more bad luck, and a whole new set of problems

[722ish]

I have a black 16gb 3g phone, it is my replacement for my v1 8gb i had.

I have searched, and searched, and read, and hoped i could come to a solution, but I have almost completely lost it now. Im pulling my hair out now, and am at wits end!

I have had nothing but problems since 2.0 came out, and I was still on my v1 phone. I am on 3g phone #2, and have been to the apple store 1.5hrs away more times than i want to count in the past few weeks.
I have called apple care countless times, and for many many hours, to no avail.
I plug my phone in the other day, and restored, as my apps kept crashing, and downloading a new app didnt work. As soon as i was done, it asked if i would like to set up as new phone, or restore from backup.
so i tried the backup, hoping to keep recent text and call lists.

Restore completes, and of course, gives me the endless restore loop. So i try, new, not knowing what was going to happen, and i couldnt find any threads in here to save my life...
Well, it was super slow, as per usual, and went right back to the restore screen, of course.

So, i went to the backup files, and just carried on my way, as i really need my phone.. it has to work, or i would be done for
A few days pass, and magically my apps start working, so i plug the phone into my computer to see if that was a fluke, and attempt to backup my fully functioning phone!
No such luck, still the restore screen.
So i just said screw it and went on my way, hoping i could sort out itunes before i needed to sync again.. My girlfriend has an 8gb 3g on the same desktop, and it works flawlessly .. haha, its just my luck.

well, i needed to update contacts, and i had about 30 to update, so i decided to call apple care, 1.5hrs before they close. About 75 minutes were wasted as the person told me to restore from backup. I tried to be polite and say that wasnt the case, but they werent willing to listen, so i did so... well, as they were closing and she was giving me a reference number, my phone was only nearly 1/2 done.

I had to head out, and i was expecting an important phone call, so i decided enough was enough, it was just too much, and i decided to unplug the phone half done with the restore and leave, thinking i could pop the sim card in my old v1 and make phone calls if necessary. Turns out, that wasnt necessary. Some SMS was replaced with older stuff, and a few numbers and apps were lost, but no big deal, everything appeared to work.

I plugged back into itunes later, and voila! I can sync. So i tried to sync apps, music, contacts, shows, and photos. And out of them all, i got the apps and the contacts, but the apps will not work.

Synced again, tried just photos, no such luck there either.

Long story short, Im getting tricked by my iphone, and i need someone to help me straighten it out, as im tired of being outsmarted by itunes and my phone haha!

If someone feels as though they have a semi-permanent solution, and feels as though they need some compensation, please let me know... I obviously can't help with iphones, but whatever I can do to make this worth someone's while will be the least i can do. Apple and ATT dont care about me, so Ill hope and pray someone can help me out.

Anything I left out that may be important please let me know, i have not slept since 8:30 am, and its 6:15 now! I am depending on the phone too much perhaps, but i do need everything working, at least some of the apps. songs and videos can wait, i just assumed they are connected, the symptoms.

I am running 2.0.2 by the way.


thanks in advance,
and anything i can do, please let me know, i am more than willing to reciprocate!

take care
Mark

[722ish]

it also lists in general tab that i am using 3gb! just apps, and 29 phone taken pictures, where did the 3gb go? And no songs or videos are listed...

14.6gb capacity
11.7 available
songs 0
videos 0
photos 29

version 2.0.2(5c1)
i'm so lost, and so very tired haha.

[OJsakila]

I recently had some very similarmproblems with my white 16g 3g phone that I got to replace my v1. I actually drove 2 hours away to Charlseton, SC to the apple store. The ONLY thing that I was able to do fix it was to reformat my computer that I had iTunes on. You could insatall iTunes on a seperate computer before you reformat your harddrive to make sure that's the problem. I'm pretty sure your issues must be iTunes related. And its practically impossible to delete all remanants of iTunes and QuickTime and bonjour..I tried all sorts of things to delete that crap but it's so interwoven into the computer that reformatting was the only thing I could do.. If it's not iTunes, it's the phone.

[showguy]

Hi Mark, sorry for your frustration. Like thousands of others myself included the combination of the new 3g and 2.02 have been a disaster. And yes I too upgraded from a new flaweless version 1 to the 3g free fall. Anyway to your problem. As another member stated above, Itunes could be a part of the problem. I had read elsewhere that when people do a restore and they can actually get into their phone first that they try to do the reset actually at the phone instead of Itunes. In other words. Make sure you are NOT connected to your computer, Go to settings, general, reset and click erase all content and settings. This will take some time (depending on whats is on the phone). Once it is done, in theory, you have a brand new Iphone in your hand. Than plug into Itunes and let it walk you through the new set up. This way, if Itunes and the phone are having an interaction problem because of the phones "sick" status that problem should be eliminated. Itunes should see the phone as freah and new.

Good luck and please I encourage other members to chime in. I personally have not tried this, but have read of it working.

[722ish]

Oj, thanks for the info, I had a feeling it was iTunes to begin with, so as much as that may suck, I'll keep the reformatting in mind, I just can't afford to do that unless it's my last resort! I have a vista 64 bit PC, and I have had not one problem with it haha, oh the irony!


Showguy,
Thanks for the info, I'll be trying the steps both of you listed tomorrow as I am off.

