iPod: Operating System or iTunes Reports the Disk is Full, But It Does Not Look Full
Symptoms
This document explains why iTunes or the operating system may indicate that iPod's disk is full when it doesn't look full.
- There is no available space on iPod's hard disk when it is used as an external FireWire or USB hard drive, yet the disk looks like it is empty or only has a few files on it.
- iTunes cannot copy any songs to iPod even though it says the music library is less the size of iPod's hard disk.
Products Affected
iPod, iTunes
Resolution
The space on iPod's hard disk is shared between the files you store on it when it is used an external FireWire hard drive, and the songs that iTunes saves on it. If you fill iPod's hard disk with songs in iTunes, you won't be able to save any files on it in the Finder (Mac OS) or Windows Explorer (Microsoft Windows). If you fill the hard disk with files in the Finder or Windows Explorer, you won't be able to save any songs to it in iTunes.
To make room for files on iPod when used as an external hard drive, delete some songs from iPod's music library in iTunes.
To make room for more songs in iPod's music library, delete files stored on the hard disk using the Finder or Windows Explorer.
Important: If you copy an MP3 file to iPod using the Finder or Windows Explorer, iPod cannot play it. You must copy the song to iPod using iTunes if you wish to play it.
Additional Information
Related information
See technical document 60955 "iPod: About Hard Disk Size".