Is there any way to force update or restore an iPhone 3g?
August 7, 2009 1:05 PM Subscribe
I tried to update my iphone to 3.0.1 and it wouldn't, now apple genuises tell me it has water damage. Is there a way to force update or restore? It was working fine before!
I waited and waited to update my iPhone because I had heard about speed issues. But as I was updating my apps, with the phone plugged into the dock, I said what the hell and updated to 3.0.1.
Now up to this point, the iPhone had been working fine. Not a thing wrong with it. It refuses to update. I get an error #14. I say ok, I rebot go through Apple's troubleshooting page follow every thing. And still bupkiss.
So I make an appointment for my local Apple store. Go down guy hooks my iPhone up, hooks it into another machine. Comes back and tells me that I have water damage.
The phone had been working fine until I updated my software to 3.0.1
I ask why it would be working and then not working? All he had to say is that there was water damage and that the "intensive" process of updating the software could have pushed my already water damaged iphone over the edge.
Really!? Intensive?
"Yes, see if water gets on the pins it could after awhile start to corrode...
Thanks for explaining the process of oxidation. Why would it work and then not work?!?!
Is there some way to fix this? I don't have the $199 for a new phone and this is the only phone I have!
please obi wan, you're my only hope
TIA
I waited and waited to update my iPhone because I had heard about speed issues. But as I was updating my apps, with the phone plugged into the dock, I said what the hell and updated to 3.0.1.
Now up to this point, the iPhone had been working fine. Not a thing wrong with it. It refuses to update. I get an error #14. I say ok, I rebot go through Apple's troubleshooting page follow every thing. And still bupkiss.
So I make an appointment for my local Apple store. Go down guy hooks my iPhone up, hooks it into another machine. Comes back and tells me that I have water damage.
The phone had been working fine until I updated my software to 3.0.1
I ask why it would be working and then not working? All he had to say is that there was water damage and that the "intensive" process of updating the software could have pushed my already water damaged iphone over the edge.
Really!? Intensive?
"Yes, see if water gets on the pins it could after awhile start to corrode...
Thanks for explaining the process of oxidation. Why would it work and then not work?!?!
Is there some way to fix this? I don't have the $199 for a new phone and this is the only phone I have!
please obi wan, you're my only hope
TIA
You know, Consumerist had an article a few days ago about water damage to iPod Shuffles. The guy explained how Apple decides if there's water damage:
"I took it to the store and a courteous salesman used a scope, similar to ones used by doctors to check your ears, to look inside the earphone jack to see if there was water damage. Sure enough the white dot at the bottom had turned pink like an awful pregnancy test. I was told there's nothing to be done about water damage no return, no exchange."
Did they do something like that with your iPhone, to prove to you that there's water damage? Apparently there's some sort of dot that turns to pink?
I ask because it seems that the easiest thing would be to prove that water damage is ridiculous, thus forcing them to circle back to the real problem.
posted by Houstonian at 1:18 PM on August 7, 2009
"I took it to the store and a courteous salesman used a scope, similar to ones used by doctors to check your ears, to look inside the earphone jack to see if there was water damage. Sure enough the white dot at the bottom had turned pink like an awful pregnancy test. I was told there's nothing to be done about water damage no return, no exchange."
Did they do something like that with your iPhone, to prove to you that there's water damage? Apparently there's some sort of dot that turns to pink?
I ask because it seems that the easiest thing would be to prove that water damage is ridiculous, thus forcing them to circle back to the real problem.
posted by Houstonian at 1:18 PM on August 7, 2009
These people claim to specialize in repairing such things. I couldn't find pricing info (and I haven't used them). That $199 might end up being your best option.
posted by wheat at 1:21 PM on August 7, 2009
posted by wheat at 1:21 PM on August 7, 2009
Response by poster: @sourwookie - not that I know of.
@Odinsdream - it was working just prior to the update. The guy was saying the that the process was somehow more intensive and that that coupled with my "corrosion" made my iPhone not work. I think it's an easy way for them to sell another iPhone
@Houstonian - yes he did look at the little pink/red thing and decided that it was somehow water damaged. The thing is, it was working just fine before that! And it still turns on. I just get the damnable "hook this into iTunes" icon
posted by Botunda at 1:23 PM on August 7, 2009
@Odinsdream - it was working just prior to the update. The guy was saying the that the process was somehow more intensive and that that coupled with my "corrosion" made my iPhone not work. I think it's an easy way for them to sell another iPhone
@Houstonian - yes he did look at the little pink/red thing and decided that it was somehow water damaged. The thing is, it was working just fine before that! And it still turns on. I just get the damnable "hook this into iTunes" icon
posted by Botunda at 1:23 PM on August 7, 2009
Several people offer possible solutions here, just in case you missed it.
posted by Houstonian at 1:23 PM on August 7, 2009
posted by Houstonian at 1:23 PM on August 7, 2009
Best answer: The water damage claim is probably just a cop out in not having to support the device anymore. You can try putting the phone in DFU mode and restoring the phone.
