How To Restore As New?

[clarkgriswold]

Hi - I've tried searching and can't seem to find what I'm doing wrong. I am trying to restore my iPhone 4s (running 5.0.1) as a new device, but it doesn't seem to be working. Here is what I'm doing:

With iTunes open, I plugged the phone into the computer. Under "Devices", I select my phone, and on the "Summary" tab I click "Restore". I click "Back Up" at the first prompt, "Restore" at the second, and "Continue" at the warning that I have purchased items that haven't been transferred. After this, iTunes contacts their server and for some reason goes about downloads the 5.0.1 software update. I didn't know why it would do this since it's already on my phone, but I let it go, and after 2 hours it was complete ... but then nothing, it doesn't look like there were additional steps for the actual "restore" process (and everthing - apps, etc - are still on my phone).

I shut down iTunes and unplugged the phone, and tried again but got the same thing - am I doing something wrong?

 

[verwon]

Have you tried doing it directly on the phone?

Restore usually restores from a backup.

 

[clarkgriswold]

Have you tried doing it directly on the phone?

Restore usually restores from a backup.

How do I restore it directly on the phone? What's weird is that after trying and failing to restore last night, I went to bed and left the phone in standby til i woke up this morning and 7 hours later it was still at 100% ... of course sending 6 texts this morning has immediately dropped it to 94% ...

 

[kingdLo]

Settings general reset erase all content and settings.

 

[clarkgriswold]

Settings general reset erase all content and settings.

Thanks!

 

[enoC]

Settings general reset erase all content and settings.

Dumbest advice ever. It takes way more time to do it directly on the iPhone. And if the iPhone is jailbroken, you end up doing the restore through iTunes anyway.

@ OP:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4137

 

[clarkgriswold]

Dumbest advice ever. It takes way more time to do it directly on the iPhone. And if the iPhone is jailbroken, you end up doing the restore through iTunes anyway.

@ OP:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4137

enoC - Thanks, but when I followed those steps last night it didn't seem to actually restore my phone ... itunes spent 2 hours downloading 5.0.1 (despite it already being on my phone), and then when that was completed it just stopped - it didn't move on to restoring, asking if me if i wanted to restore as new or from backup, or anything.

 

[enoC]

enoC - Thanks, but when I followed those steps last night it didn't seem to actually restore my phone ... itunes spent 2 hours downloading 5.0.1 (despite it already being on my phone), and then when that was completed it just stopped - it didn't move on to restoring, asking if me if i wanted to restore as new or from backup, or anything.

What happens if you connect the iPhone and press Restore now?

Have you tried DFU-Mode (check youtube to se how-to)?

 

[clarkgriswold]

What happens if you connect the iPhone and press Restore now?

Have you tried DFU-Mode (check youtube to se how-to)?

When I connect and click restore i get the following:

I then click "Back Up" at the first prompt, "Restore" at the second, and "Continue" at the warning that I have purchased items that haven't been transferred. Then it says "iTunes contacting their server" & for some reason goes about downloads the 5.0.1 software update. Not sure why it would do this since it's already on my phone, but I let it go, and after 2 hours it was complete ... but then nothing, it doesn't look like there were additional steps for the actual "restore" process (and everthing - apps, etc - are still on my phone).

Have not tried DFU mode yet. Just did the method on the phone since I'm at work and can't use iTunes here. Went ok, guess I'll see if it helps out my poor battery.