[PoochJD]

Evening,

Just updated my iPhone 3GS (32gb) to iOS5, and now I can't get it activated.

iTunes keeps telling me there's no SIM in it (There is!), and I'm not sure where to go from here. Things were going so smoothly.

Is it just a case of being patient, due to server overload, or is there something I'm doing or not doing?

All help, would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Have tried activation, with and without the SIM installed.


Pooch

[rune]

Is it by any chance locked to another provider?

[PoochJD]

Hi Rune,

Nope. It was an O2 phone, but I recently migrated to Vodafone.

I stopped trying around 2am, and have now been re-trying to activate my phone since 7:15am. Still getting the same problem:

"Your iPhone could not be activated because the Activation Server is temporarily unavailable. Try connecting your iPhone to iTunes to activate it, or try again in a few minutes. If this problem persists, contact Apple Support at apple.com/support."

Pooch

ADDENDUM #1: 9:56am - Telephoned Apple, who phoned me back, and I basically had to reset my phone by holding down the Power and Home buttons, waiting for iTunes to recognise it had an iPhone needing to be restored. Then I had to download iOS5 again ( ), wait for it to install it, and then hopefully restore my iPhone from last night's back-up! What a pain. I'll post again, if this works.

ADDENDUM #2: 10:29am - Failed again! Arrived back at the exact same point I was half an hour ago! Not impressed one bit, with Apple! They can't help me. They refused to put me through to a Manager. They won't book an appointment at my local Aplpe store today, because they're too busy doing the poxy 4S launch, and I'm now left with a dead iPhone. Thanks a bunch, Apple, you parasites!

[PoochJD]

Hi,

Here's why I hate iOS5...

... IT DOESN'T WORK! It bricks peoples iPhones, and then Apple fail to help you!

I've now got to wait until Saturday lunchtime, for my local Apple store to try and fix my phone, due to iOS5 failing to install properly. I'm now left with a glorified paperweight, that can't be fixed for 24 hours!

Thanks a bunch Apple!


Pooch

[gkpm]

Originally Posted by PoochJD

Hi,

Here's why I hate iOS5...

... IT DOESN'T WORK! It bricks peoples iPhones, and then Apple fail to help you!

Have you tried DFU mode and a restore?

[aldo82]

Originally Posted by PoochJD

Hi,

Here's why I hate iOS5...

... IT DOESN'T WORK! It bricks peoples iPhones, and then Apple fail to help you!

I've now got to wait until Saturday lunchtime, for my local Apple store to try and fix my phone, due to iOS5 failing to install properly. I'm now left with a glorified paperweight, that can't be fixed for 24 hours!

Thanks a bunch Apple!


Pooch

Have you tried DFU mode? I didn't think it was possible to brick an iphone and its always possible to recover it. do a bit of googling you may find an answer

[PoochJD]

Hi,

I have tried DFU mode and a few other methods to sort out the problem, but my iPhone remains beyond belief! I've been on the phone to Apple themselves, and even they tried to say that it was me at fault, and NOT iOS5!

Looks like I'm stuck with a totally bricked iPhone! At least for the next 24 hours! Am writing to Tim Cook (CEO of Apple) and BBC's Watchdog as well, as this so-called software update is a majorly unfunny joke!


Pooch

[PoochJD]

Well,

It's now almost 1pm, and my iPhone STILL can't activate, nor can I restore it back to a previous firmware, as the Apple Servers won't authorise it, due to them being busy!

Apple really need their head examining on this issue! Off to as that's about all I can do now with my new paperweight!


Pooch

[gkpm]

Are you sure there's nothing broken elsewhere in your setup mate? Maybe you should test a few more things before you go off to write to your MP about it.

Is the error still that there's no SIM on it? What is the exact error?

Did you ever jailbreak your phone? (even if it's not jb now)

[PoochJD]

Hi gkpm,

Originally Posted by gkpm

Are you sure there's nothing broken elsewhere in your setup mate?

