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Help! Iphone 4 won't restore

P

PNayo92

macrumors member
Original poster
Jan 1, 2011
59
0
Please someone help me, I'm desperate!

Critical files were removed from my phone via SSH and my phone won't turn on nor restore. iTunes says, "The iPhone 'iPhone' could not be restored. This device isn't eligible for requested build."

I do not want to make my parents pay to replace this, especially right after Christmas. PLEASE someone help me! :'(
 
I opened up SSH for the first time and my hand slipped on my keyboard and deleted a bunch of files. My phone froze and shut off.
I put it in DFU mode and iTunes still cannot recognize it. :'(
 
PNayo92 said:
I opened up SSH for the first time and my hand slipped on my keyboard and deleted a bunch of files. My phone froze and shut off.
I put it in DFU mode and iTunes still cannot recognize it. :'(
Click to expand...

Hand slipping and deleting a bunch of files isn't possible. There is always the "Warning you are about to delete XYZ file which is critical" notice in many SSH clients.

That being said, did you do DFU or Restore Mode? DFU = total black screen as in it's off. Restore mode = iTunes logo.
 
I did DFU mode and restore mode, and they both ended in the same message.
And man I swear I'm being completely honest!
SSH was open, something was pressed, and if nothing was deleted, then something was edited. The folder icons of a bunch of the critical folders were changed to little white pages, and images on my phone started disappearing.

I put it into recovery with the apple logo it stayed there.
I put it into the recovery with the iTunes logo and, after the software was extracted, it said 'The iPhone 'iPhone' could not be restored. This device isn't eligible for requested build."
I put it in DFU and the same thing happened :'(

I'm trying now to restore with DFU and press "option-restore" and direct it to a 4.1 ipsw...i don't know if that'll fix it but .. i dont know what to do :'( :'(
 
Put it in DFU mode, try to restore it with iTunes once more using the 4.2.1 software.

If it fails once more, call Apple and tell then you had a software glitch (slow response of the OS) and that you did a software restore to end up in a mess. Don't tell them you SSH'd to it. Just say you tried to restore it and ended up in failures.

Apple rep will try to help you and make you do everything again. Obviously he/she will fail and will set up an appointment at a local Apple Store or give you the option to send it in. I highly advice you to "send it in". If you aren't given the choice, ask. If they say it isn't available, then just make the appointment. After hanging do NOT touch it again. Leave as is so when you go in-store you have a consistent story with the details of the case the Apple rep writes.

Be sure to let the Genius know you did everything the Apple rep asked and still no help.

Other than that, just pray. Seriously. This might be the first case of a bricked iPhone ever since the old 1.1.1 days
 
thank you, i'm so upset :'( i would never want my parents to deal with this :'( if you or anyone else knows anything i could do please tell me...i don't want to ruin my family's day :'(
 
do you think they'd have any way of knowing it was jailbroken if i can't get it to turn on or even restore?? i'm just afraid of lying :(
 
PNayo92 said:
thank you, i'm so upset :'( i would never want my parents to deal with this :'( if you or anyone else knows anything i could do please tell me...i don't want to ruin my family's day :'(
Click to expand...

Trust me, there is no other way. You pretty much are out of choices since the ultimate restore tool has always been DFU mode; but that fails due to some internal error.

Have you tried a different computer? (This is normally reserved when the USB doesn't play nice; but given the special circumstance, why the hell not)


PNayo92 said:
do you think they'd have any way of knowing it was jailbroken if i can't get it to turn on or even restore?? i'm just afraid of lying :(
Click to expand...


No. Unless you tell them. Once the iPhone hits DFU, no way of telling, and by the sounds of your posts, you have gone through DFU mode quite a bit already so any evidence is long gone.
 
jav6454 said:
Trust me, there is no other way. You pretty much are out of choices since the ultimate restore tool has always been DFU mode; but that fails due to some internal error.

Have you tried a different computer? (This is normally reserved when the USB doesn't play nice; but given the special circumstance, why the hell not)





No. Unless you tell them. Once the iPhone hits DFU, no way of telling, and by the sounds of your posts, you have gone through DFU mode quite a bit already so any evidence is long gone.
Click to expand...


I have no backups on any other computer, but I'll try anyway
I'm just really nervous to lie, and I don't know what not to tell them. Should i not say anything about entering dfu mode or recovery mode? I'm terrified about what's going to happen :(
 
what's the worst that will happen if i tell the truth? assuming that i'm willing to pay off everything that i need to to replace anything :(
 
PNayo92 said:
what's the worst that will happen if i tell the truth? assuming that i'm willing to pay off everything that i need to to replace anything :(
Click to expand...

What's the worse? Warranty voided and you have to pay $199 for replacement unit. Bets case, you get a free replacement.

What NOT to say is very simple: anything related to jailbreak, SSH, redsn0w, Pwnage.
 
I have just been thinking about it
It's a 32 GB iPhone, aren't replacements about 500 or 600 dollars? i dont know..
I don't care about the warranty, but my family is all on my same contract too. Theres my dad and two of my sisters. I'm afraid that if apple found out i Jailbroke, that they will cancel the contract for everyone. I am just afraid of this affectng everyone all because of my stupiditiy :'(

if i tell them i jailbroke, would they end the contract? :'( idk if i should tell my dad, he's very understanding but he'd probably tell me to tell the truth...i am just afraid of doing the wrong thing :'(
 
AND, even though it's been in DFU mode, nothing has been technically restored, so aren't all the jailbroken files and evidence still on my phone? So wouldn't they see that i lied when i send the phone in or have them look at it??
 
