Earse all content and settings.

[iPhone4UK]

When performing a restore I find iTunes is a pain and I have to delete mobile frameworks as my phone freezes etc etc.
If I was to go to settings general reset erase all.. Would this in theory give me a new iPhone which I could jailbreak with out having to use tinyumbrella!?

 

[thelatinist]

If you erase all content and settings, you will be forced to restore your phone. If you have your SHSHs on file for a jailbreakable version, you will be able to restore to it and jailbreak. But really there is no reason to do this; just restore your phone with iTunes and you'll be like new.

 

[eastercat]

I agree. I've seen a number of posts where the user is experiencing problems, because they erased from the phone. Unless it's a desperate situation, avoid this if at all possible.

If you erase all content and settings, you will be forced to restore your phone. If you have your SHSHs on file for a jailbreakable version, you will be able to restore to it and jailbreak. But really there is no reason to do this; just restore your phone with iTunes and you'll be like new.

 

[f4780y]

Pressing "erase all content and settings" is just about the worst thing you can do with a jail broken phone. Just don't do it! Use iTunes to restore as suggested...

 

[bytethese]

Pressing "erase all content and settings" is just about the worst thing you can do with a jail broken phone. Just don't do it! Use iTunes to restore as suggested...

FUD.

When done properly, you are fine. Like when I sold my jailbroken 3GS. I erased all content, restored, jailbroke and unlocked for the seller. I always advise erasing all content on a phone before selling it to someone.

 

[eastercat]

If you look at other posts, it's not FUD. Also, not everyone knows how to do the erase properly. I know that I don't on a jailbroken phone.
When it's more advantageous to do it via itunes, there's no reason to encourage a method fraught with problems.

FUD.

When done properly, you are fine. Like when I sold my jailbroken 3GS. I erased all content, restored, jailbroke and unlocked for the seller. I always advise erasing all content on a phone before selling it to someone.

 

[SpaceKitty]

FUD.

When done properly, you are fine. Like when I sold my jailbroken 3GS. I erased all content, restored, jailbroke and unlocked for the seller. I always advise erasing all content on a phone before selling it to someone.

The biggest problem with erase all content and settings is that people are clueless on what it actually does. They think that it will simply erase everything that they have on the phone such as photos and music leaving the phone as it was the day they brought it home before they loaded anything on to it. They have no idea that it also erases the OS leaving you no choice but to now restore.

This is how people are then forced to restore to the latest OS and not being able to jailbreak or unlock and use their T-Mobile or other non supported sim in the phone.

Yes, erase all content and settings can be very destructive.

 

[-aggie-]

FUD.

When done properly, you are fine. Like when I sold my jailbroken 3GS. I erased all content, restored, jailbroke and unlocked for the seller. I always advise erasing all content on a phone before selling it to someone.

Terrible advice. I guess there are lots of posters who don’t do it properly (whatever that means).

Don’t erase all for a JB phone.

 

[f4780y]

FUD.

When done properly, you are fine. Like when I sold my jailbroken 3GS. I erased all content, restored, jailbroke and unlocked for the seller. I always advise erasing all content on a phone before selling it to someone.

As others have already pointed out, it is your advice which is dodgy mate

By advising people to do it, you just risk getting a less than experienced user into a situation in which they need to seek out additional help to get them out of the nasty state this process leaves the phone in...

Also, there is also absolutely no proof that this step has any advantages if followed by a full firmware restore. I'd love to see some. Perhaps you are up for using your mad-IOS-skills to prove it has some value?

 

[bytethese]

If you look at other posts, it's not FUD. Also, not everyone knows how to do the erase properly. I know that I don't on a jailbroken phone.
When it's more advantageous to do it via itunes, there's no reason to encourage a method fraught with problems.

The biggest problem with erase all content and settings is that people are clueless on what it actually does. They think that it will simply erase everything that they have on the phone such as photos and music leaving the phone as it was the day they brought it home before they loaded anything on to it. They have no idea that it also erases the OS leaving you no choice but to now restore.

This is how people are then forced to restore to the latest OS and not being able to jailbreak or unlock and use their T-Mobile or other non supported sim in the phone.

Yes, erase all content and settings can be very destructive.

Terrible advice. I guess there are lots of posters who don’t do it properly (whatever that means).

Don’t erase all for a JB phone.

As others have already pointed out, it is your advice which is dodgy mate

"When done properly" - You can't do that step "properly" on a jailbroken phone. It's coded for stock firmware, that is why it goes wrong on a JB phone...

By advising people to do it, you just risk getting a less than experienced user into a situation in which they need to seek out additional help to get them out of the nasty state this process leaves the phone in...

