Some time ago, I acquired first-generation AirPods Pro*. We use Apple devices for mobile purposes, but not for “normal computing” where we mainly run Windows or, rarely, Linux. This quickly raised the question of how to make the AirPods convenient to use on all Bluetooth-enabled PCs. It is particularly interesting to know the charge status, as the basic functions already work simply by pairing.

Among other things, I came across AirpodsDesktop from SpriteOvO. After using it for many months now, I can recommend the project. Unfortunately, development seems to have been discontinued, but everything currently works fine on Windows 11 24H2 or older.

It couldn’t be much easier to use:

• Pair the AirPods like normal Bluetooth headphones via the Windows settings
• Install or start AirPodsDesktop; everything should be recognized automatically
• Right-click on the tray icon to configure a few additional settings:
  

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The method Apple has long promoted for creating your own ringtones is to use an in-house app called “GarageBand” – which is well described by the manufacturer. Nevertheless, I have always found it more convenient to carry out this process on a computer.

It’s easier to do on a large screen and Windows is the most common operating system on home computers. So, I’ll now describe how to create custom ringtones for iOS or iPadOS on a Windows computer.

Requirements, limitations – Software and hardware used

To illustrate the process, I used a first-generation iPhone SE with 64 GB of storage capacity running iOS 15.8.5 (19H394). Everything was performed on Windows 11 Professional using the following software:

• mp3DirectCut (v2.39)
• Fre:ac (v1.1.7)
• iTunes (Standalone v12.13.9)

The maximum length of the finished ringtone is defined:
Apple limits this to approximately 30 seconds.

That’s why I use mp3DirectCut to cut out the desired section from an audio track. Here’s how to access the sound settings in iOS or iPadOS, starting in the “Settings” app:

The base

I assume that the basis for the subsequent ringtone is an MP3 file of the highest possible quality (320 kbps). If you want to use the audio track of a YouTube video, you can easily convert it to an MP3 file using one of the many online converters available.

I am using the MP3 audio track from this music video that has been converted and downloaded in exactly this way. You should now have a file called “Noisestorm – Crab Rave [Monstercat Release].mp3” saved on your computer:

Editing

To do this, download mp3DirectCut from the link above and install it (from Windows Vista with active UAC onwards, the setup must be run manually as an administrator if you want to install it in the default location!).

Then start the program and, after clicking “OK” to dismiss the version information, you will be greeted by the main screen. Next, load your MP3 file into the software and select a section by holding down the left mouse button. You can navigate through the file using the mouse wheel and/or the horizontal scroll bar at the bottom. In the lower area, you can play, pause, etc. the track. On the right, you can see the playing time of the selected section, which is very useful for staying just under 30 seconds.

Then export the selected section via the main menu, again as an MP3. Here are the steps:

I named the exported file “Noisestorm – Crab Rave [Monstercat Release]_30s.mp3”:

Converting

The ringtones must be encoded in the M4A codec, and the file extension for an iPhone ringtone is “M4R”. Fre:ac is a good option for converting the MP3 file to the correct format:

The result was then named “Noisestorm – Crab Rave [Monstercat Release]_30s.m4r”. iOS and iPadOS can now handle this and you can sync the file to your device. You can also customize the file name as you wish.

Transfer the ringtone

To do this, use iTunes, preferably the latest standalone version, not the one from the Microsoft Store. To find this version, go to the Apple website and click on “Looking for other versions?” and then “Windows”.

Once iTunes is installed and your iPhone or iPad connected to your computer via USB and is trusted, you can simply transfer the file to your device:

After the changes have been applied by clicking “Synchronize”, you can see the new tone in the ringtone selection menu shown above on the device and use it by tapping on it:

Addendum April 2026:

Today I came across a case where drag-and-drop into the iTunes “Sounds” window simply wouldn’t work. The solution is as simple as it is counterintuitive at first:

Simply copy the M4R file in File Explorer, either via the context menu or with CTRL + C, then bring the iTunes window into focus and paste it there with CTRL + V. It works exactly like drag-and-drop! It’s hard to say why it wouldn’t work as described. The PC was an 8th-gen i7 with sufficient RAM and storage, running Windows 11 Professional. The iPhone was a 14 Plus with 128 GB of storage, with plenty of free space, running the latest iOS version (v24.4).