Well, nothing appears to be broken, because everything else seems to be working without problems. My iPhone was working perfectly, prior to attempting this poxy iOS update. iTunes is working perfectly. My internet is connecting fine, as is my wireless connection. It's just the Apple Servers that are failing me.

Originally Posted by gkpm

Maybe you should test a few more things before you go off to write to your MP about it.

What can I test? I can use the internet without any problems. iTunes has the latest version for Windows (version 10.5.0.142). I've downloaded the iPhone iOS5 operating firmware, and whilst it installs it, it fails as soon as it tries to "activate" it by connecting with the Activation Server.

When it reaches this step, iTunes comes-up with a message in the main window, that says:

"There is no SIM card installed in the iPhone you are attempting to activate."

Actually, there definitely IS a valid Vodafone UK SIM card inside the phone, so that error message is complete balls! On my iPhone screen, I get:

Your iPhone could not be activated because the activation server is temporarily unavailable. Try connecting your iPhone to iTunes to activate it, or try again in a couple of minutes.

If this problem persists, contact Apple Support at apple.com/support "

Like I say, there's nothing wrong at my end, it's all to do with Apple! This has to be the worst "update" of any form, I've ever encountered! Totally crap, and even if you follow every step to the latter, it still "bricks"!


Pooch

[gkpm]

Do you have any firewall software on Windows? Try turning it off.

Think I asked you already but did you ever jailbreak it? If so could be a hosts problem.

[PoochJD]

Hi again,

Was Jailbroken, then I went back to the basic iPhone firmware, as JB'ing didn't do much for me.

Have switched off all anti-virus, firewall, and security for the time being, but still getting the same problems and error messages!

Can't wait to see what the so-called "geniuses" at my local Apple store attempt to do. I won't be getting a free replacement, as my phone's 92 days out of warranty. And I'm not paying for a new one, so they'd better fix it, or I'm going to go ballistic!


Pooch

[gkpm]

Originally Posted by PoochJD

Hi again,

Was Jailbroken, then I went back to the basic iPhone firmware, as JB'ing didn't do much for me.
Pooch

Can you tone down the drama a bit please. We're trying to help you here. iPhone errors are recoverable and can usually be explained.

If you were jailbroken in the past, the process may have created an entry on your Windows hosts file that fakes the address for Apple's server and is causing problems now.

You can either follow this procedure: Fix iTunes Error 3194 When Restoring / Updating To Stock or Custom 4.3.3 Firmware | Redmond Pie

(download TinyUmbrella, uncheck the hosts box and apply changes)

or edit the hosts file yourself:

Modwest FAQ and Knowledge Base - How do I edit my "hosts" file?

Remove any line that has "gs.apple.com", save and reboot (or run ipconfig /flush from the command line)

[PoochJD]

Hi gkpm,

Originally Posted by gkpm

Can you tone down the drama a bit please. We're trying to help you here. iPhone errors are recoverable and can usually be explained.

I apologise, and I do genuinely appreciate your help. I'm just rather fraught about my iPhone being "bricked", and it's causing me a great deal of anxiety, as I've been without my phone for almost 24 hours now, and I need it for work, etc.

I have followed your above advice, and am trying to install iOS5 again. Will post back, when I see what happens.

Thank You once more, and my apologies.


Pooch

ADDENDUM: Well, installation appears to be working, but is going at a snail's pace. (Any way of telling if it's still working or has frozen?) I shall keep my fingers crossed.

[bobbytoad]

I had the same problem previously. You may need to pop an o2 sim (because it was formerly an o2 phone - even though its unlocked) install ios5 and activate with the o2 sim. once this is dome put in the Voda sim and connect back to itunes, this will re-unlock your phone.
You don't get the problem if your phone was bought (from Apple unlocked)

[bobbytoad]

let us know how u get on

[Doovd]

if its not to late try switching airplane mode on and off a few times and/or inserting and retracting the SIM and pressing down on the SIM card tray for a few secs.

[PoochJD]

Hi,

Well, nothing seems to be happening, so I've starting the installation again. (This is so frustrating.)

