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Factory reset phone for free without itunes?

Jakew

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I bought an iPhone 7 plus from a veteran who used to be my neighbor (he's moved away and we don't talk). The problem is it's "disabled" (it says connect to iTunes.)

Well, that's not going to happen.

So, iTunes on my windows computer wants to download the 5gb firmware every time, and windows won't recognize the phone in anything but recovery mode.

ITunes will not work to let me factory reset this phone.


There is a great number of companies who have banded together to make sure it will cost you $30 to "unlock" the phone, but is there a kind soul who wrote a factory firmware reset software for windows for my phone? Basically I need software that will interface with my iPhone 7 plus and will install the firmware file I downloaded onto the phone while erasing everything that's on it.

Thank you!
 
Welcome to iPhone Forums!

Is this iPhone still connected to the former owner‘s iCloud ID? In that case, you will have to contact him to remove the device from his iCloud ID. Otherwise you won‘t be able to use it.

Try getting the iPhone out of recovery mode:
Unplug the iPhone.
Press and hold Sleep/Wake and Volume Down button at the same time until the Apple logo appears. As soon as you see the logo, let go of both buttons. If the iPhone retstarts and gets to the home screen, go to the Settings app. Select General - Reset - Erase All Content and Settings. That will set it back to factory default, and you can set it up with your information.

If it doesn‘t restart, you might have to use iTunes to restore it. Not only does that update the device, it‘s also possible to set it up as new afterwards.

Or use DFU mode: How To Put An iPhone In DFU Mode, The Apple Way

Just for information:
iTunes is the only free and reliable factory reset software I‘ve met until now.
 
Okay I texted him asking him to remove it from his itunes account.

I also discovered that if you hold down SHIFT in itunes, and do not let itunes "Connect to their server and download an update" it will LET YOU select the firmware!!! Why has no one told me this.

Anyway, the IPSW file I downloaded was for a GSM phone but I think this one is an international one and I got the error "This firmware is not compatible with your phone".

So, I am downloading the IPSW file for an international Iphone 7 plus.

I will let you know if it works (With itunes!)
 
If you download a different firmware than the one signed by Apple, you won’t succeed.

Here’s a link to firmware signed by Apple for the iPhone 7 Plus right now:
Okay so the file I was downloading wasn't the right version (?) but the link you provided might be, I am downloading all of these on a limited 4g connection, (I got the wrong file error again with what I was downloading)

So I am downloading the link you provided, I will let you know!
 
Hope that helps.


I do, too! it would feel so wonderful to finally see the phone go through the update phase and so I can use it!

Thank you!! (I will let you know if it works)
 
Okay it worked. That was the right file.

I've tried to update it once, the apple logo with status bar underneath got maybe 1/16 the way there when itunes said, "This phone cannot be updated, error 14"

I looked it up and it could be anything. So, I am trying again. I will try with everything closed on this computer, too.

Edit: restarted computer and phone and tried again and it only get about 1/16 of the way then I get the error message.

So, I right clicked and "ran as administrator" we'll see!
 
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Here's the update. I looked at the log for the failure and another person has some of the exact lines as my log does. Something about ASR.

Someone said trying a different USB port helped them, I tried all 4 ports and same error each time.

So, I decided to check the checksum and SHA verification keys and my downloaded version did not match the download centers version. So basically my installation file is slightly different.

Well, I go to download it again, except, the file I download has the exact same MD5 and SHA-1 checksums! So something is corrupting the download!

How do I download this file purely and uncorrupted?




Oops nope turns out the checksum was verified and it did fully restore the phone.

However, now I have an "Activation lock" and asking for the itunes account originally associated with the phone, and my former neighbor isn't answering his texts.

Also, there are a few "Activation lock bypass" services but I was reading that they keep asking for money to get your phone unlocked, but they eventually say, "Sorry the phone was reported as lost so we cannot unlock the phone, but we will issue you a CREDIT" but not your money. So you've spent over a hundred dollars and still have a brick.

I can ask Apple for a lock review, however they want to know the original store of purchase, and the original receipt, which, even if my neighbor WAS communicating with me, he definitely no longer has (He was in the service and used to shedding all his belongings for various deployments, he lived out of a suitcase for 12 years)
 
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