I just put an 80GB Samsung HS081HA HDD in the ZVM...

[TheGadgetDoctor]

I just cracked open a brand new iPod Classic 6th Generation and it has a Samsung HS081HA 80GB HDD inside, which has the same interface as the Seagate Lyrion ST760211DE - PATA, which requires the SLIM ZIF connector.

However, a fatty ZIF connector will also work, it just requires some precision and forcing it in there.

I tried the iPod's 80GB drive with my computer and formatted it to FAT32. Then I put it back into the iPod and formatted it back to the iPod's format. Then I tried it in a ZVM, and the ZVM was pretty confused. It was able to do a format but not a firmware upgrade. But at least I know that the iPod Classic's hard drive can be formatted by the Zen. And in my opinion this is sufficient proof that this drive will work in the Zen as well, but again this is my opinion and trying this yourself is at your own risk.

The next test will be to do a FAT32 format, then put it directly into the Zen and hope it works.

[TheGadgetDoctor]

I did the FAT 32 format, but it wouldn't let me format the whole hard drive. I had to create a partition of 30GB and formatted that to FAT32, then put it in the ZVM and did a Zen format. Then I erased the firmware, which took 10x longer to erase than if it were any other hard drive.

Then I tried the firmware update. 3 times. Each one took 10x longer than normal, and each time it failed when the Zen displayed "Upgrading Firmware."

What could be the problem? Is the iPod software still on there clogging things up?

[TheGadgetDoctor]

Previously I had done the quick format. This time I did the longer format, which took 1 hour. Then I formatted it in the Zen, which took 10x longer than a format with a Zen-standard hard drive. Then I did the reload firmware, and that took 20x longer. Then I connected it via USB to do the firmware installation, but it was not recognized.

I am almost ready to call it a failure.

I tried the same hard drive in 3 different ZVM's and all had the same result.

The hard drive works fine with my computer though; did a FAT32 just fine, and then did a NTFS.

iFail

[Supernovah]

how have you connected it to your computer?

[TheGadgetDoctor]

What?

[TheGadgetDoctor]

Just tested the HS081HA in an iPod Video 5.0 Gen and it works great. Did a reset, plugged it up to iTunes, and it worked almost right away. Loaded a song from iTunes to the iPod and it played great.

So the big conspiracy theory question is: does Apple require these hard drive companies to make its hard drives only usable in iPods? Are all hard drives that are extracted from iPods only compatible with iPods?

All MP3 players use the same hard drives, mostly Toshiba ones. They are exactly the same--same model, part numbers, etc. So how would Apple or Toshiba make the iPod hard drives compatible with only the iPod?

[FrododorF]

very interesting information, i would not be surprised in the least if apple found some way of making their hard drive non exchangeable, but how is beyond me

[GuybrushThreepwood]

I'm experiencing almost the same issue with my ZVM 30Gb and a Spinpoint HS081HA but I don't believe in the conspiracy theory... Instead, I'm almost sure that if I had an ide adapter and could do a zero fill on the hard drive (this would restore it to factory defaults erasing ALL the data and partition informations previously stored on it), everything could be fine.
By the way, the only way to make an hard drive suitable only for players from a particular brand is to use a customized hard drive firmware.

[BobbyRS]

Originally Posted by GuybrushThreepwood

...but I don't believe in the conspiracy theory...

I wouldn't be so sure about that. Although I wouldn't call it a conspiracy, hard drive manufactures utilize certain proprietary and security features like revision codes and disk locks all the time.

Originally Posted by GuybrushThreepwood

Instead, I'm almost sure that if I had an ide adapter and could do a zero fill on the hard drive (this would restore it to factory defaults erasing ALL the data and partition informations previously stored on it), everything could be fine.

The issue isn't exactly with what is stored, formatted, partitioned on the drive, but most likely what interacts between the interface, the BIOS (on the mainboard's ROM or even on the drive controller itself.

Originally Posted by GuybrushThreepwood

By the way, the only way to make an hard drive suitable only for players from a particular brand is to use a customized hard drive firmware.

Most of the time it is all in the interface (ATA Security) that involves a password being sent/received with the drive's controller to enable a secure/non-secure mode. The drive can be in a locked state until the password/code is provided. Since the controller or other drive electronics only knows the code, using the drive in another device/enclosure could render it unusable.