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User profile for user: PeceK88
PeceK88 Author
User level: Level 1
8 points

How to recover data? Phone stuck on DFU mode

Hi all, not sure if anyone has done this before. Basically my iPhone 6 is no longer turning on and keeps going into "DFU" mode, and it seems like the only way to fix it is to reset/reboot it. Problem with that is that it will erase all the data and I haven't backed up in a few years. I see there are a few tools out there, notably 3utools, Tenorshare ReiBoot, and iMyFoneFixppo that apparently can "download the firmware" and install that on the phone without damaging/deleting the data.


Has anyone actually tried this and can comment on whether downloading the firmware would actually work without deleting the data?


I took the phone to one of those phone shops and they say there is no water damage, the battery is good, and everything is ok, it is just the "circuitry" is malfunctioning so that a reboot would fix it. But for me the data is more important than the phone, so if anyone has any experience with this I would love to hear it.


I was also told if these online tools don't work, then I should consider a "data recovery" service such as Payam. Anyone have experience with them? They charge $650 for the service, so not sure if I should go to that route. I am worried though that if I do use those online tools they may erase the data (even if they say they wont!) and so maybe I should go straight to Payam (or any equivalent data recovery service).


I also spoke to Apple and they said they can't do anything apart from help me restore my iPhone to my last backup.


Any other info or advice would be appreciated. Thank you.


[Link Edited by Moderator]

iPhone 6, iOS 12

Posted on Mar 15, 2022 6:35 PM

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User profile for user: PeceK88
PeceK88 Author
User level: Level 1
8 points

Posted on Mar 30, 2022 12:32 AM

I just wish to post an update for those that may have experienced a similar problem to me. I decided as a last ditch effort I will send my phone to a data recovery company (refered to in my first post), and they advertised a "no fix, no fee" situation. I figured that I had nothing to lose out of it, for I was to reset/reflash the phone anyway and all data was to be lost.


I posted the phone on a Monday to the company, they received it on a Wednesday. By the next Monday they emaied me back to say that they have recovered nearly 93 GB of data from my phone! They express shipped my phone back and I just received it Wednesday. My iPhone is 128 GB, and I feel like 114 is usable, and that pretty much covers the pictures/videos/messages/notes (my phone wasn't completelly full so it might actually be all of it?). Perhaps some files are lost/corrupted, but from a brief look at what they sent me, all the new photos/messages are there, which is nice to see.


The cost of this was high, but I suppose people need to decide whether it is worth the expense. Or alternatively, make sure you back up your data! I learned that the hard and expensive way.

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User profile for user: PeceK88
PeceK88 Author
User level: Level 1
8 points

Mar 30, 2022 12:32 AM in response to deggie

I just wish to post an update for those that may have experienced a similar problem to me. I decided as a last ditch effort I will send my phone to a data recovery company (refered to in my first post), and they advertised a "no fix, no fee" situation. I figured that I had nothing to lose out of it, for I was to reset/reflash the phone anyway and all data was to be lost.


I posted the phone on a Monday to the company, they received it on a Wednesday. By the next Monday they emaied me back to say that they have recovered nearly 93 GB of data from my phone! They express shipped my phone back and I just received it Wednesday. My iPhone is 128 GB, and I feel like 114 is usable, and that pretty much covers the pictures/videos/messages/notes (my phone wasn't completelly full so it might actually be all of it?). Perhaps some files are lost/corrupted, but from a brief look at what they sent me, all the new photos/messages are there, which is nice to see.


The cost of this was high, but I suppose people need to decide whether it is worth the expense. Or alternatively, make sure you back up your data! I learned that the hard and expensive way.

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User profile for user: PeceK88
PeceK88 Author
User level: Level 1
8 points

Mar 16, 2022 4:47 PM in response to deggie

Hi deggie, yeah I believe it did it on its own. Well to clarify, the phone would not turn on and I found a way to turn it on was to press and hold the side button and the home button. However, after a while it would not turn on but I know it is in DFU mode because when I connect it to my laptop it came up with the message saying it is in DFU mode. I seem unable to get it out of DFU mode in order to access my data (and make a back up!).


And darn, so it seems once it gets in DFU mode the data is already erased?

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User profile for user: PeceK88
PeceK88 Author
User level: Level 1
8 points

Mar 16, 2022 6:34 PM in response to deggie

Thank you for the information deggie. It seems once connected to the laptop though there is a button that say "restore/reboot" so I wonder if that would be the step that truly erases it? I can't imagine why it would erase all the data in a second just by connecting it and going into DFU mode? But fair enough, thank you again for the information.

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How to recover data? Phone stuck on DFU mode

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