Help downgrading 3GS from IOS 5 and 05.16.05 to 4.1

[n3985]

I have been having trouble following the below guide:

Unlock IPhone 3GS On IOS 5 Baseband 5.16.05 | BeijingiPhoneRepair.com

My 3GS is current IOS 5 with 05.16.05. I'd like to downgrade it to 4.1 so I can change the base band to 06.15.00 in order to unlock.

By following the above guide, I installed iTunes 10.4 and downloaded stock 4.1 IPSW. With TinyUmbrella running, and using iReb to get into DFU (otherwise iTunes will say cannot support IOS 5 need iTunes 10.5 and won't allow shift+restore), I can get the restore process started but around the 80% mark I suddenly get error 1015.

However my phone after 1015 error is not in recovery mode, but DFU mode and then becomes unresponsive. Using "Fix Recovery" in TinyUmbrella does nothing. Only way I can get it back to working mode is again restore to IOS 5. I have tried a few times and all the same results.

The *only* time this restore method worked was when I flashed a hactivated 4.0 and Cydia pre-installed. But with a custom IPSW and on 05.16.05 I couldn't get redsn0w (unable to recognize IPSW) to work in order to get to 06.15.00.

So now again I am back on IOS 5 and still 05.16.05

Help please?

[i.Annie]

1015 is fine. Open TinyUmbrella and use Exit Recovery, not Fix Recovery.

Do the restore to stock 4.1 again, get 1015, and use Exit Recovery.

Then run redsn0w to install Cydia only. When that's finished, open Redsn0w again and install the iPad baseband. Do not install both at the same time. You will get stuck.

[n3985]

Thanks for the suggestion.

However I wanted to clarify that when I get error 1015 my phone does not go into recovery loop. It gets stuck in DFU mode and unresponsive (even hard reset by pressing home+power).

Could this be because I used iReb to get it into DFU?

[i.Annie]

So it isn't responsive even with a hard reset? I have never seen a phone that doesn't respond to a hard reset unless the home or power button is broken...

Well anyway, I don't use iReb and I don't really care for it, so my suggestion may be biased. Skip the pwned dfu mode, that might be what is causing your issue. Stick it into normal recovery mode if possible? Then do the restore to stock 4.1.

[n3985]

So I tried the suggested, got the phone in recovery mode and shift+restore in iTunes = error 20

Following Google found solutions I tried it in DFU mode and shift+restore in iTunes = 1601

I am now totally out of ideas....

Edit:

Success!

1. Download TinyUmbrella, iTunes 10.4, stock 4.1 IPSW, redsn0w
2. Put phone into DFU then shift+restore in iTunes using 4.1
3. After flashing the phone will go into error 1015 and be stuck in recovery mode
4. Use tinyumbrella and use Exit Recovery
5. Open redsn0w and select 4.1, only check box for cydia, follow process
6. Open redsn0w again and select 4.1, only check box for iPad base band, follow process
7. Install ultrasn0w and enjoy!

Thanks for the tips i.Annie!

[edysan2294]

So I tried the suggested, got the phone in recovery mode and shift+restore in iTunes = error 20

Following Google found solutions I tried it in DFU mode and shift+restore in iTunes = 1601

I am now totally out of ideas....

Edit:

Success!

1. Download TinyUmbrella, iTunes 10.4, stock 4.1 IPSW, redsn0w
2. Put phone into DFU then shift+restore in iTunes using 4.1
3. After flashing the phone will go into error 1015 and be stuck in recovery mode
4. Use tinyumbrella and use Exit Recovery
5. Open redsn0w and select 4.1, only check box for cydia, follow process
6. Open redsn0w again and select 4.1, only check box for iPad base band, follow process
7. Install ultrasn0w and enjoy!

Thanks for the tips i.Annie!

I was right there with you. By the way, THANK YOU FOR THIS!!!!! Was able to downgrade to 4.1 using your instructions. Now I want to go up to 4.3.3. Would shift+restore do the trick?

Edit:

Found answer:
1. From downgraded 4.1 shift+restore and choose 4.3.3
2. Will get (1015)
3. Repeat steps 4 and 5 above. Enjoy 4.3.3 again!

Note. I did not use ultrasn0w since I did not unlocked neither did I change the baseband.

[edysan2294]

Spoke too soon.

