Q: Cannot Activate iPad IOS 9.3

This is not working for me. iTunes is already the latest version. iTunes can't recognize/verify my iPad 2 and if i want to restore my iPad over DFU mode i only got the error 3014. Nothing works and my iPad is useless.

I had the same problem with my iPad 2. I solved it following instructions suggested in this thread:

- Open iTunes, connect the iPad while holding Power and Home buttons until iTunes ask you for restoring the device.

- Click on Restore (I tried clicking on Update but it didn't solve the problem).

- Wait until finish and restore from iCloud Backup (a backup was automatically created before upgrading to iOS 9.3).

- After restoring the backup the device works correctly and the software is up to date with iOS 9.3.

Hi DaSouza. Hopefully you are one of the lucky ones that doesn't get the "must activate" message after a few hours of usage on your iPad 2... cause others restoring with the method you've used has resulted back at square one after 2-12 or so hours

I don't think so... everytime I tried to activate, the iPad is trying to connect to Apple Server, but seeing the conversation... only 2 packets involved, which 1 packet for the iPad to connect to one of Apple's Server, and the other one is like ACK (Acknowledge) packet from Apple's Server... I don't know what happened here...

Connect to iTunes

click trust the computer

enter your Apple ID on the Computer

done

lol, thanks CommaKun, but honestly if it were that simple I think we'd have all done this by now and moved on with our lives Sadly that has been mentioned many times but it does not work for us iPad 2 users (at least not most of us)... It may work with other model iPads and iPhones, but not our iPad 2's w/ 3G. Thanks anyways...

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Finally my Problem solved. I'm using ipad 2 and running at ios 9.3 now. This post help me solve this problem : Re: Cannot Activate iPad IOS 9.3

The key is use itunes to restore it.

1. 1. Open Itunes on your PC (you've use the latest version itunes 12.3.3)
2. 2. Turn off you ipad & then turn on by pressing "home" & "power" button at the same time. After the apple logo apper, release power button BUT keep hold your home button. you will be ask to connect your ipad to itunes using cable data.
3. 3. choose to restore, your itunes will be download ios 9.3. let it download.
4. 4. error message maybe appear saying your ipad can't be verify, just leave it untill itunes finish download 9.3 ios (at top right conner has download progress).
5. 5. After finish download, repeat step at no.2 this time itunes will start restore your ipad.
6. 6. after restore finish, follow the instruction step & you'll be allow to choose "start as new ipad" or "restore from your last back up" it's up to you to choose, it only restore your songs, movies, & app. your ios allready 9.3

Hope you'll get your ipad running again.

THEY ARE GIVING US B....SH..  MINE HAS BEEN TRYING TO UPDATE FOR 4 HOURS

Same problems here ...

Using iPad2 + 3G (3G not in use)

Same problems here, iPad2 64Gb 3G, connected via wi-fi. Apple did not WARN us (owner of iPad2) BEFORE updating, and messed up our PRIVATE devices!! I also use it for work, and I am losing the whole day.

Restore via iTunes will DELETE all contents and restore the iPad to it's factory settings. I very rarely connect to iTunes and just have an old backup in there. Should I loose all my data (many apps with lots of custom patches inside) because of an Apple error??

Truly unfair and irritating.

Apple do you really listen to your customers?

Your advice has helped with my problem and I have  re-activated by dead iPad 2 (3G + WiFi) . So thanks  very much. I am so relieved. Previous existing apps are just loading right now. So hope it all works in the end. Great advice. Thank you Cors_from_Hoorn. See below.  - this works.

CorS_from_HoornMar 22, 2016 4:18 PM Re: Cannot Activate iPad IOS 9.3
in response to CorS_from_Hoorn

Ok, that was a nerve wrecking day, but I managed to recover.

I restored my iPad with this procedure:

1. connect iPad to PC with iTunes
2. hold home and power button simultaneously for a long time. iPad switches off, switches on, Apple logo appears, and then finally the recover screen appears. Now you can release both buttons.
3. choose your recovery method. I chose full recovery, installed iOS9.3 and went for a blank (factory default) iPad.

Procedure took in total 30 minutes, including iOS download, reinstall and start-up iPad. But I have a fast internet connection. I can imagine it can take hours as mentioned in other posts if you have slow internet.

Phew !

Side note: I had become very frustrated with the extreme slow performance of my iPad2 in the past year or so. With each new iOS version, the performance seemed to degrade. Even simple actions, like opening s simple App, took more than 10 seconds. Really unusable and certainly no fun.

So I used this opportunity to 'start from scratch'. hence my choice to NOT re-install a back-up, but configure my iPad as a brand new, factory default, tablet.

Initial observation shows very promising. This responsiveness looks much more like my old friend iPad from years ago!

I just installed a limited amount of Apps to monitor performance and will check if performance degrades when I install more Apps or at specific Apps.

Summing it all up: I was frustrated with the extremely slow performance of my old iPad2. I was frustrated with the iPad launch of yesterday as I was hoping to buy a new (standard) iPad with the A9X processor. Not a far too expensive iPad pro. Then more frustration since my iPad2 died after upgrade to iOS9.3.

But on the bright side, with help of the above posts I recovered my iPAD2 with iOS9.3. I took the deep dive and go for factory default, but the iPad2 seems to be soooo much more responsive. Now I don't need to buy a new iPad.    Thanks Apple!

Has anybody got any useful information on when the activation problem will be resolved.  I didn't realise how reliant I am on my iPad until i haven't been able to use it.

I think your  best bet is to just go and buy a new iPad Pro. That is after all why our old iPads are down for the count, isnt it?   I'm sure they didn't pay as much attention to the older iPad 2's during 9.3 testing as they did their newer hardware

Nothing helps. You can downgrade iOS 9.3 to 9.2.1. It works for me.

Step 1

Download .IPSW file for your iPad from here. (v.9.2.1 still Apple signed)

https://ipsw.me/9.2.1

Step 2

• Unplug the USB cable from the bottom of your iPad but leave it plugged into your computer.
• Shut off the iPad by pressing and holding the Sleep/Wake button and sliding the Slide to Power Off slider that appears.
• Press and hold the Home button while plugging the USB cable into the bottom of the iPad.
• Keep holding the Home button until you see the screen that reads “Connect to iTunes.” Let go of the Home button.
• In iTunes you should see a message indicating that the iPad is in recovery mode. Click OK in this dialog box and, in iTunes hold down the Alt/Option key (Shift in Windows) while clicking on Restore
• File explorer window will pop up, where you’ll navigate to the file that you downloaded above. Select it and then click Open.
• Click Restore to continue and then follow the on-screen instructions to restore your iPhone and downgrade to iOS 9.2.1 The process could take around 10-20 minutes, so be patient while it does its thing.
• After it’s complete, you’ll have an iPad running on iOS 9.2.1, but you’ll now need to restore a backup to the device to get all of your apps and other data back. To do this, click on Restore Backup on the device’s summary page.

Step 3

Don't upgrade to 9.3 and wait while Apple fix this problem.

Sources

http://www.macworld.com/article/1165828/cure_for_an_incomplete_ios_update.html

http://www.gottabemobile.com/2016/01/20/how-to-downgrade-to-ios-9-2-from-ios-9-2 -1/

Did not work for me. It restores and reverts back to the same activation page in iTunes as well as the iPad While having the software version of 9.2.1!!

incidentally I noted some users commenting that it affects only the iPad 2.

it's not true since I'm operating the iPad 4 or what is known as the iPad Air 1 and am facing these problems.

this changes my opinion about the way Apple is racing to get products / software into the field without proper testing and is ruining their name.