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If an Apple device no longer responds (properly) or you want to exit the recovery or DFU mode described above, you can perform a hard reset. Apple provides detailed instructions for this, as there are different key combinations that must be pressed for each model and iOS version. This is essentially a forced restart of the device.

Recovery

There is a “soft” recovery mode, which is also clearly documented by Apple. You should first try to revive the device using this mode. If a system recovery fails in this mode as well, the next step is DFU mode:

DFU

DFU (Device Firmware Update) mode is designed to get a device that has been damaged by software back up and running. It is essentially the lowest level of firmware, an emergency rescue mode.

First of all, it should be noted that this mode cannot be used to bypass an iCloud or activation lock, and even in this special mode, the device can only be restored to iOS or iPadOS signed by Apple. So it really only helps to completely reset the local device; online services (such as iCloud) are not affected.

iFixit has instructions available, but Apple does not even document this special mode, as it is only intended for internal use.
Requirements:

• Computer with the latest version of iTunes
• Suitable USB cable for the device
• Apple device switched on

Then let’s get started:

• Connect the device to the computer via USB cable.
• Turn off the Apple device.
• Open iTunes.
• Start DFU mode according to the iFixit instructions.
• A message saying “…needs to be restored…” should appear in iTunes.
• Click “Restore” and iTunes will download the appropriate iOS or iPadOS version and restore the device.
• If you hold down the Shift key and click “Restore” instead, you can specify a firmware file yourself, but it must still be signed.

If none of this helps, you’ll probably need to contact Apple or a service provider.
Good luck!

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There is actually a very well-developed and customizable project for classic Apple iPods and some other music players: Rockbox. There are even manuals for the various devices (for example, here for the 6th generation iPod Classic).

You can expect many new features:

• New games and applications
• A wide variety of themes, with something for every taste
• Voice output for control functions
• And much more

An ideal basis for modders and anyone who likes to customize things down to the smallest detail.
Even better: many new audio and video files are supported, including FLAC:

With Rockbox, you no longer need iTunes for data management!
As a fan of jailbreaking and modding of all kinds, I’m particularly excited about this great project. It’s the perfect addition if you have an iFlash installed, but it’s also really good on its own.

Installation

Simply use the Rockbox Utility; instructions can be found here.
Enjoy!

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Apple’s iPod Classic is and always has been a really good music player. Long battery life, lots of storage space for its time, and easy to use. No subscriptions, everything offline, but still with beautiful cover art and good management via iTunes. The design is iconic and instantly recognizable.

Unfortunately, there are two points of wear: the battery and the small 1.8″ hard drive from Toshiba or Samsung. It’s actually crazy that hard drives can be built so small and still be quite reliable and shock-resistant. It’s incredible what can be developed and produced when there are no alternatives: flash memory was still very expensive at the height of these iPods’ popularity.

Depending on the exact iPod Classic model, the battery is available everywhere as a replica* and can be easily replaced with the right tools. But what if the hard drive is damaged at some point?

Replacement hard drive?

These special hard drives have not been manufactured for some time, and even if they were, replacing the defective component would simply replace it with another equally vulnerable one. There is a better solution: iFlash.

This allows you to replace the internal HDD with either an mSATA or M.2 SATA SSD or various types of memory cards*. A great idea!

I stumbled across this topic a few years ago when I was given an iPod Classic 7th Generation with a damaged hard drive (160 GB) and was looking for an elegant solution to revive it. This last model manufactured by Apple is generally well suited for all kinds of mods, with larger batteries, iFlash, or even retrofitted Bluetooth available. There are virtually no limits to creativity. Thanks to LBA 48-bit addressing, the storage capacity of this specific model also has only theoretical limits (2 TB and more are no problem).

Here you can see which specific models are compatible.

Experiences

I only installed a new battery and an iFlash for mSATA (now EOL), along with a 256 GB Crucial SSD. iTunes sync is much faster than with a hard drive, and battery life has also increased slightly. If I were to install another iFlash, I would choose an SD or MicroSD-based one, which saves even more power and is lighter and generates less heat. At the time, I already had the mSATA SSD on hand, so I chose this method.

The iFlash modules are not particularly cheap, but in return, they permanently solve the hard drive wear problem.

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