Doovd, you said:

Originally Posted by Doovd

if its not to late try switching airplane mode on and off a few times.

How do I do that, please?


Pooch

[bobbytoad]

Settings then it's the first one in the list.

[PoochJD]

Hi,

Well, some 36 hours after I tried to load iOS 5, and I'm still where I was when I instigated this thread: with a phone that won't activate with Apple's servers!

Am now at local Apple Store, so will see what they say.


Pooch

[stuker]

i am having the exact same issue as the OP. 3gs update to ios5 and will not activate. SIM is not recognised either. it seem there are loads of people with the same issue...see this thread.

https://discussions.apple.com/message/16334988#16334988


according to some people on the thread Apple have acknowledged the issue is with them and are working on a fix....

OP what happened at the apple store?

[gkpm]

Originally Posted by stuker

i am having the exact same issue as the OP. 3gs update to ios5 and will not activate. SIM is not recognised either. it seem there are loads of people with the same issue...see this thread.

https://discussions.apple.com/message/16334988#16334988

according to some people on the thread Apple have acknowledged the issue is with them and are working on a fix....

OP what happened at the apple store?

Did you ever jailbreak your phone like the OP stucker?

[stuker]

Originally Posted by gkpm

Did you ever jailbreak your phone like the OP stucker?

yes .... phone was originally on Vodafone but unlocked it to make use of O2 sim. Jailbreak and unlock that is. Now I have changed providers and need to go back to Vodafone sim and no real need to Jailbreak any longer and decided to try the upgrade to IOS 5...but now stuck

[gkpm]

Ok, I'm guessing you have Windows?

Maybe check your hosts file and delete any line that says gs.apple.com. Then save and reboot.

Then try to install again.

If that doesn't work maybe one of the jailbreak experts here can help you .

[stuker]

im on OSX...

[RobM]

OSX instructions are here: Access Hosts File Mac OS X Lion - Neowin Forums

PoochJD - Have you checked your hosts file for the same gs.apple.com entry, as gkpm suggests?

This was the cause of the same problem for another frustrated AVF'er last night.

[gkpm]

I did tell PoochJD about the hosts file and he later said he checked. Not sure if he had those entries or not. He may have added to the problem when unlocked from O2 into Vodafone (maybe while jailbroken), think that's what bobby toad was suggesting.

I guess he's kicking and screaming at some poor Genius as he said he would do today.

[PoochJD]

Evening,

Well, I'm still with a dead iPhone, after almost 70 minutes with the Apple Geniuses!

The "Geniuses" at my local Apple store couldn't fix the problem, and said that my phone must be broken, and I'm going to have to pay to get it replaced!

Utterly useless and futile!

GKPM, thank you for trying to help me fix this. I did examine my hosts file, but found none of the offending "gs.applee.com" websites that you mentioned.

I am now in e-mail conversation with some US Apple staff, as with the thread Stuker posted above, it's clear that this is not just my iPhone that's got a problem, nor me as an end-user, but something that's gone hideously wrong at Apple's end!

And with that all said, my faith in Apple is rapidly draining.


Pooch

ADDENUDUM: Just booked a second Genius Bar appointment for Sunday afternoon. Am going to show them the thread, and see what they say, as it seems 99% of 3GS owners - jailbroken or not - all over the globe, are experiencing the same problems! And seeing as iOS5 is "bricking" all of them, then having Apple simply telling people to be patient or wait, is not good enough. They're going to have to start replacing people's phones, as I've now been without mine since Thursday evening, and I can't see others being happy if Apple tell them to just wait for a fix!

[gkpm]

Uh oh sorry to hear that.

Did you try an O2 SIM like bobbytoad suggested?

[Matt_C]

While I appreciate how annoyed you are - I would be too - stating "iOS5 doesn't work, it bricks peoples iPhones" is a bit of a stretch considering the millions of people that it DOES work for and HASN'T bricked their phones.

As above, try it with an O2 sim in it (borrow one, or pop into an O2 store and grab one, you can usually get one free) or try doing it in Airplane Mode