Fix Endless Reboot Easily with iTunes

[x999x]

I had a go at locking up my iphone purposely today to figure out whats going on and how to fix it. In any case I think I've mastered an "Easy" method for getting out of the Endless Reboot without having to restore using iTunes. Interestingly, I also had luck in getting out without iTunes, but I can't figure out what I did, lol. I'll keep working on the "desktopless" method, but for now heres the instructions using your desktop and iTunes to avoid having to restore your iphone/ipod after getting stuck in an Endless reboot following a bad Cydia isntall or what have you.

Easy method for getting out of a stuck boot screen/swod/apple/pineapple:

1. Make sure your iPhod hasn't gotten to the "Dim screen" phase of the endless boot. If it is there already, just force another restart by holding the Sleep and Home button for 5 seconds.
   
2. Once your iphone has reboot (boot logo isn't dim), dock your iPhod with your desktop and let iTunes react as if it is "Busy." On Mac this will be identified by a spinning "Beach ball" mouse pointer, on PC this should be an Hourglass or something similar.
   
3. Let your iPhod stay docked throughout the entire boot process, this is typically 2-3 reboots by the Watchdog.Bundle application thats giving us this problem to begin with.
   
4. Once the iPhod locks up, iTunes will bring up the "Summary" page, and its at this point your iPhod will be ready.
   
5. Just force another restart (Sleep+Home for 5 seconds) and your iPhod will boot up as normal with the Lock Screen.

Done

No terminal commands, no SSH, no IphoneBrowser, and best of all, NO RESTORE, all it takes is a little patience

This should take no more than 10 minutes, minimum of 6. The Watchdog.bundle thats keeping us in the endless reboot has a 2 minute timer and typically crashes out on the 3rd attempt to reboot your iphone/ipod.

[techgirl]

I'm a little confused by this, as whenever my phone goes to the spinning wheel, I never have a problem with iTunes loading, my phone just doesn't load. So, like right now as my phone is spinning, it is syncing, but not loading. Can you please be more descriptive with your instructions? Thanks

[gymhead6]

I agree with techgirl.

[Muggz5]

Well it actually makes sense, also I think I have figured out the "desktop-less" method. I simply stumbled upon it, and was able to recover several times.

1.) If your "iPhod" (hilarious btw) is rebooting endlessly simply hold the power and home key through a reboot.
It will either reboot up again, or it will leave pixels (translucent) on a black screen.

2.) Keep holding home and release power. It should boot back up continuing to hold home, hold the power key again for about 5-10 seconds

3.) release both buttons and wait to see if it boots to your home screen. (may take up to a minute or so)
If it doesnt and just hangs on the apple logo, hold the power button till it turns off. It should stay off at this point and then turn it back on. It may take a minute or 3 to load to your home screen so give it time.

No worries.... Repeat steps if neccessary, depending on the severity of the crash/lockup