Upgrading my first-generation iPhone from firmware 2.1 to 2.2
27 Jan 2009 
5 Comments
The iPhone is a great mobile device, but non-jailbroken iPhones don’t have nearly the amount of functionality the jailbroken ones do (I really need that Mobile Terminal!).
My first-generation iPhone’s been jailbroken from day one, even though the process has been getting scarier with each firmware update as Apple tries to close the holes used to highjack the device. After downloading the latest version of PwnageTool (2.2.1, Macintosh only, sorry PC guys) and the latest iPhone firmware update (iPhone1,1_2.2_5G77_Restore.ipsw) last night, I’m braving a software upgrade.
Please note that these instructions are meant for the first-generation (non-3G) iPhone, details may differ with the second-generation 3G model or any of the iPod Touches.
The first step requires that you plug the iPhone in and launch iTunes. It’s a good idea to perform a backup of your iPhone so you won’t have to reinstall and reconfigure all of your applications after the upgrade. (For interest’s sake, iTunes stores iPhone backups in “~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup“).
Next, quit iTunes and run PwnageTool. Let it find the new firmware file, then let it build a custom firmware bundle from that.
I’ve had PwnageTool flash the iPhone’s baseband previously, so there was no need to do so again. When the software asks if you have “a contract that would activate normally through iTunes“, click the “No” button, though. (This doesn’t affect the baseband but does activate the iPhone automatically after the jailbreak).
Once PwnageTool has finished building the custom firmware file, quit the application and start up iTunes again, then put your iPhone into DFU mode:
Hold the Sleep / Wake and Home buttons for exactly 10 seconds, then let go of the Sleep / Wake button but keep holding down the Home button until iTunes picks up the device.
I was unable to install my custom firmware from DFU mode (the mode recommended by the iPhone Dev Team), and had to resort to Recovery mode:
Connect the iPhone to iTunes, then switch the device off. Hold down the Sleep / Wake and Home buttons until you see a logo appear, then release the Sleep / Wake button but keep holding down the Home button until iTunes picks up the device.
Next, hold down the option (alt) key and click the “Restore” button on the iPhone’s screen in iTunes, then choose the custom firmware bundle PwnageTool created.
The software will be extracted and will start installing. If you see a “1600″ error message at this point, follow these steps:
- Quit iTunes
- Open a new Terminal window and browse to “~/Library/iTunes“
- Check if a “Device Support” folder exists here. It it does not, create it. If it does, delete all contents from it.
- Close the Terminal, start PwnageTool again and rebuild your custom firmware bundle, then try installing the custom firmware through iTunes again.
You’ll see several progress bars in iTunes as the software installs, and the iPhone will display the Apple logo and a white progress bar.
When the install finishes, the iPhone will reboot and appear in iTunes. If you backed up the device before installing the custom firmware, iTunes will ask whether you’d like to restore the settings from that backup.
After the restore completes, you’ll have a shiny new version 2.2 device!
Related posts:
- Jailbreaking, Activating and Unlocking my first-generation iPhone from OS 2.2 to 3.0
- Force quitting iPhone applications on firmware 2.* or 3.*
- Putting an iPhone into DFU or Recovery Mode with iTunes 8.2
- Re-enable DFU mode detection in Mac OS X 10.5.6
- iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPod Firmware download locations
author
currently i have 2g iphone and currently have ver 2.1 from 1.4 using zibri. I would want to upgrade to version 2.2 and can i use this method?
Hey Roslee
When I bought my first-generation (2g) iPhone I used ZiPhone to unlock it. I only found out later that Zibri uses the iPhone Dev-Team’s work without credit, and that the ZiPhone software could likely brick your iPhone.
When I next upgraded my iPhone’s software, I used PwnageTool by the iPhone Dev-Team, and it worked fine. When PwnageTool asks you if your iPhone has been Pwned before, click the ‘No’ button (this will cause it to update your baseband), and when it asks if you have a contract that would activate normally through iTunes, click the ‘No’ button again (this will cause it to automatically activate your iPhone when the installation finishes).
In short, it *should* be safe to use PwnageTool after you’ve used ZiPhone, my attempt was successful, but I’d suggest that you read through the iPhone Dev-Team’s blog (http://blog.iphone-dev.org/) first to make sure that you know as much as possible about the Pwnage process.
Hi,
I was using a iphone 1.0.2 (first generation?) unlocked in US and was using here in Australia. Recently by mistake updated itunes on my pc, and it erased everything in my iphone, to activate I need to sign up a contract with itunes, which I cant. Please help. My understanding from the forum above it pwange tool is available only in Mac version, do you have Windows version as well. Can you pl. help. I iphone is totally useless now.
thanks,
I just bought an 1st gen Iphone’ but can unlock or jailbreak because pwnage said that i have a 1,1_3.o version and i need the 2.2 how can I upgrade, my cell is in emergency call only!! help!