iPad 2 is bricked from iOS 9

posts about this:

• Re: iOS 9 install failed
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• Re: iOS 9 Stuck in Reboot Loop
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• Re: i updated my ipad2 with ios 9.0 and after the installation, the device is not getting started.How can i troubleshoot this issue?
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• Re: ipad 2 upgrade to iOS9 failed and destroyed my iPad
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• Re: ios9 upgrade loop
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• Re: iPad 2 stuck on progress bar after iOS 9 update
• 1 day ago

LOTS more here

https://www.google.com/search?q=apple+discussions+ios+9+loop+site:discussions.ap ple.com&safe=off&espv=2&biw=1533&bih=866&sa=X&ved=0CC4QrQIoBDABahUKEwjxvpCRoITIA hUCig0KHb2iCQo

Hello Everyone,

I have experienced the issue of my Mom's iPad 2 becoming a brick (stuck in Recovery Mode) after I tried to upgrade it to iOS 9. I HAVE FOUND A WAY TO UNBRICK IT and wanted to share it here. Just to be clear, this may not work for everyone, but if your iPad is bricked in the way that this one was (perpetually stuck in Recovery Mode with the picture of iTunes and the USB cable), this may unbrick it for you. This solution did require me to purchase software that was $70 (US Dollars).

I have since found out that this appears to be an undocumented issue with devices which have skipped a full iOS update (or more than a few versions). My mom's iPad was still running a version of iOS 4.x when she gave it to me to upgrade. She does not use a computer and does not live nearby, hence the length of time between upgrades.

Some background - prior to the upgrade, the iPad was running perfectly fine before I tried to upgrade it. I have spent weeks combing the forums and trying suggestions but none of them worked. I have tried different USB ports, different cables, different computers, all with the same result, I'm left with the iPad in Recovery mode (picture of cable being plugged into iTunes). I followed all the instructions associated with the error codes on Apple's support site to no avail (Get help with iOS update and restore errors - Apple Support). I was perpetually getting Error 9.

I had made a backup of the iPad prior to the upgrade. This is something I do for all my iOS devices. I have owned iOS devices going back to the 2nd Gen iPod so I'm quite familiar with the backup and upgrade process. I am happily running iOS 9 on both my iPhone 5s and iPad Mini 3. Unfortunately, when the iOS 9 upgrade failed on my Mom's iPad 2, it would NOT let me restore it from the backup. It was bricked at the Recovery Mode.

If you have a similar situation (bricked in Recovery Mode) this may be worth a try. Note: This solution just unbricked the iPad 2 but failed to upgrade it to 9. But for me, this was a better solution in the short-term because my mom can at least use the iPad again until Apple fixes this nasty iOS version skipping bug. Here's what I did:

1. Purchased Wondershare Dr.Fone for iOS from the Wondershare website (http://www.wondershare.com/drfone-iphone-data-recovery.html). It cost me $69.95 (US Dollars). (I have no affiliation with Wondershare and had never owned any of their programs prior to this issue.)
2. Followed the Wondershare Dr.Fone instructions listed here: http://www.wondershare.com/iphone/iphone-turns-brick-after-ios-9-update.html
3. I got all the way to Step 5 of Wondershare instructions and the upgrade failed with an option to send the data to Wondershare for analysis, which I did. (I am awaiting a response from them.) HOWEVER, and this is the most IMPORTANT part, I left the iPad plugged into the computer and then closed Dr.Fone. Upon closing Dr.Fone, the iPad displayed the Apple logo briefly, THEN CAME BACK TO LIFE AS ITS OLD SELF WITH ALL DATA INTACT. It was in the same state as it was when I made the pre-upgrade backup. DO NOT REMOVE YOUR IPAD CABLE UNTIL AFTER CLOSING DR.FONE OR IT WILL STILL BE BRICKED. Wait for it to come back to the lock screen before unplugging.
4. I will await Wondershare's feedback as I feel they should help me find a way to upgrade to iOS 9 since their software did tout this as a feature. But in the meantime, USABLE iPad!!

So, as you can see, this is somewhat of a risk since buying the software will NOT ensure upgrade to iOS 9, but if you are stuck in the Recovery Mode loop like I was, you may be able to unbrick your iPad. I can't say if this will fix any other types of issues, such as the frozen Slide issue (although I've heard that was fixed in the latest iOS 9 minor update).

