How to Put an iPod Into Disk Mode

When troubleshooting an issue with your iPod, it's sometimes helpful to manually put it into Disk Mode.

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Using iPods With a Click Wheel

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    1
    Before placing the iPod into disk mode, you should verify that it is charged.
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    2
    Toggle the Hold switch on and off. (Set it to Hold, then turn it off again.)
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    3
    Press and hold the Menu and Select buttons for at least 6 seconds until the Apple logo appears.
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    4
    When the Apple logo appears, release the Menu and Select buttons and immediately press and hold the Select and the Play/Pause buttons until the Disk Mode screen appears.
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    5
    Connect the iPod to your computer; the screen on the iPod will change and say "Do not disconnect".
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Using iPods Without a Click Wheel

  1. Image titled Put an iPod Into Disk Mode Step 6
    1
    Before placing the iPod into disk mode you should verify that it has a charge.
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    2
    Toggle the Hold switch on and off. (Set it to Hold, then turn it off again.)
  3. Image titled Put an iPod Into Disk Mode Step 8
    3
    Press and hold the Play/Pause and Menu buttons until the Apple/iPod logo appears, then release them. This resets iPod. When you reset iPod all your music and data files are saved, but some customized settings may be lost.
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    4
    When the Apple logo appears, immediately press and hold the Previous and Next buttons until the Disk Mode screen appears.
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    5
    Connect the iPod to your computer; the screen on the iPod will change and say "Do not disconnect".
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Warning

  • To return it to its normal operating state, you will have to reset iPod.


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About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 103,081 times.
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Co-authors: 6
Updated: May 7, 2020
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