Also, there is also absolutely no proof that this step has any advantages if followed by a full firmware restore. I'd love to see some. Perhaps you are up for using your mad-IOS-skills to prove it has some value?

I'm not sure how protecting your personal information is bad advice. With all due respect to each, I'll have to disagree with you all.

I came up with this post a while back to aid folks who want to sell their 3GS and keep it jailbroken/unlocked:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/956387/

Similar steps would apply to an iPhone4. As an IT Professional with over 10yrs experience and a thesis away from a masters in forensic computing, I'm a bit more security minded and just see the damage that can be done and information recovered from an old iPhone where someone simply restores a stock firmware instead of erasing their data. My intention is not to give bad advice to anyone.

Any change in something IT-related should be weighed with a "cost/benefit" analysis I suppose, weighing your privacy/personal information vs the potential someone would actually do anything with it vs the potential to "mess up" and lose your jailbreak/unlock.

Like I have stated previously, this should be done carefully but when you know what you are doing (unfortunately I will concede however that most folks jailbreaking actually do not), then you can take proper steps to ensure your data is not recoverable.

 

[-aggie-]

@bytethese: the OP isn't trying to sell their phone or keep their data confidential.

 

[bytethese]

@bytethese: the OP isn't trying to sell their phone or keep their data confidential.

True, but you still said that was bad advice for someone who was.

 

[thelatinist]

True, but you still said that was bad advice for someone who was.

This thread is not about preparing a phone for resale. Neither -aggie- nor anyone else here (besides you) is talking about clearing data; we're talking about using the "Erase All Content and Settings" button for trouble shooting as an alternative to restoring. This will not work on a jailbroken phone, will leave your phone in recovery mode, and will force you to restore anyway. And if you have a phone with no SHSH saved, it can leave you unable to restore to a custom firmware. It is just generally bad advice.

Coming into a thread that has nothing to do with data security to push your narrow and completely irrelevant agenda and accuse people giving good advice of spreading FUD is just plain inappropriate. You've done nothing but introduce uncertainty to what was, until you arrived, a very straight-forward thread.

 

[bytethese]

This thread is not about preparing a phone for resale. Neither -aggie- nor anyone else here (besides you) is talking about clearing data; we're talking about using the "Erase All Content and Settings" button for trouble shooting as an alternative to restoring. This will not work on a jailbroken phone, will leave your phone in recovery mode, and will force you to restore anyway. And if you have a phone with no SHSH saved, it can leave you unable to restore to a custom firmware. It is just generally bad advice.

Coming into a thread that has nothing to do with data security to push your narrow and completely irrelevant agenda and accuse people giving good advice of spreading FUD is just plain inappropriate. You've done nothing but introduce uncertainty to what was, until you arrived, a very straight-forward thread.

With all due respect, it was not I who was spreading and disseminating incorrect information. After my post it was replied that I was giving "terrible advice" and "encourage a method fraught with problems." with is completely untrue.

With regards to Erasing All Content, there's nothing wrong with it, when done properly. I linked my previous post as it happened to pertain to selling at the time and keeping a jailbreak. The same methodology applies should you just simply want to Erase All Content and Settings and covers the steps needed needed to accomplish this, including having SHSH blobs on file.

Coming from you, a rather highly regarded member here from what I have read and in my opinion, pretty knowledgeable as well, I am shocked at the tone of your post and the disregard for helping the OP.

OP, apologies if we have "hijacked" your post.

 

[-aggie-]

With all due respect, it was not I who was spreading and disseminating incorrect information. After my post it was replied that I was giving "terrible advice" and "encourage a method fraught with problems." with is completely untrue.

With regards to Erasing All Content, there's nothing wrong with it, when done properly. I linked my previous post as it happened to pertain to selling at the time and keeping a jailbreak. The same methodology applies should you just simply want to Erase All Content and Settings and covers the steps needed needed to accomplish this, including having SHSH blobs on file.

Coming from you, a rather highly regarded member here from what I have read and in my opinion, pretty knowledgeable as well, I am shocked at the tone of your post and the disregard for helping the OP.

OP, apologies if we have "hijacked" your post.

The OP didn’t mention selling an iPhone. Neither did any poster, other than you.

 

[bytethese]

The OP didn’t mention selling an iPhone. Neither did any poster, other than you.

Yes that is correct, perhaps you missed the part where the methodology still applies should someone wish to simply Erase All Content and Settings but keep their jailbreak/unlock?

 

[-aggie-]

Yes that is correct, perhaps you missed the part where the methodology still applies should someone wish to simply Erase All Content and Settings but keep their jailbreak/unlock?

Perhaps you missed the part where the OP has an iPhone 4.

