"Enable Disk Mode" - - What is this for?
What is it for? What does it do? Should I check it?
[186 byte] By [Pumpkinmom] at [2007-11-9 14:02:17] 
A silly question, but I can't find the answer to it. Thisis a check box in the Portable Device Manager of MusicMatch.
What is it for? What does it do? Should I check it?
# 1 Re: "Enable Disk Mode" - - What is this for?
Well, this is a nifty little "feature" that Apple had MMJB put in.See, by default when you connect your iPod Windows assigns it a drive letter so you can access the iPod in My Computer. Well, now, Apple thought that was not something you should be able to do. For whatever reason (too easy to borrow tunes, you just might go out on a limb and decide to willy-nilly delete folders from the iPod, thus deleting your tunes), Apple thought that it would be best if they could hide your iPod drive letter from showing up.
So, MMJB and the "iPod Manager" software that comes w/3rd Gen iPods, automatically removes the iPod Drive from My Computer when you connect it.
But, Apple also wanted to tout the iPod as a portable HDD to us for file transfers. So, for those of us that are not prone to crazy deletions, they allowed for a way to access the drive--you guessed it, "Firewire Disk Mode". All this does, is turn off the "disabling" that they automatically turn on for you.
So, by Enabling Firewire Disk Mode" your iPod will show up as a drive in My Computer. You can copy files to it (or delete ;)), whatever you want to do.
I'd always leave it on. Or if you don't use MMJB (like you might not in the future), uninstall the MMJB iPod plugin and iPod Manager if it's installed. They aren't needed and forever more your iPod will show up w/a drive letter.
Adam
ashawley at 2007-11-15 17:05:24 >
# 2 Re: "Enable Disk Mode" - - What is this for?
Thanks Adam!Actually, with Disk Mode on, it gives me another way to safely disconnect the thing when MMJB goes wonky, as it sometimes does.
So here's another question - can you actually delete things from the iPod? I seem to have to have it connected an do my deleting from the computer. Sort of a pain when I'm out and about, and I find half a song on there that needs to be deleted.
Also, I can't get the darn thing to sync. It always says "operation completed". And when you sync, does it overwrite info that's already there, like a Palm? Or does it just add duplicates? that's what it seems to do to my husbands iPod.
You mentioned other software - is there something better than MMJB? Or should I just wait for an upgrade on MM?
Thanks...
Pumpkinmom at 2007-11-15 17:06:24 >
# 3 Re: "Enable Disk Mode" - - What is this for?
You mentioned other software - is there something better than MMJB? Yeeess! You can try ephPod 2.58 for Win 98SE/ME or 2.71 Win 2000/NT/XP. I havent' tried it but I've heard good and so-so things about it, but hey it's free.
The other things you can do is get Media Center 9 which is an incredible multi-media management tool. Music, pics, TV recording, etc... It's pretty powerful. There's a 30-day free trial and it's $40 after that. Well worth it .
Or, you can just be patient and wait for iTunes for Windows supposedly coming next month. Good luck.
Tony
soulrock at 2007-11-15 17:07:23 >
# 4 Re: "Enable Disk Mode" - - What is this for?
No, you can't delete from the iPod w/o it being connected to the PC.Regarding other software programs, check out the Software Compendium (http://ipodlounge.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2286) for a list of your options.
I concur that MC9 is the most feature packed. It's an all-in-one app like MMJB, only it actually works.
It's also more advanced in many areas than iTunes, so that's something.
Adam
ashawley at 2007-11-15 17:08:28 >
# 5 Re: "Enable Disk Mode" - - What is this for?
Dowloaded the 30 day free trial of MC9, so I'll give that a spin. Gotta figure out how to get it to recognise my iPod but so far it looks easy.don't know how I got so obsessed with the 'pod, but there ya go.
Thanks...
Pumpkinmom at 2007-11-15 17:09:27 >
# 6 Re: "Enable Disk Mode" - - What is this for?
If you haven't already check out the Help Guide ( http://www.home.earthlink.net/~ashawley01) I threw together.Adam
ashawley at 2007-11-15 17:10:22 >
# 7 Re: "Enable Disk Mode" - - What is this for?
if the firewire disk is enabled can u go to any comp... connect it... and the drive will pop up without having to install any software??kdmenon at 2007-11-15 17:11:26 >
# 8 Re: "Enable Disk Mode" - - What is this for?
I think that's the idea, provided, of course, you have the dock with you. Even without iPod Manager, a drive called 'Apple Computer_ Inc. iPod IEEE 1394 SBP2 Device' should automatically appear, be assigned a drive letter, and then you should be able to use it exactly like a normal hard drive.In a sense, the iPod manager removes by default a level of functionality which Windows provides anyway...
jogloran at 2007-11-15 17:12:29 >
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