Yesterday we had a call from a client who had unfortunately lost the ability to start his iPad mini. It transpired that they had ‘acquired’ iOS7 on their device, and for some reason it had been deactivated (we’ll never know why now…). And because the iPad was using Find My iPhone (which he couldn’t turn off because he couldn’t get into the OS), he couldn’t restore the operating system normally.
After a little research we found that it seems Apple may be clamping down on unauthorised iOS7 users, and also that one of the beta releases of the software had expired. Either or both of these things could have been the cause of our clients problem, but the solution was going to be the same no matter. We had to talk the client through putting his iPad into what’s known as DFU mode and restoring it back to iOS6, losing all his settings and data (backups from iOS7 are not compatible with iOS6); obviously he could reload apps later.
There’s a couple of important lessons here:
- Never run beta versions of Operating Systems or Software. We’ve made the mistake ourselves, and, honestly, it’s not worth the risk. When beta software goes wrong, it has the capacity to cause you a whole world of pain. Wait for the software to become release quality (and even then we’re inclined to suggest you leave it a short while to further reduce the risk of causing yourself more pain – let others suffer it for you!) before upgrading or installing.
- CHNO Technology have the technical knowledge and access to resources to help you out of these emergencies. Fixes such as this may not be instant, or perfect (such is their nature), but you can rely on us to work on the issue on your behalf and get you back working as quickly as possible.
Fortunately for our client, after consulting with us, his iPad mini is now working again using iOS6.
