Can't hard reset iphone 3G, password protected

So I stupidly bought an iphone 3G from someone off of Craigslist when it wasn't charged, and when I got home I found it had a password. I tried calling the guy who sold it to me, but no answer.

I'm trying to perform a "hard reset" to clear the data and the password so I can use the thing, but for some reason I can't even turn the phone off all the way, only put it into sleep mode. No matter how long I hold the home/ sleep buttons together the screen will only go blank and the apple logo won't appear. I held the buttons for 3 entire minutes solid and got nothing. As soon as I let go after the screen goes blank, the password screen just pops back up again showing it never powered off all the way.

I've already had this thing for a couple weeks and I can tell that guy is not going to return my calls or give me my money back.

Won't someone please help me clear this password and reset it to factory settings?

Both buttons work independently of one another.

And I can't get into DFU mode. When I plug the phone into my PC with itunes open, it says it can't access my phone because it is password protected. I have the feeling I can't get into DFU mode because of the password as well. I never get the "red slider" to appear.

Intell said:

DFU mode will work regardless of a passcode on the iDevice. It usually takes a few tries before you get it working.

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Will you please give me specific step by step instructions?

The generic ones I keep finding online just aren't working. Must've tried holding both buttons about 20 times now. . .

QuarterSwede said:

I can get the red slider to appear on my iPhone with a passcode. Not sure if running iOS 5 has anything to do with it though.

Plug the device in to your computer. Turn the screen on then hold down the sleep button for 4 seconds and the slider will appear. Once it's off hold down both the sleep button and home button for 10 seconds (the apple logo will appear and then disappear a few seconds later) then still hold home but release sleep for another 10 seconds. If the screen is off and you don't see the Apple logo you're in DFU mode. From there, restore.

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Yeah, I'm not getting the red slider. It just goes directly into sleep mode.

Intell said:

Have you tried entering the wrong password enough times that the iPhone tells you you have to reset it? This will force iTunes to restore it. Also, have you tried letting its battery die?

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If I enter the wrong password enough times it just freezes it and says I can't access it for a while.

Comeagain? said:

To power down an iPhone, only hold the sleep (top) button, not both. Don't you?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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Yeah, I've tried the sleep button on its own and it will only go into sleep mode.

It currently says "Iphone is disable, try again in 15 minutes"

QuarterSwede said:

With the screen off will it turn on when you push the sleep button?

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Yes, with the screen off it will turn on again if I touch either the sleep button again or the home button.

The now says "iPhone is disabled - connect to iTunes." Instead of going to the password screen it just goes directly to the emergency call screen if you unlock the grey slider.

iTunes says "iTunes could not connect to the iPhone because it is locked with a passcode. You must enter your passcode on the iPhone before it can be used with iTunes."

I'm almost certain it's not the timing, I'd have to be nano-seconds off and I've tried about 100 times now, literally.

Intell said:

What happens when you let the iPhone's battery die?

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Then I can't turn it on unplugged, when I plug it in it just shows the empty battery image with a red sliver and won't let me do anything with it on the phone or on the computer, and when it has a little bit of juice it just goes back to the very same "iPhone is disabled" stuff.

awadeee said:

Maybe your sleep button is iffy. I've bought iPhones that have had dodgy sleep buttons before; try pressing really hard on it until you get the red slider.

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I really don't think that's it. The sleep button is perfectly responsive, the only difference is that holding it for 10 seconds only puts it into sleep mode instead of bringing up the red slider. Nothing I try can get the red slider or an apple logo to appear!