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Old iPad won't come on

I have an old iPad that won't come on. When I plug it in to the wall USB plug, the screen flashes once every few seconds. If I hold down the start and power buttons simultaneously for 10-20 seconds, the Apple icon comes on, and then a picture of a USB cable pointing to an iTunes icon. I assume this means it wants me to attach to a device with iTunes. But when I unplug it from the wall plug, it dies (maybe the battery is dead?) and when I attach the USB cable to a computer that has iTunes, the flashing screen continues but holding the two buttons does nothing. I've tried this on 3 different devices, two Macs and a Windows PC.

Any advice on how to get this guy live again? Thank you.

iPad (4th gen) Wi-Fi

Posted on May 1, 2020 10:35 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on May 2, 2020 12:48 PM

Hello,


Please refer to the following Apple Support document.


If your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch won't turn on or is frozen - Apple Support

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4 replies

May 2, 2020 2:59 PM in response to Scott Stark

On the basis of your description, your iPad battery appears to be almost dead. When connected to the Power Adapter (charger), you seem to have just enough life in the battery to power-on the iPad - and for it to indicate that it must be restored from iTunes.


Unfortunately, when connected to your computer, the USB port cannot supply sufficient power to the iPad. Many USB ports can only provide 1A at 5V (i.e., only 5W power), some less than this, which is insufficient. If your computer has a “high power” USB port (sometimes marked with a lightning-bolt symbol), this USB port can supply a higher current. If available, this port might be provide adequate power to allow the iPad to switch on.


However, as your iPad battery is apparently dead, or at best dying, Restoring the iPad from iTunes will do nothing to change its overall usability. As such, the iPad battery will need to be changed.


Assuming your declared iPad to be an iPad4, as indicated by the information appended to your initial question, you have another problem...


Update support for your iPad4 formally ended September 2017. The final IOS releases for iPad4 were iOS 10.3.3 (WiFi Only models) and iOS 10.3.4 (WiFi & Cellular). iPad4 cannot be updated to any later major version of iOS as it lacks the minimum hardware requirements needed to run more recent versions.


Many App Developers have also dropped support for older devices and iOS versions preceding iOS11/12 - and have withdrawn older versions of their Apps from the Apple App Store. Given that compatible Apps for iPad4 are now very scarce, the utility and usefulness of older models is becoming increasing limited.


To make matters worse, restoring your iPad using iTunes will wipe any existing Apps from your iPad. If these Apps have been withdrawn from the App store, you’ll not be able to download or reinstall them.


If available Apps that you need have higher minimum iOS-version requirements, your only option is to replace your iPad with newer model. Even the basic current iPad model supports current iPadOS 13.x - and has hardware specifications that will vastly outperform your old iPad4.


In view of the above, I suggest that spending any money on repairing your iPad4 would be completely wasted. Sorry, this is clearly not the news that you were hoping to hear.


I hope this information is helpful - if only in clearly stating your current position and potential ways forward.

Old iPad won't come on

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