I just recently bought an iPhone 3g. Got it for $20. However it is stuck in recovery mode. I'm not sure if it has ever been jailbroken. It has iPhone1,2_4.2.1_8C14_8_Restore.ipsw in the folder. I tried to restore it but get the error 1015. I created a new ipsw iPhone1,2_3.1.3_7E18_Restore.ipsw but when holding alt + shift in itunes to select it, i get the error message "The software required for this iPhone is not installed correctly. Please reinstall iTunes to install the required software."

I can't seem to get passed this. Does anyone have any ideas? I have done a ton of research. Not sure what baseband it's on. Help PLEASE!!

130 views with no solutions....that sucks. So I read somewhere that if I disassemble the phone and remove the logic board from the battery for 2 hours than it will reset the phone and allow me to restore the phone in iTunes. Is this correct?

1) Uninstall iTunes, and any other iTunes support software, reboot, then re-install with a fresh copy downloaded from Apple just to make sure that it's installed properly.
2) Plug the phone into the computer.
3) Run iTunes.
4) With iTunes open, and the phone powered on and plugged into the computer, hold the power and home buttons for 10 seconds, then let go of the power button and continue holding the home button for another 3-4 seconds until iTunes informs you that there's a phone in recovery mode. There should be nothing on the screen (backlight should be lit, but the screen should be black/blank. If it's showing the connect to iTunes logo, you're in recovery and not DFU mode and need to try again, or use any of the programs that assist in kicking your device into DFU mode)
5) Tell iTunes to restore the 3G to iOS 4.2.1 (the latest version supported on the iPhone 3G)
6) If you want to, jailbreak iOS 4.2.1 after it's been installed. Alternately, take a look at whited00r (newer iOS revisions backported to the 3G). I can't recommend them as you can have performance issues and there are some other problems, but it's your choice if you want the feature set.

As far as I know, no, unplugging the logic board from the battery will not reset iOS to a state where it can be restored without DFU mode. None of iOS is held in volatile memory, so keeping it powered down for hours without the battery won't accomplish much of anything. The phone should not behave differently after having the battery removed than it would after being turned off for 2 hours but still connected to the battery. Someone else may be able to correct me on this, but I can't find anything that details that behavior.

Will uninstalling iTunes and all support software remove my music? Also, I'm on a Mac, so other than removing the iTunes from my applications folder what else do I need to do?

Thanks for your help.

Nope, uninstalling iTunes should not remove your music library -- even if you told iTunes to manage it, it will persist between uninstalls and reinstalls. And yes, since you're on a Mac, easiest way is to drag iTunes to the trash, empty the trash, then re-install.

If you don't think iTunes is the culprit, you can attempt the DFU restore before re-installing iTunes -- I don't necessarily believe the error message you got was accurate, sometimes iTunes picks the closest error to what is going on and calls it a day, when the actual situation isn't reflected by the error.