Difference between revisions of "Brick"

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(mention 6.15 bricking)
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Now bricking a [[N88ap|iPhone 3GS]] baseband is possible with this method. In fall 2011 Apple replaced the [[NOR]] flash. It is not clear if this was done intentionally to prevent this method. Previous type was 36my1ee and they changed it to 36my1eh, 36my1eg. (Please note that there was '''no''' switch to Toshiba baseband devices as some sources on the Internet still tell.) These new [[NOR]] flash chips seem to work with the newer baseband versions in the [[N88ap|iPhone 3GS]], but are not supported with the old [[06.15.00]] baseband. Therefore installing this version will brick your device if you have a new [[NOR]] flash, as you (currently) cannot go back and install anything else. To check before installation, check the version number, as it reveals the production year/week in the digits 3...5. Week 34/2011 appears safe so far, 35 seems iffy, 36 seems iffy, 37 is not safe. Or open the device and check the chip type.
 
Now bricking a [[N88ap|iPhone 3GS]] baseband is possible with this method. In fall 2011 Apple replaced the [[NOR]] flash. It is not clear if this was done intentionally to prevent this method. Previous type was 36my1ee and they changed it to 36my1eh, 36my1eg. (Please note that there was '''no''' switch to Toshiba baseband devices as some sources on the Internet still tell.) These new [[NOR]] flash chips seem to work with the newer baseband versions in the [[N88ap|iPhone 3GS]], but are not supported with the old [[06.15.00]] baseband. Therefore installing this version will brick your device if you have a new [[NOR]] flash, as you (currently) cannot go back and install anything else. To check before installation, check the version number, as it reveals the production year/week in the digits 3...5. Week 34/2011 appears safe so far, 35 seems iffy, 36 seems iffy, 37 is not safe. Or open the device and check the chip type.
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== Bricking with MobileSubstrate addition ==
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Some Cydia source's may have "infected" tweaks, software and extensions. What they do is pose to be a Tweak or Extension for your device. They install like a normal Mod via MobileSubstrate but enable either a Boot Loop or Respring Loop. Your device is stuck in an endless loop. The only things you can do to prevent this is not to use SInfuliPhoneRepo or Illegal Repo's. Use them at your own risk. One of the latest tweaks that do this is "Spire for iPad/iPad2" Do not download as it '''WILL''' brick your iDevice.
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This can also happen with Tweaks that are manually installed that aren't meant for you iDevice's Software version or hardware type, but that is highly unlikely. The only thing you can do is restore your iDevice to factory settings.

Revision as of 13:41, 4 March 2012

The term "bricked" refers to nonfunctional device states. Though nominally meaning that the device is permanently damaged, in practice it includes conditions which range from trivially recoverable (a failed update) to completely unrecoverable (in certain cases involving damaged baseband memory). A phone may be referred to as "bricked" if it will not boot, will not respond to input, will not make calls, etc. Early unlock solutions frequently resulted in partially-bricked phones after firmware updates were applied. Generally speaking, the iPhone is quite difficult to brick permanently via software, and in almost all cases the damage can be reversed.

Irreversible Software Bricking

The only way to irreversibly brick your iDevice in software is to flash an invalid baseband bootloader, provided it has a baseband. All other bad flash scenarios are recoverable some way or another. It is impossible to brick your device simply by jailbreaking it, since DFU Mode will still be available to recover from a bad flash.

If you purposefully erase / zero out your NOR, then you will even have trouble doing a DFU restore because important information from the SysCfg section will not be available.

Software Bricking with wrong version

Another recent way to brick the baseband is by installing baseband 06.15.00 on an incompatible device. redsn0w has an option to install this baseband on the iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS in order to get a baseband version that is unlockable with ultrasn0w. This is a nice way to get an unlock, because the iPad, the iPhone 3G and the iPhone 3GS all share the same Baseband Device, but the iPad has a newer version number in its baseband. That way people can actually downgrade by installing a higher version (there are no APTicket checks in these devices). This has known side-effects, like losing GPS functionality (this baseband comes from an iPad which has GPS not or differently implemented).

Now bricking a iPhone 3GS baseband is possible with this method. In fall 2011 Apple replaced the NOR flash. It is not clear if this was done intentionally to prevent this method. Previous type was 36my1ee and they changed it to 36my1eh, 36my1eg. (Please note that there was no switch to Toshiba baseband devices as some sources on the Internet still tell.) These new NOR flash chips seem to work with the newer baseband versions in the iPhone 3GS, but are not supported with the old 06.15.00 baseband. Therefore installing this version will brick your device if you have a new NOR flash, as you (currently) cannot go back and install anything else. To check before installation, check the version number, as it reveals the production year/week in the digits 3...5. Week 34/2011 appears safe so far, 35 seems iffy, 36 seems iffy, 37 is not safe. Or open the device and check the chip type.


Bricking with MobileSubstrate addition

Some Cydia source's may have "infected" tweaks, software and extensions. What they do is pose to be a Tweak or Extension for your device. They install like a normal Mod via MobileSubstrate but enable either a Boot Loop or Respring Loop. Your device is stuck in an endless loop. The only things you can do to prevent this is not to use SInfuliPhoneRepo or Illegal Repo's. Use them at your own risk. One of the latest tweaks that do this is "Spire for iPad/iPad2" Do not download as it WILL brick your iDevice.

This can also happen with Tweaks that are manually installed that aren't meant for you iDevice's Software version or hardware type, but that is highly unlikely. The only thing you can do is restore your iDevice to factory settings.