iPhone 5 hangs on restore (DFU mode)

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Level 1

6 points

iPhone 5 hangs on restore (DFU mode)

Somehow, my iPhone 5 with iOS 9.2.1 suddenly decided to shut down last Wednesday morning. The battery was still at 31% in the time. It wouldn't start again, even if I repeatedly held the Power and Home buttons, then the Power button again. When I got home, I tried to restore it using the latest iTunes 12 on my MacBook Pro with the latest OS X 10.11 update:

Display looks brighter than it actually is. Progress bar was actually empty, not full.

I left it four hours and hours, yet the progress bar stayed dull and empty. Nothing moved.

I never installed a jailbreak on this phone. I also tried to do this on different USB ports on different computers: two MacBooks and one Windows PC. No luck.

Also note the iTunes logo does not come up when I try to put the iPhone in DFU mode. Yet, iTunes claims the iPhone is already in DFU mode when I connect it to my MacBook using its USB cable.

The Apple Store said it would cost about 350 USD to fix it. At that price, might as well buy something new. Anything I can do to recover it?

Posted on Jul 31, 2016 6:02 AM

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Answer 1

elcpu

Level 7

31,482 points

Jul 31, 2016 6:10 AM in response to remino

Just to be sure try recovery mode as I suggest at bottom. Based on what you described it may not work but worth a try, little to lose. DFU and recovery are difficult to get into, timing is critical. TMK, there is nothing else to try and I fully agree with you, I have a 5 and I would not spend the money to "fix" (replace it) if it broke. I don't want to contradict the Apple Store and I don't know where you are at but in the US a 5 replacement should be $269, not $350.

Other iPhone Repairs - Official Apple Support

Try Recovery Mode:

Connect your device to your computer and open iTunes.

While your device is connected, force restart it: Press and hold both the Sleep/Wake and Home button for at least 10 seconds, and don't release when you see the Apple logo.

Keep holding until you see the recovery mode screen and wait for it to restore.

You may have to do the above more than once as recovery mode is difficult to get into.

Restore as New first and test it. Then restore from backup if desired. If the backup is corrupted it will likely bring back the issue.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201263

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Answer 2

remino Author

Level 1

6 points

Jul 31, 2016 6:15 AM in response to elcpu

> a 5 replacement should be $269, not $350.

My bad. I'm in Japan, and I probably didn't use the correct exchange rate.

Trying to get the device in Recovery mode (i.e. the screen showing a cable pointing to an iTunes logo) does not work. The only way I ever see an Apple logo now is in the picture I showed above, when iTunes it's trying to recover the iPhone in DFU mode. iTunes will download and extract iOS 9.3.3, then the iPhone will start, showing the Apple logo and the progress bar. But at that moment, iTunes says “Waiting for iPhone” and nothing happens.

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Answer 3

elcpu

Level 7

31,482 points

Jul 31, 2016 6:21 AM in response to remino

Hi remino, I understand thanks... 🙂 Here is another way to try DFU mode just in case. If it does not work I am afraid it is either $269 or a new iPhone SE for $400 ($500 for the 64GB). It the DFU is still kaput I would opt for the SE.

http://www.imore.com/how-to-iphone-ipad-dfu-mode

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