Ipod Mini Hard Drive Replacement Repair Guide

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

                          20 - 30 minutes

Sections

Top Bezel
3 steps
Bottom Bezel
3 steps
Hard Drive
7 steps

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Introduction

What you need

Step 1

              Top Bezel

Before opening your iPod, ensure that the hold switch is in the locked position.

Before opening your iPod, ensure that the hold switch is in the locked position.

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Step 2

Carefully insert a small flathead screwdriver or Jimmy in the seam between the metal casing and white plastic top. Use the screwdriver to pry up the white plastic top bezel. Be careful not to damage the soft plastic with your screwdriver.
The top bezel is held on with an adhesive, so it may be necessary to pry up in several different locations to free the part.
To make this job easier, heat up the adhesive with a hairdryer on low heat for a few seconds.

Carefully insert a small flathead screwdriver or Jimmy in the seam between the metal casing and white plastic top. Use the screwdriver to pry up the white plastic top bezel. Be careful not to damage the soft plastic with your screwdriver.

The top bezel is held on with an adhesive, so it may be necessary to pry up in several different locations to free the part.

To make this job easier, heat up the adhesive with a hairdryer on low heat for a few seconds.

Step 3

Lift the top bezel off of the iPod.

Lift the top bezel off of the iPod.

Step 4

              Bottom Bezel

Carefully insert a small flathead screwdriver or Jimmy in the seam between the metal casing and white plastic bottom Use the screwdriver to pry up the white plastic bottom bezel. Be careful not to damage the soft plastic with your screwdriver.

Carefully insert a small flathead screwdriver or Jimmy in the seam between the metal casing and white plastic bottom Use the screwdriver to pry up the white plastic bottom bezel. Be careful not to damage the soft plastic with your screwdriver.

Step 5

A small pair of snap ring pliers is the easiest tool to remove the metal retaining bracket.
You can also use a flathead screwdriver to pry out the metal retaining bracket beneath the bottom bezel as shown. You can free the bracket by first pushing in the metal arms on the corners and then lifting the bracket.

A small pair of snap ring pliers is the easiest tool to remove the metal retaining bracket.

You can also use a flathead screwdriver to pry out the metal retaining bracket beneath the bottom bezel as shown. You can free the bracket by first pushing in the metal arms on the corners and then lifting the bracket.

Step 6

Lift the metal retaining bracket out of the iPod.

Lift the metal retaining bracket out of the iPod.

Step 7

              Hard Drive

Use a spudger or the tip of your finger to carefully disconnect the orange click wheel ribbon from the logic board.

Use a spudger or the tip of your finger to carefully disconnect the orange click wheel ribbon from the logic board.

Step 8

Remove the two #00 Phillips screws securing the headphone jack to the casing.

Remove the two #00 Phillips screws securing the headphone jack to the casing.

Step 9

Carefully slide the iPod out of its casing by pushing on the logic board near the bottom edge of the click wheel.
Do not pull on the headphone jack board at the top of the iPod, as the connector to the logic board is fragile.

Carefully slide the iPod out of its casing by pushing on the logic board near the bottom edge of the click wheel.

Do not pull on the headphone jack board at the top of the iPod, as the connector to the logic board is fragile.

Step 10

After pushing the logic board out sufficiently, gently grasp the logic board on either side of the display, and continue to slide the iPod out of its casing.

After pushing the logic board out sufficiently, gently grasp the logic board on either side of the display, and continue to slide the iPod out of its casing.

Step 11

Lift the battery off of the logic board and lay it to the side of the iPod.

Lift the battery off of the logic board and lay it to the side of the iPod.

Step 12

Use a spudger or the tip of your finger to carefully disconect the orange hard drive ribbon from the logic board.

Use a spudger or the tip of your finger to carefully disconect the orange hard drive ribbon from the logic board.

Step 13

Lift the hard drive out of the iPod.

Lift the hard drive out of the iPod.

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

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                                      with 4 other contributors

                    iRobot

Member since: 09/24/2009

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djcfuzz - Jul 15, 2016

I have been tinkering with the iPod classics, the 5th gens and now the iPod minis. I think the minis have a cool form factor and the plug and play for a compact flash card is handy. I have purchased a compact flash adapter to SD card, I then put a 128GB microsd into an SD to micro adapter and now I have 128GB mini. As a note, I did have to format the new card to FAT32 with AOMEI prior iPod restore.

Alberto Ambréña de la Cejã - Jun 27, 2020

Hello good sir i unfortunately speakn’t good english but i try best now .. having a good day are you… i am also have a service and for fixing ipods … if you want i will give it too you send me an email albertogeniusipodfixes@gmail.com

valery labiche - Mar 18, 2017

can i change the type of hard disk

the bongo guy - Aug 18, 2020

Yes www.iflash.xyz has good stuff for these or u can just use a CF Card and it’ll be Plug N Play…literally

Introduction#

What you need#

Introduction

What you need