In my last post earlier today, I explained how to use sn0wbreeze to preserve baseband of your device. Now in this tutorial, I am going to show how to create a custom IPSW file to jailbreak your device on iOS 4.2.1 while preserving your current baseband. Plus I'll show how to activate your device if you don;t have the official carrier SIM. I will also cover how to unlock your device after that.
OK first of all, let me tell you that if you followed my last post, and created a custom IPSW to preserve your baseband, and then restored via iTunes, you have one option to jailbreak your device. You can use greenpos0n to jailbreak your device. Download it from www.greenpois0n.com and run it. Follow on-screen instructions. They are really easy to follow. It will jailbreak your device. But it will NOT activate your device. So if you don't have official carrier SIM, you need to activate it. If so, you need to create a new IPSW. We are covering the same in this tutorial. So even if you created a custom IPSW to preserve your baseband, follow this tutorial in order to activate your device.
UPDATE : If you want to activate your device, you don't have to use custom ISPW to preserve baseband first and then again use another custom IPSW to jailbreak and activate. Get it straight - If you just preserve baseband, then use greenpois0n and then activate device using official SIM. OR Use custom IPSW created via this tutorial that will jailbreak your device while preserving baseband. If you select Activate option, then it will activate your device otherwise not.
UPDATE : The same tutorial works with iOS 4.3.1 and sn0wbreeze 2.5 also. The steps are same to Jailbreak and Activate your device on iOS 4.3.1.
What this process will do?
After following and completing this tutorial 'successfully', you will have your device on iOS 4.2.1 which will be jailbroken, activated (if selected the option) and unlocked. Also, the baseband will not be updated.
Things you need
- iPhone on any firmware released before iOS 4.2.1. (like 4.0.1, 3.1.3 or any)
- The IPSW for iOS 4.2.1 downloaded from apple. (Link at the end)
- Latest iTunes (10.1 or later)
- sn0wbreeze v2.2 (Download links at the end)
- iPhone 3GS (New Model) on iOS 4.0.1, jailbroken with limera1n, unlocked with ultrasn0w. (Doesn't matter)
- iTunes v10.1.2.17
- sn0wbreeze 2.2
- Windows 7 x86
Note : You may void your device's warranty if you jailbreak your device.
Note : Be warned that if anything goes wrong, you will update your baseband and will loose your unlock. Proceed at your own risk.
Important : When you are downloading stock IPSW from apple using the links given below, be VERY careful. Download only your device's ISPW. If you download some other IPSW, like iPhone 3G's IPSW instead of iPhone 3GS' IPSW by mistake, and use it to create custom IPSW, then restore using that IPSW, you will ruin your chance of successful completion of restoring to custom IPSW without updating your baseband. You have been warned.
Step 1
- Run sn0wbreeze.
- Read the warning and click OK
- Now click the next button.
Click an image to enlarge
Step 2
- On the next screen, click Browse button and browse to the firmware you downloaded from apple.
- Click open and click Next.
- sn0wbreee will verify the firmware file and if all is well, it ill display confirmation message.
- Now click next
Step 3
- On the next screen, click on Expert Mode and click next
Step 4
- Click General and click next. Now from this screen, select the options you want. If you want to activate your device, then don't remove the check before "Activate the iPhone [Hactivate]" option. If this option is not checked, check the box before it. If you don't want to activate your device then remove the check before this option.
- Don't select any option under Springboard Modifications as you;ll have these options by default when you will be on iOS 4.2.1
- If you want to increase root partition, enter the amount in MB in the box or slide the bar to the seize you want. Note that root partition is where your jailbreak stuff is stored. I recommend you set atleast 1 GB (1024 MB) root partition.
- Don't check the box before Make IPSW NOR only.
- Click the next button.
Step 5
- Now click the Make IPSW button and click next.
- sn0wbreeze will start cooking custom IPSW for you. Once done, find the file on your desktop.
- Click OK when done.
Note : If you get ActiveX error while using sn0wbreeze, use someone else's PC and create a custom IPSW there. Then you can restore to that IPSW on your computer by getting your device in Pwned DFU mode.
Step 6
- Now we need to enter into Pwned DFU mode in order to use custom IPSW to restore device to iOS 4.2.1. So follow onscreen instructions to enter DFU mode.
Note: You better follow steps shown on sn0wbreeze to enter DFU and not written below. I might have missed something.
- First power off device.
- Then press Sleep button for two seconds.
- Now keep pressing the sleep button, press the Home button. Hold them both for 10 seconds.
- Now release the Sleep button while still holding the Home button. If succeeded, sn0wbreeze will start exploiting and put your device in pwned DFU mode. (Your Device's screen will be blank)
- Click OK when it says your device is PWNED DFU Mode.
- Close sn0wbreeze.
Step 6
- Now open iTunes.
- It will say that it needs to check for software updates. Allow it to do so.
- Not it will say that iTunes has detected iPhone in Recovery Mode. Click OK.
Step 7
- Now we need to use custom IPSW file we created with sn0wbreeze in order to update.
- So press shift button on your keyboard and click the "Restore" button in iTunes.
- Browse to desktop and select the custom IPSW file we created and it will say that your device will be updated to iOS 4.2.1. Click OK.
- Now iTunes will start the process to install the iOS to your device. It may take several minutes so sit back and enjoy the process.
Step 8
- Once the restore process is done, it will reboot the device and show the home screen. It means your device is activated by the IPSW. If you didn't select the Activate option, the your device needs to be activated using the official SIM. So insert it if you haven't already and iTunes will activate your device. Also, you will find Cydia on the screen. Close iTunes.
Step 9
- Now you need to unlock your device. So configure WiFi on your device. After that, launch Cydia and select User when prompted. After that, search for ultrasn0w and install it. It will reboot your device.
- So now your device is unlocked too.
Step 10
- Now open iTunes and it will ask if you need to setup a new iPhone or use last backup. Choose restore from last backup if you want all your data you had while you synced last. Or select setup new iPhone if you want to start from scratch. I recommend you choose to setup new iPhone as battery draining issues are reported if you restore from backup. I haven't faced such issues ever, but the choice is yours.
Now you should check your device property under Settings - General - About. The OS version will be 4.2.1 and the baseband version should not be changed.
So this is how you can upgrade to iOS 4.2.1 while preservaing your baseband and jailbreak, activate and unlock your device.
If you need any help, feel free to ask.
- Download iOS 4.2.1 IPSW. (Careful while downloading. Only download your device's IPSW)
- iPhone 4
- iPhone 3GS
- iPhone 3G
- iPad
- iPod touch 2G
- iPod touch 3G
- iPod touch 4G
