Trying to install firmware on my mom's iPhone 4S gsm, to recover it because she forgot the passcode. I'm not sure what firmware is on there, but I presume 5.0.1. I can go so far as getting iTunes to download the iOS 6 firmware and go through the process of extracting and restoring. However, at the very end of the process, it keeps giving me "error 1601". These are some of the many things I've already tried to resolve it:

* trying to update the firmware to iOS 6 via Apple's servers, as well as trying to get iTunes to install v5.1.1 manually
* trying 3 different USB cables and 3 different computers
* trying different USB ports, including directly into the port, with no other USB devices attached to the computer (except mouse)
* downloaded the very latest version of iTunes, as of today
* tried completely uninstalling iTunes, including all of its associated services and registry entries
* completely removed firewall and anti virus from memory during the many attempts to connect
* tried checking my HOSTS file to make sure the Apple servers weren't listed
* tried restoring in iTunes while TinyUmbrella's TSS server was active in the background, and also while Snowbreeze's iReb was active in the background


1) Is it possible or not to restore firmware to a PASSCODED iPhone?

2) Is there an alternative program that can burn firmware on to the iPhone 4S, without the use of iTunes, that will actually work? I've tried redSnow, SnowBreeze, absinthe, tinyUmbrella, forecast, blackrain.... I can't get ANY of these programs to work properly. I read "iDeviceRestore" can maybe burn firmware, but I can't find a windows version anywhere!

check the below link http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3694#error1604
also try to put iPhone in DFU mode first and then run the restore process.

Originally Posted by acidapple

check the below link iTunes: Specific update-and-restore error messages and advanced troubleshooting
also try to put iPhone in DFU mode first and then run the restore process.

Sadly, I could probably memorize and recite that Apple error 1604 faq entry for you. I've tried restoring in every mode possible; DFU, Recovery, "PWND DFU" (which I discovered is the same thing as DFU....), shift-restore (aka manual ipsw load).... and the FAQ does not help. As mentioned, I've tried 3 different usb cables and 3 different computers.

run tinyumbrella while your phone is connected .Save your SHSH files locally and then press the button exit recovery. Then close tinyumbrella and run iTunes to restore software

Originally Posted by acidapple

run tinyumbrella while your phone is connected .Save your SHSH files locally and then press the button exit recovery. Then close tinyumbrella and run iTunes to restore software

As mentioned in my OP, I did run TinyUmbrella: "* tried restoring in iTunes while TinyUmbrella's TSS server was active in the background".

I managed to get TU to save the SHSH files. Not sure how that helps though. At this point, I no longer care about basebands, or jailbreaking, or any of that. I just want the phone alive again! I'm trying to bypass iTunes altogether, because it won't work for me.
So, as mentioned, I tried getting Redsnow (latest version) to burn the firmware files without iTunes. But every ipsw I tried, (e.g. 5.1.1, 6.0) it said something like "this version of Redsnow can not burn this firmware". So Redsnow doesn't seem to do much either.

if u don't care about jailbreak then download the latest firmware iOS 6 and try restore.The error msg u get refers to USB timming.meaning that the USB port is malfunctioning.But in 3 different pc and with 3 different cables it is strange . try to restore 5.1.1 with Sn0breeze 2.9.6. if u success then update to latest firmware if u like.In case u do restore from iTunes and get error msg again close and reopen iTunes but keeping iPhone connected to USB and try again.I can't think anything else to help you

I've already downloaded ios6 and tried restoring, as mentioned in my original post. I've also already tried restoring ipsw's with Snowbreeze 2.9.6, including 5.1.1 and custom IPSW's that I made with Snowbreeze. In EVERY case it tells me "INVALID IPSW". Redsnow also won't allow me to restore ipsw's. In EVERY case it says something like "This version of Redsnow does not support this firmware". I have tried closing iTunes and re-trying recover and restore, more times than I can remember. I've been struggling with this problem for 5 months!

Could it be that iTunes require the SIM be installed to complete the restore process? I do not have a SIM installed.

The SIM card is needed only to activate iphone through itunes. Give a shot with iREB . Also set Sn0wbreeze or RedSn0w to run in compatibility mode with WinXP and always run them as Administrator. When shutting down iTunes always check in task manager if all sub processes of iTunes have been terminated. 5 months? Why dont you take it to an apple store ?!!

I already gave it a few shots with iReb.... at least the iReb built into Snowbreeze. Did nothing for me. I am using WinXP, so the compatiblity mode tweak wouldn't be necessary. Hundreds of miles from an Apple store, and it was my mom's phone, she doesn't use it anymore, so it's not a high priority in my life. I haven't really kept at it 5 months straight either, I just started it 5 months ago and gave up, because nothing worked. I checked "the scene" recently and saw that there's a new iOS update, so I thought it would try to save the phone again... but it didn't turn out as I hoped!

SOLVED: Well, I finally managed to get Apple servers to burn the firmware to my phone. This was after trying it on a FOURTH computer, using a FOURTH usb cable, an original Apple USB cable. I'm figuring the cable was probably the setback, as I had not tried an original Apple cable. I had tried a good quality Belkin USB cable, a dollar store cable, and a clone of the Apple cable (with "designed in California" on the sleeve), that came from eBay.

NOW the problem is, I didn't think it would work, so I dumbly used ios6 firmware to up my chances of success. I think it was during the burn that I remembered I can't jailbreak 6.0 or revert to 5.1.1! (I just tried, got error 3194). I had to wait 5 months for a jailbreak for 5.1.1. I know 5.1.1. was really difficult to conquer. Are there any signs yet if ios6 can "one day" be jailbroken?

Thanks to all for the attempts to help solve this tenacious problem.