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Newbie needs help with possible bricked 3GS!!

leorob

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I will make this as simple as possible and would really appreciate help.
1. Have iphone 3GS on 5.1.1 locked with AT&T
2. Jailbroke and unlocked it, put in T-mobile SIM...all fine (except poor GPS accuracy)
3. Found out that AT&T would legally unlock phone so I applied and got unlock info.
4. Followed instructions to connect to iTunes and restore (expecting an unlock message at the end)
5. Upon restore get "There is no SIM in phone...put in SIM and retry".
6. T-mobile service is gone!
7. So, phone is stuck here (although I can jailbreak again but T-mobile service is still gone)


Is there any way to restore it completely without this SIM card error message?
I would really like to return phone to total stock and unlocked by AT&T so I can get good GPS and phone service. Don't need or want any jailbroken features.


But now, even if jailbroken the phone service does not work.






Please help me.
(excuse double post if I've put into wrong forum)
 
If you were using the iPad baseband you corrupted the baseband by restoring a factory firmware also the AT&T unlock will not work while you are on that baseband. The first thing you need to do is use Redsn0w 0.9.14b2 to reinstall the iPad baseband since it has been corrupted. Once you do that, run Redsn0w again but downgrade the iPad baseband. This will take you back to the 05.13.04 baseband and you will be able to restore in iTunes and follow the AT&T unlock instructions.
 
Boy, I wish I had gotten your message a few hours ago. I finally did exactly what you said (about 1/2 hour before you posted it) and all was back to normal.
Any advice for a newbie on how to prevent problems in the future??
 
Boy, I wish I had gotten your message a few hours ago. I finally did exactly what you said (about 1/2 hour before you posted it) and all was back to normal.
Any advice for a newbie on how to prevent problems in the future??

Now that you are not reliant on the iPad baseband, there's nothing to worry about. You can freely update to any firmware now and still be unlocked. Maybe even give jailbreaking another try ;)
 
OK, now I'm really confused.
You say I can freely update to any firmware.....How do I do that??? Is the firmware different than the baseband?
Also, you say to give jailbreaking another try...I got this all to work by jailbreaking and downgrading the baseband.
Are you saying I can now do the AT&T restore through iTunes procedure and all will be OK?
Won't that restore put my baseband back to the bad one?
Sorry for the questions, I'm a computer tech person but know nothing about this jailbreaking stuff.
 
Still confused. Didn't my original AT&T unlock procedure through an itunes restore get me into this predicament in the first place?
If I now connect to itunes and restore won't that put the newer ipad baseband back and I'll be lost again?
 
Just to clarify... your 3GS had the iPad Baseband (Modem Firmware) 6.15.00 on it prior to using the AT&T unlock in iTunes, correct?
 
I'm not sure...never knew to check. Would't the restore procedure have updated it? But it was on the new baseband after for sure afterthe restore
 
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Here's where we getting hung up in helping you... if you're the one who JB and Unlocked it... then what method did you use to Unlock it? There's only 2 options on the 3GS... having a compatible BB to use ultrasn0w OR installing the iPad BB. If you had the iPad BB installed... then no, the restore process via iTunes w/ the AT&T unlock would fail.
 
If you do what Thomas told you, you will never be back on iPad BB again. So you can update with no fear. Free as a bird :)
 
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