HOW-TO: Hacking the iPod firmware (changing the graphics)

So on Monday over at Hack A Day we posted a link to an iPod hack over at iPodHacks that let you extract all of the fonts and graphics from the player's firmware. Since then, a new application came out, and we wrote up how to change all the graphics on your iPod.

Before we get started, here's a video (QuickTime) of our first hacked firmware to give you an idea of what we changed.

In this How-To we're going to show you how to change the "Do not Disconnect" circle/slash icon that endlessly and annoyingly flashes all the time on our desk. We replaced ours with the Engadget logo, the Sony CEO, and Hello Kitty but any graphic will do. You can also change battery icons, power status, boot up logos and fonts, or so it seems. We sprinted to write this up, so we might update it as we try some new things. Now on with the How-To!

For this hack you'll need an iPod, obviously. We're using the iPod photo, but it should work with most iPods, so far we've seen one person also hack an iPod mini and a 3g iPod.

Next you'll need a Windows PC with Apple's iPod software installed.

You can get that from here.

Download and install the Apple software, this software contains the firmware we're going to add our own graphics to. Warning: When you do this, you will be restoring your iPod and will loose all data, etc...Also, this most certainly voids your warranty, so if something happens, you're screwed. But hey, you'll have your own branded iPod, that's hot and well worth it, right?

Next up, download "iPod Wizard" from here.

We're not sure if Apple is going to freak out about this, it's just like changing icons in Mac OS X, so it shouldn't be a problem.

Unzip the file, and start iPodWizard.

Click Open Updater and choose the Apple Update Application you downloaded, it should be in Program files > iPod.

Once open, choose the firmware for you iPod, we hacked the iPod photo first, so it's the IDR_FIRMWARE 5.4.0, we didn't try all the others out yet, but we're guessing folks will post which one is for which iPod as they start to hack away at it. The color one was easy, once you select the firmware you can click the arrows to see the icons, in our case, they were color.

Find the image you wish to replace, we wanted to replace the circle / slash icon. Once you find it, click Save Bitmap and save the file to your system.

From there use any bitmap editor to edit the image, we used PaintShop Pro and pasted the Engadget logo over the icon then saved it. Click Load Bitmap and load in the image you just created.

Click Write, this will edit the firmware on your PC and then prepare it to restore to the iPod. Once that is complete, open up Apple's iPod update.

Make sure your iPod is plugged in, and iPod updater will look for what firmware you can restore to, for us, it found the iPod photo and we had the option to restore, which will then add the new firmware with our custom image.

Click restore, and in about 5 minutes you'll have the new image you made, keep in mind this kills all your data, so back up before you do this. Here's ours...

The other one is Hello Kitty, since we know it's just a matter of time until someone starts selling a Hello Kitty branded iPod.

Here's Sony's CEO holding the Network Walkman upside down. We like this image to remind us that even if you're Sony and invented the WalkMan, someone like Apple can come along and beat you hard.

An image proclaiming that our iPod does not have any RIAA music or content!

And, of course, Mickey Mouse.

We also made one for our pal Leander from Cult of Mac. We think this is a great way to protect your iPod if someone steals it, too. Add your picture, name and phone number, it won't stop the thief, but it's still a good measure.

On a side note, Apple and every other music player maker should make this part of the software that comes with their device, we all change the icons, desktops, and everything else on our computers, so it makes sense to be able to brand our music players any way we want.

Here are some of the other graphics that you can likely change, lots of cool stuff for sure. Please post up links to your images in the comments, if someone does something really wacky, we might give out a prize or something.

For more information on all this, and some troubleshooting, post up in our comments or over on where it all got started and where folks are still trying lots of things, on iPodHacks.

iPod Wizard, whoever you are, nicely done!

---

Phillip Torrone can be reached via http://www.flashenabled.com

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 24th 2005 9:51AM]

did anybody try this on the ipod nano???

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 24th 2005 11:27PM]

how do i use 2 Ipods on one computer?

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 25th 2005 2:49AM]

mine still doesnt do it. O and is there anyway u can change the ipod background?



the screen?

thnx

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 26th 2005 9:32PM]

Uhh oh..this isnt good. I just updated..and it says i have to plug it in to the wall to allow for firmware reflash or something. I bought this from a friend and he didnt give me the a/c charger. What can I do?



