Special firmware updates in Apple Stores???

[Brian Y]

Such documentation is not allowed to be redistributed or publicly shown. I don't work for Apple retail, but I have a set of the Apple retail documentation because I was made to go through that awful course. I'm not confusing anything, I'm stating exactly what is said within the employee handbook. Go read through your BF's handbook, if he still has it, and you'll find the lines stating such.

There is no "handbook".

As for PurpleRestore, it's not used in any retail stores. Ever. The only reason to use PurpleRestore over iTunes is for internal dev/refurbishment - which retail don't do. The only thing retail do is test, swap and occasionally fix phones.

Anybody with an iOS Developer account can sign in and use PurpleRestore to restore public firmware. You don't need any special "Apple employee account". You would only have to have an internal apple connect to sign/install non-public builds, and if you think retail have access to that, you seriously don't understand how Apple works.

 

[Intell]

Speaking of something that few if any retail staff have access to sounds more like a 'putting your job on the line' item to me. I'd be careful that you don't get called down for mentioning such an item. With Apple's secrecy issues you could get fired for revealing such an item, not to mention posting in general (isnt blogging etc about Apple internal business still a fireable offense)

I don't work for Apple. Apple doesn't sign my paychecks. They can complain all they want, nothing will happen to me.

Erm you really don't know what you're talking about here. A DFU restore is meant for use by AASPs, not the general public. It's a vital way of telling is a restore error is caused by duff firmware.

And for the record - we can quite easily prove you're wrong. Plug your iPhone into (without DFU/Recovery mode) one of the iMacs at an Apple store (including the ones around the Genius bar). It won't show up in iTunes . They are all in "do not sync" mode, which means that Apple employees can only do restores in recovery/dfu mode!

DFU mode was meant to be used by AASP, not the general retail store staff. They're rather different in technical knowledge and abilities. Starting with iOS 5 and its corresponding iTunes version, Apple has altered the do not sync mode in iTunes so that the device will still show up, but not sync. In those cases, iTunes is to be used to restore the device. If it cannot be detected by iTunes, it is taken to the back room where it is restored via PurpleRestore. I remember connecting my iPhone 2G and 3Gs to an Apple Store display iMac and iTunes popping up and asking me if it want to erase and sync over new media to it. After that happening a few times, I no longer connect my devices to anything of Apple's.

Rather what I suspected.

You don't work for Apple so you can't really speak as to what they are forbidden to do. So don't act like you actually know. Even if that was the case at the time you took this course (assuming you actually read the materials correctly and it wasn't something like 'employees who have not be certified to do tech support are not allowed to use this technique') rules change overnight around Apple.

I may not work for Apple, but I've gone to all the retail training stuff and had to take all the same tests as them.

There is no "handbook".

As for PurpleRestore, it's not used in any retail stores. Ever. The only reason to use PurpleRestore over iTunes is for internal dev/refurbishment - which retail don't do. The only thing retail do is test, swap and occasionally fix phones.

Anybody with an iOS Developer account can sign in and use PurpleRestore to restore public firmware. You don't need any special "Apple employee account". You would only have to have an internal apple connect to sign/install non-public builds, and if you think retail have access to that, you seriously don't understand how Apple works.

The handbook is given to all Apple retail employees at the start of their employment. There was a leaked one of it posted to MacRumors' front page a few years ago. PurpleRestore is used in the retail stores and does require a valid Apple Connect account before it will restore, it's also referenced within the handbook outlining its limitations. A regular $99 developer account will not work to properly activate it for use.

 

[Brian Y]

DFU mode was meant to be used by AASP, not the general retail store staff. They're rather different in technical knowledge and abilities. Starting with iOS 5 and its corresponding iTunes version, Apple has altered the do not sync mode in iTunes so that the device will still show up, but not sync. In those cases, iTunes is to be used to restore the device. If it cannot be detected by iTunes, it is taken to the back room where it is restored via PurpleRestore. I remember connecting my iPhone 2G and 3Gs to an Apple Store display iMac and iTunes popping up and asking me if it want to erase and sync over new media to it. After that happening a few times, I no longer connect my devices to anything of Apple's.

Please stop spreading nonsense. Do not sync is do not sync. It won't allow you to anything on a non recovery-mode device. This hasn't changed in iOS 5, 6 nor 7. And AASPs and people who fix phones in Apple stores take the same certifications.

Retail don't use anything other than iTunes. If it can't be fixed with iTunes, they'll replace it. If you don't work for Apple, you don't know what happens behind closed doors.

