Did I screw up? Want to make old iPhone an IpodTouch & did restore (not backup)

[GhostMac24]

So my wife and I had the original iPhone's for over 4 years. We finally upgraded them to the iPhone 4S. Loving the new phones!

We decided to give our two kids the original iPhone's to use as an iPod touch. They are 2 and 4 and it's a great distraction when we are at dinner waiting for the food to be served. There are also some great apps, books, and movies we loaded onto the phones.

So here's where my problem is......

The first one took forever to delete everything off I didn't want on there but I finally got it done. Since it took so long I decided to restore the phone to the original settings and start from scratch. I guess I should have read up first before I did that as it seems I can't get past the main screen. Obviously the SIM is not active anymore and when I plug it into iTunes I get nothing other than a single screen that says iPhone. I have no option to restore from a backup, etc. The other problem is the sim in the new phones is too small for the original iphone so I can't get into itunes to do a restore from backup.

The other iPhone works just great (the 1st one I did).....has wifi, can download apps, etc..

So, what are my options at this point to get it set back up?

Thanks so much for any help in advance!

Cheers.

 

[Macman45]

If You Have A sim

So my wife and I had the original iPhone's for over 4 years. We finally upgraded them to the iPhone 4S. Loving the new phones!

We decided to give our two kids the original iPhone's to use as an iPod touch. They are 2 and 4 and it's a great distraction when we are at dinner waiting for the food to be served. There are also some great apps, books, and movies we loaded onto the phones.

So here's where my problem is......

The first one took forever to delete everything off I didn't want on there but I finally got it done. Since it took so long I decided to restore the phone to the original settings and start from scratch. I guess I should have read up first before I did that as it seems I can't get past the main screen. Obviously the SIM is not active anymore and when I plug it into iTunes I get nothing other than a single screen that says iPhone. I have no option to restore from a backup, etc. The other problem is the sim in the new phones is too small for the original iphone so I can't get into itunes to do a restore from backup.

The other iPhone works just great (the 1st one I did).....has wifi, can download apps, etc..

So, what are my options at this point to get it set back up?

Thanks so much for any help in advance!

Cheers.

In one of them, put it in the nonfunctional phone, restore (you may have to do it twice) and go from there....Be careful not to put you and your wifes stuff on when you restore) Should be okay then.

 

[GhostMac24]

Not sure I follow. Could you elaborate a bit more. Thanks for the input!


ps. what I assume you meant was to take the sim from one of the functional phones and put it in the non functional phones to get it to unlock and the restore from backup. The problem is both the sim cards in the original iphones are no longer valid since we switched over to the new iphone 4S. I'd use the sim in the 4S but the sim is different (too small).

 

[Macman45]

Order A Micro Sim

Not sure I follow. Could you elaborate a bit more. Thanks for the input!


ps. what I assume you meant was to take the sim from one of the functional phones and put it in the non functional phones to get it to unlock and the restore from backup. The problem is both the sim cards in the original iphones are no longer valid since we switched over to the new iphone 4S. I'd use the sim in the 4S but the sim is different (too small).

Or just pick one up from your carriers store. You can cut them down, but I wouldn't. Any sim will do the job, even if not on a plan.

 

[elistan]

You must use an active SIM to activate the old phone. Supposedly, you can temporarily use somebody else's SIM without effecting it. Just put it in your old iPhone, active via iTunes, then put the SIM back in the original phone.

(I'm in a similar situation - over the weekend I did a factory wipe of my iPhone 2G and am stuck on the activation screen. Haven't had a chance to borrow an active SIM of the right size though. I'll probably ask my mom to use the SIM from her iPhone 3G.)

 

[GhostMac24]

Or just pick one up from your carriers store. You can cut them down, but I wouldn't. Any sim will do the job, even if not on a plan.

I have the sim but it is not active.

You must use an active SIM to activate the old phone. Supposedly, you can temporarily use somebody else's SIM without effecting it. Just put it in your old iPhone, active via iTunes, then put the SIM back in the original phone.

(I'm in a similar situation - over the weekend I did a factory wipe of my iPhone 2G and am stuck on the activation screen. Haven't had a chance to borrow an active SIM of the right size though. I'll probably ask my mom to use the SIM from her iPhone 3G.)

That's what I am going to have to do. I have a friend with a 3G iPhone so if it's the same i'll use that one.

 

[elistan]

I have the sim but it is not active.



That's what I am going to have to do. I have a friend with a 3G iPhone so if it's the same i'll use that one.

Let me know how it goes - I have some concerns that putting in a SIM from a friend's 3G will force their plan to go to the $20/mo iPhone 2G plan, and then refuse to work properly when put back into their 3G, or force them to the $30/mo unlimited when all they want is the $15/mo 200 MB plan... (Which can of course be set back to the $15/mo plan, but can be a hassle to do so.)

 

[i hate phones]

Let me know how it goes - I have some concerns that putting in a SIM from a friend's 3G will force their plan to go to the $20/mo iPhone 2G plan, and then refuse to work properly when put back into their 3G, or force them to the $30/mo unlimited when all they want is the $15/mo 200 MB plan... (Which can of course be set back to the $15/mo plan, but can be a hassle to do so.)

it is not a hassle, just sign into your at&t account on the website and you can change your features. takes 2 seconds. or you can download the my at&t app and change it right from the iphone!

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another weirder option... i used my microsim and literally scotch taped it in place in the 2g's sim tray (just have to have the sensors in the right place). but you'll still be changing a data plan... just yours instead of someone elses.

 

[GhostMac24]

Just an update after going crazy trying to figure this out.

I am going to have a friends of mine "hacktivate" it with software that makes the original iphone into an ipod touch. I'll post back the results.