The following text describes how to restore a non-responsive iTouch after a failed jailbreak attempt.
Symptoms of diseased iTouch:
- History of failed attempts at jailbreaking
- Non-responsive to touch
- Displays pages of scrolling white text before hanging
- Only displays black screen
- Permanently displays restore icon
If your iTouch is presenting with any of the preceding symptoms or other similar signs, proceed with the following proceeds until the patient responds to treatment.
Step 1 - Artificial Rescuscitation: try resetting iTouch by holding down both Home and Wake buttons for 10-20 seconds until iTouch restarts. If iTouch doesn’t reboot and display the home screen, move on to step 2 - defibrillation.
Step 2 - Defibrillation: plug iTouch into the USB while holding the home button down…it should go into restore mode. Once it goes into restore mode (illustrated by a screen that shows the iTunes icon and a USB cable) you should get a restore prompt from iTunes. If you do not get a restore prompt from iTunes then you may have a dysfunctional iTunes installation and should proceed to step 3.
Step 3 - Dialysis: If you are unable to get a reaction from iTunes when you connect you iTouch (even after defib), then your best bet is to reinstall iTunes to fix any issues that you may have with your USB drivers and the iTunes services. Do this with your iTouch disconnected and do not reconnect your iTouch until after the iTunes installation is complete. When the iTunes installation is complete, reconnect the iTouch and you should be rewarded with a restore prompt or at least iTunes will recognize your iTouch and give you the main device screen where you can select the “Restore” button. If you do not see either of these then your computer has other issues and you need a different kind of doctor. We don’t do Windows.
Step 4 - Group Therapy: Regardless of which steps were necessary to restore your iTouch, you should probably know in advance that smoking cigarettes will give you cancer and jailbreaking your iTouch may fail. If either one of these scenarios scare you then you should probably not do it. Also, since as soon as you have finished restoring your iTouch, you will probably pick up another cigarette and proceed to jailbreak your iTouch again (we never learn…do we ;-) the try the following tips to avoid another failed jailbreak attempt:
- Turn off autolock in settings
- Make sure you have a fully charged battery
- Don’t be impatient and start killing programs and disconnecting the iTouch until it is done
- Be sure you have a reliable wireless network…this means you should probably not use the neighbors unprotected linksys network
DISCLAIMER: Most of article was written with the best of intentions and in a light-hearted manner. The rest of it are serious and meant to advise and assist those of you who want to venture into the unknown world of jailbreaking. You pick which parts are which.
Innocent_Killer said
July 1 2008 @ 9:00 am
Wo0t thank you!!! you’re a life saver!!
admin said
July 1 2008 @ 5:23 pm
No problem! Glad I could help!
kebler said
July 11 2008 @ 2:30 am
Sorry for posting here and the board! I wasn’t sure which would get a faster response.
Help!
I tried jailbreaking my itouch and it worked. But then I pressed Jailbreak + Activate and it froze. It keeps saying
BSD root: md0, major 2, minor 0
when I disconnect the usb cable it says
Apple S5L8900XIpodHAL :: message I0IpodUSBDevice::gated_message cable removed, stopped stack
BSD root:md0, major 2, minor 0
…etc
and then it goes back to saying
BSD root: md0, major 2, minor 0
I tried turning off my itouch, pressing the home button while reconnecting it, and reinstalling itunes, but nothing’s working! Itunes isn’t connecting to it either and I’m not sure how to get it to.
I’m freaking out! Help!
Sara said
July 13 2008 @ 4:37 pm
OMG thank you soooooo much, I was scared to death!! THANK YOU !!
admin said
July 13 2008 @ 4:59 pm
Rty11 said
July 17 2008 @ 7:14 am
@Kebler: I am getting the EXACT SAME ISSUE as Kebler does: BSD root:md0, major 2, minor 0 = repeat. so sad…
Rty11 said
July 17 2008 @ 7:18 am
Sorry, i should have included this in last post. My itouch has (had?) Version 1.1.5
Rty11 said
July 17 2008 @ 7:18 am
Sorry, i should have included this in last post. My itouch was running on version 1.1.5 before i tried to jailbreak it.
karyee said
July 17 2008 @ 7:06 pm
i also have the same program as Kebler, please help.
admin said
July 18 2008 @ 5:31 pm
Note to all of you who have tried jailbreaking 1.1.5:
You can’t (or probably shouldn’t) jailbreak 1.1.5 yet…the bugs aren’t worked out. You have two choices until we get this worked out. First, you can upgrade to 1.1.5 and use the new apps in the app store, or you can stay on 1.1.4 and use the jailbreak. I’ll research this and write more on the subject at http://abwaters.com
Stay tuned.
