can anybody help me please, ive forgot my 4 digit number, to access my ipad, and now its locked

If you forgot (or don't know) your passcode, restore the device from backup on the last computer it was synced with when the passcode was turned on... this will remove the passcode. If you do not have access to the last computer it was synced with, or you don't have a backup, you will have to force it into recovery mode & restore as a new device.

See this for more info... http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1212

Locked Out, Forgot Lock or Restrictions Passcode, or Need to Restore Your Device: Several Alternative Solutions

1. iOS- Forgotten passcode or device disabled after entering wrong passcode

2. iPhone, iPad, iPod touch: Wrong passcode results in red disabled screen

3. Restoring iPod touch after forgotten passcode

4. What to Do If You've Forgotten Your iPhone's Passcode

5. iOS- Understanding passcodes

6. iTunes 10 for Mac- Update and restore software on iPod, iPhone, or iPad

Forgotten Restrictions Passcode Help

You will need to restore your device as New to remove a Restrictions passcode. Go through the normal process to restore your device, but when you see the options to restore as New or from a backup, be sure to choose New.

Also, see iTunes- Restoring iOS software.

iOS: Device disabled after entering wrong passcode

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1212

How can I unlock my iPad if I forgot the passcode?

http://tinyurl.com/7ndy8tb

How to Reset a Forgotten Password for an iOS Device

http://www.wikihow.com/Reset-a-Forgotten-Password-for-an-iOS-Device

Using iPhone/iPad Recovery Mode

http://ipod.about.com/od/iphonetroubleshooting/a/Iphone-Recovery-Mode.htm

Saw this solution on another post about an iPad in a school enviroment. Might work on your iPad so you won't lose everything.

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‘iPad is disabled’ fix without resetting using iTunes

Today I met my match with an iPad that had a passcode entered too many times, resulting in it displaying the message ‘iPad is disabled – Connect to iTunes’. This was a student iPad and since they use Notability for most of their work there was a chance that her files were not all backed up to the cloud. I really wanted to just re-activate the iPad instead of totally resetting it back to our default image.

I reached out to my PLN on Twitter and had some help from a few people through retweets and a couple of clarification tweets. I love that so many are willing to help out so quickly. Through this I also learned that I look like Lt. Riker from Star Trek (thanks @FillineMachine).

Through some trial and error (and a little sheer luck), I was able to reactivate the iPad without loosing any data. Note, this will only work on the computer it last synced with. Here’s how:

1. Configurator is useless in reactivating a locked iPad. You will only be able to completely reformat the iPad using Configurator. If that’s ok with you, go for it – otherwise don’t waste your time trying to figure it out.

2. Open iTunes with the iPad disconnected.

3. Connect the iPad to the computer and wait for it to show up in the devices section in iTunes.

4. Click on the iPad name when it appears and you will be given the option to restore a backup or setup as a new iPad (since it is locked).

5. Click ‘Setup as new iPad’ and then click restore.

6. The iPad will start backing up before it does the full restore and sync. CANCEL THE BACKUP IMMEDIATELY. You do this by clicking the small x in the status window in iTunes.

7. When the backup cancels, it immediately starts syncing – cancel this as well using the same small x in the iTunes status window.

8. The first stage in the restore process unlocks the iPad, you are basically just cancelling out the restore process as soon as it reactivates the iPad.

If done correctly, you will experience no data loss and the result will be a reactivated iPad. I have now tried this with about 5 iPads that were locked identically by students and each time it worked like a charm.

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Try it and good luck. You have nothing more to lose if it doesn't work for you.

 Cheers, Tom 😉