3GS stuck in recovery mode

I bought 16G 3GS last week. This morning I tried to update from 3.0.1 to 3.1. Phone is now stuck in recovery mode. I followed all the steps to fix it, diff PC, USB port, uninstall etc It still wont get out of recovery mode or update. Its now useless. Is anyone able to help me please? Tried calling Apple, HA! No one there

Hi Jim, thanks for your response. I have tried this. But the only thing the phone will display is the usb cable and the itunes icon, i hold down the off button etc, no slide comes up but it does turn off, when it restarts it goes straight to the usb & itunes icon again. Ive also tried holding down the home key and power button, it turns off, back on again, the apple comes up, I release them, and it goes back to the usb and itunes icon again. I followed all the steps in the apple (so called help) files, nothing. Cant even talk to anyone at apple, no online help available except from nice users like yourself. VERY slack Apple. I dont know what else to do. Are iPhones CRAP or am I just unlucky? Ive spent 6 hours following there crappy steps. Im goin nuts. Multi billion dollar companies screwin the little guy again! Any other suggestions I will try also. Thanks again for your response, anything else I can do? or maybe I am stuck with a paperweight too.

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Iphone 3gs stuck in recovery mode, will not restore or update error 36

As the title states, I have a 3gs stuck in recovery mode. Sort of worked earlier today, been having trouble with the battery draining fast/not holding charge goes into recovery mode on its own at times. Have been able to force it out of recovery in the past but now it is just showing a USB cable going into an iTunes logo. I can't get it to restore/update and before it got stuck it would not update or restore either. Before you ask, I have no idea what iOS I have, this **** thing didn't start messing up until I plugged it into my computer.

Update: I have uninstalled and re-downloaded iTunes, Tried with a different computer, tried with a different iTunes account. None of these did anything for me. I have no idea what to do next, nearest apple store is more than an hour away.

IPhone 3gs stuck in recovery mode, firmware iO 5

My iPhone is stuck in recovery mode. I have a 3gs, firmware 5.0.
Before I tried to restore it, my iPhone would randomly shut off, turn back on, and display a notification that said "Activation Required." Now, sometimes my phone would shut off again and return to it's previous working state. However, this time it did not. I put the phone into recovery mode and tried restoring it on my Acer Aspire 1 with Windows 7. iTunes put the phone through the various stages of restoration; Extracting Software, Preparing iPhone for Restore, Restoring Software, Verifying Restore, Restoring Firmware. After all of this, a nice little error message pops up that reads, "The iPhone 'iPhone' could not be restored. An unknown error has occured (1)."
After this little mishap occured four more times, I decided to click "More Information," and was promptly brought to the help page set up here. I proceeded to troubleshoot by updating to the latest version of iTunes, updating my security, restarting my computer, and so forth until all the necessary precautions were performed. Now it was back to iTunes to try my luck at getting my life back.
To my delight, I found that this time the restoration process took upwards of forty minutes to complete. However, to my despair, a nice little error message popped up that read, "The iPhone 'iPhone' could not be restored. An unknown error has occured (-1)." Ah, a different error message! i thought, feeling as if there was hope in fixing my phone. I clicked "More Information" and skimmed through the specific error messages, looking for that lucky -1. Nothing.
I need help. I have attempted to restore my phone a dozen times since this occurence, and I'm growing tired of going through the same process over and over and getting the same result. My phone is stuck in recovery mode now. I've tried restoring the phone on 2 different computers, to find out if, in fact, the problem was my iPhone and not my computer.
Some important information you may need to know in order to help me solve my problem:
iPhone 3gs
Running iOS 5.0
Using iTunes 10.5
On an Acer Aspire One Netbook
Running Windows 7
All security updates installed as of November 7, 2011
Also iTunes 10.5 on Acer Aspire 57354774 laptop
Running Windows 7
Reply ASAP with a solution please!

Hello,
I have an iPhone 3GS which I updated with the last firmware (iOS 5) 2 weeks ago. Everything goes ok.
And suddenly, while the phone was recharching. It asked me to activate it but I was unable to do it as it was rebooting constantly every time I connected it to iTunes.
I tried both 2 restore modes (Restore and DFU) but since I can't achieve a restore with the last Apple iOS 5 firmware. I got the error code 1.
I I tried on 3 different computers but same error. I really don't know what to do next...
I already called Apple Customer Care and I'm still waiting for an answer. I let you know.
And you, did you manage to get your iPhone back alive ?

