iPad 3rd gen not booting past Apple logo, stuck a 0% when trying to update via iTunes

[Glassed Silver]

iTunes returns an unknown error (27) when trying to update it through iTunes.

The iPad is stuck at 0% on the update screen, been leaving it like this for about 15 mins now. I tried twice and with two different cables, no USB hub in-between.

Before it wouldn't boot up, so we tried charging it for several hours, but no game.

I'm really starting to lose it, because it sadly isn't my iPad, but my mother's and of course there isn't a damn backup available, so a complete reset is - for now - off the table.

I'm even willing to try some dodgy hacking to at least pull the photos off the device or anything like it.

Ah the joy that is maintaining this toy OS...

I'd be super thankful for any pointers.

And I tried the 45 sec power+home button reset trick. Nothing.

Glassed Silver:win

Edit: device is not encrypted by the way...

 

[flaubert]

It sounds as though this started out as a battery hardware problem, and then morphed into a bigger upgrade problem. First let's discuss the battery problem. If the battery is simply dead, as evidenced by not being able to charge it with two different cables before you started trying to upgrade it, then you will probably have to simply accept that fact and take it or send it to a specialist who can replace the battery. If you're lucky the mucking around that has happened since then hasn't actually disturbed the firmware, and the device will simply boot up in the old original firmware with photos intact after the battery replacement. Note the italics there...

It's been written that DFU mode is "your last, best hope" for firmware upgrade problems... I've never heard it referred to as a 45 second procedure, so I'm not sure if that is what you have already tried. But if you have put it into DFU mode it may not charge properly, since it is running the lowest level boot loader which probably has very few features beyond looking for firmware download. I'm not really sure whether or not it should be charging in that state, but since it sounds like you started out with a depleted battery you probably can't get it out of DFU if it happens to be in DFU. So it still sounds to me like a trip to have the battery replaced; the replacement battery probably will arrive with some non-zero percent charge, so after replacement you can get out of DFU (hold down wake and power buttons for ten seconds, should see start of a reboot with Apple logo).

The only other slender hope that I can offer is this: I know you tried two different cables, but I would get a genuine honest-to-goodness Apple charging cable and Apple charging brick from Apple, and try charging it overnight with that setup. You'd be surprised how bad quality control is for third party cables and chargers.

Good luck.

 

[Glassed Silver]

I only used original Apple cables and power supplies, also I can rule out a bad battery by now I'm pretty sure.

(had the iPad sit unplugged but in recovery mode for a while and noticed it turning off after several MINUTES. I know it's supposed to turn off after around 15mins of inactivity in recovery, must have been pretty much that time window, so I know the battery might not be the best anymore (old iPad after all) but it doesn't seem broken beyond hope)

I'll try DFU and applying an update.

That won't erase personal data right? I don't think it does, but my jailbreaking days when DFU was a close friend of mine are long gone so I don't quite remember the details anymore.

Glassed Silver:ios

 

[flaubert]

DFU won’t wipe any data, but the usual step after entering DFU is to restore firmware, and that definitely will wipe all data.
[doublepost=1518497111][/doublepost]Also, are you sure that iCloud backup is turned off? You can sign into iCloud.com with your mom’s credentials, and see if the photos she cares about are there, by some miracle. Other places you can check for photos: Photostream shared to another iOS device, or Photos on a recent MacOS computer that might be slurping down photos automatically. This is grasping at straws, I know, but I hate to see you lose data.