error 29 iphone locked in recovery mode

I wish someone would do the step by step guide for Irecovery for a mac. Is there a "Mac mrangelo" out there? I have never used Terminal before and the instructions from http://www.ihackintosh.com/2009/09/recover-iphone-3gs-from-apple-logo-or-recover y-mode-loop/ are not clear.

Same problem here! I used your step by step but my command mode seems a little different. I can't use the irecovery-s command. I have to use irecovery [s] at which time it says it found an iphone/ipod in recovery mode. However it doesn't give me the chance to enter a command. I tried to put [c] as the argument but no matter where I put the actual command in association with the [c] nothing seems to happen. Any suggestions:

Success!!! mrangelo (author of step by step) and westbaer (irecovery devleoper) are my heroes! Hey mrangelo, my message of late last night was in error. I must have worked on error 29 too long. I didn't type a space between irecovery and the –s! It worked perfectly after that. I just can’t believe Apple is letting all of us struggle with this. My 3Gs was only 25 days old and was not jailbroke.

Well... I gave up and took my phone to the local Apple store, they took a day to get around to looking at the issue and then... gave me a new handset! Ok so the thing was only a few days old but hey I got a phone that works and syncs etc. Manyt thanks to all a the local store. But the thing I take issue with is the lack of explaination or an open well communicated policy by Apple to these kind of issues.
Steve Jobs, if you watching, get the service process sorted because right now its totally screwed and damaging the brand, one you have worked tirelessly to re-rebuild. Poor communcation and low people capability was my "Apple experiance". Not sure I want to repeat the same if my kids decide to get an Mac over a PC.
Steve

Error 29 is a hardware error.

If you have determined:
1. That the problem is not with the iPhone cable.
2. You are not using a USB Hub or other intermediary.
3. That you are plugged directly to the USB ports on the back of your computer.
4. That your USB ports are working properly.

Then the hardware error is probably inside your iPhone.

iRecovery will not fix an internal hardware error. iRecovery is not recommended in any case if your iPhone is still under warranty. This software primarily for users who already voided their warranty with unauthorized software, and can harm your computer and iPhone if you do not fully understand what you are doing with it.

CWall24... Are you with Apple? because this sounds like an authoritative response. I'm no expert, however, I have several issues with this "theory" of error #29 being a hardware issue:

1) is it just a coincidence that all of the users on this thread with this problem got the problem at the same time, and yet, with some of the iPhones involved, the age was only a day or so out of the box, while others have had their iPhone for 9 months (myself)?

2) why would iRecovery fix so many of these cases if it is a hardware issue? Doesn't software fix software problems, not hardware problems?

3) how do you know so much about error #29 when Apple doesn't even know what error #29 is (this is a fact that many Apple support people have told all of us)?

The statement you made with such an authoritative tone just doesn't add up. If it was true, then my phone and many others with error #29 would not have been resolved via iRecovery. It is a fact that we all got this mysterious error when we did a software update via iTunes, not because we dropped our phones, or because we opened the cases on our phones... we incurred the error via a software event. How do you explain that? I hope you can enlighten us further.

Thank you, thank you, thank you... Irecovery!!!! After trying to get personal help from Apple after waiting all weekend for support to open in the end I could only access the advice on the support page which sounded very much like CWall 24 - nice try - hardware!!, yeah right...better read the forums again), from in a isolated place in the south west of Australia...I couldn't wait any longer ......I took the risk, being 100's of km from anyone who even sell an apple... Though I had to use an XP as I couldn't get the mac irecovery to work (embarrassing for me to have to go to a pc to get my iphone to work - how ironic!) I took the advice and steps from these forums and went for it. Finally after working out how the progrmmes worked and where the spaces needed to go I cranked up the phone again it was back to its factory default iphone, though my contacts were still there. The sad thing was that the reason I was doing the update was to do a back up on my new computer as my last one with my old iphone backups had been stolen with all back up drives as well! However the restore did not give me back my music and only some apps. I would like then to thank Laura from Apple, who understood my situation and pressed the magic switch to allow me access to the music, movies and apps that how had bought over the last two years.

So I would personally like to thank four people who got me through this....
mrangelo who made instructions more clear (there was also someone in another forum but I could not find his name who gave even better step by step instructions for XP),
pammylu who gave us all inspiration,
irecovery (through ihackintosh) for the programme and
Laura from the iTunes Store Customer Support who was friendly, compassionate, clear, helpful and personally followed up three times to make sure I got my downloads OK...
A lady who gave me back my music, my movies and my iLife again...

(ps. I understand CWall24 if you are with a Moderator with Apple that you are obliged to give certain instructions and follow guidelines from an authority above and to warn us about using third party programmes and warranty issues...especially when we are inexperienced novices at doing this....however when things get desperate - it is amazing what the common person will learn to do and risk to get back something that has become important to that person and there seems no other option.... and for me and others it worked ... wow! Just to get the endorphins and dopamine rush again when the iphone started up!.. Crickey, we have nearly become a family on this discussion, even handing out cookies!... So there is one final thanks and that is to Apple for allowing us use their discussion forums that may give advice that is contrary to what they would give. And now that I have my phone back... you are still have the best phone and computer systems, that I didn't realise till last week after I had to go without, how important they are to me, my work, and allow me to get on with my iLife. Tarsip...