Try this.
posted by wongcorgi at 1:25 PM on August 7, 2009 [2 favorites]
Try this.
posted by wongcorgi at 1:25 PM on August 7, 2009 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: I wonder if Apple is being sneaky and checking to see if that little pick spot has been tripped and does not allow you to update regardless if you can or not!?
posted by Botunda at 1:40 PM on August 7, 2009
posted by Botunda at 1:40 PM on August 7, 2009
This is conjecture, but a manufacturer has to keep a deferred liability on their books to cover ongoing support of products under warranty, and I do wonder (as have upthreadders) whether being hardasses about the water damage indicator is a mechanism to free up some of that liability. Obviously, the amount for any individual unit would be negligible, but if it were a policy to cut you off, in the aggregate, the savings to the balance sheet would likely be great.
I don't think the "water damage" has anything to do with your problem, though. These sort of hiccups happen all the time (too bad for you, though). Let us know if the DFU mode thing works! Good luck!
posted by Admiral Haddock at 1:53 PM on August 7, 2009
I don't think the "water damage" has anything to do with your problem, though. These sort of hiccups happen all the time (too bad for you, though). Let us know if the DFU mode thing works! Good luck!
posted by Admiral Haddock at 1:53 PM on August 7, 2009
My MacBook Pro has had a bunch of problems, and I have spent multiple hours at the Apple store listening to the people next to me tell the Geniuses their stories of iPhone dysfunction while I waited for my hard drive to be tinkered with. My overwhelming impression is that "water damage" is the explanation Apple gives many iPhone customers who are having problems because it allows them to avoid having to repair or replace the phone.
This is only an opinion drawn from observation, and I personally have been satisfied with the coverage I have received for my computer under AppleCare.
posted by foxy_hedgehog at 1:55 PM on August 7, 2009
This is only an opinion drawn from observation, and I personally have been satisfied with the coverage I have received for my computer under AppleCare.
posted by foxy_hedgehog at 1:55 PM on August 7, 2009
I think it's more likely that the person was just disinterested in finding other things wrong once he believed water damage to be the problem.
Which makes sense, really. If I took a radio or some other standard electronic item, and dropped it in a tub of water, I would assume it would have lots of problems that would be expensive (relative to the cost of the item) to fix. Having said that, though, my father accidentally left his iPod in his pants pocket, and put them through an entire wash cycle in his washing machine. He discovered it when transferring clothes from the washer to the dryer. He just left it on a counter for a few days, and would you believe it? It works.
But there's no reason for Apple to somehow prevent software updates. They want their products to work. They just don't repair their products if there's water damage, probably because it's too expensive.
posted by Houstonian at 1:57 PM on August 7, 2009
Which makes sense, really. If I took a radio or some other standard electronic item, and dropped it in a tub of water, I would assume it would have lots of problems that would be expensive (relative to the cost of the item) to fix. Having said that, though, my father accidentally left his iPod in his pants pocket, and put them through an entire wash cycle in his washing machine. He discovered it when transferring clothes from the washer to the dryer. He just left it on a counter for a few days, and would you believe it? It works.
But there's no reason for Apple to somehow prevent software updates. They want their products to work. They just don't repair their products if there's water damage, probably because it's too expensive.
posted by Houstonian at 1:57 PM on August 7, 2009
My overwhelming impression is that "water damage" is the explanation Apple gives many iPhone customers who are having problems because it allows them to avoid having to repair or replace the phone.
One of my friends told me to make sure never to get a single raindrop in the headphone jack as they'll use the "water damage" excuse for just about anything. Kinda becomes similar to the "warranty void if opened" situation - even if this didn't cause the problem, they still refuse to fix it (and you'll be hard pressed to prove them wrong).
posted by ClarissaWAM at 2:05 PM on August 7, 2009
One of my friends told me to make sure never to get a single raindrop in the headphone jack as they'll use the "water damage" excuse for just about anything. Kinda becomes similar to the "warranty void if opened" situation - even if this didn't cause the problem, they still refuse to fix it (and you'll be hard pressed to prove them wrong).
posted by ClarissaWAM at 2:05 PM on August 7, 2009
I wonder if Apple is being sneaky and checking to see if that little pick spot has been tripped and does not allow you to update regardless if you can or not!?
