This is a quick note on how I have become an “expert” at opening iPods with aluminium backs. I have had to open up 4th Generation iPods to re-seat drive cables, and twice opened up a 3rd generation iPod to replace the battery

The process is actually simpler than you might imagine. Like me you may have read of people who have opened their iPods and ended up with lots of scratches, but I don’t think that this is at all inevitable.

One thing is to start with the right tools. I use jeweler’s screw drivers, which have small blades and a good handle with which to get a good grip. Some replacement battery packs enclose plastic tools, but I find that these are not actually much use.

You need to be cautious, but cautious only in the right way. The trick is to appreciate that the metal case, which appears to be very strong, is in fact quite flimsy. It is the metal case you want to be able to flex in order to get into the clips that hold the iPod together (top photograph).

So start by finding a loose point where you can begin to prise open a small gap between the metal and plastic. Use your small screwdriver head  to open up the gap. Keep one driver in place when you have a small gap, and with another score around to extend the gap along the side of the iPod. It may be that your original gap is on a long or short edge. For the start it actually doesn’t matter, but you will need to open up along the long edge rather than along the ends. If you do start at the short end edge, it is actually quite easy to work around to the corners. In fact the end edges are slightly easier to open up.

The key point is that you are looking to expose the clips that hold the two halves together (top photograph). I find that once you have exposed the clips the iPod separates quite easily. You need to be aware of what you will find so that you don’t do any damage. Do not force your screwdriver deep into the iPod when opening the case, because there are various connectors to be careful with. Always push your screwdriver edge down in a direction perpendicular to the base of the iPod rather than directly into the iPod.

When you have exposed the clips, be very careful how you open the iPod. The middle photograph shows that on one side there is a flexible connection between the electronics attached to the two halves of the case. Thus separate the two halves using a unfolding action. For 4th generation iPods the middle figure tells you which way to unfold. I cannot tell whether this is the same on all generations of iPods.

As you can see in the middle photograph, opening the iPod exposes the hard drive. This has two connections to the iPod, one to the metal case and one to the electronics within the plastic half immediately below. There is enough slack on these connectors to make lifting the disk drive quite easy (bottom photograph; you will find that the disk has a moulded piece of rubber around it, coloured blue in the photograph)). Lifting the hard drive exposes the main electronics and the battery.

One you have done whatever needs doing, the iPod clips back together again quite easily. If you are changing the battery, just make sure that you fold all wires back into place so that they don’t get trapped between the two halves of the case.