Why won't it go into DFU mode?

January 4, 2011 10:51 AM

I can't get my iphone 3g into DFU mode. I follow the instructions or along with the youtube videos, and my phone doesn't do what theirs does. Help!

I have a mac running 0s10.c6 and an iphone 3g running iOS 4.2.1 that i'm trying to jailbreak. I followed the instructions that came with redsn0w, which keep telling me "device not detected, you're probably doing it wrong."

I went to the internet and found a video where they outline a similar method, turning the phone off, then holding down home and power for 10 seconds, then releasing the power button. In this video, the screen stays blank the whole time, whereas when I do it the apple logo comes up and it starts to boot as soon as i have pressed the home and power buttons.

Then I tried a different method, outlined in this video where you hold home and power while the phone is running, it goes into to "slide to power off" screen, then goes blank. Mine doesn't go blank, it just stays on the screen with the red slider. I thought maybe I was pressing the power button too soon, but when i try to jump the gun with the home button, it just takes a picture of my homescreen.

And yes, I made sure iTunes was running when I'm trying this.

I'm not the most physically co-ordinated of dudes, but this is ridiculous. What am I doing wrong? Is there any way to get around it?

posted by Jon_Evil to Computers & Internet (8 answers total)

I had a crazy hard time doing this too on my iPhone 3GS and iPod touch 2nd gen. It's just damn hard to get it right and some advice on the web is contradictory. It did help to remove it from my case as that interferes with button pushing sometimes but other than that, all I can do is commiserate.
posted by chairface at 11:43 AM on January 4, 2011

Same as above. It took me 2 to 3 hours on my 3g. You just have to be super precise about the length of time you hold the buttons.
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 11:44 AM on January 4, 2011

Response by poster: damnit.
posted by Jon_Evil at 12:00 PM on January 4, 2011

I just spent 3 days before Christmas trying about a thousand times to restore (unsuccessfully) a 3GS my brother sent me. We are thinking the flash memory is bad.

Anyway, I am well versed in the DFU reboot.

Press home and power at the same time and count to 10 seconds. At around 6 or 7 typically the screen should power off. At 10 seconds release the power button but continue to hold home. Count to 10 again, or just keep counting up to 20.


If yours does not reboot (screen goes black) when you do this and remain black (DFU mode), then it is possible that one or both of the buttons are not functioning correctly and not giving you the full 10 seconds like it should.
posted by cmetom at 12:25 PM on January 4, 2011

Response by poster: it is possible that one or both of the buttons are not functioning correctly and not giving you the full 10 seconds like it should.

So what do i do then?
posted by Jon_Evil at 12:48 PM on January 4, 2011

Keep trying? Maybe push a bit harder?
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 12:56 PM on January 4, 2011

I had trouble with it too, but I found that the instructions from Lifehacker worked.
posted by cestmoi15 at 1:46 PM on January 4, 2011

Response by poster: It actually turned out my "home" button was broken. When I got that fixed, I was able to get into DFU on the first try.
posted by Jon_Evil at 3:10 PM on March 22, 2011