To be thorough, I replicated this process. I backed up the iPad 2 again and tried to use iTunes to upgrade it to iOS 9. It was bricked again in Recovery Mode. Could not restore the iPad 2 from my backup. I then ran Dr.Fone which again failed to upgrade to iOS 9, but unbricked it. So this was reproducible. AN IMPORTANT NOTE, THE UNBRICKING FAILS IF YOU UNPLUG THE IPAD BEFORE CLOSING DR.FONE. (I know because I tried this as part of the testing process.)

ALSO, TAKE-HOME MESSAGE: If you have skipped iOS versions, you may very well run into this bricking issue. I don't think minor updates should hurt, but if are on iOS 4 (or earlier than 4), 5, 6, or 7 you may very well run into this issue trying to go to iOS 9.

If you try this, please let me know how it went and what iOS version you were starting from. I'll also post more info when I hear back from Wondershare about my iOS 9 failure. PLEASE DO THIS AT YOUR DISCRETION AS I CANNOT GUARANTEE RESULTS AND THIS DOES REQUIRE A SOFTWARE PURCHASE.

Good luck my friends!

I find it truly strange that a continuing growing minority of older iPad users (specifically, iPad 2, 3 and 4 users) are having so many issues.

I have upgraded/updated, to date, 4 iPad 2 models of different storage sizes, my own iPad 3 and a close friend's iPad 4 and none of these have any of the reported issues in these forums.

And these iPads are working/ running very well on the recent iOS 9.2.1.

I am using my iPad 2 right this moment (64GB storage model with approx. 20 GBs of free storage left) and iOS 9.2.1 runs pretty well on it with nary an issue.

Did you update the iOS over the air using WiFi or connected up to a computer running iTunes to update.

WiFi, IMSO, is not the best or reliable method to do critical computer or mobile device system upgrades/updates.

I have been reviewing the Internet posts and there are LOTS of people that have had exactly this same issue with both their IPhones and their IPads.

For myself, I tried to update to IOS 9 thinking that it might be better. Not so. I get continually hung up on the "Slide to Upgrade" screen. But you CAN'T slide it! And if you finally do get it to slide, you are asked for your passcode. Enter that, and you get the Apple logo and a download progress bar that only goes to a third of the way. Then, it sometimes goes to the dreaded "White Screen of Death" that is the Slide to Upgrade screen.

every once in a while, it will go to a screen that seems to say "Hello" in a bunch of different languages. Slide to start or something and then........crashes right back to the "Slide to Update" screen and you are back where you started.

I tried to restore, but ITunes told me that I can't do this until I turn off my "Findmy phone" feature on the bricked IPad. Well, I can't turn off that feature because the IPad is BRICKED! I even went to iCloud.com and removed that device (theoretically turning off the findmyphone feature. No dice.

what am I to do? I saw some talk that Apple won't help and the warranty is done, so I have no recourse. If that is true, I am going to flat-out ****** off!

OK, I did that and got this far, see photo below

I Then click restore and update, see below

I Then state at this screen (notice this time the serial number says n/a

AFter about 10 mins the progress bar on iPad started progressing and message saying restoring iPad software on iTunes appeared.

ill post what happened shortly, I hope .

gillybede wrote:

Totally agree.... My latest update is

I do understand how things go - I was a software beta tester..... I checked the internet - obviously not enough and gave it a go.

I did back up before I started - always have recommended this in the past to customers.

How have I got on? Disastrous - so far.

I have re-installed the backup - managed eventually to get it to do that.

I have gone into recovery mode and re-installed everything.

I have actually got to put in my passcode - TWICE - been told I have successfully upgraded everything;

enabled zoom;chosen my wifi connections

AND THEN

the "White Screen of Death" - with ">slide to upgrade" - EVRYTIME

I have got here by various routes - this last screen is just not working.

If there is no update from Apple then I will have to wipe either via iTunes or use the Tenorshare Reiboot if that fails.

Feel very upset for those who are stuck like this too - so frustrating and time consuming.

Living ever in hope!

