IPod Disk Use in iTunes

Disk mode or Disk use

Setting up an iPod for Disk use ^[1] equals to render the device’s hard disk drive accessible to the computer it is connected to. The original iPod ^[2] stores data (music files, pictures and data) on a hard disk. This hard disk is not automatically recognized by the computer as such, and therefore the user need to enable Disk to see it “mounted” as it does with any other external disk drive. Enabling disk use on an iPod allows accessing the file system and hence copying to or from the device files for storage, backup or copy. Viewing the music files requires the display of hidden files.^[3]

Alternative for iOS devices

The Apple iPhone, iPad and iPod touch do run the iOS operating system and are not hard disk drive themselves - unlike the iPod classic. Therefore iTunes does not offer the Disk mode for them, but alternatively it is possible to store, exchange and copy files to some of their installed apps via iOS file sharing.

Manual operation

Apple's iTunes on its main screen displays the control that enables Disk use when an iPod is connected via the USB-30 pin connector. If this control is set to "ON" the iPod's disk will be mounted on the host computer and the file system of the computer will access the former. As they will not show up automatically the display of "hidden files" must be further set on the computer to view the music files.

Enabling Software

There is software that take advantage of the Disk mode on iPod, mainly with the purpose of music retrieval, as iTunes the original music management software for iPods does only copy music files from the iTunes library to the iPod. The original idea, as expressed by its name was developed by a project called Senuti (iTunes in reverse), followed by Copypod (the name has changed to Copytrans and others like TuneAid (for a complete list see: Comparison of iPod managers)

References

1. ^ Formerly the expression used in Apple's nomenclature was Putting an iPod in Disk Mode. Both expressions are commonly used although the latter is being deprecated in Apple's references.
2. ^ This doesn’t apply to iPod touch (or iTouch) nor to the iPhone or the iPad: those device are unix-based machines that do not carry a hard disk drive.
3. ^ for a comprensive explanation see iPod and iTunes Hacks by Hadley Stern Copyright © 2005 O’Reilly Media, Inc

Sources

• Stern, Hadley (2005). iPod and iTunes Hacks. Sabastopol, CA: O’Reilly Media, Inc. ISBN 0-596-00778-7.