How to Use Your iPod as a Hard Drive

Your iPod classic, iPod nano, or older iPod model can be used as an external hard drive. And like any hard drive, you can transfer files and applications from your computer to your iPod and take them with you.

Connect your iPod to your computer.

Wait for the computer to recognize that the iPod is plugged in.

Enlarge

Select the iPod name in the Devices section of the iTunes Source pane.

The iPod summary page appears, as shown here.

Select the Enable Disk Use option.

The Enable Disk Use option is available if your iPod is set to automatically synchronize music or videos with your iTunes library. If you already set your iPod to manually manage music and videos, this option is grayed out because it isn’t needed, as setting the iPod to manually manage content already enables you to use it as a hard drive.

After enabling your iPod for disk use, you must always remember to properly eject your iPod before disconnecting it from your computer. Click the Eject button next to the iPod name in the Devices section of the iTunes Source pane to eject the iPod, and wait for its name to disappear from the Source pane before looking at the iPod’s display. Wait until the iPod’s display shows either the “OK to disconnect” message on older models or the main menu on newer models. You can then disconnect the iPod from the computer. Don’t ever disconnect an iPod before ejecting it. You might have to reset your iPod if you do.

If iTunes isn’t running, an alternative way to eject a disk-enabled iPod is to right-click the iPod name or icon, and then choose Eject from the shortcut menu. On a Mac, you can also use the Finder to drag the iPod icon to the Trash icon, which turns into an Eject button when you drag the iPod icon onto it.