Why does my Western Digital MyBook 100 GB HD insist on being recognized as an iPod?

December 29, 2006 6:47 AM

My Western Digital MyBook has a folder on it called "iPod control." I have tried deleting it, but it always comes back. This hard drive has had this "feature" since I bought it." As a result of this, my Rhapsody software keeps thinking I have an iPod attached to my computer when I don't. I realize this hard drive is only trying to be helpful, but this quirk makes me want to beat it with a hose.
posted by 4ster to computers & internet (8 comments total)

Backup your files and format. It uses FAT32 anyway, which is dated in many respects.
posted by geoff. at 7:51 AM on December 29, 2006

So I should format to NTFS then?
posted by 4ster at 8:24 AM on December 29, 2006

If you don't have any special reason for keeping the hard drive formatted to FAT32. I just bought a MyBook and formatted it to NTFS rather quickly. You do lose the ability to just unplug it (you need to unplug it like an iPod after NTFS, going to safely remove hardware). But formatting will definitely get rid of any of the software they bundle with it.
posted by geoff. at 8:29 AM on December 29, 2006

FAT32 is needed if you want to use it with both a PC and a Mac. That's presumably why it comes that way.
posted by smackfu at 8:38 AM on December 29, 2006

The mybook I just played with (250 gigs) right out of the box did not have that folder. Most likely some software you have is creating it. Reformating the drive might not do anything.

According to a web search I just did, that folder is part of itunes.

Your problem isnt the bundled software on the drive, its most likely itunes or rhapsody. If the computer thinks there's an ipod attached then the ipod helper service might be broken. Id start by uninstalling and reinstalling itunes and upping the firmware on the ipod. Good luck.
posted by damn dirty ape at 8:46 AM on December 29, 2006

Well, I halfway figured it out.

When the HD is attached, and I open Rhapsody, Rhapsody crashes.

So I disconnect the HD, and Rhapsody launches fine. When I reconnect the HD, I see the iPod Control folder magically appear.

So Rhapsody is to blame. Now to figure out how to make it stop.
posted by 4ster at 11:06 AM on December 29, 2006

This is a guess, but it sounds like maybe Rhapsody (or some other software) is mistaking your HD for an iPod.

The iPod Control folder is a hidden folder on iPods that contains the iPod's OS and the music. In order to access the songs on an iPod, software has to access this folder. Rhapsody is likely programmed to look for an iPod to be attached, and then to scan for the iPod Control folder. Why it'd be creating the folder if it doesn't find it, I can't say, but it could just be a bug.
posted by eustacescrubb at 4:38 PM on December 30, 2006

Assuming you are XP:

you can try pausing 'ipod service' (My Computer/Manage). Delete the folder, or format.

Then restart Ipod Service.

Tom
posted by tomw at 5:42 AM on December 31, 2006