If you had these problems while Beta Testing -- before public release -- you were suppose to contact Apple with your problems - not try and fix them yourself -- or work around them -- so in a way you and the other Beta Testers who had problems -- are responsible for the problems of the early adopters.

For anyone having problems go to http://www.apple.com/feedback And in whatever version you were updating from - indicate a bug that you cannot update to IOS 9 !! You may want to reference this thread 7220134 as apple does not review the users forum unless pointed to a thread

Why nobody from APPLE is helping to solve this problem??????

Because this forum is designed for user to user support, so responses largely come from users like you. Apple only responds here if nobody else does, and then it tends to be simply with links to online documents.

You say "lots" but frankly I don't see many posts about this. This is the first one I have seen today in an hour browsing the forum.

Hi I did a restore from my last back up and the problem persisted. However, doing a fresh factory reset allowed it to boot properly. This is great but what about my apps and their data? What is the point of doing a back up before an update if the update renders the back up useless? Frustrating because it seems like the slide to upgrade screen is blip layered on top of a working os as I was able to connect and pull my photos off and I can see all my apps via iTunes but they are showing as not installed and I cannot get at their data. Suggestions?

i have the same problem. I did the upgrade OTA. It's stuck on the screen right after WIFI. Then it jumps to swipe to continue and nothing works when I swipe. Now I've connect it back to my mac and do a hard reset. iTunes says to upgrade to iOS9 again. I'm letting it do that and see what happens.

I am having the same issue. I can not get past the iCloud PW completion process. I have tried turning it off, plug into my (Apple) computer, and even a hard reset to no avail 😕😠. I now have an $800 paper weight 😟. Open to any suggestions.

I am also facing this problem and YES I have read all the supposed fixes for the slide to upgrade bug. I believe this problem is unique to the combination of iPad 2's who are upgrading from ios 7 to ios 9.

To be clear, here is my problem:

1. I am on a white background with the words "slide to upgrade" in grey

2. When I slide to upgrade, it asks me to input my passcode, which I do.

3. I am then taken to another white screen with black apple logo. There is a progress bar for awhile, then it loops back to #1.

I have tried to follow the supposed fix instructions to connect to my PC with a USB cable and run iTunes.

However, iTunes says "To allow access, please respond to your iPad".

Well, I can't respond on my iPad to give my computer access because I can only get to three pages (ie, 1, 2 and 3 above). I can't get to my usual home screen.

I have tried rebooting and resetting multiple times (holding both home & power button down and letting go on the black screen, or holding both down and then just holding onto home button) but this is no help either. After it reboots it takes me back to #1.

At this point I don't even care about my backup. If I could do a hard wipe I would, but I can't do that either because I can't get to my settings page and can't connect to iTunes on my PC.

I can't think of how Apple is going to be able to fix this. Is this why they are not responding?

I Am in exactly same position. No idea what to do short of going to Apple Store.

however tried procedure again for 6th time keeping buttons held down and a new popular appeared on iTunes saying there was a problem witj the iPad and offered me option to put iPad into recovery mode. Doing that now. Fingers crossed. I feel for everyone experiencing this dreadful user experience . Hoping I can fix my parents iPad too.

I Am in exactly same position. No idea what to do short of going to Apple Store.

Do a DFU restore. That involves holding the home and power button until the device restarts. Then release the power button but keep holding the home button. That will force the device into a DFU restore. Connect to iTunes and do the restore. This reloads the firmware and the latest version of IOS (which is 9) onto the device. Unfortunately, you will lose everything on the device.

I upgraded an iPad 2 to IOS 8 and had the same issue. Needed to do a DFU restore. On the upgrade to IOS 9 I had no issues.

For your information a DFU restore is what Apple will do and you will still lose everything.

Ok - I am very keen to see what happens to your iPad. I have been through the usual routine as everyone else and had exactly the same screens and prompts

After numerous resets I managed to get the iPad to show up again in iTunes - tried to restore the backup and got told there was an error and it could not be done - so that was a lot of use - so frustrating to know the backup is there on the computer and you can't use it!

So the only other option is to do a "restore iPad" - but I don't want to lose some of the data - sigh - that I have in some of the apps - sigh.

But - if that is the only way then I will just have to - Hope the restore goes well for you.