iPod 4th Generation or Photo Display Replacement

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Replace a cracked or faulty display.

Before opening your iPod, ensure that the hold switch is in the locked position. The orange bar should be visible, indicating hold is active.

Insert an opening pick as far as possible into the seam between the plastic front and the metal rear panel, on the right edge of the iPod.
You may need to rock the pick back and forth to slide it in farther.
Use the opening pick to pry up against the plastic front panel and release five retaining tabs (seen in the third photo).
Slide the pick along the edge of the iPod and continue prying to release the rest of the retaining tabs.
After all five tabs along the right side are free, the case should easily open.

The iPod case is now open, but don't separate the two halves just yet. There is still an orange ribbon cable connecting the headphone jack to the logic board.
Open the case like a book with the dock connector edge at the top, and lay the rear panel next to the front half of the iPod.

Use a plastic tool or your fingernails to carefully disconnect the orange headphone jack cable. Be sure to pull straight up on the connector, not the cable itself.
This ribbon cable is very fragile. If you are replacing the battery, you can choose to skip this step and keep the headphone jack connected to the motherboard. Prop and tape the rear case against a box to keep it in place. Be very careful not to strain the fragile headphone jack cable as you work.

Grasp the hard drive with one hand and carefully disconnect the orange ribbon cable from the hard drive using your other hand.
If the cable doesn't come free easily, it may be helpful to gently wiggle the cable from side to side.

Use the tip of your finger or a spudger to carefully flip up the black connector securing the hard drive cable to the logic board. Note that the black retaining clip flips 90 degrees toward vertical, in the direction of the cable.

Carefully disconnect the white battery connector from the logic board. Be sure to pull only on the connector itself and not on the cables.

Use a spudger to flip up the black retaining bars securing the display and click wheel connectors to the logic board.
If you have an iPod Photo, the display connector (to the right of the picture) is located more centrally on the logic board.

Remove the 6 black T6 Torx screws securing the logic board to the front panel.
If you have an iPod Photo, there will only be 5 screws, as there is no screw in the top right corner of the iPod.

Slide the orange click wheel ribbon cable out of its connector. You must unlock this connector before sliding the ribbon cable out. The locking mechanism is on the opposite side of where the cable is inserted - it swivels upwards 90 degrees. Use a plastic spudger to lift the locking mechanism.