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3GS wont turn on: Questions regarding files and unlock

T

taran420

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jun 8, 2008
801
71
Toronto, Canada
Hey guys, so I'm helping a friend fix her phone. It suddenly turned off and wont turn on. Only a apple logo for 3 seconds and turn off. I can put it into recovery mode and tried reinstalling 3.1.2, which she had before, and it will give me a error which is because of apple not signing those files anymore

well i researched and found out that she can update to 4.0 and still be able to Unlock the phone.

My question is that what is the difference between Hacktivated and "unhacktivated" files? i downloaded a custom 4.0 file which is already Hactivated. Im guessing this will allow her to activate her phone even if she doesnt have the sim that the phone is locked to?
She is on O2 and the phone is locked to Orange. So would it be a good idea to go with the Hactivated file to restore if she doesnt have a Orange SIM?

Or should i restore using a original 4.0 file and then tell her to get a orange sim so she can activate it?

After restoring and activating i will use jailbreakme.com to jailbreak and ulrasnow to unlock, is it ok?

Also her phone was already JB on 3.1.2 and i dont know which method she used to JB before

Any help would be greatly appreciated
 
taran420 said:
Hey guys, so I'm helping a friend fix her phone. It suddenly turned off and wont turn on. Only a apple logo for 3 seconds and turn off. I can put it into recovery mode and tried reinstalling 3.1.2, which she had before, and it will give me a error which is because of apple not signing those files anymore

well i researched and found out that she can update to 4.0 and still be able to Unlock the phone.

My question is that what is the difference between Hacktivated and "unhacktivated" files? i downloaded a custom 4.0 file which is already Hactivated. Im guessing this will allow her to activate her phone even if she doesnt have the sim that the phone is locked to?
She is on O2 and the phone is locked to Orange. So would it be a good idea to go with the Hactivated file to restore if she doesnt have a Orange SIM?

Or should i restore using a original 4.0 file and then tell her to get a orange sim so she can activate it?

After restoring and activating i will use jailbreakme.com to jailbreak and ulrasnow to unlock, is it ok?

Also her phone was already JB on 3.1.2 and i dont know which method she used to JB before

Any help would be greatly appreciated
Click to expand...

You can only go to 4.0 or back to 3.1.2 if the SHSH are saved in Cydia/TinyUmbrella.

Hacktivating = activating the iPhone through the jailbreak program.

Activating = using an original sim to activate the iPhone.
 
PsstGreek said:
You can only go to 4.0 or back to 3.1.2 if the SHSH are saved in Cydia/TinyUmbrella.

Hacktivating = activating the iPhone through the jailbreak program.

Activating = using an original sim to activate the iPhone.
Click to expand...

So I can't go up to 4.0 from 3.1.2? I thought it was only if you wanted to go back?

So with a hacktivated file I can activate the phone with any sim and will allow me to jailbreak and unlock? So it will give me access to the phone after I restore it? Sorry kinda noob
 
Last edited:
taran420 said:
So I can't go up to 4.0 from 3.1.2? I thought it was only if you wanted to go back?

So with a hacktivated file I can activate the phone with any sim and will allow me to jailbreak and unlock? So it will give me access to the phone after I restore it? Sorry kinda noob
Click to expand...

You need the SHSH saved to from firmware to firmware. If you don't have the SHSH saved you'd have to go the newest firmware 4.2.1 or whatever the new firmware is at the time. Apple stops signing the older version of an OS when they release a new one. Preventing iPhone users to restore to the older firmware. That's when the SHSH come in handy.

The jailbreak whichever you use will hacktivate the iPhone.
 
PsstGreek said:
You need the SHSH saved to from firmware to firmware. If you don't have the SHSH saved you'd have to go the newest firmware 4.2.1 or whatever the new firmware is at the time. Apple stops signing the older version of an OS when they release a new one. Preventing iPhone users to restore to the older firmware. That's when the SHSH come in handy.

The jailbreak whichever you use will hacktivate the iPhone.
Click to expand...

Oh damn. So the only option we have is to upgrade to 4.2.1? I'm assuming that there isn't a jb and more importantly unlock for 4.2.1?
 
taran420 said:
Oh damn. So the only option we have is to upgrade to 4.2.1? I'm assuming that there isn't a jb and more importantly unlock for 4.2.1?
Click to expand...

You can jailbreak and unlock on 4.2.1 but right now it's a little more complex.

The jailbreak is a tethered version, meaning every time you reboot the the device you need the jailbreak software to turn it back on. An untethered version of the jailbreak should be out soon.

