An error occurred while restoring this iPhone (-1).

I couldn't get to my Genius Bar appt (couldn't get away for 3 hours that afternoon, which is basically what it's going to take). Will try next week. I found out I am eligible for a new free iphone at ATT, so I may resort to that. But even if I do, I am going to keep at this because my phone is more capacious and has my stuff on it.

I finally managed to get to an apple store and the two apple techs who dealt with me told me that -1 is a hardware problem and there is no solution but new phone. So I managed to get a new phone under warranty, but for the rest of you guys I hope this is the case where you need a new phone!!

How long does it take to get new device under warranty in apple store? I live in Russia and they can change my dead iPad to new one in one month. But in January I'm going to Italy for a one week. So I'm thinking to change my iPad here in Russia with waiting for a month, or to change it when I'll be in Italy.

Well, my Apple Support contact called me today. He tells me that the researchers have decided I definitely have a "hardware problem" and need a new phone. Since my old phone is out of warranty, that means I have to pay for a new one myself.

I protested that my 2 yr old phone never had a single problem until I downloaded the Apple update, so why did he think it was a hardware issue? He explained that the "logs" from my computer indicated a hardware problem. This reference to the "logs" is like a car mechanic's reference to the faulty "manifold" or "timing belt"---he knows I have no expertise in "logs" so I have to take his word for it. But I gather the crucial evidence is that I got this [-1] error which means a hardware issue.

The reason it took Apple so long to figure out that I had a hardware problem, despite my having told the tech about getting the [-1] error the first time I spoke to him, is that before the IOS5 update, no one at Apple knew anything about this error. Why? Because it was so rare. It was not even included on Apple's standard list of errors (used by techs). But now, suddenly, all the Apple techs are getting to know it REALLY well, because in the wake of the IOS5 update, this error is turning up all over the place. But make no mistake---the sudden prevalence of a heretofore unknown error does NOT mean the IOS5 update is responsible---oh, no no no no!!! It's just that, coincidentally, we all happen to have acquired a mysterious hardware problem recently---a problem that never manifested itself in any way, shape, or form until we downloaded the update.

I asked the support guy if he had any PROOF that this hardware problem existed in my phone before the IOS5 update---I mean, I see evidence that suggests that it didn't exist before the update (the phone worked)----what evidence is there that it did exist before the update? Once again; "logs" and the [-1] error. Nothing more specific. At this point, it dawned on me that the tech guy was just repeating to me what the researchers had told him. He didn't get it either.

When I asked why no previous updates had triggered this problem if it was lurking, he said the glitch must have developed after the last update (as usual, no hint of how he would know that---I think he just threw it out there so I would not suggest the glitch had been lurking since the phone was brand new). When I ask for specific evidence that would lead him to think that, he could only offer: logs & [-1] error code.

I reiterated once more that my phone (and the phones of lots of other people on the Apple support site) worked perfectly before the update, and that all our phones were identically disabled (stuck in restore loop with -1 error) by the update. Didn't that seem odd? He said that actually there were all kinds of different hardware problems that could elicit that [-1], so the other people complaining on the site actually had different problems. I asked, "With the exact same symptoms, occuring in the same way, during the same update process??" Yup.

Why should I believe this tale of mulitfarious latent hardware problems? When I finally asked the tech guy EXACTLY what my hardware problem was, he said that the only way I could find that out was to send in the phone for a diagnostic & repair, which would probably cost more than getting a new phone. That answer spells out my situation: I am screwed and have no options. Apple's update broke my phone, and Apple is not going to take responsibility.

