ANY ONE KNOW WHAT IS ERROR 3 IN ITUNES WHEN I TRY TO RESTORE IPHONE 5 TO IOS 7 IT STUCKS IN THE END AND AFTER 30 MIN THIS COME OUT "UNKNOWN ERROR 3" CAN SOME ONE HELP ME PLZ

Hi,

I tried the freezer technique.. But my iPhone is still in recovery mode. Not working. it ends up with error 3 code when I'm trying to restore.. is there any other way to come out from recovery mode?? 😟 😟

why there is no solution for error code 3 from Apple ???

IIf you are still getting Rror (3) after the freezer:

(1) put in freezer for twice the time, making sure it is off, attempt Restore thru a cable while leaving iDevice inside the freezer

(2) If (1) fails, your Flash is too far gone for freezer technique to work. Fall on your sword to an Apple Genius and if that fails, bit and Apple refurb iDevice

Not a silly question at all.

if you go back to near the bottom of page 2 of this thread, look for my name, you will see a somewhat detailed explanation.

THe the short version is I did semiconductors (computer chips) design and development for 25 years before "retireing" to do iOS. The physics of Flash chips is such that at colder temps certain Flash chip program and erase characteristics change in such a way that the "root issue" gets worked around by deep chilling the iDevice.

Hi I have the solution!! I struggled with this error on my 4s when trying to update to iOS 7 after nothing working for me I decided to try something I read. Which was put your iPhone into the freezer for about 45 minutes and then try the restore.. To my amazement it WORKED!!! So happy. Give it a try (at own risk)

Cheers

I can vow for this method as it succeed on my second try in the freezer (iphone5). The first time I had it in the freezer for an hour i got an error 1669.
I went to the Genius Bar and we recreated the same error ... not much left to do then go home and try the freezer again i thought.

This time two hours were enough and restored while my phone was in the freezer, thanks Kenneth!. Got a bit scared because the battery was completely drained so it didn't reboot but at least it also didn't showed me the recovery screen.
The setup screen showed and I already saw the dreaded "Searching..." in the upper corner which brought me here in the first place. I tried to activate but got stuck there, I guess it has something to do with the "Searching.../baseband".

There are actually some solutions on this and some tools (not released yet as of now) ... but they aren't quite legal as you know. I'm also afraid people will assume I stole this phone or something because I can't bypass the activation or that my simcard isn't the official one that unlocked it. My phone is simlock free to start with.

I just wish this "Searching..." issue gets acknowledged more. Everything is quite vague around this and even Genius people weren't quite sure what to do with it. I'm not on any warranty whatsoever but you'd expect an expensive device wouldn't break down this fast. But yea... tell that to the geniuses.

I now just want my iPhone to be working and will put it on airplane mode and wifi on as somebody else has done a few pages back. I was already searching for cheap alternatives of the "other" mobile OS ...

Hello Kenneth,

Thank you for helping people out with all the effort in this thread.

I do also have an error 3 on my IPad 4th gen. The iPad is in recovery mode so i could only plug it in to do a restore with iTunes.

I have tried the freezer fix but with no luck. (tried all the suggestions, restoring while in the freezer etc.)

I have the feeling that the cause of my error 3 is different then the causes on this forum. Can you take a view at the log?

https://www.dropbox.com/s/5zw01puhjxr9g3k/iPad%20Updater%20Logs.zip

The last line is different then the ones i have seen on this forum.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

[20:13:57.0472] Failure Description:

[20:13:57.0472] Depth:0 Error:AMRestorePerformRestoreModeRestoreWithError failed with error: -1

[20:13:57.0472] Depth:1 Error:The operation couldn\U2019t be completed. (AMRestoreErrorDomain error -1 - Failed to handle message type StatusMsg)

[20:13:57.0472] Depth:2 Error:The operation couldn\U2019t be completed. (AMRestoreErrorDomain error -1 - failed to update device firmware)

[20:13:57.0472] Depth:3 Error:The operation couldn\U2019t be completed. (AMRestoreErrorDomain error -1 - ramrod firmware update failed)

[20:13:57.0472] Depth:4 Error:The operation couldn\U2019t be completed. (RamrodErrorDomain error 1004 - update_baseband: failed to perform next stage)

[20:13:57.0472] Depth:5 Error:The operation couldn\U2019t be completed. (BBUpdater error 3 - Failed programming firmware.)

Thank You.

Alex Oosterom

Hi Alex,

Took a quick look. Look at the first error log.

Look for:

update_baseband: bbupdater error: The operation couldn\U2019t be completed. (BBUpdater error 3 - Failed programming firmware.)

This is the "classic" message for Error (3). The "root" cause I believe to be an incomplete Erase, followed by an "Error" in coding methodology to attempt to "recover" from either an "incomplete erase" or a "failure to program". Normally, many programmers on an incomplete erase or failure to program would go back and run the erase routine again, perhaps modifying the erase algorithm in an attempt to do a "better" erase, and then even "map out" of use any "poorly erased" locations in the memory map. I can't see in the error log messages where this is being attempted, but it was apparently "done differently" back in iOS 6 such that "Error (3)" never/rarely ever occurred. For reasons unknown to me or the Apple personnel I have spoken with, so far Apple does not see "the need" to solve the problem, even though the "engineering team" is well aware of the "Error (3)" issue. I've been told "its complicated", but I'm not so sure. We need a John Gruber or other well known blogger to blog about this to get action. Unfortunately, I don't have "the pull". Anyone else?

