Updating Mac iPod firmware on a Win98SE PC - can it be done?
I will shortly be the owner of a 15gb iPod which I intend to use with my PC running Win98SE via EphPod and Macopener. I don't have access to a WinNT or WinXP machine to "window-ise" the iPod, nor do I have access to a Mac to update the firmware.
Am I going to be able to update the firmware on a Mac iPod or will I just have to make do with the factory-installed firmware until such a time as I (a) buy a Mac or (b) install WinXP? Neither of which I'm planning to do for a while, not after spending all that money on the iPod...
[549 byte] By [
mintcake] at [2007-11-9 12:41:20]
# 1 Re: Updating Mac iPod firmware on a Win98SE PC - can it be done?
Why don't you just convert your ipod to Windows format? And/or find a friend with a mac/winxp box willing to help out...
# 2 Re: Updating Mac iPod firmware on a Win98SE PC - can it be done?
Originally posted by puntloos
Why don't you just convert your ipod to Windows format? And/or find a friend with a mac/winxp box willing to help out...
OK... Firstly, in order to convert my iPod to Windows format, I need Windows NT or Windows XP. Or a friend with WinNT or WinXP *and* a firewire/USB 2.0 port. Which I haven't got. Nor do I know anyone with a Mac, so I can't update the firmware that way.
Hence my question.
# 3 Re: Updating Mac iPod firmware on a Win98SE PC - can it be done?
OK, first off, you can update your iPod to a WiPod w/the 2.01 updater on 98SE no problem. Just check out this thread (http://ipodlounge.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2970).
You basically start the extraction of the 2.01 updater program and search your temp directory for the Updater.exe file. Copy that and run it, you're in business. It runs on 98SE no problem and does the job of converting the MiPod to a WiPod.
So you don't need MacOpener.
But one thing confuses me...you said you don't have USB or Firewire on your computer? How were you going to upload songs onto the iPod then? You have to have at least one of those.
Adam
# 4 Re: Updating Mac iPod firmware on a Win98SE PC - can it be done?
Fantastic news - thanks Adam *big sigh of relief*
I'd searched the forum but hadn't found that thread.
About the firewire/USB2.0, sorry about the confusion. I have firewire installed on my Win98SE machine. I was talking about the XP machine which I thought I'd have to use to convert the 'pod to Windows. The only XP machine to which I have access has neither firewire nor USB2.
Now that I find I can do the conversion on my Win98SE setup, there's no problem. :)
edit - right, bear with me, just to avoid any confusion, tell me if I've got this right: by finding and launching the 'updater.exe' file, I will (a) convert my out-of-the-box brand new new-generation Mac iPod to a Windows machine and (b) update the firmware to the latest version.
This is indeed what you said above, if I've understood correctly, but there's still a bit of confusion because in the thread you linked to it says that the iPod has to be mounted as a drive before the updater will work. How can the 'pod mount as a drive if it hasn't yet been converted to Windows?
# 5 Re: Updating Mac iPod firmware on a Win98SE PC - can it be done?
Correct mint, running the updater will convert the iPod to FAT32 format and install the latest firmware--making it an official WiPod.
Window will mount the iPod as an external drive even though it's formatted as HFS+. Windows can recognize that it's there and recognize the format. It just can't write to it. Don't worry, it'll work. I've done conversions back and forth between MiPods to WiPods many times.
Adam
# 6 Re: Updating Mac iPod firmware on a Win98SE PC - can it be done?
*is a happy man*
Nice one Adam, ta.
