IPhone 4S 64GB - Problems since iOS 6.0 and now worse upon 6.1 attempt

Question

Hello,
It seems there are many who have been having trouble after updating to iOS 6.1.
My issue is similar, but has been going on and only gotten worse today.  I have an iPhone 4S (which is unfortunately out of AppleCare warranty) that has (ever since upgrading to iOS 6.0) been randomly shutting off, and native apps have been crashing.  This essentially renders the phone unusable as it is so frequent.  To resolve, I had tried restoring from backup (which updated the software to iOS 6.0.1), restoring from clean install without restoring from backup, and then ultimately taking it to Apple store A (I use the terms A & B to represent two apple stores which I brought the phone to, out of convenience to where I was located on each day) where they connected the phone and their computer wouldn't even recognize it in standard mode.  They then placed it into DFU mode and did a clean install with restore from backup which resulted in a recognizable piece of hardware.  They then told me the battery and harware all appeared to be functioning normally according to their diagnostics tests they ran on the computer.  They further stated it was definitely a software issue, and that there must have been some sort of error during the upgrade installation.  I left there hopeful and optimistic, and it continued to have the same problems not even 30 minutes later.  It then asked me to connect it to iTunes, so I had.  At that point the phone did another clean install and appeared to be stuck in the DFU restore loop.  I attempted to restore it on two different PC computers to no avail.  I wound up taking it to Apple store B, where they then plugged it in and did a clean restore in DFU mode, stating that all they had to do was plug it in to get it out of the DFU mode, completing the one cycle.  Again, they stated all diagnostics were clean and hardware was in perfect working order.  Again, I returned home, only to have problems resume in about 30 minutes.  The phone has been rather useless since for about the last week or so.
Today, I decided that since iOS 6.1 had been released, it couldn't hurt to give it a try and update the software, hoping my problems may have been answered in the form of a bug fix.  Well, regretably, it could and did get worse.  During the upgrade process to 6.1, I received the error "The iPhone "iPhone" could not be restored.  An unknown error occurred.  It continues to do this each and every time I attempt the restore, and returns the iphone screen to the connect to itunes view.  Throughout the many times I have attempted the restore, I have gotten the above error message with codes (9) and (26).  It is now stuck in the recovery mode.  I have tried the restore to 6.1 from 3 different computers, trying all USB ports on each.  I have Symantec NIS 2013 installed on all computers, which I tried updating and disabling to no avail.  After working on it for several hours, I am at a loss for what to do.  Any suggestions (aside from the fact that I need to get a Mac lol... as soon as I can afford the 15" MBPwR...) for what I can do or try?  As I mentioned earlier, the phone is out of AppleCare warranty... :-/
In advance, I greatly appreciate anyone's input.

Answer 1

Have almost identicle situation going, totally screws my day for I have appointments to keep and important calls to make...this *****