Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

dylesid

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 28, 2010
14
0
Hi good people,

My iPhone 4s is a brick now.
I tried to upgrade it from 7.1.1 to 7.1.2 yesterday via WiFi but every time I had an error message, that I can't install it (reason unknown). So today I tried to upgrade it via iTunes (USB). Everything was OK, but suddenly the progress bar stopped (in 2/3) and iTunes showed:

itunes1.jpg


So I tried to reset the phone and of course saw "connect to the iTunes" screen on my iPhone. I did it and of course I saw this:

itunes2.jpg


I started restore process. Everything was fine until the progress bar reached the end and some error message showed up on the PC screen (I'm on Windows 7 now, BTW): Error (3) unable to restore. So now I'm in a neverending recovery mode. Every time I try to restore my iPhone there are iTunes steps:

-Extracting software
-Preparing iPhone to restore
-Waiting for iPhone
-Verify iPhone restore
-Restoring iPhone Software
-Verify iPhone Software
-Verify iPhone restore
-Restoring iPhone firmware

and then:

itunes.jpg


And I have a brick now. Any suggestions?

PS. I have removed my antivirus software and firewall.
 

lokster

macrumors 6502
Feb 7, 2010
365
3
try different computer, different cable.
try downloading the firmware from
http://www.felixbruns.de/iPod/firmware/

when you finished downloading the firmware plug in your phone
go to itunes hold shift and click restore.
go to where you downloaded the firmware and it should restore.

happened to me with my other iphone 4 before but that was on ios6 to ios7
could be a corrupt firmware download

and you better not be on windows xp. do it on windows 7 or 8. lol looking at your dialog boxes is pretty nostalgic haha
 

stoney05

macrumors regular
Sep 26, 2011
158
59
if you have tiny umbrella installed, disable the activation server redirect.
 

dylesid

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 28, 2010
14
0
I tried a different computer, cable, firmware, Mac OS X, Win 7, Win Xp, nothing works unfortunately.

I tried tiny umbrella as well, but it does not run on any of my computers.

I even tried the "freezer fix" which has been mentioned somewhere here: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5372052?start=30&tstart=0

You put your iPhone in very low temperature, then quickly try to restore. Some people say it works, but my iPhone has no power after freezing so I cannot continue the process of restoring, because the temperature rising.
 

dylesid

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 28, 2010
14
0

dylesid

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 28, 2010
14
0
Last edited:

draymer

macrumors newbie
Aug 17, 2014
1
0
7.1.2 update bricked phone!

My iPhone 5 bricked during update and the "genius" at the apple store said it was a hardware issue and it would cost $259 to fix/replace phone which was 4 months outside of the 1 year warranty. Apple recommends you perform these updates but don't warn you that the update could brick your phone. Very lucrative move for apple. That galaxy is looking really good right now. Hopefully Samsung will stand behind their products when there are tech issues and not try to pass the cost of their issues off on their customers. Something tells me that Steve Jobs would have owned this problem.
 

braddick

macrumors 68040
Jun 28, 2009
3,921
1,018
Encinitas, CA
Download the 7.1.2 firmware (from iClarified, for example) and then right click the restore iTunes button, locate the firmware on your computer and use it to restore your iPhone.
 

Armen

macrumors 604
Apr 30, 2013
7,405
2,274
Los Angeles
My iPhone 5 bricked during update and the "genius" at the apple store said it was a hardware issue and it would cost $259 to fix/replace phone which was 4 months outside of the 1 year warranty. Apple recommends you perform these updates but don't warn you that the update could brick your phone. Very lucrative move for apple. That galaxy is looking really good right now. Hopefully Samsung will stand behind their products when there are tech issues and not try to pass the cost of their issues off on their customers. Something tells me that Steve Jobs would have owned this problem.

"the genius at the apple store said it was a hardware issue" - Ok, problem diagnosed.

"It would cost $259 to fix/replace phone which was 4 months outside of the 1 year warranty" - Ok, no warranty = you pay out of your pocket. nothing new here.

"Apple recommends you perform these updates but don't warn you that the update could brick your phone" - Please see above how HARDWARE failure
was the reason why your phone did not update properly.

"Something tells me that Steve Jobs would have owned this problem" -

Steve Jobs may have taken action if millions of iPhones were becoming "bricked" during an iOS update but that's not the case.

"That galaxy is looking really good right now. Hopefully Samsung will stand behind their products when there are tech issues and not try to pass the cost of their issues off on their customers." - The same Samsung that releases different variations of the same phone 4 times a year?