As it happens, I recently learned that I can get a free iphone 3GS (like mine but less capacious) from ATT right now. Or, I can get a castoff next-to-new iphone 3gs from someone I know who is upgrading. But I am feeling so annoyed at Apple for disabling my iphone with their latest update that all I want to do is run around telling as many people as possible about how irresponsible Apple is. Good luck to the rest of you.

milomoo, so sad to hear your frustrations with Apple, particularly with the ios 5 update, which has apparently brought your iphone 3gs to a "dead" state. now regarding the "hardware problem" as manifested by the (-1) error, i am no technical person, but i just wonder, how come i was, at some lucky instance, able to install ios5 successfully after seeing (-1) unknown error around 30 times? here is recent experience (about two days ago): my iphone 3gs went crazy after losing network connection (by the way, this is another problem with ios5 that is seemly not given due attention by Apple yet, at least officially and publicly. mainly the battery problem caused by ios5 is being dealt with so far. with such a network problem my 3gs restarted and kept displaying the shining silver Apple logo. so, i decided to install the ios 5.0.1 (via DFU mode). somewhere during the firmware installation it displayed a (1) error (not the usual -1), then it restarted and proceeded to displaying the favorite itunes logo and usb cable. i decided again to reinstall ios 5.0.1 (still via DFU mode). this time it announced a (-1) unknown error. then again comes the itunes/usb cable logo. third try, i restored the ios 5.0.1 (on Mac Alt+Restore). But this time not via DFU mode, just with the itunes logo displayed on it. now, it successfully installed ios 5.0.1. is this a hardware problem or software? i really do not know. but one thing i am sure of: my 3gs was working perfectly with ios 4.3.3 on it, until i was tempted to install ios 5, as suggested by Apple. that was one big mistake i made! When i studied electro-mechanical technology about 20 years ago, my teacher used to remind the class of the important "rule of thumb" in equipment repair/maintenance: "if it works, don't fix it"! that rang a bell the first time i saw the (-1) unknown error.

Dennis, thanks for replying. You have no idea how much better it makes me feel just to hear from somebody who knows what I am talking about and feels sympathetic. It's so frustrating to be told by Apple "That's it, your phone had hidden flaws before the update, so we can't help you" and know there is NOTHING you can do about it. So thanks for your comments.

I agree that it's very interesting that you got that [-1] error and then managed to get your iphone working again. I guess my tech would say you also had a hardware problem, but a fixable one. He said mine can't be fixed but gave me no specifics that would lead me to trust his evaluation. In fact, when I asked exactly what was wrong, he told me I would have to get a diagnostic to find out! So how is he so sure it's fatal??

My sister told me there is a tech person in her office who is really good and loves challenges, so I am going to send my phone to her to play with. I would LOVE to be able to write back to my Apple tech person and report the thing was fixed even though he assured me it was hopeless!!

That problem you mentioned about the network connection is something I read about in other places, too. You are definitely not the only person experiencing it. But unless thousands of people complain, Apple probably won't do anything about it.

It's just so lame that my tech guy was saying it was DEFINITE that all of us who got [-1] errors must have had flawed hardware prior to the download that screwed us up. Why had none of us ever had any problems? How can he prove that flaws they now find were not caused my the software messing up our hardware??

Even if he is right that there was a preexisting problem, the idea that we all just happened to develop it after the last download is absurd. If there was a flaw, it probably was caused by this download or the prior one.

The bottom line is still that Apple is shirking responsibility. But thanks a lot for listening, replying, and understanding. And thanks for telling me about how it happened with your phone. I will definitely keep trying.

From iphonewiki

Error -1

Error occurs when one uses the "last ditch" method for preventing baseband updates on the iPhone 4 . The baseband does not get updated using this method. Use TinyUmbrella to kick it out of recovery mode.

Mivas, is the same true for iphone 3GS? That's what I have. I downloaded tinyumbrella and am fooling with it (though I don't really know what I am doing) and was excited to get a new error #11. But I can't get beyond that.

I took the phone to the Genius Bar finally Friday night and was told same old thing: my phone must have had a flaw before the update (and since the warranty expired in July, too bad for me). When I asked the girl why they didn't just tell all the people who got battery problems from the update that they must have had a flaw before the update, too bad for them, she said it was because there were more of them.