Even though I was able to successfully install 4.3.3 and everything is working even wi-fi, I got no service and I have not found a way to work past this. Any ideas?

[kyteflyer]

Spoke too soon.

Even though I was able to successfully install 4.3.3 and everything is working even wi-fi, I got no service and I have not found a way to work past this. Any ideas?

Happened to me, too. No phone functions at all. Thats when I just gave up and restored to iOS5. Which is now lagging like hell unless I reboot every couple of days. What a pest!.

[edysan2294]

That is weird. I did like you and went back to ios5 and jail broke it. Now is working better than before. Even the batt life improved.

[kyteflyer]

That is weird. I did like you and went back to ios5 and jail broke it. Now is working better than before. Even the batt life improved.

I've taken the next step and gone to 5.0.1 which was fine until a couple of days ago and has now begun to lag again if I don't reboot every couple of days. I'm still looking for a solution to the no service issue. I'd be happy to stick with 4.3.3 if there was a way to get round this issue.

I'm wondering if it had anything to do with my having used greenp0ison in the past... always when my downgrtades fail (before being able to fix them) I end up with a black screen with 3-4 lines of unreadable (because my eyes are crap) text, the only part of which I can understand is the heading which is in larger type and says "greenp0is0n".

I think I'll post a new thread with more specifics in the title. Might get a better response than none, which is all thats happened here, and in one other thread where I mentioned it.

[edysan2294]

I know. Did have to travel a couple weeks ago and in the process had to turn off the phone. I had installed the semi-tether package from Cydia so I didn't worry too much. Once I got out of the plane, turned on the phone, it worked like it should with the semi-tether. The problem was I couldn't get it out of that "semi-working" state. Ended up with a black screen so I had to go to 5.0.1 that I downloaded at the hotel since Apple was not signing 5.0 anymore. Now stuck with this 5.0.1 c**p. Seriously thinking about getting me an Android or Windows phone.

[iYeow]

You are not the only one, it seems that once semi tethered is installed, it can't be uninstalled.

[edysan2294]

The problem is that I did not want to uninstall it. I used redsn0w to try and do the boot only option to get my device working again and ended up up with a non working device. The only way it would come back up was by updating to 5.0.1. Sucks!!!

[tyi3ndy]

does anyone get error 2005?
Im on windows 7
thanks

[bidsar.k]

I have a factory unlocked iPhoe 3GS Recently i upgraded it to 5.0.1 and my baseband got upgraded 5.16.05. Since then the phone is crashing a bit and even the battery life has degraded. Is there a way to downgrade by baseband since for me unlocking is not an issue but battery life is.

[i.Annie]

You cannot downgrade your baseband. Your best bet is to restore and try to set up the device as new.

[bidsar.k]

Thanks for your reply. i really appreciate that iAnnie. I have another question in context with the one you answered. You said i should restore it. Do i have to restore it with Custom 5.0.1 IPSW or the stock one? I have restored the phone a couple of times and the 5.0.1 version is really not happening. Even in standby mode it consumes a lot of battery on my 3GS with all services disabled except the Wifi. A few days back i had restored my brother's 3GS to 5.0.1 using the preserve baseband method and his device is working all fine. But since i have a factory unlocked one i didnt care much about preserving the baseband. I really want some help on improving battery life or maybe a way to somehow downgrade the baseband(if possible). Can't i use the iOS 4.1 downgrade route? Won't it change my baseband?

[i.Annie]

Unfortunately you cannot downgrade your baseband. The only "change" you can do to it is to upgrade it to the iPad bb which isn't a good idea bc you don't need an unlock and it'll mess your GPS up. It also wouldn't help your situation so don't try it.

You can't do anything about your baseband unless Apple releases a new fw update. Aside from that, if restoring isn't helping, consider your battery is physically going bad and should be replaced.

Edit: downgrading your fw to 4.1 does nothing for the baseband. Once the baseband is upgraded, it stays there. If it were so simple to downgrade a baseband, we would all have it so good. Unlocking wouldn't be a problem today lol.

[bidsar.k]

Thanks a lot Annie. You wonderfully explained that i would not achieve what i am aiming for, lol. Thanks for sharing that piece of information.

[i.Annie]

I'm sorry my responses are not able to get you what you were thinking of, I do hope you get the issue resolved though.