[Gaffer74]

If any of you have 4Gen iPods and have recently updated with the latest firmware, you may have noticed that the "show voltage" (rather than an innaccurate battery symbol) hack no longer works.

The newer firmware adds no functionality to the previous firmware for the 4th gen monochrome iPods, so you may wish to restore the older (better!) system fw.

So if you have this problem with wanting a voltage battery readout again, use alterPod to go back to your older firmware and follow the following guide:

alterPod is basically iPodWizard but for the mac (type into Google and follow the link...of course, if you use XP use iPodWizard).

Now launch it and extract the firmware you want (Click the "Updater" tab in alterPod and select the "Extract" section) from the November 2005 updater (which should still be on your hard drive unless you've manually removed it..... Utilities -> iPod Software Updater -> iPod Updater 2005-11-17).
alterPod will present you with a drop down list, from which you should select firmware 4.3.1 which is the correct firmware for 4thGen ipods.

Extract this firmware to your desktop.

Now restore this firmware to your iPod ("Insert" section).

Once done, disconnect the iPod (which should automatically go through a complete boot up cycle).

Now reconnect your ipod (it will have the November firmware on it now ,....the Nov 2005 was the last firmware which allowed you to view the power as voltage remaining numericals)

You should already have downloaded iVolt2 or iPodBatteryIndicator (both also free), which will recognise your iPod, and you can now select "show voltage".

Disconnect iPod completely and voila, the battery shows up as a number (won't do it whilst charging remember).

All this without having to re-format or re-sync anything.



edit: Keep the latest firmware on your hard drive though, so as to stop "software updater" from continually trying to download and install it again.
Also, iTunes will also keep prompting you to update, but you can mark the checkbox "don't remind me again" to stop it bothering you).