How to Mod Your iPod (5/5.5 Gen)

I'll teach you how to put rockbox, custom firmware [like the new ipods], a bootloader and 20 games onto your ipod.

Step 1: Getting the Custom Firmware

First, we need to find out if you have a 5th gen or 5.5 gen.
NOTE: this does not work on any other ipod than the ipod video. [That means shuffle, touch, nano [all], classic, chromatic and mini!]
To find this out, go to music [the menu with playlists, artists, etc.] and scroll to the very bottom.

IF YOUR IPOD HAS "Search" CLICK HERE http://dl.fdefault.com/ebsy-5g-classic-neue29.zip
IF YOUR IPOD DOES NOT HAVE "Search" CLICK HERE http://dl.fdefault.com/ebsy-55g-classic-neue29.zip

After this file has downloaded, extract the files and then download this program: http://www.getipodwizard.com/download.php?action=download&file_id=1

When that finishes downloading, extract the contents of that .zip
After extraction, navigate to the folder you extracted them to and run ipodwizard.
When ipodwizard starts, change the edit mode to firmware file and then click open firmware. navigate to where you extracted the first zip and select the .bin file. after you did this, click write to ipod. click ok on the next box, wait for it to write the firmware. when it's done, eject your ipod. it will restart itself. leave it plugged in and wait for it to finish booting. when it reconnects with the computer, eject it again and then unplug it. enjoy your new firmware!

IMPORTANT: If your iPod is missing songs and videos after you write the new firmware, put a new song in itunes and sync your ipod.

Comments

[spywizard]

the link for the games is not longer active :(

[tehooper]

I'd like to see an instructable on where to buy the clear face for the ipod like the one shown above and how to install/replace it.

[trickster208]

google rapidrepair or ivue panel

[Sandisk1duo]

did you ipod have an aluminum case on ti?

[jjay10]

How did you get your iPod to look like that?????

[froggyman]

can you still add games that you have bought through iTUnes even if you put the game folder on there?

[ipodmodder]

It removed the games I had bought when I unchecked the sync games option, but it all depends on whether you'd rather have the 20 or yours.

[froggyman]

I only counted 19, but its just that i would like to have the iPod Classic look, but i want those games, plus the monopoly i have. Plus, with rockbox i have way more games, I just wanted to get some more games to say that i have them. Plus i have wikipedia on my cutom build of rockbox along with stardict dictionaries. And a huge amoung of GBC, GB, Nes, and SNES games for it. I think i will just stick to rockbox only if i cant get monopoly with the custom classic hac

[ipodmodder]

the games are optional. you could always try it and see if they stay. i mightve screwed something up along the way. worst case scenario you have to re-sync to put your games back.

[goeon]

Nice ipod

[piotralex5]

and iPodLinux too

[samwhiteUK]

if my ipod has search is it definitely moddable? i have heard that 5g doesnt have coverflow and classic doesn't have search, but mine has both! also, is the 5g/5.5g an upgraded classic? is classic a term meaning 'the original classic'? my ipod can show video, if that helps. many thanks, s-j-whitey

[ipodmodder]

If you got it between October 12, 2005 and September 12, 2006, it's guaranteed to be a 5th gen. 6th gens are the ones marketed since September 2007 as "iPod Classic". If yours has coverflow, you can't mod it at all. The firmware is encrypted and non-moddable. Yours is a classic, and is known as a 6th Gen.

[garrettmikesmith]

i just ordered that ivue case. it's really cool

[ipodmodder]

yeah it's awesome.

[garrettmikesmith]

and i just returned it. the quality of it was crap. the holes didn't even line up.

[ipodmodder]

really? mine worked fine. what do you mean by "holes"? are you talking about the part where it screws into the frame? you have to push on it a little bit and some of them dont line up exactly, but it still works good

[garrettmikesmith]

eh screw it. they refunded my money and just told me to throw it away. the original panel just felt less crappy and fit way better. maybe i got a dud part

[atombomb1945]

So with RockBox on the iPod, do you still need to use iTunes to get music and movies on there?

[ipodmodder]

No, not at all. You just go into one of the menus and select scan for music. It'll go through the whole iPod in the background and add all your music. The only thing about rockbox is that videos need to be converted to MPEG/MPEGII instead of MPEG4. MPEGPlayer (rockbox's video player) doesn't take advantage of the Broadcom Video Processor in the iPod video, so the video is usually pretty chuggy. That's why I keep my Apple OS on.

[nasmatt]

that case mod is sweet

[ipodmodder]

Thanks.

[nanonano58]

actually you don't need the boot loader... if you turn on the ipod and then you put it in hold it will open mac os if you only turn on the ipod ( whitout touching the hold swich) it will bring up rock box sorry about the English

[ipodmodder]

I know, but I have a tri-boot, and I don't care for rockbox's way of doing things. See, if you flick the hold switch too late, rockbox detects it on boot and resets all your settings.