iPhone help

[roddy]

Right guru's of the Apple variety need a wee bit of help here.

My sister in law has a iPhone 3g (NOT the 3gs) and it's sitting at 3.1 something software so she's wanting to update the software to the highest it'll go, but she doesn't have an internet connection at the moment.

now I've checked and as far as I can tell this version will take upto 4.2

I tried to do it on my laptop using my version of iTunes but it was taking over 3 hours to do a backup and it wasn't the most reliable backup anyway, and then when trying to update her phone it was asking all sort of questions about Authorising computers and Apps, so we decided she can back up and sync on her own PC, and I can get update file to her via a USB stick,

So I've found a site that I can download the 4.2 software here

so far so good!

However I know you can restore to a different version of software in iTunes by pressing shift+restore, but can you do the same for an upgrade or is there any difference if your restoring a iPhone to a higher level of software than what is currently on it ?
I've tried shift+upgrade and was expecting a dialog box to pop up so I could navigate to the file on the USB stick but it does seem to work.

So what I'm I doing wrong

cheers

 

[roddy]

Naebody any ideas ?

 

[barnestom]

AFAIK iTunes removed the capability to choose which file you update from a while back. I use an old 3G now and again as an emergency sat nav and it has updated to the max firmware automatically...

 

[roddy]

it's that not having the internet and using iTunes thats looking for the internet constantly, that seems to be buggering up the whole sequence of things ?

 

[DrogoNevets]

it would certainly be easier if she could bring her laptop to yours and borrow your web connection to do it!

otherwise i can think of a few ways you might try if its really not working but its a lot of faff for not alot (includes setting up servers and editing hosts files and things - last resort only)

 

[roddy]

it would certainly be easier if she could bring her laptop to yours and borrow your web connection to do it!

otherwise i can think of a few ways you might try if its really not working but its a lot of faff for not alot (includes setting up servers and editing hosts files and things - last resort only)

The Sis in law has a desktop pc so not portable, but I have a laptop, so whats the setting up servers and host files, I'm handy with this sort of thing, so no problems on that front.

 

[CuzGS]

Mate if possible get it to an apple store, their bars are fantastic at sorting people out,

 

[roddy]

Mate if possible get it to an apple store, their bars are fantastic at sorting people out,

She's been in to the local Apple store and they told just to connect to any old PC sign in to iTunes and it'll upgrade, which is true but they fail to mention that it'll scrub everything on the phone, hence try to do it using her own PC

 

[cookie]

she's going to have to connect it to her own pc one day (isn't she?). why not do it properly in the first place and avoid all this fucking about?

you can move a desktop if you have to, and it sounds like she does.

or

leave it alone. iOS4 runs pretty badly on a 3G IME.

 

[(RIP) Kaister]

....
leave it alone. iOS4 runs pretty badly on a 3G IME.

this - it'll slow to a crawl on ios4

 

[roddy]

she's going to have to connect it to her own pc one day (isn't she?). why not do it properly in the first place and avoid all this fucking about

since her PC isn't internet connected, iTunes can't update the fecking phone, and nobody seems to be able to tell me if I can just do a restore to 4.2 if the original OS was 3.x, knowing Apple they'll be some background service that'll screw the thing up.

She has a done a full back up via iTunes but there seems to be conflicting answers on the web what this actual backs up, I think a lot of people get back up and sync mixed up, so I'm wanting to make sure she has a full and complete backup before I start fecking about with her phone.

Apparently the apps she had, and wants to use need at least OS4.x hence the questions (Don't have a iPhone myself, and hoping soon to be a Apple free house)

I've heard of the slowing down but from what I can tell that was sorted with a 4.x something release ? or have I missed something ?

 

[cookie]

i'm pretty sure a restore will take the phone to the latest OS available for that model phone. going back is not an option without some non apple approved jiggery pokery.

IME initial performance of the 3G with iOS4.0 was good, but, with use, deteriated rather quickly to virtually unusable. later revisions made it usable again, but it was still bloody slow IMO (but i had got a 4G as well by then which is a very different beast).


another thing to bear in mind is, that the newer apps that only run on iOS4, may, may be designed for the later, more powerful 3GS


anyway, i think you may as well try it. but get her to unplug her pc and take it somewhere with a connection to do it properly