iPhone Firmware update 3.0.1 - Windows - 1604 error

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poiderman

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iPhone Firmware update 3.0.1 - Windows XP SP3 - 1604 error

Just thought i'd post a how to on updating iPhone on a windows XP machine.

Yesterday i downloaded and proceeded with the update only to have the iPhone hang in the 'Preparing iPhone for restore' stage. It ended with a 1604 error message.

After exhausting the apple troubleshooting page and a useless phone call to Apple help, they said i would need to send it to them for service! I found a solution that worked for me.

I noticed the iPhone was not reconnecting to iTunes after going into DFU (Device Firmware Update) mode during the install. There was no iPhone listed in iTunes above playlists.

My solution was when the iPhone hung in DFU mode (totally black screen) to leave it connected and go to task manager and end the iTunes process (eek!) then restart iTunes. This allowed discovery of the iPhone and the firmware update to go through.

I hope this helps with some that are experiencing the same problem.
 
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poiderman

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Ok i'll go through this with a little more info after a PM, i thought i would write it here to help others as well.

Please note this worked for me, it may be a different problem and therefore solution for others. Please note i followed all the steps on the Apple Troubleshooting page before trying this. You can get the page by clicking 'More Info when you get the 1604 Error message


* First i did a repair on iTunes.
* Restarted windows
* IMPORTANT - Connect iPod THEN open iTunes (or let it open automatically if you have it set to open automatically)
* iTunes recognises iPhone and suggests firmware update
* Click yes to update the iPhone and it downloads the update.
* iTunes says extracting software
* iTunes says 'Preparing iPhone for update'
* the iPhone will disconnect and go into DFU mode (totally black screen, look closely it's not powered off just totally black)


**This is where mine would hang and eventually give me a 1604 error**
If this is the case for you, start the process from the top with the following changes.


* While the iPhone is in DFU (black screen mode) go to task manager (ctl+alt+del on your keyboard).
* in task manager go to the 'processes' tab
* look down the list and find itunes.exe and right click on it and select 'end process'
* itunes should now close
* note iPhone should still be connected during this and have the black screen still
* restart iTunes and it will recognise the iphone and ask to restore the iPhone
* follow through by clicking on restore iPhone
* it will extract the software again yet this time the firmware update should go through
* Note it took about 5mins to update on my laptop.

PS i had to reinstall a couple of apps after the update, no problem though as it let me re download them for free.


Hopefully this helps
 
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algis

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I hope that solution works for everyone.

Another solution:
I have a pc with windows XP so I simply hooked my iphone to a friends Mac and the restore/update worked.
 

terjeto

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Thanks a lot Poiderman! It worked smoothly.
After reading all sorts of ugly hacks on the web to solve the error I found yours the easiest and safest to try, and it worked at first attempt.

I even had to register to this forum, just to thank you for the help! Saves me a lot of trouble.

Terje
 

doris.wang

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Omg thankyou

thank you so so so so much.
I did everything apple troubleshoot said to do and it did nothing!
after roaming different forums for hrs i finally found this thread!

youre a life saver. And yes i registered too just to say thanks :)
 

rozod

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hah I too just registered to say thank you very much for this fix. after reading all the other wacky "fixes" online this appears to be the one that actually works and makes sense. thank you very very much my long night of torture is over.
 

zhouduck

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Ok i'll go through this with a little more info after a PM, i thought i would write it here to help others as well.

Please note this worked for me, it may be a different problem and therefore solution for others. Please note i followed all the steps on the Apple Troubleshooting page before trying this. You can get the page by clicking 'More Info when you get the 1604 Error message


* First i did a repair on iTunes.
* Restarted windows
* IMPORTANT - Connect iPod THEN open iTunes (or let it open automatically if you have it set to open automatically)
* iTunes recognises iPhone and suggests firmware update
* Click yes to update the iPhone and it downloads the update.
* iTunes says extracting software
* iTunes says 'Preparing iPhone for update'
* the iPhone will disconnect and go into DFU mode (totally black screen, look closely it's not powered off just totally black)


**This is where mine would hang and eventually give me a 1604 error**
If this is the case for you, start the process from the top with the following changes.


* While the iPhone is in DFU (black screen mode) go to task manager (ctl+alt+del on your keyboard).
* in task manager go to the 'processes' tab
* look down the list and find itunes.exe and right click on it and select 'end process'
* itunes should now close
* note iPhone should still be connected during this and have the black screen still
* restart iTunes and it will recognise the iphone and ask to restore the iPhone
* follow through by clicking on restore iPhone
* it will extract the software again yet this time the firmware update should go through
* Note it took about 5mins to update on my laptop.

PS i had to reinstall a couple of apps after the update, no problem though as it let me re download them for free.


