Configurator error "iPadOS cannot be restored on this iPad

We found an Apple USB-C to Digital AV adapter still in a box today. It includes a USB-C port, and HDMI port, and a USB-A port so we tried it. It worked!!! Our 10 parked iPad Mini's are now getting reimaged and we 100% back in business.

Yes - Case Number: 101852323847.

Our last response from Apple was: "I was told that updating to iPadOS

16.2 should resolve the issue. Otherwise using a usb-a cable should still work."

I have yet to try it with a "Lightning" iPad Mini that simply needed updating, but will tomorrow.

On another note, this did NOT resolve the iPad MIni's that had gotten stuck in Recovery Mode. I did try that right away once 16.2 was released and our Configurator had successfully installed 16.2 with our USB-C iPads.

Hey all, I just got this from Apple -

"Our engineers have suggested using a USB-A to lightning cable instead of USB-C to lightning. That seems to be a workaround that has worked for them so far. I would try a USB-A to lightning cable and let me know if it still doesn’t work".

All we have at the moment is a USB-C MacBook. Anyone with an older (USB-A) Mac setup with Configurator and a new Mac with USB-C to compare this hypothesis?

Agreed. Specifically I noticed Configurator hangs after an OS update has been downloaded and unzipped and just starting to run the update. That's when the iPad reboots into the nomal mode. Configurator "updating" progress bar has hung approx. 5% in the progress bar and then moments later displays the error.

Any iPad I try now (different models and have different existing iPadOS versions) does the same thing. I tried clearing up space on the Mac; and I cleared all the cached OS updates Configurator stores; hanged USB-C ports on the Mac and USB cable; Updated the Mac to Ventura, all to no avail. Will try a different Mac today, and put in an Apple support ticket.

Hi Chris, the more of us communicating on the issue should help the engineers if they are still searching for the source. Just got a reply moments ago and they (Apple) are asking which cable we are using from the Mac and Configurator to the devices? I replied that in fact that the Mac is USB-C, and the two models we are having problems with are Lightning.

"So our newer iPads, the iPad Air Gen 5 and iPad Mini Gen 6 (both have USB-C) DO work just fine. And both models we have seen with the issue (iPad Air Gen 4 or 3, and iPad Mini Gen 5) are on lightning. Sounds like that fits the direction you all are working on."

What is your scenario Chris? What connector to your Mac, and the connector on the device having problems? Got any USB-C devices that are still getting imaged as normal?

Hmmm. I'm pretty sure we were on Monterey when it started. I remember because I had updated the Mac to see if it cleared the problem. I'll check on that again when I'm back at the office. It's possible I had just taken it to 12.6.1 Monterey at the time.

If you are having issue with the temporary workaround, I suspect that if you are connecting an adapter from USB-C down to USB-A then Lightning, then that probably won't work. Got to be originating at USB-A from the Mac-no USB-C connections in between.

I left out the point that when I upgraded (which I thought took us to Ventura), it did NOT make a difference. After a lot of testing we came to the conclusion that it wasn't anything on our end and contacted Apple. Of course by then we have a small stack iPad Mini's that are stuck in Recovery mode and unusable.

The only good news about that is, if their fix doesn't help our devices in recovery mode then we have a valid reason to retire these Gen 4 and 5 iPad Mini's for the new Gen 6 mini's. They have USB-C connections, so they have been immune to this problem.

Sorry, I wasn't very clear at all. Our Mac was on Monterey (12.6) when we found the problem of updating our iPads in Configurator. One of the third of fourth thing we did while troubleshooting the issue (assuming it was a local issue at this point) was to upgrade our (Configurator) Mac to Ventura (13), but it made no difference.

At least, I believe this was the OS update we did. And this is the only Mac we have, which has USB-C connections out only.

We have updated to macOS 13.0.1 since then with no fix.

So we are not reimaging and upgrading our Lightning iPads at this point (do not see the problem with iPhones), but we are still using Configurator for all USB-C iPads with no issue however.