Do you think that I should clear previous versions of the 2.0.2 software out and start new on this? I have done this once already and I'm aware how. Maybe a fresh dl of 2.0.2 is the thing it needs?


Thanks again for your help so far, beer is on me if you're ever in Tampa!

[showguy]

Can't hurt, I suppose, but make sure it is installed and ready before you plug the phone in. Good luck!

[nobopyon]

after i read this thread, I wonder how many people who has this kind of problem is on Vista instead of XP.

I'm on PC with XP, and I haven't had those issue, in fact, not much of major issue with my iPhone.

I don't have podcast that I needed to update into my iphone regularly or such, so I usually just use wall charger to charge my iPhone, and download app through WiFi connection directry into my iPhone...

Only time I actually connect my iPhone to iTune is when I got a new music and video in, and new firmware release...

I sometimes wonder syncing too often with iTune cause more problem..?? (I know in a perfect world, it shouldn't even be one).

Just it came in my mind..

[phsycology]

Now that mine is running fine, I'm just not going to connect it to iTunes, or download any apps until the s/w update comes out to fix all this.

[722ish]

my girlfriends phone- an 8gb 3g switched from an 8gb v1 phone works flawlessly as a standalone unit and while syncing..

its incredible, but im already on iphone 3g #2 and iphone total is now 8!!!

I hate driving all the way to international plaza in tampa to have them look at my phone, tell me it sucks and so does vista and get a new refurb phone. I had nothing but problems with those refurbs, and i dont want to start that spiral again now!!!!

thanks for all the help everyone, ill be working on it all day tomorrow. If i can come to a resolution, ill post all of it so i can try to help others!

thanks again
take care
Mark

[722ish]

Now that mine is running fine, I'm just not going to connect it to iTunes, or download any apps until the s/w update comes out to fix all this.


Good idea haha! ;)

[iHero]

I can not stress this enough, as Leo said in a MacBreak Weekly not too long ago. He has had your same problem with applications crashing, and just a horrible experience. He restored it and purchased all the applications on his computer and synced the applications to the iPhone. He stopped using the iPhone application store. After the sync his iPhone was working perfectly with no crashing, and a enjoyable experience. Steve Jobs has announced that sometime this month there will be a fix for all of this crashing with a software update (2.0.3).

[phsycology]

I can not stress this enough, as Leo said in a MacBreak Weekly not too long ago. He has had your same problem with applications crashing, and just a horrible experience. He restored it and purchased all the applications on his computer and synced the applications to the iPhone. He stopped using the iPhone application store. After the sync his iPhone was working perfectly with no crashing, and a enjoyable experience. Steve Jobs has announced that sometime this month there will be a fix for all of this crashing with a software update (2.0.3).

Actually, 2.1 is due to be released this month, presumably at the iPod updating event on the 9th.

[ravman]

You did not mention the biggest issue in your initial posting. You are using Vista 64 bit. iTunes and Vista 64 bit do not work properly (if at all). When developing iTunes, Apple did not take into consideration that some people might actually use 64 bit Windoze. I am running Vista 32 bit and I've had zero problems with iTunes and my iPhone.

There is a work around you need to do, to make it work properly. Google it and it will show you what to do. If not, do a search on my posts, and it's there somwhere. Someone in the past had the exact same problem and I pointed her to a website that told people what to do.

The infamous loop after a restore is a very common iTunes problem. When you have restored and it asks to restore again, let it start the restore, then use the task manager to kill iTunes. Load up iTunes again and it will no longer ask you to restore.

Hope this helps.



Oj, thanks for the info, I had a feeling it was iTunes to begin with, so as much as that may suck, I'll keep the reformatting in mind, I just can't afford to do that unless it's my last resort! I have a vista 64 bit PC, and I have had not one problem with it haha, oh the irony!





Showguy,
Thanks for the info, I'll be trying the steps both of you listed tomorrow as I am off.

Do you think that I should clear previous versions of the 2.0.2 software out and start new on this? I have done this once already and I'm aware how. Maybe a fresh dl of 2.0.2 is the thing it needs?


Thanks again for your help so far, beer is on me if you're ever in Tampa!

[722ish]

You did not mention the biggest issue in your initial posting. You are using Vista 64 bit. iTunes and Vista 64 bit do not work properly (if at all). When developing iTunes, Apple did not take into consideration that some people might actually use 64 bit Windoze. I am running Vista 32 bit and I've had zero problems with iTunes and my iPhone.

There is a work around you need to do, to make it work properly. Google it and it will show you what to do. If not, do a search on my posts, and it's there somwhere. Someone in the past had the exact same problem and I pointed her to a website that told people what to do.

The infamous loop after a restore is a very common iTunes problem. When you have restored and it asks to restore again, let it start the restore, then use the task manager to kill iTunes. Load up iTunes again and it will no longer ask you to restore.

Hope this helps.

Oh man, im sorry! I had no idea 64 would have that much bearing on the iphone..... i will search vista 64, but what does this entail? I am literate, but i work on cars, not computers haha. Is it something relatively easy to understand?


thanks for the help! I didnt ever have a problem on 1.1.4, and 2.0x worked fine, until i switched to my 3g phone, and then it went awol on me!