That is why I keep trying---because I know Apple really has not found out the source of my problem because not enough people had it for them to bother. My phone seems potentially recoverable because it does turn on and it does go through the motions of recovery. If it was just dead (black screen) or had weird characters onscreen, I would give up.

milomoo, mivas: since tinyumbrella, a third party software, is now mentioned here, let me add one other alternative using another third party software. there is one that you can find via google. just search for "ipad" with the same (-1) unknown problem with ios 5. if you want to see for yourself that your celfon is not (yet) dead, and that you can somehow get out of the (-1) error, you may go ahead and try it out. if you don't find the link(s), just let me know. you are also welcome to email me so I can send you the steps/details. i tried the third party cure myself. it did not solve the problem 100 percent (for some it did!), but at least i was no longer stuck with the -1 error. but with this third party software i was at least able to see my 3gs booting up.

would you do me a favor ..thanks

Milomoo - I had the issue with my 4 and my friend had the same issue with her 3gs. And while I bricked mine trying to jailbreak it my friend, who never JB'd her phone, bricked it when she tried to upgrade to ios5. And when she brought it in she got the "standard" hardware issue like many others seem to have with their 3gs, 4 and ipads.

It just sounds fishy that the standard answer seems to blame hardware issues. I think it's BS! They just don't want to take responsibility for their obvious flaw and make people buy "new" products instead. Sounds like greed to me!

My buddy got my 4 up and running with ios5 by just trying to restore it several times. It finally took hold and I'm good to go. But after trying to restore my friends un-JB'd 3gs the several different ways I've still had no luck!

Like everyone elses phones, it was working perfectly before the update. But now it's a crappy paper weight. I just think the "hardware" excuse is a cop out by Apple. Maybe it's time to move on to an Android phone and hit Apple in the pocketbook. I think Steve Jobs would have made a fix and gotten our phones back on track without issue or lame excuses. But alas, Steve is gone just like our phones! RIP ya piece of crap phone!

Mise à jour Iphone 3GS, OIS 5.0.1 erreur inconnue (-1)...

Bonjour,

Je me permets de remonter le post et de m'exprimer en français !

Je suis effectivement du même avis que beaucoup de personnes ici. Je trouve inconcevable qu'une mise à jour soit pénalisante dans le fonctionnement d'un appareil qui est aussi coûteux à l'achat. Utilisant du matériel Apple depuis de nombreuses années, mon premier étant un mac LC3. Depuis power PC 7500, 8100, imac, G3, emac, G4, nouveau imac, power mac, macbook pro, etc... La confiance forgée est maintenant remise en cause.

J'ai eu le même problème lors de la mise à jour IOS 5.0 et pourtant après avoir restauré 30 fois minimum, la mise à jour a étrangement réussie et a donc, si j'en crois les experts de chez Apple, contourner le problème matériel qui a sûrement dû guerir entre temps... Ayant confiance et effectuant de nouveau la mise à jour, qui est fortement conseillée systématiquement, je me retrouve depuis maintenant 6 jours à faire des restaurations en boucle. Donc dès lors qu'un problème est présent dorénavant, dois-je m'attendre à un éttoufement politique de l'entreprise pour raison budgétaire ou dois-je faire confiance en l'entreprise en qui j'ai fait confiance ? J'ai du mal à choisir ! Soyez professionnels et penchez-vous sur le problème comme vous l'avez toujours fait !

Merci d'avance, et si quelqu'un a une solution, je suis preneur...

Awesome IsisPisces! That did the trick for me too.

Thanks a lot, my wife won't kill me now for losing her pictures!

Thanks to IsisPisces.

I got the same error. It was solved by first setting up your phone as new one in itunes. Then, sync apps only with itunes. After that, in left panal of itunes, right click on your iphone and choose "restore from backup". It worked. Got my contacts and sms back.

Thank you, this worked for me! Looking for the "correct answer" option to give you the vote!