How'd you like to buy a Galaxy S5 and then 3 months later come to find out they released a Galaxy S5 that's dirt and waterproof. Thanks Samsung for looking out for us customers!
 

dylesid

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 28, 2010
14
0
I have downloaded the final version of iOS 8 and have tried to restore again. Of course with the same result, error 3014 than almost at the end error 3. So my iPhone is still a brick. What interesting is, that now the recovery mode screen on my iPhone (you know the cable and iTunes icon) is different. The iTunes icon is red instead of blue. Of course that changes nothing :(
 

deborala

macrumors newbie
Sep 14, 2014
3
0
I have downloaded the final version of iOS 8 and have tried to restore again. Of course with the same result, error 3014 than almost at the end error 3. So my iPhone is still a brick. What interesting is, that now the recovery mode screen on my iPhone (you know the cable and iTunes icon) is different. The iTunes icon is red instead of blue. Of course that changes nothing :(

I too had the same exact issue (red iTunes icon etc), tried everything everyone said. What did the trick was finally rebooting the windows pc (I was using mac but had tried pc as well without luck) I ensured nobody in the house was downloading anything and held the power button for almost 20 seconds while connected to the computer and iTunes tried again it FINALLY worked! Anyways wanted you to know as I think I've read every thread out there. Hope this helps you.
 

itavaram

macrumors newbie
Sep 15, 2014
1
0
Hi,

I had the same issue. I solved the problem editing my Mac host file. I just added an entry to "# gs.apple.com" and saved it. After rebooting I was able to restore the iPad.

Source: http://support.apple.com/kb/ts4451

Hope it helps.
 

dylesid

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 28, 2010
14
0
Unfortunately holding the power button did not help, as well as editing host file, because I have not had any apple entries there.

I have found possible solution but only for iPhone 4 - and it's just partial. You need to follow this:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tRd-77B-vg

or this:

http://www.geeksn0w.it/GeekGrade/download.html


Basically what you need to do is downgrade your iOS to 6.x.x. and jailbroke it. This is the original post I have found it from:

"My story:
Okay so I've been dealing with this issue for about a month now and have frequented this forum and tried all suggested methods here which did not work for me. This meaning my phone is for sure bricked didn't sit well with me, so I called apple support and ended up with one of their senior technical advisers and went through EVERY LAST POSSIBLE FIX (from the official apple side of things). Once again my phone is still a brick. BUT i got some valuable information from the apple tech. I found out WHY error 3 began for me. It happened because I tried to downgrade from ios 7.1.2 to the previous one as the newest ios was making my phone super laggy and drop calls and all sorts of BS. Well, that recover mode BRICKED it and that's why I can't update and am now stuck in recovery like the rest of you. So I turned to the power of jailbreaking to try and fix this issue with no luck. Still a brick. But then I thought about how the apple tech said it bricked because the firmware won't agree with the old software from older versions and I can't roll back the firmware (actual firmware, not the commonly mislabeled ipsw which is software as well) once it's updated. So, I started looking into ways to downgrade my ios at the core of the phone. Although I never found a permanent fix, I FOUND A WORKING SOLUTION!

The Solution:
This workaround, when followed EXACTLY, will allow you to use ios 6.1.3 on your device. You WILL be jailbreaking your device and your WILL have to do that teathered. There is NO way I know of yet that will let you keep the changes without the use of the program upon rebooting your iphone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tRd-77B-vg

The way this works after you complete the process is that you will now have to load the jailbreak EVERY time your phone is rebooted, turned off then on, battery dies, etc. Basically this fix only works till your phone restarts. Then you will back at the recovery loop. This WON'T fix the problem permanently but it WILL allow you to use your phone as you once did as long as you load the jailbreak every reboot of your device.

THIS ALL BEING SAID, ONCE AGAIN THIS ONLY WORKS ON IPHONE 4!!!! Sorry, I don't have a similar solution for other devices but you might be able to follow the same basic process but with different files for your device. Check the sites in the youtube description links.

HOPE THIS HELPS YOU UNFORTUNATE ONES, like me! The freezer doesn't help ALL of us, so maybe this will help those who got LOST is the apple black hole. . . Kennethyoung, thank you for you efforts and support here. Please refer those with iphone 4 that have failed the freezer trick to this post for a last hope before they are diagnosed with a BRICK lol"
 

Lancer

macrumors 68020
Jul 22, 2002
2,217
147
Australia
I just got the same error on my iPad Mini trying to update to iOS 8.3, tried it a number of times with no luck on my iMac.

So borrowed a MBP and it worked, downloaded a restore (1.4Gb) and installed it. Now back on my iMac restoring the apps and stuff.

Seems to be working.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.