[Draxx]

This post is mainly to help those who are stuck at the apple boot logo due to what is most probably a screwed up com.apple.Springboard.plist file.

This can happen for many reasons, the main one being improper installation/uninstallation of packages (main script execution failed) via Installer or Cydia.

Most of the solutions to this problem involve SSHing into your phone - but what if you're one of the unlucky ones who had SSH turned off, or not even installed in the first place?

I'll also explain a very easy method to convert .plist files from binary to xml and back, so that people can edit .plist files very easily.

If you're stuck at the apple logo, connect your iphone to your PC - itunes will recognize that "an" iphone is connected to it, but it wont identify the iphone as your iphone.

If your phone is off - turn it on - so that it goes back to the apple logo - before connecting it to your PC.

If your phone is in restore mode - again - turn it off and turn it on - so that it goes back to the apple logo - before connecting it to your PC.

Once you're connected to your PC, and itunes recognizes "an" iphone, you're out of danger. i.e. you wont need to restore your phone, even though you do not have SSH installed, or, even if you shut off SSH.

1) Next step, download/install iphonebrowser.
2) Run iphonebrowser - it may say that no iphone is found - in that case - remove and reconnect your iphone - iphonebrowser will recognize it.
3) Navigate to /System/Library/LaunchDemons/com.apple.SpringBoard.plist
4) Backup com.apple.Springboard.plist to your PC.
5) Download and install EditPadLite from EditPad Lite - Free Text Editor for Windows
6) Rename com.apple.Springboard.plist to com.apple.Springboard.plist.txt
7) Open the file in EditPadLite (NOTE: Wordpad or Notepad WILL NOT work!!).
8) Edit the file by removing the offending key in the DYLD_INSERT_LIBRARIES - usually this would be the .dylib key corresponding to the last application you installed or uninstalled, and which is probably the one causing your iphone to get stuck.
9) For example,
<dict>
<key>DYLD_INSERT_LIBRARIES</key>
<string>/Library/Frameworks/SummerBoard.framework/SummerBoard.dylib:/Library/Intelliborn/intelliScreen</string>
</dict>
If intelliscreen was the problematic package, you'd want to just delete the .dylib key relating to it, from the DYLD libraries.
* Each .dylib key is separated by a colon.
10) Once you've deleted the problematic key, save the file and close EditPadLite.
11) Rename the .plist.txt file back to .plist
12) Restart iphonebrowser, navigate back to the same folder, and delete the com.apple.Springboard.plist file on your phone.
13) Copy the edited one back to the same folder.
14) Switch off iphone and switch back on - voila - you should be back up and running.

15) In an extreme case, you might have multiple .dylib keys which are causing your iphone to get stuck.
16) In that case, go through the steps mentioned above, except, in step 9 - delete ALL the .dylib keys.
In which case, your file would look like this:
dict>
<key>DYLD_INSERT_LIBRARIES</key>
<string></string>
</dict>
17) Repeat steps 10-14 again and you should be all set.
18) In either case, it goes without saying that you MUST delete all the apps from your /Applications folder, for which you've deleted the .dylib keys - immediately, so that there are no loose ends.
19) Also, if any of the deleted apps have corresponding launchdemons - you'll want to delete them as well from /System/Library/LaunchDemons/

20) Once all offending .dylib keys, corresponding apps and launchdemons have been deleted, disconnect iphone from your PC, and reboot. It might take a little longer than usual, but if all goes well, you will find that your iphone is back in working order.

I am well aware that there are various posts on the subjects of editing .plist files and on the subject of how to get out of an iphone stuck at the apple boot logo.

However, this oughtta help people who do not have SSH capabilities and still need to get out of a tight spot without having to perform a full restore and go through the entire headache of reinstalling info from backups and apps and sources all over again.

If this guide helps you, feel free to hit the Thanks button

Cheers,
Draxx

[Poseidon79]

Great step by step. Sticky

[ALL DAY]

I think this may help me!

Thanks, I'll try it a little later...

[m1ngaa]

is that thing gonna work with Cyrillic fonts? cuz I'm tryna change the springboard.plist to Russian, but something different you know... So when I edit springboard.plist in Russian it's all just ???????????????? on my phone. How do you fix it?

[pbateman420]

Why would you go and say that? Wordpad will and does edit plist files. No idea what u are talking about