IPhone 3GS stuck in recovery mode while updating to iOS 6.1

Hello there, I was updating my iPhone 3GS(New Bootrom) from iOS6.0 to iOS 6.1. While it was updating, iTunes suddenly ends up saying error and now my iPhone is stuck in recovery mode loop. I've tried DFU mode on my iPhone and try to kick it out by using TinyUmbrella but the computer doesn't reconize it. And when it was on recovery, iTunes doesn't reconize too, a window pops up and says i have to install 'Apple Mobile Device'. I've re-install and install iTunes a couple of times and nothing is working. Switching on and off the iPhone doesn't work too. Please, someone help me with this problem! I really do not know what to do! Please reply this As Soon As Possible!

Ok. I have spent the last 8 hours researching this problem and have the absolute 110% answer to everyone's problem with this issue.
Error 13 and 14 : Are checksum problems with the firmware image that is in the update package.
The update package is a .ipsw (IPod or IPhone SoftWare). This file is actually just a .zip renamed .ipsw.
The error is caused by a failure to download a crc-free version of the file. Not really sure why there are so many crc problems with the iphone updates, but Apple does not check the integrity of the update package before wiping your current version of IPhone software and that is why all IPhones that start an update with a bad update package end up in recovery mode. These errors are NOT related to the iTunes installation, antivirus software, or firewalls.
Recommendation : use a program like "Object Fix" (Freeware) to verify the integrity of the file prior to commencing with any new updates. You will have to keep trying to download it until you get a error free file. Once you have a CRC error free file this problem will go away. (I thought TCP/IP helped get rid of CRC errors.)
I had another problem and that was...
Error 1603 and 1604 : These are USB driver connectivity problems.
Recommendation : FULLY uninstall and re-install itunes software as stated in the Apple support documentation. Be sure to reboot between each step and these problems should clear themselves up. In addition, firewalls and anti-virus software may cause these errors as well.
Finally, shame on apple for not properly documenting their software so that end users do not have to decrypt their error messages with no true support to solve the issues. These are problems that enough people have had that there should be specific documentation on these problems.

Iphone 3gs stuck in recovery mode , power button dosent work, and cant connect to itunes.

Well This Is Bad.
So today i used my iphone 3gs.. and then it had a problem so i restored it. then during the restore it gave me error 20. i tried looking at apple support but it didnt help.
so heres what it has:
1. broken power button
2. cant be seen on itunes.. not even the mac!
3. stuck in recovery mode.
4. dosent sence a computer.
now i hear theres a "freezer trick" to get it out of this mode. but i tried it and no luck.
i also looked on youtube, google,and apple support and stores. but theres nobody who had this problem.
im trying to wait till the battery runs out but that will take long.
what should i do?!?

You are right there as a weard issue try with the battery comes out and then try to connect to the itunes should be working properly, if not fix the power on/off button because are escential to do it.

3GS stuck in recovery mode after iOS 5 update

I just updated my iTunes to the latests update on my Dell. That wasn't the problem though. When i updated my 3gs, it got stuck in recovery mode and gave me an error code -1. No clue what this means and I desperately need help to get this fixed ASAP.

Mine did that as well, so I finally unplugged from computer. Then plugged back in and iTunes said it had discovered an iPhone in recovery mode did I want to restore from backup. I of course chose yes and it restored then updated right to iOS5. Hope it works for you like it did me.

IPhone 3GS stuck in recovery mode, iTunes "Preparing iPhone for restore" nothing is happening.

When loading iTunes this morning an update that I had been putting off popped up and I figured since I was going to be in the house for a while I'd finally do it. An error took place that I foolishly ignored and made no note of.
My iPhone is now stuck in Recovery mode (I assume so anyway, after having googles my problem for hours), iTunes tells me I need to restore the phone and so I click to allow it to. It then gets to the "Preparing iPhone for restore" and just sits there, doing nothing.
I am unable to use my phone and I feel very much out of my depth as I have NO idea what to do. Any help (noob friendly) would be greatly appreciated.

I appear to have managed to fix the issue through googling the error code (rather than ignoring it this time), and figured I'd add the solution here for anybody in the future.
I simply moved my cable connecting my pc and iPhone to a USB port in the back of my computer rather than using the ones in the front and the process kicked off almost instantly without any further issues.

