Error (-9838)

What a joke! Just shows a lack of being prepared. I very disappointed with apple.

How can they have this big of a screw up on such a huge launch??? And as usual, getting a hold of apple is impossible!

My solution seemed to be clicking around iTune store to ensure I was connected and then clicking back to the iPhone. After 10 times of getting the 9838 error I was connected in; now it is restoring music and video

I had the same error message. I just kept saying ok, unplugging and plugging in my iphone and I think I am back in line at the accessing ITunes Store.... which I have read from other threads is where you need to be. Now I am just waiting it out.

Lets make a list for this error.

Reseting the iphone.... didn't work
Reinstalling itunes..... didn't work
Disconnecting the iphone and reconnecting.... nope

SAME THING HERE! If i would have known, i wouldn't have done this. I need my phone, and i'm going to miss a trip if someone on apple care doesn't pick up the phone, what did I pay for again? heh. Someone please help!!!!

Fixed It
"She said DO NOT disconnect your phone. Intead, when you get the message saying it timed out, click ok. Then click on any other heading, Music for example, in your itunes. Then go back and click on your iPhone icon."

This works i had the same problem as you guys and this worked.

Message was edited by: bob 616

Message was edited by: bob 616

I believe Apple is having problems with their activation servers. The software upgrade process requires the phone to be re-activated after an update.

I would suspect there are thousands (probably hundreds of thousands) of users who have phones that have been de-activated because of this issue.

Short of any official guidance from Apple, I'd say come back and try again later - perhaps every 1/2 hour or so. Hopefully they'll resolve their server issues shortly.

This issue certainly won't help sell more iPhones to enterprise customers. As an individual consumer, I'm pretty unhappy. If I were providing iPhones to my employees, however, I'd be livid.

Never mind. I got a timeout (error -4) then it went back to the -9838 message.

IPHONE ACTIVATIONS ARE UNAVAILABLE AT THIS TIME! WHAT! my iphone IS activated it has been for 2 months!

Sigh!!
happening here as well. iPhone now a brick.

Don't be too hard on Apple though, I'd imagine their serves are being hit hard at the moment.
Alex

I just tried again and am not getting the error.... just the "Accessing iTunes Store" bar... that's an improvement....?

I had this same error. I found in another thread that if you click in itunes between iphone and some other menu heading like music for awhile (it took me about 10 minutes) then finally it will not give you the error and try connecting to itunes. Just be patient and keep clicking. It worked for me! Good luck!

WOW. It lets you update the phone but not activate it! So you mean to tell me I cant use my phone now, it's as good as bricked. Until the fix is up which could be whenever. Ok, so I have no phone now. Wow apple. You guys are so great.

I went back to the phone restore. clicked on the restore i did today. I am up and running. SHURE AS THE DAY IS LONG.. THIS IS FRUSTRATING.