Q: ios 9 downloaded. phone locked up at "slide to upgrade"

Unfortunately, it's quite a common issue.

Try to reset your device. This won't delete your data stored on this device.

• Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button
• Press and hold on the Home button
• Keep holding both buttons until the display turns off and back on with Apple logo on it.

Alternatively, you may go to Settings - General - Reset - Reset All Settings

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201559

If this does not help, restore your device to factory settings. Note that this will erase the data from your device.

Take a look this Apple Support article: Use iTunes to restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod to factory settings - Apple Support.

As a final step, try the recovery mode. Turn your device off, then plug it to your computer with the home button pressed. Keep the Home button pressed until you see the iTunes logo on the screen of your device. After that on your computer you should see the iTunes window saying your device needs to be restored to factory settings. Click on the restore button.

More info here:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201263

If these steps don't work, contact Apple and ask for help.

https://www.apple.com/support/iphone/contact/ 

I wouldn't bother with Apple Support just yet.

I've had 3 x very long phone calls with them over the past 36 hours and they haven't got a clue.

I, on the other hand, now have a £600 brick instead of a phone.

Android here I come!

Do you know if there is a way to get contact information extracted copied from the iphone 5 when it is locked up at the "slide" message..............I don't want to lose my hundreds of contacts info.   I cannot get to any other screen except the "slide" locked screen............tried the reboot depressing both buttons same time with no luck........still comes back to the "slide" screen when restarted...........Jerry C

Apple released this yesterday: If the Slide to Upgrade screen won't go away after you update to iOS 9 - Apple Support

I have just tried the "official apple fix" twice for my locked iphone 4s, it failed both times. It goes through as if setting up a new phone and then ends up at the locked "slide to upgrade" screen.

Apple: please respond with advice on this.

You're not talking to Apple right now, it's a user-to-user forum.

Tell Apple what you think: https://www.apple.com/feedback/

Unfortunately, this wouldn't apply to any iPhone that is incapable of turning off unless the battery is drained. I too am having an issue with updating my roommates iPhone 4. Before the udate came out he told me that he had locked himself out of his iPhone and asked if I could update it for him on my computer. Because the phone he was speaking of had not been in service, I sort of took my time. Recently I had some free time over this weekend to take care of what I thought to be pretty simple, as I've restored pletnty of iPhones before, however, never has it been in the condition his is in.

WIll someone please advise me with what to do if the phone is locked and at the "slide to upgrade" screen. Please note: the "sleep/wake/lock/power" button isn't in working condition whatsoever. Also, please explain to me why we backup our phones to iTunes if a computer with a backup from that phone will not allow that device to be overwritten with a backup from just a few months ago? If the answer to that question is that any device cannot be managed by more than one computer, then my next question would be, why? Why can't I manage my device on more than one computer?

Hopefully there is someone out there with the answers to my above questions.

If the phone has a hardware problem you must get that fixed before you can proceed further.