kenny said
July 19 2008 @ 10:10 pm
Watsup! Okay I tried to jailbreak my iPod following the instructions on youtube and everything worked out well except for the last few steps. I was supposed to go on jailbreakme.com and then click on add snapp on my iPods screen but when I do nothing Happens . I went back to see the version of my iPod and the nw version was 1.1.5 but it was 1.1.3 when I started the jailbreaking process. I don’t know what to do and I don’t get why nothing happens when I click on addsnapp ( on jailbreakme.com) please help me out man thx
admin said
July 22 2008 @ 7:59 pm
Kenny, somehow I missed your comment. Where do things stand now? Is your iTouch working? Let me know where things are at and i’ll help if I can…
ryan k said
July 23 2008 @ 4:03 am
Help!
I tried jailbreaking my itouch and it worked. But then I pressed Jailbreak + Activate and it froze. It keeps saying
BSD root: md0, major 2, minor 0
when I disconnect the usb cable it says
Apple S5L8900XIpodHAL :: message I0IpodUSBDevice::gated_message cable removed, stopped stack
BSD root:md0, major 2, minor 0
…etc
and then it goes back to saying
BSD root: md0, major 2, minor 0
I tried turning off my itouch, pressing the home button while reconnecting it, and reinstalling itunes, but nothing’s working! Itunes isn’t connecting to it either and I’m not sure how to get it to.
I’m freaking out! Help!
please tell me how to start over and get this thing working properly again…thx
alan said
August 7 2008 @ 5:01 pm
dude omg i keep gettin that BSD root msg. it wont go away… crap and i tried all those steps and itunes wont recognize the touch. Is there anyother way
admin said
August 7 2008 @ 5:12 pm
Alan,
These steps will work…but one of the key first steps is iTunes must see the iTouch. Even when the iTouch is broken, iTunes will recognize it if iTunes is working and installed. I recommend two things…first, reinstall iTunes…if that doesn’t work, then go to a different computer and install iTunes or use one that is working to try the steps from this article.
It works…be patient.
mattias said
August 18 2008 @ 7:31 pm
attempt to jailbreak itouch, multiple times. i tried to restore, and now the itouch wont even turn on. the screen is always black like it is totally out of battery but it wont be fed power when connected. itouch=dead. need to get a new one
great 300 bucks down the drain
admin said
August 18 2008 @ 8:15 pm
Mattias, first calm down. Good…charge your ipod so that the battery is good then go through and follow the steps listed in this article. You haven’t lost $300 bucks…you can recover your ipod but not if you panic.
Let me know how it goes. Good luck!
john said
August 22 2008 @ 7:01 pm
my itouch is repeating bsd root: md0, major 2 monor 0 and itunes dont see my ipod can you help please
admin said
August 22 2008 @ 7:50 pm
John,
iTunes must see the iTouch. Even when the iTouch is broken, iTunes will recognize it if iTunes is working and installed. I recommend two things…first, reinstall iTunes…if that doesn’t work, then go to a different computer and install iTunes or use one that is working to try the steps from this article.
It works…be patient.
john said
August 23 2008 @ 3:43 pm
thanks it work how restore my itouch dont know if i use jailbreak again
admin said
August 23 2008 @ 4:40 pm
I’m glad to hear it. I actually upgraded to the 2.0 firmware and am now using the free apps from apple.
xtin said
September 12 2008 @ 5:48 am
hi.. just need help.. omg…. i attempt to jailbreak itouch, multiple times. i tried to restore, and now the itouch wont even turn on. the screen is always black like it is totally out of battery but it wont be fed power when connected. itouch=dead. ive tried installing itunes 8… but iTunes would not recognize my iTouch and wouldnt give me the main device screen where i can select the “Restore” button..
admin said
September 12 2008 @ 6:07 am
xtin, first, it has to be charged…and it will charge when plugged in even if there is not a response. my recommendation is leave it plugged in for a while, then follow the steps in this article…if you cannot get iTouch to see it at all, then use another computer…there might be a problem with the USB drivers on your computer. But be patient and you will get your iTouch back…whatever you do xtin, DON’T PANIC!
Rustum said
September 23 2008 @ 1:15 am
Thank you sooooo much…. you saved one more life…
queen said
October 10 2008 @ 7:55 am
hey admin
basicallyy
i followwd wat u have already written but its not working
keeps repeating BSD ROOT etc
and itunes doesnt recognise
wat version will work
i had updated to 1.1.5
and im stuck
and im nott panicing!!! but i really want this to work
plzzzzzzzzzzzzz help me
xx thanks