iPhone5 stuck in recovery mode during iOS7.0.6 update - no way to secure media?!

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iPhone5 stuck in recovery mode during iOS7.0.6 update - no way to secure media?!

Hi Apple,

I have run your recent iOS7.0.6 update on my iPhone5 and it got stuck in the Apple logo + progress bar screen (N.B. I had no problems updating an iPadAir and iPhone4). To get it out of the update infinite loop (no pun intended!) I put it into recovery mode, i.e. pressed Power+Home buttons until I got the blue iTunes + USB cable screen. iTunes wants to restore the phone continuously and I cannot get it out of the recovery mode now to save my media. Do you have any suggestions?

Many thanks!

Posted on Feb 23, 2014 9:49 AM

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Answer 1

PhilipRoy

Level 3

897 points

Feb 23, 2014 10:02 AM in response to dr4712

Please see this article on restoring your device using recovery mode:

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1808

Good luck friend.

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Answer 2

dr4712 Author

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Feb 23, 2014 10:05 AM in response to PhilipRoy

But that's useless, as it will wipe all my media during the restoring process. Any better ideas?

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Answer 3

PhilipRoy

Level 3

897 points

Feb 23, 2014 10:10 AM in response to dr4712

Useless is a strange way of putting a process that assists you Doc with getting your device back up and running after having it stalled out attempting to restore. But anyway, IF you the user has created a backup prior to this event, once you've restored the device back with a new OS you then can restore the backup to your device.

Your welcome.

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Answer 4

dr4712 Author

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Feb 23, 2014 10:17 AM in response to PhilipRoy

"Useless" refers to the fact that my media will be lost in the process (see the question in the title of this post). I really appreciate your help, but the point is to save all pictures, movies and documents, i.e. the information and memories that are threatened to be irreplacably lost by a simple recovery mode entry. Why can't iTunes offer a download of all legible media files before initiating the restoring process?

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Answer 5

Feb 23, 2014 10:22 AM in response to dr4712

Because you're supposed to make regular backups of your device to iTunes or iCloud, BEFORE you enounter a problem.

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Answer 6

dr4712 Author

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Feb 23, 2014 10:26 AM in response to TJBUSMC1973

That is not very helpful, TJBUSMC1973.

Is there really no way to get the media off the phone before restoring it?

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Answer 7

PhilipRoy

Level 3

897 points

Feb 23, 2014 10:31 AM in response to dr4712

As per the users manual iTunes DOES provide for backup process that is done PRIOR to the catastrophic event. You being a Doctor MUST appreciate the old saying 'an ounce of prevention.....' ???? You can tell me to take care of myself but can you FORCE me to take care of myself?

Geesh.

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Answer 8

ChrisJ4203

Level 10

230,371 points

Feb 23, 2014 10:35 AM in response to dr4712

According to your first post, you purposely put the device into recovery mode. Once you did that, you yourself fixed it so the data on the device could not be saved. As others have indicated, an automatic backup should have been made before you started the udpate that you can use to restore the device. Once it is in recovery mode, the data is gone and cannot be recovered.

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Answer 9

dr4712 Author

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Feb 23, 2014 10:41 AM in response to PhilipRoy

The point of my question was to ask whether it is possible to save media files in recovery mode, *before* iTunes restores and wipes my iPhone. Maybe we are not understanding each other Philip, but the causality of events does not allow me to time travel back, make a backup, and the start the iOS7.0.6 again.

Please don't get me wrong, I appreciate all your help, but answering a simple question should be that difficult and explaining why Apple is not allowing the user to restore data from a device once it's in recovery mode. Allowing the user to read any "restorable" files should be in principle possible, no? And if not, why not?

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Answer 10

Feb 23, 2014 10:44 AM in response to dr4712

dr4712 wrote:

That is not very helpful, TJBUSMC1973.

Is there really no way to get the media off the phone before restoring it?

No, once the device in is recovery mode, there is really no way to get the media off of the phone. However, perhaps you have an iCloud backup? Check www.icloud.com and log in with your Apple ID & password to see fi you have any data there.

Other than that, you'd have to independently research third-party data recovery processes that may or may not be helpful. But since those are not approved by Apple, we can't make any recommendations.

The device has effectively 'crashed'. That's why you can't get the data. Other than the third party options I mentioned, all your Apple-authorized options have been explained.

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Answer 11

dr4712 Author

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Feb 23, 2014 10:43 AM in response to ChrisJ4203

ChrisJ4203, thanks for your post! Is there something else I could have done, other than putting the phone into recovery mode?

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Answer 12

ChrisJ4203

Level 10

230,371 points

Feb 23, 2014 10:46 AM in response to dr4712

Probably not. Once the device went into the recovery loop, if you were not connected to iTunes and you connected to try and fix, it probably would have put itself in there anyway. Unfortunately, as I said, once it is in Recovery mode, you cannot access the phone without the restore. You might be alright if you started the update on the computer via iTunes, as it will do a sync/backup as the first step of the process, unless you stop or cancel it.

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Answer 13

Feb 23, 2014 10:50 AM in response to dr4712

At the point where the device 'crashed', that was the point of no return.

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Answer 14

PhilipRoy

Level 3

897 points

Feb 23, 2014 10:54 AM in response to dr4712

The one thing I don't see anyone addressing about your situation is that IF the device has been plugged in overnight to a computer that is setup with wi/fi and the device is left plugged into this device overnight it's possible that there was an automatic backup created on icloud. Have you checked your icloud account to see if there is a backup created there?

This is an article about icloud backup. Might be worth a shot to check and see if you have a backup in icloud.

http://support.apple.com/kb/PH12519?viewlocale=en_US

Good luck Doc.

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Answer 15

dr4712 Author

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Feb 23, 2014 2:44 PM in response to PhilipRoy

Hi guys,

just for the record, I have initiated the iOS7.0.6 update on my home wifi network, so not being physically connected to iTunes (I rarely do that, btw, since it's a tedious process), therefore no backup was pulled before the upgrade started. However, I just have screened the "Devices" pane in the iTunes Preferences which says that there was a backup made the day before yesterday. Does this backup include all the media files and can be used to later restore the phone up to that date?

Thanks!

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