charging your iPod?
SysCfg:

SysCfg: System Configuration.

This lists your iPod's hardware version, serial numbers, and part number.

 

 

If your iPod fails any of these tests, then you might have a hardware problem. You can try to trouble shoot your iPod some more, but there may not be much you can do. If nothing works, use our VIP Repair Service to get your iPod fixed.

To get your iPod out of Diagnostic Mode, you will have to restart it again.

 
 


methodshop.com community email
Email Us
twitter
Twitter
facebook
Facebook
rss
RSS Feeds
newsletter
Newsletter

orange
featured reviews
orange   orange
most popular
orange  

Gadget Reviews

 

imageHeadphones & Earbuds

 

Speakers

 

imageSoftware

 

iPod Cases & Bags

 

iPod Docks

 

Misc

 
OtterBox for iPod Mini
showerOn the run, in the car, or at the gym, our iPods have gone with us to the ends of the earth... except places near water. But thanks to the OtterBox Mini you can now safely take your iPod Mini near or even underwater.

arrowThe Torch
reviewWicked Lasers named their new flashlight the TORCH... and for good reason. The "TORCH" is technically a flashlight. It looks like a flashlight. Operates like a flashlight. But this is no ordinary flashlight. The TORCH is so bright that its beam can ignite flammable objects as fast as fire.

arrowFlip Mino Camcorder
reviewThe super-portable, super-simple Flip Mino makes it easy to capture and share high-quality video anywhere and everywhere. And thanks to its flip-out USB arm and intuitive, built-in software, Mino lets you view, edit and upload your videos to popular video-sharing sites instantly.

arrowApogee Duet
reviewWhat if you could find a relatively inexpensive interface that could easily convert that analog signal to a higher quality digital output for all your apps? Well, the sleek, portable aluminum-cased Apogee Duet may just be the answer.

arrowRadius Atomic Bass Earbuds
review
If you're looking for an inexpensive, lightweight pair of earbuds with fantastic bass, then Radius' Atomic Bass earbuds are the earbuds of your dreams.

JL421 Badonkadonk Land Cruiser
You The JL421 Badonkadonk Land Cruiser (ba-donk-a-donk) is a custom made tank that looks like it was modeled after Jabba the Hut's Sail Barge from Return of the Jedi. Nicknamed the "Donk," the JL421 Land Cruiser made its debut in 2002 at the Burning Man festival in Nevada.

Nintendo Wii Nunchuck Controller
Is a weak arm or physical stamina keeping you from taking your Nintendo Wii gaming experience to the next level? Perhaps you should look into getting the Nintendo Wii Nunchuck Controller. This accessory adds even more innovation to the next generation of gaming and does it all with less physical movement.

JBL Creature II Speaker System
What's the point of downloading your favorite songs on iTunes if they sound like crap on your computer's built-in speakers? The sound quality and volume these little babies emit, much to the chagrin of my neighbors, is truly phenomenal.

Apple TV Review
You may have heard of that new Apple product, I believe it's called the, uhh, Apple TV. I understand that newspapers, other blogs, and your Aunt have already reviewed this thing, but I thought I'd add my two cents.

Mod Your iPod
Are you a victim of the iPod's blossoming popularity? Feel like just another pair of white headphones in the crowd? Maybe it's time you got an iPod Mod.

H20 iPod Mini Case
H20 Audio has created a waterproof and impact resistant case so that we can take our iPod Minis anywhere we want… including the ocean free.

Digital Picture Frames
Why give someone a single still framed picture when you can give them an entire slide show? Most Digital Picture Frames can playback a series of digital photos and videos on high-resolution screens.

JBL Encounter Speakers
In a world of boring shelf speakers that are as fascinating as the wires that connect them, the JBL Encounter draws people towards it with its innovative tongue-in-cheek design and then lavishes them with deep warm sound.

wicked laserWicked Lasers Review
What makes a Wicked Laser "wicked"? How impressive is a military grade laser imported from China? Let's test it and find out...

iTrip Auto
Play your music through any car FM radio.
 
orange
take me topside you turd
orange orange   orange



iPod Help Articles
 
most popular
 

cashiPod & iPhone Help

 

iTunes Help

 

General Info

 

 
Copy Music Off Your iPod
Has a virus or hard drive crash wiped out your entire music collection on your computer? No problem. Here's how to copy music off your iPod and back onto your computer.

Erase Your iPod
Is your iPod acting funny? There are a number of things that can be wrong with it, but this super fix solution will cure most problems.

Do Not Disconnect Won't Go Away
Are you trying to eject your iPod from your computer but the "Do Not Disconnect" won't go away? Don't worry, this is a common problem with a fairly easy solution.

VIP iPod Repair & Mod Service
If you need some TLC for your iPod ASAP, contact us for our special VIP repair service. We offer general or complex repair services as well as many customization options.
 
top






[ home ]
[ games ]
[ music ]
[ video ] RSSXML

Contact Us | About MethodShop.com | Search
MethodShop.com LLC ®1996-2011. All rights reserved.

methodshop.com
prev top

. . .
.
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://methodshop.us.intellitxt.com/intellitxt/front.asp?ipid=2267"></script>