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PSA: hold back on updating your iPhone X to iOS 11.1.1

R

Raikun

macrumors regular
Original poster
Apr 8, 2008
158
1
Attempted iPhone X update today via USB using iTunes on my Macbook Pro 2017.

Phone rebooted into recovery, and despite numerous attempts, refused to restore, restarting as the apple logo + progress bar came up.

iTunes returned a very informative "an unknown error has occured (9)".

Tried different USB ports, lightning cables, and restarted Macbook. Still wouldn't work.

Tried deleting ipsw, redownloading, still wouldn't work.

Tried system update, nothing.

Did some googling. I found out that I am not the only person with this issue (https://www.reddit.com/r/apple/comments/7c33ya/iphone_x_installed_ios_1111_put_in_recovery_mode/) Found recommendations that it was a 'hardware issue', so I proceeded to book an appointment with Genius Bar. Nothing available until end-of-wednesday. Awesome.

Went home and tried one last time on my hackintosh desktop PC, and it miraculously worked.

If it had failed again then I would be without a phone for 4 days, until the genius bar appointment, and even then the chances of a same-day replacement are slim.

Please hold back on updating your phone. There is a chance this happens to you too, and you might not be so lucky as to a second Mac that it works on.

Even with a genius bar appointment, you might not be able to get a replacement same-day, because this is a new handset.
 
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I did the update the other day as well. OTA here too. It took an awful long time for such a small update (54mb if I recall). I started to get worried that something was going wrong and then it finally completed...so this really doesn’t surprise me.
 
Technarchy said:
So, who actually updates their phone like this?

This is a thing?
Click to expand...

Via USB? Me. I don't know if its true any more but historically OTA was a delta update where iTunes over USB was a full build. Meaning the OTA package downloaded a smaller set of files vs the full download through iTunes. Also in my experience OTA updates ultimately took longer to complete than those done over USB.

Keeping in mind i have used an iPhone since the first version (in testing) however, I have only personally been using an iPhone since the 3GS. This may have changed.. so it could just be old habit for me. but it is my preferred method.
 
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fs454 said:
PSA: Stop using iTunes.

Your phone is an independent device and doesn't need to rely on a computer to properly update and hasn't for years. There is absolutely zero downside, technical or otherwise, to OTA updates.
Click to expand...

PSA:Why should it matter to you?

Please dont tell how or how we should not update our phones.
 
Packers1958 said:
PSA:Why should it matter to you?

Please dont tell how or how we should not update our phones.
Click to expand...


I can tell whatever I'd like on this forum, you're not to disallow me from anything. Just like the OP's post stating to "hold back on updating".

I'm stating the fact that you're just jumping through unnecessary and complex hoops to do what takes everyone else a single tap. You can do whatever you want for all I care.
 
Raikun said:
Attempted iPhone X update today via USB using iTunes on my Macbook Pro 2017.

Phone rebooted into recovery, and despite numerous attempts, refused to restore, restarting as the apple logo + progress bar came up.

iTunes returned a very informative "an unknown error has occured (9)".

Tried different USB ports, lightning cables, and restarted Macbook. Still wouldn't work.

Tried deleting ipsw, redownloading, still wouldn't work.

Tried system update, nothing.

Did some googling. I found out that I am not the only person with this issue (https://www.reddit.com/r/apple/comments/7c33ya/iphone_x_installed_ios_1111_put_in_recovery_mode/) Found recommendations that it was a 'hardware issue', so I proceeded to book an appointment with Genius Bar. Nothing available until end-of-wednesday. Awesome.

Went home and tried one last time on my hackintosh desktop PC, and it miraculously worked.

If it had failed again then I would be without a phone for 4 days, until the genius bar appointment, and even then the chances of a same-day replacement are slim.

Please hold back on updating your phone. There is a chance this happens to you too, and you might not be so lucky as to a second Mac that it works on.

Even with a genius bar appointment, you might not be able to get a replacement same-day, because this is a new handset.
Click to expand...
You have made this far too complicated. You don’t need to do all of that stuff.

Just go to settings and do the OTA update. I actually just did mine a couple hours ago after “Hey Siri” stopped working. Then I saw I had an update, which specifically mentioned that fix, and I immediately installed it. Quick and easy.
 
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fs454 said:
PSA: Stop using iTunes.

Your phone is an independent device and doesn't need to rely on a computer to properly update and hasn't for years. There is absolutely zero downside, technical or otherwise, to OTA updates.
Click to expand...

I plug my iPhone in to back it up before upgrading and since it's already connected to my Mac I then let iTunes do its stuff. I've done it like this since the 3GS and it has always been fine. The final result is essentially the same.
 
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tarsins said:
I plug my iPhone in to back it up before upgrading and since it's already connected to my Mac I then let iTunes do its stuff. I've done it like this since the 3GS and it has always been fine. The final result is essentially the same.
Click to expand...

In the 3Gs days i remember delta updates had a tendency to glitch out. it was preferable to to an update through iTunes
 
itsmemuffins said:
Looks at calendar… hmmmm 2017.
Click to expand...

Technarchy said:
So, who actually updates their phone like this?

This is a thing?
Click to expand...

fs454 said:
PSA: Stop using iTunes.

Your phone is an independent device and doesn't need to rely on a computer to properly update and hasn't for years. There is absolutely zero downside, technical or otherwise, to OTA updates.
Click to expand...

People are getting hung up on the fact that the OP attempted the update through iTunes... is that really the point here? This is one of the official ways that Apple offers updates and it should therefore work. The answer to the problem shouldn’t be “don’t attempt to do something that you’re supposed to be able to do, just because I don’t do it that way.” That’s right up there with “you’re holding it wrong”.

There’s nothing wrong with choosing to update, backup, or sync through iTunes via a cable. In fact, it’s generally faster, and requires less free space on your device.
 
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The same happened to me updating to 11.1 on my iPhone X the first time I got it.
I tried to update it on my PC many times, and always I got error 9.
Then I tried on my MacBook Pro and it worked, maybe is a problem with the drivers or iTunes.

And if you have less than 3 Gb free on your device, in most cases, iTunes is the only way to update your device.
 
I update OTA. Never an issue. It's quick and easy. I don't put myself through all that stress with USBs, iTunes, cables, this or that & I don't see why anyone would. o_O
 
I always update on iTunes. Cleaner, faster and allows a fresh encrypted backup of my phone. Nothing wrong with choices. They both should work regardless.
 
I’ve been using a wired USB connection to update the OS for a long time now. When I last tried OTA updates they took way too long. I might actually try an OTA update to see if the experience is much better.
 
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