To unlock, you need to upgrade the baseband to the iPad - 6.15.00

To read more about the new jailbreak/unlock go to www.blog.iphone-dev.org
 
thanks, im helping someone not close to me and im sure she will be very confused, dammit!

cant i edit the hosts file and put this in 74.208.10.249 gs.apple.com and downgrade? im guessing this requires SHSH as well, man what a bummer
 
k thanks, ahh well this sucks. So i guess the only option is to wait till their is a JB and unlock (not too complex) for 4.2.1? bummer
 
If you want to keep the your baseband = possible unlock, you should always update with a custom firmware file.

For 3GS, 4.2.1 JB are either untethered (old bootrom) and tethered (new bootrom).

Thus, with a custom 4.2.1 firmware file, you can update to 4.2.1 either untethered or tethered and still unlock.
 
Myzhi said:
If you want to keep the your baseband = possible unlock, you should always update with a custom firmware file.

For 3GS, 4.2.1 JB are either untethered (old bootrom) and tethered (new bootrom).

Thus, with a custom 4.2.1 firmware file, you can update to 4.2.1 either untethered or tethered and still unlock.
Click to expand...

So you're saying if the 3GS has a old bootrom I can jb untethered to 4.2.1 and also unlock it? :eek: that would be great. I have no idea what baseband it is since the phone won't turn on at all. Three seconds of apple logo and then black :(
 
Give f0recast a shot to see what baseband is, maybe it can see it but it's a longshot.

It doesn't really matter if you update and retain the baseband only to find it wasn't an unlockable baseband anyway, you didn't have a chance to start with.
 
taran420 said:
3.1.2 and serial number is 013, well the 3rd, 4th and 5th one, so seems like a old bootrom
Click to expand...

That would mean the phone has the unlockable 5.13 baseband. You want to keep that. The issue would be if it's a untethered or tethered JB. Is the phone currently stuck in recovery mode?
 
Myzhi said:
That would mean the phone has the unlockable 5.13 baseband. You want to keep that. The issue would be if it's a untethered or tethered JB. Is the phone currently stuck in recovery mode?
Click to expand...

its black, and i can get it to recovery mode. how would i determine if its untethered or tethered JB? by bootrom? seems like old right?
 
The real issue here is he has a dead phone that needs a restore with no shsh saved.

Updating to 4.2.1 is really the only option from here, just saying do it with the ipsw that wont update the baseband so you have the maximum amount of options available to you.

All the questions on versions determine what you can do after this is done, that's it. But not doubt this needs to happen. Anyway your going to like 4.2.1, I do. It also sounds like you are set for a current untethered and unlockable but we won't know for sure until the phone is working again. Also if you somehow find those shsh on cydia, you could even go back down to whatever version you have saved.
 
MaxBurn said:
The real issue here is he has a dead phone that needs a restore with no shsh saved.

Updating to 4.2.1 is really the only option from here, just saying do it with the ipsw that wont update the baseband so you have the maximum amount of options available to you.

All the questions on versions determine what you can do after this is done, that's it. But not doubt this needs to happen. Anyway your going to like 4.2.1, I do. It also sounds like you are set for a current untethered and unlockable but we won't know for sure until the phone is working again. Also if you somehow find those shsh on cydia, you could even go back down to whatever version you have saved.
Click to expand...

yea see the phone is not with me, im helping someone. And it needs to be unlocked

Here is the serial number 5K013, well the first five letter.
why does it say it was built in 2010? do u think its still old bootrom?
so here is some info i got from a website using my serial number
Model: - iPhone 3G S (32 GB White)

Codename: - ?

Build Country: - Most likely China.

Build Year: - Your Mac was built in 2010.

Build Week - Your device was built in week 13 of that year (March).

Production Nr.: - Your device was number 1121 to be built that week.
 
taran420 said:
yea see the phone is not with me, im helping someone. And it needs to be unlocked

Here is the serial number 5K013, well the first five letter.
why does it say it was built in 2010? do u think its still old bootrom?
so here is some info i got from a website using my serial number
Model: - iPhone 3G S (32 GB White)

Codename: - ?

Build Country: - Most likely China.

Build Year: - Your Mac was built in 2010.

Build Week - Your device was built in week 13 of that year (March).

Production Nr.: - Your device was number 1121 to be built that week.
Click to expand...

Think, serial with K is refub. Don't think it matters at this point whether the phone is old (untethered) or new (tethered) since the phone is in a state where you have to restore to 4.2.1. You best option is to restore with a custom 4.2.1 firmware file (one that keeps the current unlockable baseband).
 
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