What 3G users need to know before upgrading to OS 4.0, possible fixes

Question

Hey Everyone,
I purchased my iPhone 3G back on February 1st, so I am only about 5 months into my first/new contract with At&T. That being said, I wished I had sprung for the extra $100 on the 3Gs due to the following complications you should all be aware of.
If you are going to update to the OS 4.0 on a 3G phone you need to be aware that because of the phone's processing power, backup restores have a 10% chance of actually restoring to the phone. This backup includes contacts, voice memos, call data, voice mail, etc. (the 10% figure is a ballpark figure based on the few whom have had luck)
More than likely when you upgrade to the OS 4.0 you will not be able to restore backup information as mentioned above. I am not sure why this happens, but the best idea I can come up with is that the backup files somehow become corrupted. This could be due to a number of things: Itunes 9.2 is not installed properly, Bonjour is interfering, the copy of the OS 4.0 file was somehow corrupted in downloading (it's possible due to the number of iPhone owners downloading the software at the same time), activation servers could be lagging, your phone was not properly ejected/disconnected properly from last backup, iTunes could have a unknown bug interfering with the upgrade, as well as many other scenarios I could post here.
I spent nine hours trying to get the OS 4.0 onto this device using my backup info. After it was all done and said, I realized that was never going to be possible.
My phone too did the cycle of being stuck in restore mode. This was solved by simultaneously holding down the power and home button, waiting for the apple logo to appear and immediately taking my finger off the power buttun and still holding home until the sync cable image appears. (the hold time for this varies from 7-20 seconds)
From here I repeated the update process and instead decided to restore as a new iPhone. I lost all my information except my apps.
So, some tips if you decide to upgrade the OS.
#1 - somehow back up your contacts via pen and paper or some other method that works best for you. Email suits like Outlook can be used to back these up (how I am not sure, but it is possible.)
#2 - make a copy of the iTunes folder of your applications (right click Applications folder>click copy> and paste somewhere else like your desktop as a back up, JUST IN CASE IT DOES NOT SYNC YOUR APPS THE FIRST TIME.) Depending on the number of apps, this can take up space temporarily, so make sure you can accommodate the temporary copy. (the copied apps folder can just be deleted after you've finished)
#3 - back up any photos or video on your phone via email or syncing them into your iTunes, and copying the files to another part of your computer. (This is what we call a "better safe than sorry" scenario)
#4 - once you have your info and collections backed up if possible, erase them off of the phone manually. This frees up update time and makes a smoother faster update.
#5 - Go ahead and retry the update or attempt the update at your own disclosure. Remember, you will have to set the restore to a NEW iPhone, not the back up.
This is the method that worked for me. I will note that the phone sometimes lags, keyboard entries lag at times, but otherwise it looks nice. Very few new features, but its enough for a taste to make you want a newer model. I hope this helps some of you out there. I spent nine hours working this out only to goto work with 4 hours sleep. (Yeah, stupidly dedicated right? LOL)
-JCub
Message was edited by: JCub85

Answer 1

I too , have had my phone crash after installing the iphone 4 update. It would not update and connect to itunes after installing it. My phone was not accesable at all.
I took it to the apple store in London and for an hour and a half waited for them to resolve the issue.
They seemed far more interested in selling their new iphone 4 than helping existing customers.
I was told it was a physical connection problem cord. I knew this was not the case and as I had my laptop with me proved it wasn't.
After 2 hours they replaced the handset and I am now in the process of restoring the backup.
I strongly advise not to install the new software.
GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER APPLE!!!!!