Help, can't restore iphone

[spectre289]

My iPhone 3GS was updated to stock 4.3.1 using iTunes and then jailbroken using redsn0w 0.9.6rc12. This worked ok but whenever the phone rebooted it would just be a black screen and required me to use the tethered boot option in redsn0w to get it to start. Later on my phone went black again and not responding but the tethered boot wouldn't work (battery was at least 90% so it didn't just die on me). This is effectively the stage I am on right now. I can get it to go into DFU mode, which is recognised by itunes but I can't get it to restore using a stock ipsw. I was trying first of all to get it to restore to my 4.3.1 again but after that wasn't working I tried to get it to just restore to 4.3.2 without a jailbreak. When trying to get it to go to 4.3.2, with my hosts file either clear or with "74.208.10.249 gs.apple.com" and no other apple entries, iTunes gives me error code 3194. If I use tinyumbrella I get the error 1601 despite having put it into DFU using either iREB or redsn0w. I then tried using Greenpois0n which said the jailbreak succeeded but left my iphone just on a white screen and unable to do anything else unless put into DFU mode again. I tried using iRestore just to get my phone to boot up again but it can't detect the iphone. Does anyone have any suggestions to try? I've tried everything I can find and nothing has helped, I would just like my iphone working again.

[Pyro_Buster]

Try entering recovery mode and then jailbreak using sn0wbreeze. I had trouble with redsn0w personally, and it crashed 3 times and I had to call Apple tech support twice. I tried with sn0wbreeze and had no problems.

[spectre289]

Whenever I try using sn0wbreeze, it says my 4.3.1 ipsw is invalid despite having downloaded it from the site they recommend.
Edit: It also says invalid ipsw with the 4.2.1 I downloaded too.
Edit2: I forgot to mention I also tried using tinyumbrella to get it to boot with no success.

[maddawg05]

I have a similar problem. Bought a 3GS (so I was told) that was in recovery mode. Got it from an older lady so pretty certain is was never jb. Naturally when I plug it to PC iTunes recognizes it and says "....need recovery....". So first I tried restoring to a custom firmware 4.2.1=no go, then custom 4.3.1 sane result. So now I'm a the point I just want it on the normal restore thru iTunes (NO shift+restore....just plain restore). No matter what I've tried I always get an error 3194. When I go to the host at the bottom 74.208.105.717 gs.apple (recalling from memory). I think I've edited the host before but can't remember. What is the normal, default host with the gs.apple..com? I just want it back to normal. I've even tried uninstalling iTunes and reinstalling and restarting and the same error 3194. HELP!

[spectre289]

I managed to downgrade back to 4.2.1 using saved SHSH blobs and jailbreak successfully using greepois0n so closing this thread.