iPad2 freezes during iOS 5.1 update
Problem: iPad2 freezes up before iOS 5.1 upgrade can complete
Solution: Try a different USB port
Sounds ridiculously simple but figuring it out was anything but. Followed
all instructions to update my 64GB/3G/iPad2 to iOS 5.1. Thankfully this
included a complete backup before starting the process. Everything appeared
to go normally until, at the very end, iTunes displayed an error informing
me the update did not successfully complete.
Tried the standard trick for restarting iPad. Held the HOME and SLEEP/WAKE
keys down simultaneously for 10 seconds no fewer than ten times but iPad
always came back with the graphic of a USB cable pointing toward an iTunes
icon and was otherwise totally unresponsive.
I finally called Apple. James in their Nashville call center had me try the
"prep for reset" procedure. This involves holding down the same two keys but
releasing them in sequence. When the screen goes black you release the
SLEEP/WAKE key but continue holding the HOME key until the Apple logo
appears. This process is supposed to inform iTunes that iPad needs to be
reset to factory defaults. It probably did what it was supposed to do but
iTunes (for Windows) 10.6 couldn't see iPad so it didn't fix my problem.
Tried unplugging iPad and restarting Windows. Windows hung on the shutdown
screen and the PC had to be power-cycled but then restarted normally. Still
no joy for iPad, though. Same symptom. James was about ready to have me
download and re-install iTunes but we stopped just short of what would have
been a time-consuming P.I.T.A. He suggested I plug iPad into a different USB
port and, voila, iTunes found iPad and we were off the races. The restore
took 5-10 minutes after which I restored the backup I made beforehand and
iPad was fully functional.
Life is good. I get to spend the evening tinkering with GarageBand and I
feel uncharacteristically lucky I landed in James' queue. The experience
convinced me to buy an AppleCare extension. Had this happened a month from
now I would have been S.O.L.
iPad 2, iOS 5.1, Freeze during update