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For the iPod Photo 20GBModel A1099
Also for the iPod Photo: 30GB $34.95 · 40GB $45.95 · 60GB $60.95 · See all
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iPod 4th Gen and iPod Photo hard drive replacement guide ›iPod Photo (4th Generation) — Replacement Hard Drive (20GB)
For the iPod Photo 20GB
Used (Apple Original) · Model A1099
$30.95
Also for the iPod Photo: 30GB $34.95 · 40GB $45.95 · 60GB $60.95 · See all
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We are not selling this part at the moment.
- Used (Apple Original). Tested: installed in a working iPod and checked before it ships.
- 1-year limited warranty · 30-day returns from delivery
- Free pry tool in the box
- Completed repairs aren't refundable. If a part we fitted fails within a year, we repair it again.
Questions about this part? Chat with us or email sales@imods.com.
Not sure what's wrong? Get your free repair quotePart details
About this part
Overview
Replacement hard drive for iPod Photo (4th Generation). Use it for failed hard-drive behavior, restore trouble, or storage upgrades after the battery is stable and the drive cable seating has been checked.
Fitment snapshot
What Is Included
What this part might fix
Help pages, step by step, for problems this part might fix:
Fit and specs
Specifications & Fitment
Also known as iPod with color display (Apple's official name after June 2005).
Part Details
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Model Number | A1099 |
| EMC | EMC 2022 |
| Condition | Used — factory original Apple part. Normal cosmetic wear expected. |
| Drive Model | MK2006GAL |
| Capacity | 20GB |
| Form Factor | 1.8" IDE/ATA (50-pin Toshiba MCD-D50 form factor) |
| RPM | 4200 |
| Manufacturer | Toshiba |
| Interface | 50-pin Toshiba MCD-D50 |
| Drive Height | 5mm |
| Platters | 1 |
Compatible Variants
| Order Number | Capacity | Color | Case | Compatible | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MA127LL/A | 20GB | Black/Red (U2) | thin | Yes— stock 20GB match | Stock 20GB thin-case match |
| MA079LL/A | 20GB | White | thin | Yes— stock 20GB match | Stock 20GB thin-case match |
| MA215LL/A | 20GB | White (Harry Potter Collector's Edition) | thin | Yes— stock 20GB match | Stock 20GB thin-case match |
| M9829LL/A | 30GB | White | thin | Yes— requires restore / capacity change | Compatible thin-case capacity change; restore required after install |
| PS492AA | 30GB | White (HP) | thin | Yes— requires restore / capacity change | Compatible thin-case capacity change; restore required after install |
| M9585LL/A | 40GB | White | thick | No— wrong case depth | 20GB drive is a 5mm thin-case drive; 40GB or 60GB thick models take the 8mm drive. Use Replacement Hard Drive (40GB) instead. |
| M9586LL/A | 60GB | White | thick | No— wrong case depth | 20GB drive is a 5mm thin-case drive; 40GB or 60GB thick models take the 8mm drive. Use Replacement Hard Drive (60GB) instead. |
| M9830LL/A | 60GB | White | thick | No— wrong case depth | 20GB drive is a 5mm thin-case drive; 40GB or 60GB thick models take the 8mm drive. Use Replacement Hard Drive (60GB) instead. |
| PS493AA | 60GB | White (HP) | thick | No— wrong case depth | 20GB drive is a 5mm thin-case drive; 40GB or 60GB thick models take the 8mm drive. Use Replacement Hard Drive (60GB) instead. |
Compatible & Upgrade Drives
Other 1.8-inch drives that also fit this iPod and accept a standard restore:
- MK2004GAL — 20 GB · 5 mm — fits this thin case
8 mm drives do not fit this thin case. The 40 GB MK4004GAH is an 8 mm drive, so it is not a thin-case upgrade; it belongs to the thick 40GB and 60GB builds. The 80GB Toshiba MK8007GAH is a 50-pin 8 mm drive too: thick 40/60GB cases only, or a thin unit converted with the thick backplate, the thick bumpers and the thick headphone-jack assembly. Check the height of any bigger drive before ordering — 5 mm drives fit the thin 20/30GB cases, 8 mm drives fit the thick 40/60GB cases — and confirm the connector is the 50-pin Toshiba type rather than ZIF.
