iPod Reformat iPod Mac to Windows?

[swmr]

I am not positive whether or not this discussion is allowed on the forum, but I think I am safe. If not, mods can lock/delete...

Yea the title is my question. I am sure it has been asked before, but I can't seem to find it in search. My iPod is currently Windows formated but I am thinking of restoring it on my MBP to save some space (long story, but I have some hacked backgrounds and alternate bootable firmwares on it now). What I want to be able to do is go back to Windows later and reinstall some things that I put on it.

I have read countless times that Macs can read/reformat a Windows iPod (which is currently what I have) but I was was wondering if I could use disk utility to reformat an iPod back to the FAT32 to be read on windows if I wanted to? Alternatively, is there a way that I could reset it to factory setting so that when I plug into my PC I get the option of choosing just like I did when I first opened the box two years ago?

Attached is an example of a firmware I put on it. If I find myself missing extra features, I want to be able to restore them, and a PC is needed to do so...

 

[theLimit]

I don't have a Windows machine to test this on at the moment, but I believe you can just plug the iPod in, open iTunes and click the Restore button. The iPod will then be formatted for whichever filesystem the computer uses.

 

[swmr]

That would seem like the reasonable thing to do but as far as I know Windows machines don't support a Mac iPod, thus it wouldn't read it and be able to overwrite it.

Anybody else have information or experience on this or my other question?

 

[theLimit]

Just confirmed that it does indeed work that way. When I plugged my Macintosh formatted iPod into my wife's Windows XP machine, iTunes opened and popped up a dialog stating that a Macintosh formatted iPod was detected and that it must be restored to be used in Windows.

 

[swmr]

Thanks!

 

[brosephsmith88]

I'm Really Confused

I just updated my software on my ipod and then 60 unaccoutable gigs of stuff showed up on my ipod under "Other" in addition everytime I plug my ipod into my pc it says it needs to be formated for windows, and its alredy formated for windows. Please help me I really hate all of this nonsense!

 

[swmr]

So your primary computer with the iTunes library is a PC? And your iPod is formatted for Windows? What type of iPod is it? Try restoring your iPod and then just resyncing your library.

As far as those 60 gigs go, do you use your iPod for disc use?

 

[alphaod]

As far as those 60 gigs go, do you use your iPod for disc use?

It's one of the options when syncing; it says "Enable Disk Use"

I just partition my iPod with disk utility and I can store files on one partition, but it's kind of slow.