Your iPod's Debug Menu

quakeslut writes "Want to access your iPods hidden debug menu with 16 developer tools, including a 'HDD Scan' and various system tests? Just 'restart' your iPod (press and hold the 'menu' and 'play/pause') and when the Apple comes up, press and hold the 'back', 'select' and 'next' buttons (all 3 buttons in the center row). Cool nerd stuff."

Re:Bullshit!

[Pathwalker]

here [ofdoom.com] is a picture of the HD test running on a 20 gig iPod.

I would provide more pics, but the test is taking a while to run...

Cool

[jsse]

Thanks! Now tell me the secret keys sequence to bring up the secret character iJob, who can be used to fight beat secret character eBill. :)

Seriously, for those who thought they stole the concept out of games industry, big corps have always used this to hide and bring up hidden admin menu. I blieve I saw a HP engineer bring a password-prompted admin menu in a HP server with some strange key sequences. (any HP engineer could tell me how? :)

Re:Cool

[Twirlip of the Mists]

On many Sony televisions, you access the maintenance menu by turning the TV off, pressing "Display" "5" "Volume +," and turning the TV back on. So yeah, there's a long tradition of hiding service and maintenance features behind obscure keystroke combinations.

Before you try it, though, be aware that you can seriously fuck up your TV if you change a setting by mistake.

Re:Cool

[Rauser]

HP seems to have a penchant for hidden testing functions. On any HP Deskjet printer, holding down the Power key and pushing the Paper Feed key n times will cause the printer to perform any of several self tests. Caution-you can burn up a lot of ink and/or paper doing this.

• http://www.hp.com/cposupport/printers/support_do c/bpd07098.html

Also for any engineers out there, the HP48 series of calculators had a plethora of diagnostics available by pushing ON-C or ON-D simultaneously. But you already knew this!

Re:Cool

[GlassHeart]

HP seems to have a penchant for hidden testing functions.

Not just HP. If you do a bit of searching around the web, many cell phones have half-hidden debug features that are knowingly left in. In my experience, they are left in not because they are useful (written by developer for developer), but because you don't want to disturb the tested binary minutes away from deadlines, even just to remove debug code.

Unlike game cheats, these don't tend to unleash anything useful to the end user. They're also certainly not easter eggs.

remote support

[Howie]

sweet. know I know that at least the firmware on my old 5Gb ipod knows about the remote.

it will work...

[nuckin futs]

if you have an older software version. check here [ipodlounge.com] for info.

here's what's on that page in case it gets slashdotted:
This mode is no longer available in Software Updater v1.0.4
Perform diagnostic tests at your own risk or not at all.

The following diagnostic mode discovery, test and results are courtesy of iPoding.com
1. Reset the iPod. Press and hold "Menu" and "Play" buttons.
2. The Apple logo will appear. Press and hold "REW", "FFW" and "Select" button. You will hear an audible chirp sound. Your now in diagnostic mode
3. Navigate the list of tests using "REW" and "FFW". The scroll wheel will not function while in diagnostic mode.

Please visit iPoding.com for test results with updates.
The Diagnostic Mode Tests:
1. 5 IN 1
2. RESET
3. KEY
4. AUDIO
5. REMOTE
6. FIREWARE
7. SLEEP
8. A 2 D
9. OTPO CNT
10. LCM
11. RTC
12. SDRAM
13. FLASH
14. OTPO
15. HDD SCAN
16. RUN IN

Re:it will work...

[bdash]

iPoding [ipoding.com] has a page on the diagnostic mode. It contains a brief description of each test along with its expected results.

It also has the following notes at firmware versions in which it works:
Note: It's back in version 1.1
Note: This function has been disabled in version 1.0.4

Re:it will work...

[lunartik]

Works on a 10gb iPod.

Beware that P. Run-In will require a reset to exit.

for more advanced /.ers

[SHEENmaster]

Check this [dnsart.com] out. It has info about modifying the iPod firmware.

Personally, I'm holding out on the iPod until HFS+ works in Linux. It's kind of a disgrace to buy a PC iPod for use on a mac.

And now the obligatory ogg troll

[Anonymous Coward]

As the ogg troll would say, "can you use this debug menu to {play ogg's, run linux, act as a three-button-mouse} on the ipod???

and the battery

[Anonymous Coward]

its seems that holding menu+back+play/pause resets the battery..... oops

Secret codes.

[saintlupus]

Funny, I thought that was the 30 life cheat for the breakout game.

(20 second limit, blah blah blah)

--saint

Used in July

[MrMickS]

.. to check out a malfunctioning iPod. It failed the disk test. Quick call to Apple and they replaced it.

Recent Curious Apple Articles.

[catwh0re]

This information has been available on apple servers for almost a year. It was more popular when the game was still an easter egg.

There seems to be a very-unslashdot-like amount of trivial apple news recently, rumour site level almost. MWSF is basically here, so there will be something useful to report soon.

Until then everyone can still buy 15inch or 17inch iMac/s [slashdot.org], discover that there is no easter egg in iPhoto [slashdot.org], realise that quicktime plugins work in any application that uses quicktime to play media such as iTunes [slashdot.org], while they are at it they can discover that iSync already has .mac Address Book sync [slashdot.org], or pay attention to one of many numerous unusual patents & websites that apple own (thinking mammals.org/iphone.org/etc here) with this beaut which is basically a patent for an lcd wrapped around a computer case. [slashdot.org] Has everyone already forgotten the dalmation and flowerpower imacs? It's a bit of a logical extension to now make a pc where you can customise the colour/pattern.