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The handbook is given to all Apple retail employees at the start of their employment. There was a leaked one of it posted to MacRumors' front page a few years ago. PurpleRestore is used in the retail stores and does require a valid Apple Connect account before it will restore, it's also referenced within the handbook outlining its limitations. A regular $99 developer account will not work to properly activate it for use.

A $99 dev account will work. Just fine. Again, please don't make up FUD about stuff you don't understand.

http://theiphonewiki.com/wiki/PurpleRestore

AppleConnect: Used to authenticate all restores for personalization. Interestingly, AppleConnect will allow members of the iOS Developer Program (including non-employees) to install public builds of iOS (latest current and beta). It's likely AppleConnect is also used to authenticate signing of internal builds using the public TSS server, should the device be on the whitelist.

 

[scaredpoet]

I don't work for Apple. Apple doesn't sign my paychecks. They can complain all they want, nothing will happen to me.

Tough talk for someone who's quoting "Apple retail employee documentation" and when asked to show evidence, won't because "Such documentation is not allowed to be redistributed or publicly shown." Apple can't do anything to you. So what are you afraid of?

I may not work for Apple, but I've gone to all the retail training stuff and had to take all the same tests as them.

And after all that effort, you're not working for them. Doesn't that speak for itself?

 

[Intell]

Please stop spreading nonsense. Do not sync is do not sync. It won't allow you to anything on a non recovery-mode device. This hasn't changed in iOS 5, 6 nor 7. And AASPs and people who fix phones in Apple stores take the same certifications.

Retail don't use anything other than iTunes. If it can't be fixed with iTunes, they'll replace it. If you don't work for Apple, you don't know what happens behind closed doors.

A $99 dev account will work. Just fine. Again, please don't make up FUD about stuff you don't understand.

Nonsense is only nonsense to those who refuse to expand their own abilities. If you view it as such, I'm sorry for your loss. The do not sync mode isn't on Apple Store machines. That's how many people would activate their new iDevices before iOS 5 came out. They used the display Macs and their fully functionality versions of iTunes. I think you're referring to the Genius Bar mode that is set with a Boolean key. That mode doesn't allow syncing, but it does make the device show up in iTunes at all times.

AASPs and some of the retail staff may have the same certifications, but the AASPs are more limited to the back room where they can preform non-public procedures. I may not work for Apple, but the back room procedures are well known to me as I have to do them quite often.

The $99 dev account won't work. It lacks the PurpleRestore authentication. You're quoting a wiki as if its truth? That won't fly at a school and doesn't really fly here.

Tough talk for someone who's quoting "Apple retail employee documentation" and when asked to show evidence, won't because "Such documentation is not allowed to be redistributed or publicly shown." Apple can't do anything to you. So what are you afraid of?

And after all that effort, you're not working for them. Doesn't that speak for itself?

Apple may not do anything, but my manager will. She's hardcore Apple all the way and quite frightening. Even then, one must keep to one's signed NDA when possible. Because of the Apple could sue me or take punitive action against me for leaking a private document to the public. It's not something I'm willing to risk.

 

[0309385]

DFU mode loads a boot loader as well. How else do you think it start the iOS restore process? You can't start iOS from it's ram disk unless you have a boot loader.



Your BF has his job on the line if he preforms a DFU mode restore. Apple retail documentation explicitly states that DFU mode restores are not to be preformed by Apple employees.



I'm just stating what is available within the Apple retail employee documentation.

Tell me then, what exactly is the difference between a DFU mode restore and clicking the restore button in iTunes when the iDevice is in normal boot mode? There isn't one. Not a single difference. Why? Because when iTunes tells the device to reboot, it tells it to reboot into a soft DFU mode and uploads a ramdisk for it to boot from. Not a single bit of difference when using regular DFU mode.



Mostly iTunes. In the back room for some of the more complex restores, some techs have access to PurpleRestore. But it requires a valid Apple Connect account that you are also authorized to use PurpleRestore with. Very few of the Apple retail staff have this needed authorization, if any at all within a singular store.

No tech or manager or store manager or anyone who is in red zone has access to PurpleRestore. It's corporate only.

 

[Brian Y]

Nonsense is only nonsense to those who refuse to expand their own abilities. If you view it as such, I'm sorry for your loss. The do not sync mode isn't on Apple Store machines. That's how many people would activate their new iDevices before iOS 5 came out. They used the display Macs and their fully functionality versions of iTunes. I think you're referring to the Genius Bar mode that is set with a Boolean key. That mode doesn't allow syncing, but it does make the device show up in iTunes at all times.

For what it's worth, if you really knew what you were talking about, you would know that do not sync mode does, indeed, allow activation. Plugging in an iPod/iPhone which is activated and not in recovery/DFU mode will result in the message "iPhone already activated". After which it disappears from iTunes.

