iPhone 4s Stuck On Recovery

[xBTAx]

While my phone was plugged into my computer and downloading the update, I had to go run out and do errands. When I returned, iTunes said the update had failed (or something like that?) and the phone displayed that it wanted to be connected to iTunes.

Except it didn't see the phone, so I restarted my computer. And even after reinstalling iTunes, the situation is as follows:

1. If my phone is plugged in, iTunes will not start.
2. If my phone is not plugged in, iTunes will start but will not see the phone when I do plug it in.

So... I'm stuck without a phone. How exactly do I force it to update?

 

[Intell]

Put it into DFU mode (Google how) and restore it in iTunes.

 

[xBTAx]

Except that doesn't change anything. I have it in DFU (well, I'm assuming as much? I followed the instructions and the screen is black and my computer saw it and got drivers...) and still the same situation continues. iTunes still does not see the phone, and if I plug the phone in before starting iTunes, it will not open at all.

 

[xBTAx]

Running iTunes diagnostics shows that iTunes thinks iTunes Helper is not running even though it is. Is this something I'd have to fix to get DFU working?

EDIT: Completely removed and reinstalled iTunes and everything associated with it; iTunes Helper is working but it still won't see my phone in DFU despite my computer recognizing something being plugged in.

 

[JamesM1053]

Congratulations! You own a PC and an iPhone

Same thing happened to me with the last update...and the one before... Here's the solution...you won't like it....

If you plug your iPhone into a 2nd computer that has iTunes on it, it'll detect your phone and you can recover it. I'm not sure, but I think once you recover it on the other computer, you can go ahead and restore from backup on your main PC. You DID back up before updating, right? Right? If not...my sympathies.

From now on, I will always update through WiFi. This BS happens every update! Across multiple phones, and computers!

That said, I updated through WiFi and had no issues on my iPhone and iPad.

 

[xBTAx]

Yeah, what I ended up doing was using a friend's laptop to restore it. Thankfully I backed it up immediately before this happened, so everything turned out alright!

...of course, after that whole ordeal, I'm still not even on iOS 7 yet.