After installing iOS 4.0, you will lose your jailbreak and unlock, on your iPhone and iPod Touch, and being latest firmware you might face incompatibility issues with your favorite apps forcing you to return to old firmware 3.1.3. If you are looking for a solution to downgrade iOS 4.0 firmware to iOS 3.1.3 then follow the steps below (for Windows and Mac users).
Users with iPhone 3G and iPod Touch 3G however, must also have the ECID with SHSH saved in the Saurik’s Cydia server and the modify the hosts file in order to succeed in the procedure. Let’s see how:
I am again repeating: This process is only for those who have already saved the ECIDs with SHSH to Cydia Server.
Modifying the Hosts file:
Windows
- Open Notepad with administrator privileges and then right click on the icon of notepad and click on “Open as administrator”
- Now that Notepad is open Go to folder C:/WINDOWS/system32/drivers/etc and open the file
- Add the following line at the end of the document and save it: 74.208.10.249 gs.apple.com
Mac
- Navigate to “Go” -> “Go to Folder” and enter the path /etc
- Open the file “hosts” with TextEdit, add the following string “74.208.10.249 gs.apple.com” and save the file to your desktop.
- Now return to the previous folder by following the same method and copy the text within this file by replacing the original file (If prompted for a password enter it and click OK)
Requirements
- iTunes 9.2
- Original firmware 3.1.3
- iRecovery v 1.3 for Mac
- Libusb library for Mac
- iRecovery libusb 1.3 + for Windows
Steps to downgrade iOS 4.0 iPhone firmware to 3.1.3 [Mac OS]
Step #1 Copy the application “iRecovery” on the desktop and install the library “libusb”.
Step #2 Open iTunes, click the ALT key + Restore and manually load the original 3.1.3 firmware.
Step #3 During the restore process, you’ll notice a pop up with error 1015, neglect it.
Step #4 Click Ok to close the pop-ups and close iTunes.
Step #5 Now open the terminal and type the following commands:
cd Desktop
./iRecovery-s
setenv auto-boot true
saveenv
fsboot
exit
Step #6 Wait a few seconds and disconnect the iPhone from the cable, then reboot the phone by clicking Home + Power buttons simultaneously.
Step #7 Once you connect the phone via USB and proceed normally, the Apple logo appears on the display.
Voila! The downgrade from iOS 4.0 to iOS 3.1.3 is successfully completed.
Steps to downgrade iOS 4.0 iPhone firmware to 3.1.3 [Windows]
Step #1 Extract the archive iRecovery and bring the application on your Desktop.
Step #2 Install “libusb-win32-filter-bin-0.1.12.1.exe” and keep the file on the desktop.
Step #3 Connect your iPhone via USB and put it in DFU mode (hold down the button “Power” and “Home” for 10 seconds then release).
Step #4 Restore and manually load firmware 3.1.3 (by pressing Shift + Restore and select the firmware you downloaded previously).
Step #5 Towards the end of recovery, the procedure will stop and return the iTunes error 1015. Neglect it.
Step #6 Click OK on the pop-up, Close iTunes and run the console by typing the following commands:
cd Desktop (or folder where you copied iRecovery)
iRecovery.exe-s
setenv auto-boot true
saveenv
fsboot
exit
Step #7 Unplug the iPhone from your computer and restart it by pressing the Power and Home until the Apple logo appears. Once turned on, connect to your computer, activate it and use it normally.
Voila! The downgrade from iOS 4.0 to iPhone iOS 3.1.3 is successfully completed.
**Very Important**
[Update]: Windows 7 or Windows Vista users, who can not run the libusb and only getting malfunction of all USB ports), a fix is available through which you can bring the iPhone in Recovery Mode. Just follow the steps below:
- Download the file and extract it. There are 3 folders (ADD HARDWARE WIZARD, INSTALL LIBUSB, BATCH) and a file called libusb FIX.exe.
- Enter in the first folder and attached your iPhone to the computer and then open infwizard and then click Next.
- Here choose the list “Apple Mobile Device USB Driver”, click “next” again “next” and then save the file as MYSETUP.inf in folder 1.
- Open Start menu and type “hdwwiz.cpl” and press Enter
- Click Next to continue.
- Select Install Manually (Advanced)
- Make sure “Show all Devices” is selected and click next.
- Click Have Disk….
- Click Browse… and find “MYSETUP.INF” you saved earlier in folder 1. Go ahead and install the driver.
- Press “OK” and then “Next” Twice
- If warning appears, click “Install Anyway.”
- Go to the folder 2), right-click on Setup.exe libusb 32win and go to Properties: Here, change the compatibility with “Windows XP Service Pack 2″ and put “Run as administrator”, then install it.
- We’re almost there! Now, let’s start libusb FIX.exe (as administrator) and click first on “install batch” then click “install watermark fix”, here select “English” and then “Add to tcpip.sys.
Please share your results, if you are facing any problem. We will try to resolve it. You may also check out our previous post on HOW TO: Downgrade iPhone OS 4.0 Beta1 to iPhone OS 3.1.3 Firmware. Though the instructions are almost same, but many users were able to downgrade iOS 4.0 to iOS 3.1.3. Some of them have suggested the solution in the comment section for troubleshooting. Just check it out.