HELP!!! iphone 3gs stuck in recovery mode

I tried doing the latest iphone system software update and the **** thing got stuck in recovery mode! The 291 MB update downloads fine and it made a backup and then i assume it removed the old software and started installing the new software. It goes through the "Preparing iPhone for restore" and gets to the very end of it on iTunes and just stops. On the phone it has the silver apple with the status bar below it, the status bar gets a little bit of the ways done and then just stops as well. Then after a minute the iPhone says that I need to connect it to iTunes. This is where it sits and does nothing. If I disconnect the iphone and reconnect it to itunes itunes will tell me that it has detected a phone in recovery mode and needs to restore it. I say ok and it goes through the above process again and stops at the same point. What can I do to get it out of recovery mode? I dont need to save all my stuff that was on the phone, tho it would be nice.
Thanks
p.s. it is the latest version of iTunes

The "hosts" file may be blocking the iTunes Store. Find your hosts file. The hosts file is normally found in the following location:
Windows XP: C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC
1. Select the hosts file. Then click the Edit menu, and choose Copy.
2. Then, click the Edit menu again, and choose Paste. There should now be a duplicate of the hosts file named "Copy of hosts".
3. Drag the original hosts file to your desktop.
4. Right-click the "Copy of hosts" file and choose Open. You may be prompted to choose the program you want to use to open this file. Double-click Notepad.
5. When Notepad opens, click the Edit menu and choose Select All. Then click the Edit menu, and choose Delete.
6. Click the File menu, and choose Save. Close Notepad.
7. Right-click the "Copy of hosts" file, and choose Rename. Type "hosts" (without quotation marks) and press Enter.
8. Restart your computer and try updating again.

IPhone 3GS stuck in recovery mode with error -1

Can somene please help. My iPhone has been stuck like this for 3 weeks now, and I'm starting to get really fed up with not having a phone.
My phone just keeps going around in circles stuck in recovery mode and can't get it to work.

have you seen this ?
http://thehowto.wikidot.com/ipad-stuck-recovery-mode

HT201210 iphone 3gs stuck in recovery mode

Hi after updating my phone to ios 5.1.1 shortly afterwards my phone entered recovery mode. I have tried everything, i have updated windows, updated itunes, removed all third party usb's from computer, plugged iphone usb round the back not the front, checked security settings and restarted my home computer, but when i try to restore through itunes i always get the same "itunes could not restore iphone from an unknown error (1)" I have been to the apple shop and they told me £120 for a new phone, i said no as this isnt really my fauly a new update and its ctashed my phone. PLEASE HELP???

Hello,
I have an iPhone 3GS which I updated with the last firmware (iOS 5) 2 weeks ago. Everything goes ok.
And suddenly, while the phone was recharching. It asked me to activate it but I was unable to do it as it was rebooting constantly every time I connected it to iTunes.
I tried both 2 restore modes (Restore and DFU) but since I can't achieve a restore with the last Apple iOS 5 firmware. I got the error code 1.
I I tried on 3 different computers but same error. I really don't know what to do next...
I already called Apple Customer Care and I'm still waiting for an answer. I let you know.
And you, did you manage to get your iPhone back alive ?

IPhone 3GS stuck in recovery mode after problems updating to 3.1.3

I just tried updating and somewhere in the process my phone went into recovery mode. It has the little connect to itunes thing on my iphone, and when i plug it in iTunes says it needs to restore. I begin this process, but a minute or two into it an error pops up: "The iPhone "iPhone" could not be restored. An unknown error occurred (14)."
I tried restarting my computer and trying again... nothing, probably tried 6 times or so...
not sure if it makes any difference, but I did recently upgrade to the 3Gs and its only been synced once before...

well that was helpful. I ended up syncing it to another computer and the restore and update worked fine... I'm currently restoring my phone from a backup so hopefully I'll get everything back to the way it was... still not sure why it wouldnt update on my macbook, but at least I've got my phone operational again.
Thanks!