AASPs and some of the retail staff may have the same certifications, but the AASPs are more limited to the back room where they can preform non-public procedures. I may not work for Apple, but the back room procedures are well known to me as I have to do them quite often.

There are no secret "back room" procedures. They both follow the take apart/service guides. There is nothing "technical" that either is specially allowed to do.

The $99 dev account won't work. It lacks the PurpleRestore authentication. You're quoting a wiki as if its truth? That won't fly at a school and doesn't really fly here.

Again, if you knew what you were talking about, you would know that there is no generic "PurpleRestore" authentication token. The authentication is whether you have code signing abilities for the iOS build you're working with. Hence why developers can use PurpleRestore for current/dp releases - they have code sign access to them.

You only need an employee AC account if you want to restore internal/expired builds. And no retail account has that access . Apple employees don't have code sign access either. So a dev account will be able to use it, a retail employee won't.

Apple may not do anything, but my manager will. She's hardcore Apple all the way and quite frightening. Even then, one must keep to one's signed NDA when possible. Because of the Apple could sue me or take punitive action against me for leaking a private document to the public. It's not something I'm willing to risk.

Well if you were really worried about NDAs, you'd have kept quiet long back.

 

[zamudiovsky]

I work at the Apple store and we CAN perform DFU mode restores, if you have any doubts you can go to any apple store and talk to the manager of the store and ask him, he will probably just say yes.
And PurpleRestore is not used in any retail store, but can be used by anyone with a $99 Dev Account, like Brian Y says, the authentication is whether you have code signing abilities, and Devs DO have code sign access.

And I'm not at risk of loosing my job, every "genius" knows they can do DFU restore and even managers that help out when store is packed do it.

 

[0309385]

I work at the Apple store and we CAN perform DFU mode restores, if you have any doubts you can go to any apple store and talk to the manager of the store and ask him, he will probably just say yes.
And PurpleRestore is not used in any retail store, but can be used by anyone with a $99 Dev Account, like Brian Y says, the authentication is whether you have code signing abilities, and Devs DO have code sign access.

And I'm not at risk of loosing my job, every "genius" knows they can do DFU restore and even managers that help out when store is
packed do it.

Honestly I'm sure many different apple stores have different policies. Apple is usually a flexible environment and I'm sure it goes by what the store leader and or manager says but purple restore you can't install internal builds without having proper access on your apple connect I'm sure.

 

[charlituna]

And for the record - we can quite easily prove you're wrong. Plug your iPhone into (without DFU/Recovery mode) one of the iMacs at an Apple store (including the ones around the Genius bar). It won't show up in iTunes . They are all in "do not sync" mode, which means that Apple employees can only do restores in recovery/dfu mode!

Any computer that the public can touch is filled with demo content and under the terms of the license for those songs etc the computers are blocked from syncing. Also there is the risk of customer data being backed up to machine which is a violation of Apple policy and many state laws.

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I may not work for Apple, but I've gone to all the retail training stuff and had to take all the same tests as them.

So has my boyfriend who is currently a member of apple retail as a genius. Currently as in I just dropped him off at work.

And he says that you are completely incorrect about basically everything you've said regarding DFUs and Apple rules, as well as a few other bits here and there.

And I'm inclined to believe someone working there right now over someone that had never worked there and took a training sometime ago and references a handbook from 'a while back'.

 

[charlituna]

Nonsense is only nonsense to those who refuse to expand their own abilities. If you view it as such, I'm sorry for your loss. The do not sync mode isn't on Apple Store machines.

Yes it is. Syncing is NOT the same as activating which is still active in the public accessible machines.

I think you're referring to the Genius Bar mode that is set with a Boolean key.

There is no Boolean key on the machines for genius use. The devices show up because the machines aren't restricted. There's also no demo content so there's no license issues.

The $99 dev account won't work. It lacks the PurpleRestore authentication. You're quoting a wiki as if its truth? That won't fly at a school and doesn't really fly here.

Tad ironic coming from a guy that has never worked for Apple and yet tries to claim he knows Apple policy etc. Ever occur to you that you are confusing AASP policy, or even your own companies policy for some gospel Apple truth.

Apple may not do anything, but my manager will. She's hardcore Apple all the way and quite frightening. Even then, one must keep to one's signed NDA when possible. Because of the Apple could sue me or take punitive action against me for leaking a private document to the public. It's not something I'm willing to risk.

Pretty sure that NDA includes not talking about the content of the documents also. Wonder what this scary boss will say about you breaking that rule

And it is a convenient line to give so you can refuse to prove yourself and keep pushing your incorrect info. Enjoy that, but I for one know the truth and know my sources so I'm moving on.