Locked out of my own iPhone 3G

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Level 1

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Locked out of my own iPhone 3G

My iPhone 3G shows that it wants me to connect it to iTunes but once I do it says it's password locked. It's my iPhone, not stolen, and I know the password. I just can't get to the screen where I put in my password. It only tells me to connect to iTunes and it allows me to slide for emergency calls. I keep turning it on and off but the same screen keeps coming up. I held both the power button and the menu button together and it looks like it resets but again it keeps returning to the same screen.

How do I restore or get the password screen to come up so I can enter my password?

eMachines 831GM, Windows XP, iTunes 8

Posted on Oct 19, 2008 9:08 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

wabibito

Level 1

5 points

Oct 19, 2008 9:18 PM in response to jroman00

to manual restore it you can turn of the phone, plug the phone into the computer. power the phone down and hold on to the power button and the home button. around 8 - 10 secs it will turn you to restore mode. You will see a usb cable picture. This will let you restore.

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Answer 2

jroman00 Author

Level 1

0 points

Oct 19, 2008 10:16 PM in response to wabibito

I did a restore using the method you explained but that same screen keeps coming up telling me to connect it to iTunes and when I do my iTunes now says...

"The iPhone "iPhone" cannot be used with iTunes because the information required for activation could not be obtained from the iPhone.
Check that the SIM card is inserted in your iPhone and that it is not PIN-locked."

The iPhone doesn't use a removable SIM if I'm not mistaken. Should I just call Apple tomorrow?

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Answer 3

hexonxonx

Level 4

2,477 points

Oct 19, 2008 10:41 PM in response to jroman00

The iPhone does have a sim card. Remove the card by inserting a pin or paperclip inside the small hole on the top of the phone. Push the pin or paper clip in the hole and the sim tray will pop out. Make sure the sim card is seated in the tray and then push the tray back into the phone. Now try and connect it to iTunes and try again.

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Answer 4

jroman00 Author

Level 1

0 points

Oct 20, 2008 11:03 AM in response to jroman00

Thanks for the help but I ended up calling AT&T where they connected me with Apple. Apple ran some restore steps and nothing fixed it. They set up an appointment for me at the nearest Apple store to my house. They replaced my iPhone free of charge. The gentleman at the store said that it was something wrong with the phone and nothing that I did. Somehow my IMEI number was changed and saved by my phone.

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