PNayo92 said:
I have just been thinking about it
It's a 32 GB iPhone, aren't replacements about 500 or 600 dollars? i dont know..
I don't care about the warranty, but my family is all on my same contract too. Theres my dad and two of my sisters. I'm afraid that if apple found out i Jailbroke, that they will cancel the contract for everyone. I am just afraid of this affectng everyone all because of my stupiditiy :'(

if i tell them i jailbroke, would they end the contract? :'( idk if i should tell my dad, he's very understanding but he'd probably tell me to tell the truth...i am just afraid of doing the wrong thing :'(
Click to expand...

No no no... I'll explain it.

Jailbreaking just voids the warranty on the iPhone. Nothing else. AT&T could care less in what state your iPhone is (stock or jailbroken). After all, they don't make the iPhone, they just profit off of it regardless if you use it or not.


Now, a replacement phone is issued when the repair is too costly. Apple does this with in warranty and out of warranty iPhones. In your case, you take it to Apple under a warranty issue. They will check and see it is indeed said issue and proceed to give you a new one. Now, if they find anything in the software or hardware that it was tampered and the issue with the device is out of warranty, then the Genius will tell you the defect or problem is not covered under the warranty terms and is now voided. To fix the issue, he will offer to "fix the" issue for a fee of $199. This is called an "out of warranty service" or repair. However, it is always the case they just end up giving you a new one.


PNayo92 said:
AND, even though it's been in DFU mode, nothing has been technically restored, so aren't all the jailbroken files and evidence still on my phone? So wouldn't they see that i lied when i send the phone in or have them look at it??
Click to expand...

Being in DFU means the Genius will not be able to make their diagnostic Macs connect and communicate with the iPhone. So there is no way for them to tell. The only way for them to know if you were jailbroken is if you tell them or you just give them the device in a WORKING jailbroken state.
 
Last edited:
thank you for sticking through this even though it was all my fault. you helped me get through a really hard night. thank you so much for all the info you gave me. have a good day, i hope this ends up well :(
 
PNayo92 said:
thank you for sticking through this even though it was all my fault. you helped me get through a really hard night. thank you so much for all the info you gave me. have a good day, i hope this ends up well :(
Click to expand...

Forgot to say, do tell your dad about what you did and the possible fixes to this problem and also the outcomes of each situation.

Everything I've said can be verified through Apple support documents and other articles regarding jailbreaking.
 
i just read this on the apple website


"...an iPhone that has failed due to damage or liquid damage is eligible for Out-of-Warranty service. However, certain damage is ineligible for OOW service, including catastrophic damage, such as the device separating into multiple pieces, and inoperability caused by unauthorized modifications."

what if they say it's ineligible for OOW service :( i cannot stop stressing about this
 
PNayo92 said:
i just read this on the apple website


"...an iPhone that has failed due to damage or liquid damage is eligible for Out-of-Warranty service. However, certain damage is ineligible for OOW service, including catastrophic damage, such as the device separating into multiple pieces, and inoperability caused by unauthorized modifications."

what if they say it's ineligible for OOW service :( i cannot stop stressing about this
Click to expand...

Unauthorized modifications means modifying the actual physical case. Jailbreaking falls under an entire different story. Also, there are no stories or accounts from users of Geniuses refusing OOW service for a jailbreak. In many cases they just ask you to restore over the jailbreak before being of further assistance.
 
thank you again, if i have any more questions i know where to come now. thank you so much
 
OK, so I got the restore to begin working with 4.2.1!
I had my friend download the firmware, because my computer for some reason or another cannot download anything too big, because it takes too long.

It was near the end of the restore when it began to "Verify the restore with Apple" for the third time, and then an error came up

"The iPhone 'iPhone' could not be restored. An unknown error occurred (10)."

which error is that? can it be fixed??? I'm running on iTunes 10.0.1
 
PNayo92 said:
OK, so I got the restore to begin working with 4.2.1!
I had my friend download the firmware, because my computer for some reason or another cannot download anything too big, because it takes too long.

It was near the end of the restore when it began to "Verify the restore with Apple" for the third time, and then an error came up

"The iPhone 'iPhone' could not be restored. An unknown error occurred (10)."

which error is that? can it be fixed??? I'm running on iTunes 10.0.1
Click to expand...

Theres your problem, update itunes to 10.1.1. 10.0.1 does NOT run 4.2.1
 
Alright, I updated and did the restore, then right at the end, ANOTHER error came up (1013). Now what??!? :(
 
i'm following the guide, and when it comes to saving after putting a "#" in front of the gs.apple lines, i'm not able to save the terminal and exit. i'm pressing CONTROL + O and something comes up at the bottom that says

"File name to write: /etx/hosts:"

and CONTROL + X doesn't get me out of the program after i press CONTROL + O

EDIT: nevermind, i just had to press enter..now to see if it restores...
 
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