Replace your iPod's battery

Tip 3: Replace the battery

Opening the case

Turn off the iPod, and place the hold button on (so that orange is showing). Insert the edge of your tool of choice vertically between the plastic and the metal, next to the FireWire port. Insert the tool as far as you can, then slide it up and around the sharp metal upper-left corner of the iPod until it's about 10mm from the edge. At this point, pry up and release the first of the five clips (on the left side) holding the two case halves together.

Once you've released the first clip, continue to slide the blade down the side of the iPod, and the remaining four clips will come apart fairly easily. With one side of the iPod case released, you can now lift the plastic case half away from the metal portion. With it will come all the electronic components, in one unit. Congratulations -- your iPod is now open!

Removing the battery

First- and second-generation iPods have the battery attached directly to the hard drive by two strips of rubber featuring some sort of evil adhesive. This stuff sticks! Use your screwdriver or another thin, flat implement of choice to loosen the battery from the hard drive. Try to keep the rubber strips attached to the hard drive and not to the battery. When it's free of the sticky death grip, disconnect the battery and throw it away.

Installing the new battery

The new battery will install only one way because of the length of the connecting wires, so plug it in and lay it down on the hard drive. Line it up so that one edge isn't hanging off, and press it firmly so that the adhesive grips it.

Putting it back together

Once this is done, you can just snap the metal half of the case back on. Charge up your new battery, and your iPod will ready to charge!

Additional editing by Tom Espiner