Hopefully this helps
I resstarted itunes but it didn't recognize my iphone............
 

sgo425

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I too have registered just to say thank you. I have a telephone interview for a job at 8am (it's now 5am after 6 hours of trying to fix my bricked phone) and I'd almost given up hope. Did your fix and it worked first time.

Thank you very much. Seems like this is a fix that genuinely works.
 

Error1604!

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Poiderman,

I registered just to say a very personal THANK-YOU! I worked all day trying to get my iPhone 3Gs back up and nothing helped. I even put a call in to Apple. Thanks for the fix - it worked perfectly! (And I didn't even reinstall/repair iTunes or restart windows) :)

To anyone else currently receiving the 1604 error give Poiderman's solution a try. It works!

* First i did a repair on iTunes.
* Restarted windows
* IMPORTANT - Connect iPod THEN open iTunes (or let it open automatically if you have it set to open automatically)
* iTunes recognises iPhone and suggests firmware update
* Click yes to update the iPhone and it downloads the update.
* iTunes says extracting software
* iTunes says 'Preparing iPhone for update'
* the iPhone will disconnect and go into DFU mode (totally black screen, look closely it's not powered off just totally black)


**This is where mine would hang and eventually give me a 1604 error**
If this is the case for you, start the process from the top with the following changes.


* While the iPhone is in DFU (black screen mode) go to task manager (ctl+alt+del on your keyboard).
* in task manager go to the 'processes' tab
* look down the list and find itunes.exe and right click on it and select 'end process'
* itunes should now close
* note iPhone should still be connected during this and have the black screen still
* restart iTunes and it will recognise the iphone and ask to restore the iPhone
* follow through by clicking on restore iPhone
* it will extract the software again yet this time the firmware update should go through
* Note it took about 5mins to update on my laptop.

PS i had to reinstall a couple of apps after the update, no problem though as it let me re download them for free.


Hopefully this helps[/QUOTE]
 

xvshadow

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you're so awesome. This totally fixed my problem. I was freaking out! Thanks so much!
 

kalv123

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Registered to say thank you!!! I tried everything for countless hours and simply ending itunes in task manager worked!!!! I was worried that I bricked my iPhone. Thanks again!
 

AlBme

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Oh yeah -- that did it!

First off, thank you very much for posting this solution. It works and I'm bookmarking this page for all time!

I have a first generation iPod Touch I received as a gift the year it was released. The only time the software update ever worked was the very first update. Every single damned update after that gave me the same agita! I would spend hours trying this, that and the other thing -- searching half the web for answers. The least helpful resource was, naturally, Apple.

Eventually, after frustration mounted on frustration, something would work. But, I could never tell which one of those many things I tried did the trick. (I may have unknowingly done something similar to this solution out of sheer frustration! I'm prone to do that. And by chance, the Touch just happened to be in that DFU mode, which I didn't know about, when I tried one last time.)

I actually stopped updating when 2.0 came out. I couldn't see paying $10 for an update just to go through all that hell! But, a friend of mine convinced me that the app store has a lot of cool stuff I was missing out on. The price had dropped to $4.95, so I took the plunge. Oy!

Clearly there is a bug in the update process (for Windows, at least) that Apple: a) Refuses to acknowledge and b) Has not bothered to fix. After all, the very first update worked just fine. Somebody, somewhere changed one little piece of code to mess it all up.

All this time while writing this up, my Touch has been syncing.

Sweet!
 

trebman

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I can't believe it

Thanks for your fix - I'm absolutely amazed that apple can't build software that would solve this problem -

I can't thanks you enough

Apple - get on the ball.................
 

moridhel515

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Thanks again for the instructions!

After going through several online instructions this worked the best! It was a eureka moment. Thanks for showing the process end/restart trick, that did it perfectly.

And yes--like other happy reply posters--I registered just so I can say thanks also!
 

jkchang

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Thanks. Can't believe how frustrating and useless the Apple help is and that no there is official fix. Your work around works great and am amazed at your ingenuity. Wish I stumbled upon your fix six hours earlier. I am dumbfounded that the official help frame this is a port permission, bad cabling, etc. Fix the I/O call.

I can't thanks you enough!

Apple - this is why you lost the race and settled as a niche. Your product is sleek and cutting edge, but its pricey and a black box. You has out done your hubris again.
 

Jim101

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Let me add my name and thanks to the list. You had the solution, this is why I have been member of this board for ~5 yrs, you all help each other.
Thanks again,

Jim

32gig 3rd gen. iTouch
 

Jim101

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I found this solution as well after searching the site. Worked fine. Poiderman does deserve many thanks for posting the solution..

Jim
 

elpl2

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Perfect cheers mate, naturally registered just to say thanks! :D
 
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