SIM Card Not Inserted error

Question

SIM Card Not Inserted error

I updated to iTunes 8.0.2 on a PowerBook G4 running 10.4.11 and then downloaded the 2.2 software update with the (original) iPhone attached. I wasn't paying that much attention to the progress of the update so don't know exactly how far along in the process it was. I believe the entire update had been downloaded and it was set to update the iPhone. I got the message "iTunes cannot activate your iPhone because the SIM card is not inserted or a SIM PIN is required." I have restarted both the computer and iPhone with no results.

This is a standard original iPhone which has never had the SIM card removed or been hacked. I do use a PIN to protect the iPhone but it is not being requested. When the iPhone is turned on again, it shows a picture showing the USB connection to a computer/iTunes. Hitting the Info button on the lower right of the phone gives the IMEI correctly but the ICCID is unknown.

Phone was in Airplane mode when originally attached as I am in France temporarily and only use it in WiFi mode to avoid connection charges.

Does anyone else have these symptoms? Any ideas as to how to resolve this problem. It seems I have issues of one kind or another every time I update the software.

Thanks in advance for any ideas.

 PowerBook G4,  MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.4.11),  iPhone 8GB,  iPod Mini

Posted on Nov 21, 2008 1:37 PM

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Answer 1

Nov 21, 2008 3:38 PM in response to Robert Powers1

I had exactly the same thing happen. I have a 3G that's a couple of months old and locked. I'm on the phone with Apple Tech Support at the moment, and they have no clue. If they figure something out, I'll post when it is.

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Answer 2

Nov 21, 2008 3:44 PM in response to Robert Powers1

I'm having the Exact same problem but I just upgraded to a new 3G 16Gb iPhone. I had it activated in store and then brought it home and plugged it into my computer and it said right away that there was a newer firmware upgrade available, so I downloaded it, and it did look as though it was installed, but when it powered back on when it seemed to be finished, it gave me the No SIM Card Detected Error...

Brand New iPhone.

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Answer 3

Nov 21, 2008 4:06 PM in response to dcambridge

I'd appreciate any info you get from Apple support. One thing I was wondering about is whether or not one must have a phone connection while doing a firmware upgrade. As I have Roaming Off and am in Airplane mode, I clearly do not have a phone connection over here in France.

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Answer 4

Nov 21, 2008 8:28 PM in response to Robert Powers1

After an hour and twenty minutes on the phone with Apple, they sent me to an AT&T store on the theory that the SIM card was fried. The AT&T card installed a new SIM, tried the upgrade again, and discovered that it is the phone that's fried. How a firmware upgrade damages a nearly brand new phone is beyond me. I now have to make another trip to an Apple store in the morning in hopes they'll fix or replace the phone. More astounding is the fact that the AT&T guy contends that, were this to happen after the 1-year warranty period, I would have to pay Apple $175 just to look at the phone that their broken software broke. What a clusterf*ck. I hope you're not in France for long!

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Answer 5

Nov 22, 2008 12:01 AM in response to dcambridge

Thanks for the update. Sorry to hear about your difficulties, but at least you have a potential solution to your problem with a replacement phone at no cost except for your valuable time.

Alas, my iPhone is more than a year old so is outside the warranty period. I will be in France for 3 more weeks so it appears I now have a nice brick on my hands! I will see if the Apple store here in Paris can be of any help in the interim until my return to the U.S.

I have been an Apple customer for 20+ years, going back to the days of the Lisa. I am trying to remain calm about this issue, but my anger will be difficult to contain if I am told that I need to buy a new phone to fix a problem caused entirely by doing a firmware update to a perfectly functional phone.

For the record, I have tried the following with no impact on the problem:

1. Remove and reinstall SIM card per http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1438 .

2. Remove and reinstall iTunes 8.0.2 per http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1224 .

3. Switching the USB cable to a different one.

4. Using a different USB port on the PowerBook.

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Answer 6

Nov 22, 2008 12:03 AM in response to MidwayFlux

Have you had any developments in getting your phone back working? I'd appreciate any unpdates.

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Answer 7

Nov 22, 2008 12:52 AM in response to Robert Powers1

How about forcing "Recovery Mode" http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1808
I'm trying it out right now and I'm hoping it works.

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Answer 8

Nov 22, 2008 1:02 AM in response to Profsr Chaos

Forcing recovery mode worked for me!!!! try it

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Answer 9

Nov 22, 2008 1:29 AM in response to Profsr Chaos

Thanks for your suggestion. I had been trying to avoid restoring the iPhone due to the loss of a significant number of notes, photos that had not been uploaded to my computer, etc., but went ahead and did it based on your success. Restore did manage to solve the SIM not installed problem. Now I have a lot of work ahead of me to get the device back to the state it was in with Apps organized like I want them, photos, bookmarks, music, etc.

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Answer 10

[RM]

Level 1

124 points

Nov 22, 2008 8:41 AM in response to Robert Powers1

Robert Powers1 wrote:
I have been an Apple customer for 20+ years, going back to the days of the Lisa. I am trying to remain calm about this issue, but my anger will be difficult to contain if I am told that I need to buy a new phone to fix a problem caused entirely by doing a firmware update to a perfectly functional phone.

Actually if you read an update instructions, there is a part that tells you to make sure not to put your phone into Airplane mode while updating because it needs to be activated over the air. So can't blame Apple on this one my friend.

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Answer 11

Nov 22, 2008 9:05 AM in response to [RM]

I think he can. There are now plenty of reports of this happening without airplane mode being involved. It is quite a different thing to have an update fail--because one was in the wrong mode or not--and having it destroy the phone. Apple did indeed give me a new one this morning. I'm still mad, and I didn't have to pay for the new phone.

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Answer 12

Nov 22, 2008 9:08 AM in response to Robert Powers1

That's good to hear. That approach did not work for me, and several other customers that had been to the AT&T store I went to yesterday also had actual damage to their hardware from the upgrade.

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Answer 13

Nov 22, 2008 9:45 AM in response to [RM]

Hello, "my friend" RM,

I found your remarks to be less than constructive in a forum where I was expecting everyone to be helpful to each other. Would you care to provide a link or reference to the part of the update instructions where you claim that an over the air connection is necessary? I will be out of the U.S. frequently and will not have over the air connections for the most part, so I would like to know if what you claim is valid. Why exactly is an over the air connection needed?

Thanks in advance for providing any helpful information to other iPhone users who are just trying to avoid hours of work recreating their iPhone system after having it be destroyed by a simple firmware update.

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Answer 14

Nov 22, 2008 9:53 AM in response to [RM]

Here is the Apple support link which provide upgrade instructions for the iPhone:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1414

I am having a hard time finding the section that says that the phone needs to have an over the air connection to work.

Is there some other more detailed instructions which says that Airplane mode should not be used during an update?

Thanks

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Answer 15

tristena

Level 1

0 points

Nov 22, 2008 1:23 PM in response to dcambridge

That didn't work for me either. Have you fixed your phone? What did you do?

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