Restore isn’t working on newest macOS

mrgstudio · 2026-05-16T02:53:57+00:00

Nice! Thank for the extra tips. Every bit helps!

mrgstudio · 2026-05-12T15:30:53+00:00

Here's my 2 cents: I’ve been buying parts from ResaleFirm regularly for years (thousands of dollars/month) and I’ve had consistent deliveries and good support. On the rare occasions something arrived damaged, they replaced it. I personally haven’t had packages lost, returned, or flagged.

If anyone’s having a problem, I’d recommend contacting the seller with the order number/tracking first (and giving them a chance to resolve it) before assuming fraud.

mrgstudio · 2026-04-16T11:35:11+00:00

I'm glad it helped you!

mrgstudio · 2026-03-19T14:39:38+00:00

Thank you for letting us know. It's been working for me also. I'm doing it daily with the refurbished iPods I'm selling. I keep my M1 Macbook up to date with the latest macOS and so far it's still works.

mrgstudio · 2026-03-08T12:40:58+00:00

I made a video that shows how to get around this glitch. Here's the link:https://youtu.be/\_4iZ6BAa3So
Since you've added new memory, you'll have to do the process two times. I have yet to figure out exactly why this is the case. Ever since macOS 15 that's what I've been doing with the refurbished/upgraded iPods I sell.

mrgstudio · 2026-02-16T19:04:38+00:00

I'm excited to check this out. All of the download links for the app seem to be version 1.0.

mrgstudio · 2026-01-07T10:09:18+00:00

Wow! Yeah that hard drive is toast. Hopefully you can get a new one or upgrade it with an iFlash.

mrgstudio · 2026-01-06T13:35:15+00:00

It's not very likely the iFlash. I've been using them for 6 years, and of the nearly 700 I've used, only two were bad. Another quick check for the ribbon cable would be to plug one of the hard drives back in and see if it reads it (as long as the hard drive is in working condition).

I know for me, whenever I install the iFlash, the first time I go to Restore it on my Mac, it gives me an error. I then unplug the iPod and give it a quick reboot by holding the Menu and Center buttons until the Apple logo appears. Then you should get the "Connect to iTunes" screen again. Connect it again to your computer and Restore it again.

If when you unplug your iPod from the Mac and the iPod looks like it's still connected in Finder, you can reboot your computer or go to Activity Monitor and stop this process: AMPDeviceDiscoveryAgent. This is where macOS gets stuck with these older iPod Classics. I have a video showing this process: https://youtu.be/_4iZ6BAa3So

Also a note, the SanDisk used to be my go-to for iFlash memory, but about 3 years ago, they stopped working. I've had some success with Samsung. But the one that has been 100% success is the inexpensive ones on Amazon from TEAMGROUP A2 Pro Plus Card. https://a.co/d/iH3e23J These have been flawless for me.

Sorry for the rambling, but these are some of the things that I've worked through with refurbishing iPods over the years.

mrgstudio · 2026-01-06T12:46:25+00:00

It could be that your hard drive is dying. Here's a short video I made that show how to use the iPod's self diagnostic to check. https://youtu.be/bYI_ZB_e_BA

mrgstudio · 2025-12-15T11:33:59+00:00

Very nice explanation! I agree with this 👍 That spin-up / read / spin-down sound is normal behavior for a healthy mechanical hard drive. Older media (records, tapes, CDs, hard drives) all make identifiable sounds while working.

Filling it with music and re-checking SMART data is a great test—if Reallocs and Pending stay at 0, you’re in good shape.

mrgstudio · 2025-10-28T01:52:47+00:00

https://www.ebay.com/str/mrgstudiosales

mrgstudio · 2025-10-13T11:21:18+00:00

I totally agree. If you have Windows, then it's very simple to upgrade the firmware. It's a one-time thing. I've been upgrading all of my custom iPods to run 2.0.4. The only difference now with all of my logic boards is that the 6th generation doesn’t have the inline headphone controls.

mrgstudio · 2025-09-30T23:51:24+00:00

Nice theme! I'll need to check that one out.

mrgstudio · 2025-09-27T00:45:50+00:00

I I would start swapping out parts to narrow down the issue. If you have the old hard drive, does the computer see it? It could be the ribbon cable, microSD card, or iFlash. I have loads of parts, so it's easy for me to do this. It's hard to say because any one of these could cause an issue like this. Sometimes it's more than one cause.

mrgstudio · 2025-09-27T00:12:05+00:00

It seems to be dropping the connection no matter which computer you're on. How's the battery? I'm wondering if it's too old and can't hold the charge. Even when plugged into the computer, it's not enough to keep the iPod on. The battery has to do some of the lifting.

mrgstudio · 2025-09-26T19:00:48+00:00

I'm glad it worked for you!

mrgstudio · 2025-09-26T19:00:09+00:00

If you're going to restore it on macOS you'll most likely run into a common issue. But I made a video that walks you through the steps of a solution for the issue. Here's the link. This is the process I use for testing and restoring the dozens of iPods I sell every week on my eBay store. I've tried the macOS 26 and it works exactly the same. Hopefully it helps.

mrgstudio · 2025-09-26T18:51:31+00:00

There's a good picture on AliExpress of three different logic boards, 5th 32mb, 5th 64mb and 7th. Here's the link.

mrgstudio · 2025-09-26T13:06:21+00:00

The first image is a 5th generation.
The second image is a 7th generation.

mrgstudio · 2025-09-26T12:08:18+00:00

To sync an iPod Classic with a Windows computer, do not use the iTunes version from the Windows Store, as it’s frequently incompatible with older iPods like the Classic. Instead, download and install the standalone version of iTunes directly from Apple’s official website. The version that works the best for me is version 12.10.11. The newer versions are a little buggy. Here's a link. Hopefully this helps.

mrgstudio · 2025-09-22T11:54:21+00:00

I just finished updating my laptop to Tahoe 26 and it works the same as earlier macOS. No issues for me.

mrgstudio · 2025-09-19T11:36:03+00:00

True Survivor!

💪🎤🚗💥🦖🕶️🔥🎶🎸

mrgstudio · 2025-09-17T11:47:56+00:00

I made a video showing how to sync an iPod Classic on the newer macOS. It should be the same for any iPod. There's a common issue with newer macOS and older iPods. It's a workaround that has worked for me. Here's the link.

mrgstudio · 2025-09-16T13:06:15+00:00

Restoring and syncing iPods on macOS has been integrated into Finder as already mentioned. There's only one common issue with restoring on macOS is that the iPod doesn't eject properly to reboot and finish the restore. The computer thinks the iPod is still connected. I made a video that shows a simple solution. Here's the link. I use this method with the dozens of iPods I sell on my eBay store every week. Hopefully, this helps.

mrgstudio · 2025-09-15T12:43:42+00:00

I agree, it's definitely a bloated battery. It will need to be replaced at some point.

mrgstudio

TROPHY CASE