Hi Damaag,

Late last year, there "was no error (3), listed at this location. Apple has updated the error list to include Error 3, which is "good", but it is "not" a security issue, per sey, but this section of their code in which the Error 3 crops up, I've been told does do security checks, and that was the "its complicated" part I was referring to earlier. Apples published solution here, as listed, will not solve the "true cause" of most/all Error 3's that users are getting. I've "been there, done that" as have many, many others. It's just not a high enough priority for them to fix it. They know how to fix it, but like with all complicated code/hardware interactions, they have valid concerns that whatever they do, may end us creating problems for more users than those currently getting Error 3. The "safest" and "cheapest" solution, may be for Apple to just "quietly" replace any Error 3 iDevices for "free". Not holding my breath on that though.

Hi Kennethyoug,

I see you have been helping the users since the beginning of this thread and I do appreciate your kind follow ups.

I am from Iran, a country with no Apple Stores and no chance for users to get an Apple replacement! 😢

However, the first time I did your Freezer trick it did work. But after a 3 days, the Modem Firmware of my iPhone 5s was gone again and I had to restore using the same method.

Fortunately it worked again and it was working for another 1-2 days but then my antenna was like "searching" mode disabling me to make a phone call.

After doing the freezer method for "I guess" 3-4 times, it is not working any longer leaving me with no hope of repair.

Many people around me believe this is a hardware error related to the GSM modem chip which does not allow some parts of firmware data to be settled on the memory while restoring.

I hope to be able to send it out for a replacement in Hong Kong, or Switzerland as I have some connections in those places.

In the meantime, I appreciate any further guidance or hints in this regard.

best regards,
Nasser Emami

Kenneth, I must say I was skeptical about freezing my phone, but it worked! Two days ago, my phone intermittently would drop my carriers signal. Yesterday it completely dropped signal and would not come back. I figured it was a hardware issue, but I decided to up date to 7.1.2 just to see if that would fix it. Unfortunately, my phone went into the dreaded restore lockout. It was kicking out all kinds of errors, but error 3 kept popping up the most. I scoured the internet looking for some way to bypass the restore loop. Nothing and I mean nothing I found worked. So I decided to give this "crazy" idea a try. I wrapped it up in some paper towels, dropped it in a zip bag, and into the freezer it went! Not for 30 minutes, but just for 10! I plugged it into my laptop and to my amazement the restore completed with out a hiccup! Heck, my cell signal has even been restored! I'm still going to keep an eye on it, I still might have hardware issues, but color me impressed! Well done Kenneth! Maybe Apple should hire you!

Hi @kennethyoung,

I wish your technique would work, but unfortunately it did not in my case. I bricked my iPhone 4S while upgrading to iOS 7.1.2

I did everything you have suggested but apparently my battery is to weak, so when I take my phone from the freezer it indicates that I have to charge it, so in the same time it will increase temperature inside. I thing I will try tommorow the last option: to connect it to the iMac while it's inside my freezer. But probably the amount of energy from the USB will be inefficient...

Same issue here, iPhone 5, 'Searching' for network followed by an attempt to restore, now iTunes hangs at 'Restoring iPhone Firmware' then eventually after about 10-15 minutes, comes up with an error message which is usually Error 3 but occasionally some others.

I've tried the freezer method twice, and it's not worked.

I've tried downloading alternative firmware from here http://www.felixbruns.de/iPod/firmware/ and it's not worked.

I've tried the 'netsh winsock reset' method and that hasn't worked either.

Interestingly, I've been using the Chat Support feature with Apple twice now while I've been attempting to Recover, and each time when it's reached the Restoring Firmware hang point, the Chat window freezes and I lose connection to the Apple tech support person. I'm not sure if this is a coincidence but it's happened at exactly the same point, two times. My internet connection is still fine and all other websites and programs work, it's just the chat window that crashes.

I pointed out this thread to the Apple support guys and they ignored me, and continued running their script of trying to put the phone into recovery mode, turning my PC on and off again etc. Seriously unimpressed, there is clearly a serious issue with these phones, and Apple are apparently ignoring it. I've had Android phones for years and have rooted and generally messed around with every one of them and they've always been fine - we get our first iPhone, use it as standard for 12 months and 2 weeks and an official update bricks it, just outside of warranty. Apple need to address this asap.

Hi Kenneth,

Well after a long night I found that I couldn't get my 4s to work using the freezer method and went off to bed at 2.30 am, lol. Anyway when I awoke and got ready for work I decided that I would leave my phone in the freezer whilst I was out, some 8 hours or so later I got back home and fired up my laptop and got iTune ready and plugged in the phone whilst still in the freezer and after a few minutes she was all recovered and back to the Hello screen.

So thank you for your hard work as I now atleast have a phone that switches on, but now I am back at failing to activate. So I will search some more now, lol.

Shame Apple don't really care about use customers though,

Thanks

Berty

Hi Berty,

You are very welcome ! I'm glad to hear you are part of the ~75% that my "Freezer Physics" solution works for. I an still hopeful Apple will eventually step up and fix this issue for its users.

hi all. It seems I have the same problem as all the people on here. I have an iPhone 4s that is stuck in the iTunes loop and have tried all the things that you recommend. to no avail.I still just get the error 3 message at the end of trying reinstall. I even phoned apple and the chap there said I cant restore because it is still in someone's account. And until they delete it it wont reinstall my phone was bought off eBay. And the person I bought it off said that she wasn't the original owner of the phone and that she bought it second hand so please be aware of this when buying of this site. Now Im left will a nice looking expensive door stop. unless anyone can help me. thanks in anticipation.