@Tarsip, great story! 🙂

@Tarsip, I'm so happy for you because I can honestly say I know exactly how you feel "getting your life back." Your glee is infectuous! I can only imagine how abandoned you were feeling way down under and I'm thrilled you were willing to take the risk (& thx for the kind words.) You now are charged with helping others find the courage to get their lives back.

@CWall24, are you with Apple or not? Inquiring minds still want to know... 🙂

I had the same problem with error 29 during a restore after a failed software update. Found the following web site that fixed my problems. All that was required was to plug in the iphone, and download and open QuickPwn, it immediately gave me directions to hold down the power button and home button for 15 seconds, and then hold the power button down for two seconds. I did as it said, the iphone rebooted in normal mode, itunes recognized it and asked if I wanted to activate a new phone, or restore from a previous backup.. I choose the previous backup option, and 5 minutes later everything is back to normal!! The only thing that I lost was the email that I had in my "in box" on the phone. All accounts were there, but the email that I left in my inbox was gone..

Here is the link to the site:

http://ipitg.net/how-to-kick-iphone-out-of-recovery-mode-windows/


It worked perfect for me, so I wasnted to pass it on..

Just got a new iphone 3gs and it is not jailbraked. While loading the backup from my old iphone the "restore issue" happened. Apple was no help at all. i have boot camp so downloaded the
http://ipitg.net/how-to-kick-iphone-out-of-recovery-mode-windows/

it recognized the iphone. Once it started up and I was able to restore the settings in itunes in the mac os and get my new phone working.

This worked.

Thanks!

My warranty is void and so I feel free to tell you: Yes! I dropped my iphone in the toilet! ...and then just stared at it for a second. Completely submerged. That was 6 months ago but it has worked PERFECTLY ever since.

Then last week I updated and found myself stuck in the "Error 29 Recovery Loop." No help from apple, they tried 2 very basic tricks then had me send it in. They checked the water sensor and sent it right back. Didn't give it a minute of their time. I figured as much. The thing is, I fixed it in 5 mins. You're telling me they couldn't have figured this out over the phone?

Don't waste hours scouring the net for an apple certified solution, you won't find one that works. I downloaded "QuickPwn" and I'm not sure how, but it kicked it out of recovery and it's good as new.

I'm not upset that there is a problem, we are realistic people and expect bugs to pop up now and then. But for the cost involved in owning and maintaining an iPhone, we also expect a higher level of customer service than this issue has received so far.

I truly hope CWall24's post is not the official position Apple intends to take. Adding insult to injury is not smart business practice.

Another casualty here. Same story as most. Synched with iTunes, advised that software update is available (3.1.3 I think) and that the update fixed the error with battery indicator, so said "OK" and updated..... thanks apple.

Anyway now getting error 29 when attempt to restore - have tried all the steps suggested by jjlee
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2325175&tstart=0&start=15

Still not working, so last resort I downloaded the irecovery and following the suggestions recommended by mrangelo.

All good up to step 6, but irecover doesnt seem to be able to detect iphone(after a number of attempts).

Going to try again tonight....

BTW: for Vista users, I had a lot of problems in cmd prompt following this step

4. goto the folder by doing this: type c: -> press enter -> cd\ir -> you're in the folder

A shortcut is to navigate on yr desktop directly to the folder and hold "Shift" while right clicking on the folder and select the "Open Command Prompt Here"

pammylu wrote:
C'mon, Apple, what can you do for us who have truly suffered (and are still suffering) with this fiasco? Why the silence? Why aren't you all reading this thread

Which bit of 'they never do' is difficult to understand?. We are all just users like you who are fairly unimpressed with soapbox speeches. Apple even less so. Me even less - I like to help people out who stick to the point.

They understand the market place way better than you and I ever will .... and its still the best selling smartphone going, and 99.99% of users have no problems.

Long winded postings making speeches won't change anything.

Graham, Gosh-gee-whiz, thanks for explaining all this to me. With your 2,444 posts on this forum, and me with only 12, you obviously have been at this for a while (over 9 years longer than me), so I'm not as well versed in Apple's marketing strategy or how short my posts need to be. After nearly 30 years in IT with PC's, I only got my first Mac last week, so I'm a neophyte with Apple.

I DO know that there are a lot of desperate people with this mysterious unknown error who are going crazy with it and I thought Apple might want to know about it. I have learned on my own that not only do they not care, they don't even get it. Too bad I don't have a direct line to Steve Jobs and had to use this forum to try to reach someone out there. Excuse me for wanting to shed some light on the plight of us lowly customers.

Maybe I type faster than you or maybe I connect with people better than you... whatever; no need to harangue me for making posts on this forum. Last I knew, my posts didn't cost you any money nor take any space or time away from you. If you don't have a problem with Apple at the moment, why are you even posting on this thread? Self importance perhaps? Peace, out.