You're being a little paranoid. Water damage sensors are little plastic dots that change colors once they get wet. They don't have any electronics. It's highly unlikely they would go through the effort of engineering something that weird to sell more phones just to the tiny number of people who got water damage, especially since water damage will generally f*ck up your device anyway. It's just a way to get out of warranty repairs due to otherwise undetectable water damage.
I'm not saying you have water damage. I have no idea. It's entirely possible you had water damage long ago and it didn't affect your device but it set off the sensor and now the update bricked it.
posted by chairface at 2:08 PM on August 7, 2009
You're being a little paranoid. Water damage sensors are little plastic dots that change colors once they get wet. They don't have any electronics. It's highly unlikely they would go through the effort of engineering something that weird to sell more phones just to the tiny number of people who got water damage, especially since water damage will generally f*ck up your device anyway. It's just a way to get out of warranty repairs due to otherwise undetectable water damage.
I'm not saying you have water damage. I have no idea. It's entirely possible you had water damage long ago and it didn't affect your device but it set off the sensor and now the update bricked it.
posted by chairface at 2:08 PM on August 7, 2009
Response by poster: I tried the link that wongcorgi supplied and put my iPhone into DFU mode and force installed the upgrade. You will have to down load the firmware that you want to install from this page.
So far, seems to have worked. I upgraded to the 3.0.1 iPhone software and I am now restoring form backup. Hopefully it restores.
But it was back up and running with the new software!!!! Yeah Internets!!!!
Screw you Apple Genius corporate shills!!!!!
posted by Botunda at 2:38 PM on August 7, 2009
So far, seems to have worked. I upgraded to the 3.0.1 iPhone software and I am now restoring form backup. Hopefully it restores.
But it was back up and running with the new software!!!! Yeah Internets!!!!
Screw you Apple Genius corporate shills!!!!!
posted by Botunda at 2:38 PM on August 7, 2009
Response by poster: UPDATE: Everything restored! Icons are all over the place but not a big deal!
I want to thank you all!
posted by Botunda at 2:42 PM on August 7, 2009 [1 favorite]
I want to thank you all!
posted by Botunda at 2:42 PM on August 7, 2009 [1 favorite]
I wonder if Apple is being sneaky and checking to see if that little pick spot has been tripped and does not allow you to update regardless if you can or not!?
You're being a little paranoid. Water damage sensors are little plastic dots that change colors once they get wet. They don't have any electronics. It's highly unlikely they would go through the effort of engineering something that weird to sell more phones just to the tiny number of people who got water damage, especially since water damage will generally f*ck up your device anyway. It's just a way to get out of warranty repairs due to otherwise undetectable water damage.
I'm not saying you have water damage. I have no idea. It's entirely possible you had water damage long ago and it didn't affect your device but it set off the sensor and now the update bricked it.
posted by chairface at 5:08 PM on August 7 [+] [!]
The water damage sensors they put in cell phones are notoriously sensitive. As an experiment, even if your cell phone is working fine, open it up and look for a pink spot; there's a good chance that it's there already.
Well, unless you have one of those ruggedized waterproof phones.
posted by Comrade_robot at 3:27 PM on August 7, 2009
You're being a little paranoid. Water damage sensors are little plastic dots that change colors once they get wet. They don't have any electronics. It's highly unlikely they would go through the effort of engineering something that weird to sell more phones just to the tiny number of people who got water damage, especially since water damage will generally f*ck up your device anyway. It's just a way to get out of warranty repairs due to otherwise undetectable water damage.
I'm not saying you have water damage. I have no idea. It's entirely possible you had water damage long ago and it didn't affect your device but it set off the sensor and now the update bricked it.
posted by chairface at 5:08 PM on August 7 [+] [!]
The water damage sensors they put in cell phones are notoriously sensitive. As an experiment, even if your cell phone is working fine, open it up and look for a pink spot; there's a good chance that it's there already.
Well, unless you have one of those ruggedized waterproof phones.
posted by Comrade_robot at 3:27 PM on August 7, 2009
I have to wonder if the water sensor can be triggered with either of humidity or sweaty fingers plugging in headphones.
posted by rhizome at 3:47 PM on August 7, 2009
posted by rhizome at 3:47 PM on August 7, 2009
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by sourwookie at 1:07 PM on August 7, 2009