iOS4 update error 21 on mac with 3g - solution

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Level 1

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iOS4 update error 21 on mac with 3g - solution

If you get error 21 updating to iOS4 on a 3g, here's a solution that worked for me:

*Create a new user account on your mac (I called mine temp), make sure it has administrator privileges
*Log in to the account, sync and update your iPhone with the latest version of iTunes
*Once it's done & updated to iOS4, rename the phone to match your usual account name (e.g. I changed mine from Temp's iPhone, to Rick's iPhone.
*Sync again
*Log back in to your usual user account & restore your phone.

Hope that helps - I spent hours scratching my head about it!

Rick

mac pro, macbook pro, macbook (all intel), iPhone 3g, iOS 4

Posted on Jun 22, 2010 1:34 AM

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Answer 1

Jun 22, 2010 4:10 AM in response to rickblackdog

I can definitely confirm this works also on a Windows Machine.

Rick, I appreciate your knowledge and I thank you so much for helping me out.
You saved me a lot of heartache. 🙂

Will link this from my Error 21 thread.

Again thank you so much. 🙂

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Answer 2

Jun 22, 2010 4:49 AM in response to Just Unlucky

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!!!! I am telling everyone about this right now just because it works!! lol

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Answer 3

Jun 23, 2010 4:38 PM in response to Just Unlucky

Hi sorry to bother you but can you run this method by me again as i've done all the above, apart from the administration part which i'm unsure of and i'm still getting the error 21?
Many thanks for you time, Dean.

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Answer 4

kstani

Level 1

0 points

Jun 23, 2010 10:57 PM in response to rickblackdog

After many hours dealing with this, I found this post and it also worked for me - many thanks! Unfortunately, I lost a bunch of photos from my recent trip to Europe... a little annoyed with Apple about that.

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Answer 5

Jun 24, 2010 4:21 AM in response to rickblackdog

Hi, got the error 21 on my pc itunes, tried for hours to fix but failed, in the end i had to sync with my laptop this worked and updated to IOS4.

only problem now i cannot sync with pc again as error just comes back, i have also lost all my photos ect because i had no previous backup on the laptop, is there a way to transfer the backup to my laptop so that i can restore all my info back to the iphone without using the PC.

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Answer 6

Jun 30, 2010 12:31 AM in response to Just Unlucky

I am having the same issues. Can you let me know how to set up a new user account? I can see how to set up a new account for the I tunes store, but I don't think this is what I am supposed to being doing?

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