Error 1015 usually means the iPhone has been hacked, with the cutise term for that "jailbroken".
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3694#error1015
There is no other option.
Error 1015: This error is typically caused by attempts to downgrade the iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch's software. This can occur when you attempt to restore using an older .ipsw file. Downgrading to a previous version is not supported. To resolve this issue, attempt to restore with the latest iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch software available from Apple. This error can also occur when an unauthorized modification of the iOS has occurred and you are now trying to restore to an authorized, default state.