IPhone 3GS stuck in recovery mode unable to restore

Hello,
My iPhone 3GS was running low in battery and then it went off on its own. Plugged into car charger, usually I would see the charging sign but curiously not this time. Unable to turn on the phone, it's all black. Got home and plug into the computer and it said that it's in recovery mode and it needed to be restored. Attempted to restore but kept on getting unable to restore due to error (21). Did a quick search and have done the followings; (updated all softwares, turned off computer, check USB wire, turned off firewall, created new user, used a different computer....) still unable to restore. screen would turn to white blank screen. Called Apple Support and they had me tried everything again and still nothing. Please help...

took it to Apple Store and they gave me a new one..

IPhone 3Gs stuck in recovery mode, NO DRIVER!

I clicked the update to install. After it finished iTunes poped up and error and said it did not complete. After that, my phone went into recovery mode and is asking for a driver that is not on my pc.
It states "Apple Mobile Device (Recovery Mode)" in a new hardware window/bubble. I tell it to search and it doesn't find any drivers.
I have uninstalled itunes, rebooted pc, reinstalled itunes and still the same problem. I can see my backup for my iPhone in iTunes, but it no longer recognizes my phone.
Please help, anyone there that knows what to do?

Go into device manager and uninstall the Apple Mobile Device USB Driver which should be listed under USB Devices.
If it is not, it may be called Apple iBoot Recovery Driver or something like that.
Right click and click uninstall.
Restart the computer and see if that works.

My iphone 3gs stucked in recovery mode.i dont have backup

my iphone is in recovery mode and i couldnt come over it.please help me.

Try:
Placing your device into recovery (DFU-Device Firmware Upgrade) mode:
Follow these steps to place your iOS device into recovery mode. If your iOS device is already in recovery mode, you can proceed immediately to step 6.
   1. Disconnect the USB cable from the iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, but leave the
       other end of the cable connected to your computer's USB port.
   2. Turn off the device: Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button for a few seconds
       until the red slider appears, then slide the slider. Wait for the device to turn off.
              * If you cannot turn off the device using the slider, press and hold the
                Sleep/Wake and Home buttons at the same time. When the device turns off,
                release the Sleep/Wake and Home buttons.
3. While pressing and holding the Home button, reconnect the USB cable to the
       device. The device should turn on. Note: If you see the battery charge warning,
       let the device charge for at least ten minutes to ensure that the battery has some
       charge, and then start with step 2 again.
4. Continue holding the Home button until you see the "Connect to iTunes" screen.
       When this screen appears you can release the Home button:
5. If necessary, open iTunes. You should see the following "recovery mode" alert:
6. Use iTunes to restore the device.
If you don't see the "Connect to iTunes" screen, try these steps again. If you see the "Connect to iTunes" screen but the device does not appear in iTunes, see this article and its related links.
Additional Information:
If you have a problem getting into recovery mode then try: RecBoot: Easy Way to Put iPhone into Recovery Mode.
Note: When using recovery mode, you can only restore the device. All user content on the device will be erased, but if you had previously synced with iTunes on this computer, you can restore from a previous backup. See this article for more information.

3GS stuck in recovery mode during ios5 upgrade

Downloaded ios5 but was not able to sync phone. iTunes keeps telling me to restore iPhone before it can be used with iTunes. During recovery iTunes stops recognizing my phone, the message "iT has detected an iP in recovery mode..." pops up and the process starts over, where it begins downloading ios5 again. It ran like this all night.

Problem solved, so I'm posting an update on how I solved it:
1. Forced phone into DFU mode.
DFU (Device Firmware Upgrade) mode is not the same as restore mode. DFU mode bypasses the current OS installed and allows you to upgrade or downgrade your OS.
I found the info I needed on this link: http://askville.amazon.com/iphone-dfu-mode-explain-breif/AnswerViewer.do?request Id=12881693 so here are the copy/paste directions for how to get to DFU:
Step One
Open iTunes and connect the iPhone to your computer.
Step Two
Press and hold the Home button and the Sleep/Wake button at the same time.
Step Three
After exactly 10 seconds release the Sleep/Wake button. Continue holding the home button until you iTunes pops up a message telling you that it has detected an iPhone in recovery mode.
The iPhone screen will be black, but the device will be recognized on iTunes.
2. Clicked "restore" in iTunes.
iTunes downloaded iOS5 (again), which took hours, then restored everything since my last backup (the day before)
The phone is still connected to computer with USB, so resist the urge to touch anything on the phone while it reloads everything...slowly.
Best wishes for a painless recovery.

3GS stuck in recovery mode

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