Error 6 when trying to restore. Phone is stuck in restore mode

Error 6, most of the time, indicates a problem with security software on your computer. Follow the steps here to resolve:

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3125

After reading your first post more closely, this may be your problem:

choose a firmware (3.1.2).

You can't restore to 3.1.2. The only firmware you can restore to is 3.1.3. You need to first delete all .ipsw files on your computer & try restoring again. This will force itunes to re-download & verify the current firmware.

Again, YOU CANNOT GO BACK OR RESTORE TO 3.1.2. You can try until you're blue in the face, but it will not work. Apple signs ALL firmware now, thus, the ONLY firmware you can restore to or update to is 3.1.3. Yes, if you hacked your phone you will lose your unlock. That's the risk you run when you hack the phone.

First delete all .ipsw files on your computer. In OSX they are located here:

~/Library/Application Support/iTunes/iPod/iphone Firmware

If you have your firewall turned on, disable it. Then see if you can force the phone into recovery mode:

Leave the USB cable connected to your computer, but NOT your phone, itunes running, press & hold the home button while connecting the USB cable to your dock connector, continue holding the home button until you see “Connect to iTunes” on the screen. You may now release the home button. iTunes should now display that it has detected your phone in recovery mode, if not quit and reopen iTunes. If you still don’t see the recovery message repeat these steps again. iTunes will give you the option to restore from a backup or set up as new.

Also, any reason why you have not updated to 10.6.2? You might try updating to 10.6.2 FIRST & also make sure itunes is up to date, version 9.0.3.

If you can't restore by forcing the phone into recovery mode, & you're positive nothing is blocking itunes attempts to contact Apple's servers...I'm out of ideas, other than you "may" have a hardware problem. But first, try reinstalling itunes, you don't have to delete your current copy, just reinstall over the top. Then reboot your computer & try and force the phone into recovery mode again. Again, delete the .ipsw first in case its corrupted.

I had the same exact thing happen to me, I tried on XP, Vista, Windows 7, Snow leopard, all with the same results.

I just kept restoring, erroring out, restoring again, etc. until finally I was able to restore to 3.1.3. I'm talking 4-5 days straight, continuously trying to restore.

Don't give up.

I'm not getting any Error 6 messages, I'm just getting the message in iTunes that I have an iPhone connected in Recovery Mode. Well, no crap..because your updates do this to me EVERY time. It's ridiculous and I'm ticked off about it. Why can't an update ever go RIGHT? Instead I have to be frustrated and upset that my phone isn't working and I live an HOUR away from an iPhone-certified AT&T.

Anyway - what am I supposed to do? I switched USB ports. I read up there that it won't restore to 3.1.2. I sync'd my phone this morning with 3.1.2 and it told me it had an update available. So I clicked the 'Update' button and have been looping ever since.

I'm not seeing the edit button on my prior post, so sorry for the double-post.

As if by some miracle, about the 12th restore, even though I still had the 'Connect To iTunes' on my phone, I also had the slider and could make emergency calls only - and then, THEN it loaded. Hallelujah!! Only problem is now, it's not recognizing the sync I did earlier today and so I'm going to lose contacts, pictures and free apps that I had added since the last one it recognizes. I guess it's a sacrifice I'd rather make compared to the alternative.