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ArticlesAsk iLoungeiPodMac

Recovering Mac-formatted iPod on Windows

Last updated: May 16, 2021 5:01 pm UTC
By Jesse Hollington

Q: I have a question regarding recovery of an iPod. I have an iPod photo which was formatted for use with a Mac. I can no longer access it, and I no longer have the Mac; however I’d like to recover the music on the iPod if possible.

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My research seems to indicate there is recovery software for PC formatted iPods, and for Mac formatted iPods, but not for my situation. Is there software I can download to a PC that will fix the formatting problem on my iPod short of requiring the factory settings to be restored, or am I out of luck short of finding a Mac to use?

– Michael

A: Since an iPod is really just an external hard drive as far as your operating system is concerned, the key to recovering a Mac-formatted iPod on a Windows PC is to first install software that will allow your PC to read a Mac-formatted disk. The most popular solution for this purpose is MediaFour’s MacDrive.

This application installs as a driver in Windows which allows any Mac-formatted disk to be read from the Windows operating system, including your iPod. MacDrive itself is a commercial software package selling for $50, however a free trial is available which is fully-functional for a limited time period, which may be sufficient to recover your iPod.

Once you’ve installed MacDrive, iTunes should be able to read your iPod just as if it were Windows-formatted.

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