Does restoring my iPad revert it to the originally installed OS?

Restoring your iPad to factory settings will cause a fresh copy of the most recent compatible version of iOS to be re-installed. For the iPad2, this will be iOS 9.3.5 (WiFi Only models) or iOS 9.3.6 (WiFi+Cellular).

However, before restoring your iPad, you need to consider that the iPad2 is a 32-bit device - and along with other 32-bit architecture devices, is obsolete. Compatible Apps for 32-bit devices are no longer available for download from the App Store, all having been retired and removed.

As older versions of Apps have been deleted from the Apple App Store, you’ll not be able to (re)download or install them - which may severely limit the usefulness and utility of your iPad. As such, if you want or need to access to available Apps, all requiring more recent versions of iOS than your iPad is capable, you may need to consider replacement of your iPad with a newer or current model.

Of current models, even the entry-level iPad9 has specifications and capabilities that will massively outperform you current iPad - and is compatible with the vast majority of current Apps. Other models are more powerful still.

I haven't heard of older Apple devices losing access to Apple's servers for loading iOS/iPadOS to build up from scratch. The way you describe your situation, the only way to get it working again would be to reset it in recovery mode using a Mac or PC where the only version of iOS that would be loaded would be the most recent version compatible with an iPad 2 (should be iOS 9.3.6). Apple doesn't allow that procedure to load anything other than the most recent version. I've heard of some people who deliberately avoid updates in order to keep older OS versions for whatever reason.

Your biggest issue might be app support. I've seen older apps and app versions that are still maintained in the App Store, but support can also be withdrawn for whatever reasons. If you had a proper backup to a Mac or PC, often apps that can't even be downloaded any more for a new iPad can be loaded. I can still load 8 year old apps that were discontinued for new users 6 years ago. But if there was a discontinued app that you had, you might not be able to download it again.

It MIGHT work. It might not.

Without the itunes back up, then yeah, the data on it is gone.

if the restore is successful you’ll end up with the latest iOS that was installed on it….the max of a version of iOS9.

I say this as a person that has one at home…it’s a dinosaur. I filled mine up with music and use it as a ‘stereo’. Really all it’s good for anymore.

This is a long shot because I don’t even know if these files are available, but can you find an old version of iTunes somewhere? Usually the drivers are bundled with iTunes (there would always be an itunes update each time there was an iOS update). It’s possible if you’ve used the computer before the drivers are grandfathered in - on your computer and not removed with new versions of iTunes, but if you never used that computer then there are no drivers.

of course the issue you’ll run into is the 32/64 bit issue - even if you can find legitimate copies of iTunes the ones with the ipad 2 drivers may be 32 bit and may not install.

or do you know someone with an old computer hanging around that may have iTunes on it?

mwerygaf wrote:

Thanks - updates stopped years ago and most of the apps gradually became defunct. There were some that were still working, like a really good planner app, which Ili cant imagine there'll be any way of downloading again now. Still really useful for loading documents on and reading in ibooks so I'm hoping at least that will still work...

Yeah - I've got some Disney apps that were discontinued years ago, but where I can still download them from the App Store as long as it was derived from the backup of a device that had that loaded. Even when it automatically offloads the app to save on storage, I can reload it. But those aren't listed in the App Store any more. But if I deleted the app complete with the icon, I don't think I could ever load it again unless I recover from a backup that points to that app.

It's really odd though because that many versions of iOS ago - even before iPadOS was a thing. And it still works with the most recent version of iPadOS.

I do almost all syncing, backups, and restores through a Mac, so I may not be the best to give any suggestions on how to do it with a PC. At least with a Mac I could check to see if it shows up as a USB device using System Report. There are a lot of things that could go wrong, and it's tough to know why without being in the same room.

Does it at least charge when connected to a power adapter? That would be the first thing I would think of - to at least eliminate that it just won't connect to anything.

THe serial number is in teeny tiny little print on the back of your device. Where the rest of the writing is.

There are 2 ways to access the data. Either via itunes or via finder/windows explorer.

if nothing else the computer should see the DCIM folder from the camera of the ipad even if it doesn’t access any other files.

It could just be a malfunction. Not the same, but I had an iPad mini 6 with USB-C that wouldn’t charge off of 5V and wouldn’t establish a data connect to anything, although it also didn’t show up as a USB device.

I’m rather stumped if it shows up as a valid device and just won’t connect. It doesn’t need to “trust” a new computer in recovery mode where it’s only going to be reset to factory conditions. All that’s needed is to access the Apple ID to allow it to be reset.