40GB Upgrade for iPod 2.Gen (20GB)!

This is a tutorial how to upgrade a second generation iPod (20GB, Windows) with a 40GB HDD. Seven years ago I made first tries to upgrade my iPod with a 40GB HDD. At this time it failed because I was not aware, that Toshiba produced different types of HDD with the same name, in my case the MK2003GAH, which is the build in 20GB HDD and the MK4004GAH, which is the 40GB HDD for the upgrade.
It is very important, that the Toshiba HDD has the Apple-logo on it! Otherwise the HDD has a different chipset and it will not work when connecting the iPod to the PC through Firewire. You will not be able to sync through iTunes, which makes the iPod useless!

What you need:

Toshiba 1,8" 40GB-HDD MK4004GAH with an Apple logo on it. I have bought mine at www.portatronics.de.
This HDD has the same physical dimensions and the same connector like the built-in 20GB-HDD (Toshiba 1,8" MK2003GAH)
external USB-Case for Toshiba-1,8" HDD, ex. c-enter from Pearl (PE3457) (Germany) or look for '1,8" festplatte gehäuse ide' in eBay. The Bluemedia case will work.
Linux-PC with 40MB free HDD-space
Windows-PC with 20GB free HDD-space (if your iPod is full with MP3's, otherwise only the occupied space on your iPod is needed)

What to do:
Attention: Every electronic or mechanical modifications on your iPod or your HDD is at your own risk!

Install the newest Firmware (1.5) with the Apple Install Tool to your iPod. (An earlier version will probably also work.)
Copy the complete iPod-filesystem to your Windows-PC. Don't forget to copy the hidden Folders 'iPod_Control' with the subfolders. This is just for backup and not really needed, if you intend to set up a clean iPod.
Open your iPod carefully with a knife. Start at the bottom left or right corner to the side.
Disconnect the battery.
Disconnect the HDD (Toshiba 1,8" 20GB MK2003GAH).
Connect the 20GB-HDD with the USB-Case and connect it to the Linux-PC.

run the command 'fdisk /dev/sda' as root (or however your USB-HDD was named, it could also be /dev/sdb; you can check with 'dmesg') and choose 'p' for viewing the partition data. It should look like:

Disk /dev/sda: 20.0 GB, 20000010752 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 2431 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Partition Boot Start End  Blocks   Id FS
sda1      *    1     5    40131    0  Empty
sda2      *    6     2431 19486845 b  FAT32 WIN95

Now you can exit the fdisk with 'q'. Nothing was changed!

Make an image of the first partition (sda1;39MB) to your PC with the command 'dd':
dd if=/dev/sda1 of=/temp/ipod-first-partition
Disconnect the USB-HDD. Perhaps it is not wrong to reboot the Linux-PC.
Connect the new 40GB-HDD with the USB-Case and connect it to the Linux-PC.
Run 'fdisk /dev/sda' as root and generate the partition table on the new HDD.
Delete any existing partition (command: d)
Go to expert mode (x)
Set number of heads (h 255)
Set number of sectors (s 63)
Set number of cylinders (c 4863)
Go back to standard mode (r)
Create a new primary partition (n p 1 1 5)
Create a second primary partition (n p 2 6 'default')
Set ID to 'Empty' for the first one (t 1 0)
Set ID to 'Win95 FAT32' for the second one (t 2 b)
Make both active ('set bootflag') (a 1; a 2)
It should then look like this (p):
```
Disk /dev/sda: 40.0 GB, 40000537088 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4863 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Partition Boot Start End  Blocks   Id FS
sda1      *    1     5    40131    0  Empty
sda2      *    6     4863 39021885 b  FAT32 WIN95
```
Write changes (w)
Format the second partition with FAT32 on your Linux-PC (Windows XP can only format up to 32GB with FAT32!) For this run:
mkdosfs -F32 /dev/sda2
Write the previous saved image of the first partition to the new HDD:
dd if=/temp/ipod-first-partition of=/dev/sda1
Connect the USB-HDD (40GB) to your Windows-PC
Copy the previous saved iPod-filesystem to the FAT32-partition of the new HDD. (This is not really needed, if you intend to set up a clean iPod.)
Disconnect the 40GB-HDD from the USB-case and connect it to your iPod. Connect the iPod-batterry too.

Now the iPod should run as before but with the 40GB-HDD. In the 'About'-Section of your iPod-menu, there should be 37GB capacity shown.

You can connect it to your PC and sync your songs with iTunes as before!
You can use now the old HDD in the external case.
Congratulations!

Just for information:
You can also upgrade an iPod Video 5th Generation (60GB) with a 240GB HDD (Toshiba MK2431GAH). You can find an upgrade Kit on eBay. Just look for 'upgrade iPod 240GB'. I recommend to order a kit with sponge protect, plastic HDD frame, HDD cable and open tools. Then it is easier to exchange the HDD.
You don't need to format the new HDD in a special way like described abough. This is handled through iTunes automatically. But if you are interested in some partitioning details, the partitioning of an iPod Video 5th Generation (60GB) looks like this:

Disk /dev/sdb: 60.0 GB, 60011642880 bytes
255 heads, 62 sectors/track, 7413 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 15810 * 512 = 8094720 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdb1               1          15      112423+   0  Empty
Partition 1 does not end on cylinder boundary.
/dev/sdb2              15        7414    58492664+   b  W95 FAT32

The image of the first partition consists of 224847+0 records and has a size of 115121664 bytes (115 MB).

For using the 'old' 60GB HDD in an external case, you can find a suitable case on eBay. Just look for '1,8" festplatte gehäuse zif'.

Axel Findling, 2004-11-14
last changes 2011-11-18