 

[thelatinist]

Coming from you, a rather highly regarded member here from what I have read and in my opinion, pretty knowledgeable as well, I am shocked at the tone of your post and the disregard for helping the OP.

I believe that my post, the second in this thread, was actually quite helpful and completely answered the OP's question. I therefore do not feel that it is I who am showing disregard fro the needs of the original poster, but you.

Yes that is correct, perhaps you missed the part where the methodology still applies should someone wish to simply Erase All Content and Settings but keep their jailbreak/unlock?

No, Erase All Content and Settings should not be used on a jailbroken device unless there is a real need to erase data (i.e., before resale). Anyone merely wishing to clear the content and settings from their phone should simply restore the phone using iTunes. There is never any benefit to using Erase All Content and Settings in that situation. And it certainly has no place in the kind of troubleshooting the OP was asking about.

 

[bytethese]

Perhaps you missed the part where the OP has an iPhone 4.

Unfortunately I did not, as I posted previously: "Similar steps would apply to an iPhone4."

I believe that my post, the second in this thread, was actually quite helpful and completely answered the OP's question. I therefore do not feel that it is I who am showing disregard fro the needs of the original poster, but you.

Sure, I'll concede that post was in fact helpful, but I was referring to your second post replying to my post.

No, Erase All Content and Settings should not be used on a jailbroken device unless there is a real need to erase data (i.e., before resale). Anyone merely wishing to clear the content and settings from their phone should simply restore the phone using iTunes. There is never any benefit to using Erase All Content and Settings in that situation. And it certainly has no place in the kind of troubleshooting the OP was asking about.

We seem to be getting off topic here, I was merely trying to refute f4780y's claim that Erase All Content and Settings is "just about the worst thing you could do", which it simply is not. For the OP, yes, what you suggest would be the route I would also first recommend. My concern is a newbie or passerby reads that and assumes that they should never ever do that, which is obviously not the case.

 

[thelatinist]

For the OP, yes, what you suggest would be the route I would also first recommend. My concern is a newbie or passerby reads that and assumes that they should never ever do that, which is obviously not the case.

You see, there is the issue. I am far more concerned that your comments might mislead a newbie into unsafely using Erase All Content and Settings than I am that f4780y will cause him unnecessarily to avoid it. f4780y's statement might have been a bit hyperbolic, but at least his advice will not lead to SHSH-less people posting threads about how their phone is stuck at the Apple logo.

The fact is that except in very limited circumstances (the imminent sale of a phone with SHSHs saved -- which is clearly not the case here) f4780y's advice is far safer than yours.

 

[f4780y]

You see, there is the issue. I am far more concerned that your comments might mislead a newbie into unsafely using Erase All Content and Settings than I am that f4780y will cause him unnecessarily to avoid it. f4780y's statement might have been a bit hyperbolic, but at least his advice will not lead to SHSH-less people posting threads about how their phone is stuck at the Apple logo.

The fact is that except in very limited circumstances (the imminent sale of a phone with SHSHs saved -- which is clearly not the case here) f4780y's advice is far safer than yours.

Oi! Who are you calling hyperbolic? I have NEVER been so insulted in all my life...

Seriously guys, get over it. Either that or get the ruler out and measure them like men... The thread is now well and truly hijacked.
Cant we just agree that in the OP's scenario that was absolutely no need to push the button, but in other scenarios, such as resale, it may be reasonable advice? That's my revised position anyway ;-)
Leave me out of any further tit-for-tat. Thanks.

 

[google]

Erase all contents and settings feature should be removed from the iPhone as it does not work without restoring the phone. Might as well force users to restore via iTunes.

 

[thelatinist]

Erase all contents and settings feature should be removed from the iPhone as it does not work without restoring the phone. Might as well force users to restore via iTunes.

Actually, it does have a purpose. It securely wipes the phone by overwriting all data (Original and 3G) or overwriting the encryption key (3GS and 4). It is designed to be used when wiping all data from the phone, as when you are planning to sell it.

I agree that it is very confusing, though. I think they should rename it something like "Wipe Memory (Requires Restore)."

 

[bytethese]

Cant we just agree that in the OP's scenario that was absolutely no need to push the button, but in other scenarios, such as resale, it may be reasonable advice? That's my revised position anyway ;-)
Leave me out of any further tit-for-tat. Thanks.

Agreed.

 

[thekingkiller]

i erased all my settings and content

i have a jailbroken ipod i jailbroke get under greenposi0n 4.2.1 i erased all content and settings and now my ipod is frozen it alternates between the greenposi0n logo and the apple logo i tryed to put it in recovery and it didnt work and i tryed to put it in dfu and that didnt work NEED HELP ANYONE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!