Resetting a deactivated iPhone 4
A colleague had been given an iPhone 4 previously owned and used by another colleague. After too many attempts at entering the wrong PIN code, the iPhone decided to deactivate itself. I was tasked with bringing this iPhone back to life.
This is the procedure I concocted, as none of the suggestions I found on the Internet worked:
- Ensure the iTunes application is up to date.
- Start the iTunes application and log out of iTunes as a precaution.
- Connect the iPhone 4 to the computer using a USB cable with a 30-pin connector at one end and a standard USB A connector at the other.
- Forcefully shutdown the iPhone by holding down the power and home buttons.
- Keep holding these buttons until the iPhone goes completely black.
- Keep holding the home button while pressing and releasing the power button.
- Soon you should see a screen indicating the iPhone is ready to talk to the iTunes application.
- Reset the iPhone to factory settings using the dialog boxes shown by the iTunes application.
- Enter the valid PIN code on the iPhone when asked to do so.
- If everything was successful, the iPhone should now behave like it was fresh off the assembly line.