mrwzk
26-03-2006 18:53:29
http//www.methodshop.com/mp3/ipodsupport/diagnosticmode/index.shtml
If you have tried trouble shooting your iPod to no avail, chances are your iPod has a hardware problem. The iPod's built-in Diagnostic Mode is a quick and easy way to determine if you have a "bad" iPod.
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. Toggle it on and off to be safe.
2. Press and hold the following combination of buttons buttons simultaneously for approximately 10 seconds to reset the iPod.
li iPod 1G to 3G "Menu" and "Play/Pause"
li iPod 4G+ (includes Photo, Nano, Video, and Mini) "Menu" and "Select"
3. The Apple logo will appear and you should feel the hard drive spinning up. Press and hold the following sequence of buttons
o iPod 1G to 3G "REW", "FFW" and "Select"
o iPod 4G+ (includes Photo, Nano, Video, and Mini) "Back" 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.
4. Navigate the list of tests using "REW" and "FFW". The scroll wheel will not function while in diagnostic mode.
Older iPod Diagnostic Mode Tests
The following tests are for the older iPods, 1G to 4G. If you have an iPod Photo or iPod Video, please scroll to the bottom of this page.
You can run the following tests on older iPods.
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 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. 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.
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. 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.
To get your iPod out of Diagnostic Mode, you will have to restart it again.
Diagnostic Mode Tests for iPod Photo & iPod Video
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.
You can run the following tests on Photo and Video iPods.
Memory
IO
Power
Status
SysCfg
Diskmode
Reset
Here's a breakdown of the tests. To cancel a test, just press the MENU button
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
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.
li HDSpecs will tell you everything from hard drive temperature to serial number.
li 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.
li HDSMARTData returns SMART data for professional repair applications and personnel.
li 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.
li PhilipsID checks the power system of your iPod
li A2D lists a series of A2D (analog to digital) tests.
Status
Status displays the status of several of your iPod's key systems.
li Sharp LCD screen
li HP headphones. Are they connected? [0 = no, 1 = yes]
li FWPWR FireWire power. Is your FireWire cable charging your iPod?
li 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.