A while back I found my old first-generation iPod Touch buried in a drawer. I’d bricked it at some point — I honestly can’t even remember how — and just let it sit there for a couple of years, assuming it was gone for good.

Eventually I picked it up again and decided it was worth actually trying to fix. I went down a rabbit hole researching how to recover it, because the information out there is scattered, outdated, and slowly disappearing as people move on. Old Apple hardware doesn’t exactly get fresh blog posts in 2025.

Long story short: I got it working. The process isn’t complicated, but it’s very specific — wrong timing on the button combo, wrong iTunes version, missing IPSW file, and you’re stuck. I’m writing this down so it doesn’t become lost knowledge.

Note: Environment: Windows 10, iTunes 12.6.5.3. The older iTunes version matters — newer versions dropped support for devices this old.

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Step 1: DFU Mode

Put the iPod into DFU (Device Firmware Update) mode. This is different from standard recovery mode and is what allows iTunes to flash firmware directly to the device.

Entering DFU Mode:

1. Press and hold both the Power (Sleep/Wake) button and the Home button at the same time.
2. After exactly 10 seconds, release the Power button — but keep holding the Home button.
3. Continue holding the Home button for another 10–15 seconds until iTunes detects a device in Recovery Mode.

The iPod screen should remain completely black. If you see the Apple logo, you missed the timing — try again. It takes a few attempts to get the feel for it.

Once iTunes shows a message that a device in recovery mode has been detected, you’re in DFU mode.

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Step 2: Manual Restore from File

1. With the iPod in DFU mode and connected to your PC, you’ll see a Restore option in the iPod’s iTunes dashboard.
2. On Windows, hold Shift while clicking Restore — this opens a File Explorer window where you can select a firmware file manually. You want the .ipsw file for iOS 3.1.3, which is the latest (and last) version for the 1st gen iPod Touch.
3. Select the file, accept any prompts, and iTunes will begin the restore. You’ll see a progress bar on the iPod itself.
4. When the restore completes, leave it plugged in and let it restart fully.
5. iTunes will display:

"Your iPod has been restored to factory settings and is restarting. Please leave it plugged in."

6. iTunes will detect it again and offer two options:

   • Set up as a new iPod — clean slate, factory settings
   • Restore from a previous backup — if you have one from back in the day

7. Follow the on-screen prompts and you’re done. Once the setup finishes, it’s safe to disconnect.