Staying thin is the simpler route: a 5 mm 50-pin drive, or flash storage we fit by mail. Any storage swap needs a restore afterwards, and a restore erases everything on the iPod, songs included: copy off anything worth keeping first.
Install and repair
Step-by-step guide
iPod 4th Gen and iPod Photo hard drive replacement
Tools: Plastic opening tools, one wide and one thin, Plastic spudger, T6 Torx screwdriver, 99% isopropyl alcohol, Anti-static wrist strap or mat, Soft cloth, Computer with iTunes or the Finder, and a wall charger
- Unplug it, switch it off and lock HoldDisconnect any cable, charger or computer first. Switch the iPod off by holding Play/Pause until the screen goes dark, then slide the Hold switch to locked, so its orange bar shows.
- Release the case clipsOur opening guide has the detail. In short: with the screen up and the dock connector toward you, start on the right-hand long side with the wide plastic tool, its edge tilted toward the steel back, and free the five tabs on that side. Then the two clips beside the dock connector (lightly past the thin steel there), the five tabs on the left-hand side, and the top edge.
Install Overview
Rather not open it? Choose We Fix It above: mail your iPod in and we fit it. Turnaround is typically 1–3 business days on our bench. 1-year limited warranty.
After fitting, restore the iPod (a restore erases everything on it). On this model a restore that stops at a picture of a plug must finish on a wall charger (Apple's A1070 power adapter is the ideal choice; a generic charger may not give the right voltage). On the 4th Gen and iPod Photo the drive cable is the first suspect for drive symptoms: clean its contacts with 99% isopropyl alcohol and re-seat it first; if that fails, it is likely the hard drive, and our Hard Drive Repair Service is probably the best first option. On every other model, a drive failure is the ideal time for a flash upgrade.
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I choose the right hard drive capacity?
Match the fitment table, drive height, connector/interface, and order number before ordering. Thin and thick storage options can use different physical drives.
Can I use flash storage instead of this hard drive?
Yes: our flash mod service fits 128GB or 256GB flash storage by mail, on Apple's own software. Order it on the flash mod service page for your model, with a new battery if you like.
Can I put a 40/60GB drive in my thin iPod?
Yes, but the drive is only part of the order. A 40/60GB drive is 8 mm and a thin 20/30GB case is built for a 5 mm drive, so the conversion also needs the thick backplate, the thick drive bumpers and the thick headphone-jack assembly. The headphone-jack flex cable is the same part for every capacity, so that one you keep. Forcing a thick drive under a thin back is the failure our backplate pages already warn about: the case presses the screen onto the drive stack and marks or breaks the LCD. The simpler route is to keep every thin part and fit a 5 mm 50-pin drive, or have us fit flash storage by mail. Any storage swap needs a restore afterwards, and a restore erases everything on the iPod, songs included: copy off anything worth keeping first.
Is this an iPod Classic?
Apple's 'Classic' branding started with the 6th Generation (2007). This is the color-screen iPod photo / iPod with color display generation, not a Classic-branded model.
Can the 20GB drive replace a 30GB thin drive?
It can physically fit the thin 30GB case, but it is a capacity change and requires restore. Use the 30GB page when you want the stock 30GB capacity.
Why should power be checked before buying this drive?
Only as a quick check: if the iPod does the same thing on a wall charger, the battery is very unlikely to be the cause. On this model drive symptoms are far more often the drive cable, then the drive: clean the cable contacts with 99% isopropyl alcohol and re-seat it first.
Free diagnostic
Broken iPod? We can help.
Mail us your iPod and we will test it and send you a free repair quote. If you don't like our price, we will ship your iPod back at our expense.
How mail-in repair works
Order the free diagnostic
Choose your iPod. Add our shipping box and prepaid label if you need one.
Mail us your iPod
Pack it with your work order. No printer? Put a note in the box with your name, return address, email, order number and what is wrong.
Approve your quote
We test it and email your free repair quote. Most repairs are finished within 1 to 3 business days after you approve the quote.