Error 1604 When restoring iPhone in iTunes
* Last Modified on: December 17, 2007
* Article: 307007
Issue or symptom
When trying to restore your iPhone in iTunes, you may see the following error message:
The iPhone could not be restored. An unknown error occurred. Error 1604
Products affected
* iPhone
* iTunes 7.4.3 and earlier
Solution
Update to iTunes 7.5 or later.
If upgrading to iTunes 7.5 or later does not resolve, follow the following troubleshooting steps:
Restart your computer
Simply restarting your Mac or Windows PC may allow you to successfully restore your iPhone.
Try a different USB port
Connect iPhone to a different USB port on your Mac or Windows PC. USB 2.0 ports that are built-in to the computer are preferred. If your computer has front and rear USB ports, try a port on the other side of the computer. After doing this, attempt to restore your iPhone in iTunes.
Remove extra USB devices
Remove all USB devices except the keyboard, mouse, and the iPhone. Connect the iPhone directly to the supplied USB cable, bypassing the iPhone Dock. Remove all USB hubs and connect directly to the computer.
Try restoring on a different computer
Attempt to restore on a different computer. Ensure that the computer you are restoring on has USB 2.0 ports.
Create a new user account and restore
Create a new user account and then restore iPhone.
Use the steps below if you're not sure how to create a new user. After creating the new user, log in to that account, open iTunes, and determine whether the issue you were experiencing persists in this new user.
Windows Vista and Windows XP
1. From the Start menu, choose Control Panel.
2. Open User Accounts.
3. Select Create a new account and follow the instructions to complete the account setup process.
4. Once the new account is created, choose Log Off from the Start menu.
5. Log in to the newly created user account.
Mac OS X
1. Choose Apple menu > System Preferences.
2. Choose View > Accounts.
3. Click the "+" (you may need to authenticate to be able to click this).
4. Give the new user a name and short name and enter a password.
5. Select the checkbox for "Allow user to administer this computer". This makes the user an administrator user.
6. Click Create Account.