The screen just keeps showing a pic of the charger and it wont let me do anything from there.



Please help!

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 26th 2005 9:56PM]

hey it sounds good, but on my computer it says its an application not an .exe file and wont let me put it in the ipod wizard



please help me!!!!!!!!!!!

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 28th 2005 2:21AM]

I had a Problem w/ this, i replaced the "do not dicconect logo" w/ another image. and clicked write and all but i got no results=[, you said "Once open, choose the firmware for you iPod, we hacked the iPod photo first, so it�s the IDR_FIRMWARE 5.4.0" i didnt see IDR_FIRMWARE 5.4.0 on that list. but im not sure what do u mean by we hacked the ipod first. can u help me?





Z

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 28th 2005 5:29AM]

you should check out hello kitty at www.FancyAsian.Com

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 28th 2005 10:05PM]

So has anyone found out if hacking the mini works, like if you have a colour image and you put it on your mini does it still work

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 30th 2005 4:11AM]

HELP I'M NEW AT THIS SO I'M REALLY NOT THAT "SKILLED" BUT AFTER I PASTED MY IMAGE OVER THE CIRCLE CROSS AND SAVED IT IT WOULD NOT LET ME LOAD ANY IDEAS

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 30th 2005 4:32AM]

kainjow - if I could find out who made that app, I could get the source and port to Mac! I want!



go 2 ipodwizard.net and download the sourcecode....

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 31st 2005 9:20PM]

I would try but the thing i'm afraid of is if something HAPPENS with my iPod I break the warranty with Apple Inc. and then my mother would strange me.

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 1st 2006 12:53PM]

Isn't this a bit to dodgy? Because if it goes rong and the whole lot screws up then your looking at a damn big bill?

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 1st 2006 4:24PM]

I'm trying it at my own risk but there is a problem. I got the new video iPod(black) and the image thing said

"Coming Soon" So that means I won't be able too because of my newer version of the iPod?

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 1st 2006 8:00PM]

hey wat firmware do u pik for ipod mini

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 2nd 2006 9:43PM]

Awesome! Just replaced that circle with the heart off the Foo Fighters album 'One By One'. Now it beats as my iPod Video loads

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 3rd 2006 3:44PM]

i have the new ipod with video and i can�t change the graphics any help?? i can't find the correct firmware!!

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 3rd 2006 6:39PM]

IDR_FIRMWARE-5.4.2



&



IDR_FIRMWARE-11.4.2



Are color, guessing ones for Nano and one for reg ipod??

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 3rd 2006 6:46PM]

Hey, Can someone send me or host the original ipod red circle slash? for the 5g ipod?

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 26th 2007 11:54PM]

does this work for a 4gig nano?? any idea what the firmware is for it? greatly appreciated if someone would answere

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 6th 2007 5:00AM]

Hi it should work for the ipod 4Gb and I believe the firmware is used to solve the those bugs. Everytime apple release a new one it should make everything better, you should always update it. I actually was able to solve this do not disconnect problem thanx to a great tech support site that had some suggestion that where very usefull.
Here is the page with the information - http://www.fixya.com/support/t150677-not_disconnect_message_will_not

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 3rd 2006 10:56PM]

Does ne one know the firmware version for ipod video 30g. Ive tried most of the reccommed ones and it does display it on my ipod. Need some help

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 4th 2006 1:32AM]

none of the sites you guys gave for the mac version of ipod wizard worked. Somebody please find this app for the mac!!!!

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 5th 2006 5:35AM]

none of the god dam mac links work, the source forge file will download but is dead from there, the podite website wont even load because safari cant find the server, and you keep saying ::go to the OFFICIAL forum:: it would be nice to have an exact URL, cause i cant find it from ipodhacks

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 6th 2006 5:47PM]

it dosnt work for iPod Nano yet

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 7th 2006 1:46PM]

i'm not sure if any one has posted this already, but there is a newer, updated version of iPodWizard which can do far more than change graphics. it enables you to change strings and fonts, downgrade your firmware so u can 'upgrade' your iPod instead of restoreing it, uncap the volume, show the cpu usage in the title bar ect. it can be found at:

http://www.ipodwizard.net

give it a go, u wont look back ;)