iPhone 3GS permenant recovery loop, can't get into DFU...

[kaidreil]

For the purposes of this post, I'm trying to fix my iPhone 3GS that's stuck in a permenant recovery loop.

The facts:

• Its a new phone to me, but I bought it used off a classifieds site. It was already jailbroken and locked to another carrier.
• I had it re-jailbroken and unlocked by someone else, and all was well. Apparently this person modified the IPSW themselves so it was 'unique' and therefore may not have been churned out of sn0wbreeze
• Not knowing the danger, I hit the 'erase all settings and content', and immidiately after I lost signal so the unlock was gone.
• At this point, I put the phone into DFU mode, and it was stuck there. I got it out with an ITunes restore, but it ended up in a recovery loop
• Since then, every time I press the sleep button it wakes it up, shows the apple logo for a bit, then goes to the recovery screen (showing a USB cord and the ITunes logo). I cannot put it into DFU mode, and there is no swipe to turn off option. Literally the only two screens I can see are the apple logo and the recovery screen
• I have tried kicking it out of recovery with TinyUmbrella, iReb, and fixrecovery. Each one will appear to kick it out of recovery (it reboots) but it boots back to the apple logo and the recovery screen. I have made a new IPSW for myself with sn0wbreeze, but it requires me to be in DFU mode to install it. I have tried restoring with ITunes but it gives me alternatively the error 1015 or error 1611.

Some Info:
Apparently hitting the 'erase all settings and content' wipes the OS, especially for a jailbroken iPhone, so I may not have any OS on it right now.


Please help, I just got this phone and can't get it to work. I use android right now and am very eager to switch, haha. I've been hitting my head off my laptop for a while and am turning to forums hoping someone will be able to help me fix this...

Thank you.

 

[Applejuiced]

Do you know if the previous person installed the ipad bb on it in order to unlock?

 

[kaidreil]

Do you know if the previous person installed the ipad bb on it in order to unlock?

I'm not sure, Ive asked and when I get a response Ill reply. In the meantime, would that make a difference? Can you actually change the baseband, and can you change it again without entering DFU if thats whats causing my problem?

 

[Applejuiced]

I'm not sure, Ive asked and when I get a response Ill reply. In the meantime, would that make a difference? Can you actually change the baseband, and can you change it again without entering DFU if thats whats causing my problem?

It makes a huge difference.
If it has the ipad bb installed you can never restore to stock firmware using itunes.
Only custom JB ipsw's.
And no you cannot change or downgrade the baseband again, its stuck on that version unless in the future there's more options.

 

[kaidreil]

It makes a huge difference.
If it has the ipad bb installed you can never restore to stock firmware using itunes.
Only custom JB ipsw's.
And no you cannot change or downgrade the baseband again, its stuck on that version unless in the future there's more options.

I can't restore to a jailbroken ipsw either though because I cant enter DFU.
If I cant change it again how would it have been changed in the first place? Through a one-time-use program or something?
Apparently the iPad bb can work for an unlock because it was fine for a while, before I hit 'erase all settings/content', so Id be happy with it if only I can get the iPhone back up and running.

 

[Applejuiced]

I can't restore to a jailbroken ipsw either though because I cant enter DFU.
If I cant change it again how would it have been changed in the first place? Through a one-time-use program or something?
Apparently the iPad bb can work for an unlock because it was fine for a while, before I hit 'erase all settings/content', so Id be happy with it if only I can get the iPhone back up and running.

If both your home and power buttons work you can enter DFU and "pwned DFU" cause that's what is needed to restore to custom ipsw.
You just gotta keep trying, if still doesnt happen then it might be a hardware issue with the phone.
The ipad bb was installed using redsnow or snowbreeze and its a one time thing. Then you're stuck with it.

 

[kaidreil]

If both your home and power buttons work you can enter DFU and "pwned DFU" cause that's what is needed to restore to custom ipsw.
You just gotta keep trying, if still doesnt happen then it might be a hardware issue with the phone.
The ipad bb was installed using redsnow or snowbreeze and its a one time thing. Then you're stuck with it.

Hmm, both buttons work, Ive tried to enter DFU many times, but I'll keep trying then. There is a difference between DFU and pwned DFU? I'll look it up (unless you have some useful links : P)

Thanks for your help, btw. I was pretty sure 'permenant recovery' was impossible, and therefore although thats what it feels like to me, I'm pretty sure there must be a solution somehow...