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HOW TO - Fix Recovery Loop following a downgrade

f4780y

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iPhone4 users have been experiencing recovery loops and DFU loops following a downgrade to a jailbreakable firmware such as 4.3.3.

These loops cannot be exited using the normal methods, such as TinyUmbrella's "Exit Recovery" option. Instead you need to do some additional work to get the phone fixed.


IMPORTANT UPDATE - These loops can now be fixed with the latest redsn0w beta.

Simply follow these instructions:

1) Download the latest redsn0w beta from here - http://blog.iphone-dev.org/redsn0w-iOS5
2) Start redsn0w, and press the "Extras" button
3) Press the "Recovery fix" button
4) Follow the instructions on screen and redsn0w will work it's magic and fix the recovery loop...

YOU ARE DONE!

The remainder of this post was the original method for fixing the loop. It is there for completeness only, and should no longer be followed.

----------------------------

Important - If you are stuck in a true DFU loop, read this! If you are experiencing a DFU loop, then you have likely used one of the latest versions of iTunes to preform your downgrade. Apple seems to be ratcheting up the security in iTunes, which is bad news if you need to downgrade. A downgrade which cannot successfully update the baseband on your phone will now land you in a true DFU loop if you are running iTunes 10.5 beta.
However, there is still a solution. If you are stuck in a DFU loop, you need to install an older version of iTunes and restore your device to 4.3.3 AGAIN. I tested using iTunes 10.2 and this works, in the sense that the result is a recovery loop and not a DFU loop. The rest of this process can be used to reliably exit the recovery loop on 4.3.3... It has been tested three times by me, as recently as 2nd September.

First you will need a copy of the latest (rc19) redsn0w jailbreak. This can be downloaded from here:
redsn0w_win_0.9.6rc19.zip for Windows - download link
redsn0w_mac_0.9.6rc19.zip for Mac OS X - download link

Next, you will need a copy of the 4.3.3 firmware (or whichever firmware you have downgraded your iPhone to). You should have this available from your downgrade, but if you need to download it again, use our sticky here to source the right file - http://www.iphoneforums.net/forum/i...ple-ios-firmware-download-links-iphone-17213/

Finally, you should download the latest TinyUmbrella, if you are not already using, it from here - The Firmware Umbrella - TinyUmbrella

Windows7 and Vista users should set the compatibility properties for redsn0w.exe by right clicking on the EXE file, choosing "properties", switching to the Compatibility tab, and selecting "Windows XP (Service Pack 2)" and "Run this program as an administrator".

Now launch redsn0w, select the IPSW file for your version of IOS, and follow the instructions. Make sure you set the "Install Cydia" item on the options screen.

The normal jailbreak process will now run on your iPhone, however THE PROCESS WILL HANG at the "Installing Activation Bundles" step. You should see the iPhone spinner in front of the pineapple. THIS IS OK.

You now need to reset the iPhone by holding power and home for 10 seconds.

The phone will now reboot and you will STILL be in recovery mode. DON'T PANIC!

Now, you can launch TinyUmbrella, click your iPhone in the list of devices, and press "Exit Recovery".

It WILL work this time. Your phone will reboot into an untethered jailbroken state.

Now you should have a fully functional downgraded and jailbroken iPhone which is no longer stuck in a recovery mode loop.
Enjoy!
 
Last edited:
Thanks f4780y. I am back to jailbroken 4.2.8

Just want to remind anyone trying to restore back to 4.2.8 that you will also need a copy of 4.2.6 to point to during the jailbreak process.
 
lman31 said:
Thanks f4780y. I am back to jailbroken 4.2.8

Just want to remind anyone trying to restore back to 4.2.8 that you will also need a copy of 4.2.6 to point to during the jailbreak process.

Why do you need 4.2.6??? I haven't tried this yet but I will soon.
 
Thank you both!! I will be trying this when I get out of work... I will let you know how it goes...
 
I was wondering if this method worked if we didn't have the SHSH blobs saved? I recently received an iphone 4 with 4.3.4 installed and was reading everywhere on how to downgrade to 4.3.3 (without the SHSH saved). The farthest I got was error 1013 (which i read that 4.3.3 IS installed but itunes wasn't verifying it..) (it was looping recovery at this point..) Would this method help me get past this phase?
 
There is no mechanism to bypass the need to have valid SHSH Blobs in order to preform a firmware restore on an iPhone4. This guide will not help you with that. Without saved blobs, you cannot install an older firmware on these devices.
 
All,


i am going to try this.. did you save your shsh to your local machine or use them from cydia..?



Thank You
Mylyf
 
Personally I always use them locally via TU. Never Cydia.
 
f4780y/Iman31

i appreciate the time you are taking to answer my questions..

i have my shsh files saved locally..

do you start tinyumbrella first and start the TSS server,
so that it will point to the local host and the directory the shsh files are saved to?

do either of you mind if i pm you with some additional questions?


Thank You
Mylyf
 
Can you confirm what state your phone is currently in?
Is it stuck in a recovery loop after a downgrade from 4.3.4?

That is what this how-to guide is designed to resolve. If so, you have already used your blobs and you do not need them again for the fix. You only need TinyUmbrella to kick out of recovery at the end. Blobs are irrelevant for this part of the process, as is the "TSS Server"
 
Can you confirm what state your phone is currently in?
Is it stuck in a recovery loop after a downgrade from 4.3.4?

That is what this how-to guide is designed to resolve. If so, you have already used your blobs and you do not need them again for the fix. You only need TinyUmbrella to kick out of recovery at the end. Blobs are irrelevant for this part of the process, as is the "TSS Server"



Hey man i need help i did everything you said but now my phone is on the screen where it has the usb and itunes symbol and i pressed exit recovery on tiny umbrella but it didn't do anything it just reboot again and did same thing im trying to dowgrade from 4.2.9 to 4.2.8 any help?

Thanks
 
so here are the steps i am going to use..

i have not done this yet, i am currently at work..

i will be performing these on a mac

1. startup tiny umbrella

2. start the TSS server
(/etc/hosts file should now point to 127.0.0.1)

3. put phone in dfu mode

4. alt+restore and choose 4.2.8 firmware

this will restore and after about 75% the phone will reboot into the recovery loop....
itunes symbol with the usb cable

5. start redsnow

6. select the 4.2.6 version of firmware (follow instructions and choose install cydia)

7. when phone procedure hits
("Installing Activation Bundles") hold down the power and home for 10 seconds

8. after reboot go into tiny umbrella and exit recovery.. you are now jailbroken and go into cydia and and find the untether..

does this sum up what i need to do or am i confusing something here?


Again, Thank You for your assistance..


Mylyf
 
I hope this method works.


My iPhone 4 CDMA currently on 4.2.9 and I saved the 4.2.8 shsh blobs via Cydia app iSHSHit then I moved it to C:\Documents and Settings\Administor\.shsh and it shows up on TinyUmbrella v5.00.06.


How do I downgrade to 4.2.8 successfully?
 
Last edited:
I did it step by step as described by the OP and it did not work. I have a CDMA iPhone 4 on 4.2.9 It came originally with 4.2.6 and i had it jailbroken on 4.2.8 I have the SHSH blobs saved for 4.2.8 and I used tiny umbrella and RecBoot to try to kick it out of recover but it did not work.

Any ideas? I thought i was so close but i was wrong :(


Thanks!
-Austin
 
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