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iTunes 9.0 deletes all firmwares previous to 3.1

SpaceKitty

SpaceKitty

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Nov 9, 2008
3,204
1
Fort Collins Colorado
During the install of 9.0 iTunes, it automatically deletes all of the previous IPSW versions and doesn't tell you.

I have been reading on the Apple forums and they state that with the 3GS iPhone that the iPhone cannot be restored to anything other than 3.1 even if it was running 3.0 or 3.01 previous to the restore. Has anyone verified that iTunes won't allow a 3GS to restore from 3.0 or 3.01 to 3.0 or 3.01?

I was kind of upset to find out it deleted all my previous versions of iPhone software.
 
apple doesnt want you to be able to downgrade below 3.1 because then you could slip out of the noose they are tightening around jailbreaking and unlocking.
 
paranoid aren't we.

Removing the old firmwares makes perfect sense because it could cause problems and once it does, people are apt to call apple or show up, so from a support perspective its smart to remove the old versions.
 
.... I still see my IPSW from 3.0.1

Haven't updated to 3.1 though.
 
Pointless. The firmware is readily available from numerous sources. Word of advice, make backups of your apps folder and firmware, copy your backup folder to alternate location and date it, just in case.
 
sinsin07 said:
Pointless. The firmware is readily available from numerous sources. Word of advice, make backups of your apps folder and firmware, copy your backup folder to alternate location and date it, just in case.
Click to expand...

Of course I've already got the previous versions from another place. There is gonna be allot of upset people running 3.0 or 3.01 who have to restore this week and realize the only restore they can do is to 3.1 even if they have 3.0 on their computer.
 
SpaceKitty said:
During the install of 9.0 iTunes, it automatically deletes all of the previous IPSW versions and doesn't tell you.

I have been reading on the Apple forums and they state that with the 3GS iPhone that the iPhone cannot be restored to anything other than 3.1 even if it was running 3.0 or 3.01 previous to the restore. Has anyone verified that iTunes won't allow a 3GS to restore from 3.0 or 3.01 to 3.0 or 3.01?

I was kind of upset to find out it deleted all my previous versions of iPhone software.
Click to expand...

Those files can be quite large too, I can understand why they shouldn't be allowed to build up. BUT, it's not something that should be done without prompting the user.

(I'm avoiding 3.1 anyhow since it breaks tethering here).
 
SpaceKitty said:
Of course I've already got the previous versions from another place. There is gonna be allot of upset people running 3.0 or 3.01 who have to restore this week and realize the only restore they can do is to 3.1 even if they have 3.0 on their computer.
Click to expand...

My comment was directed you, that's why I did not quote you. It was just a general suggestion.
 
SilentPanda said:
Why does any normal user need a firmware saved to their machine prior to the current?
Click to expand...

So they can revert back to the old version if things go pear-shaped.

You could wait days for Apple to release a fix, or you can keep an old firmware version and revert; to have your phone back working within an hour.

Or maybe you just don't like the new version (several people report 3.1 adversely affects battery life), and want to revert back.
 
SpaceKitty said:
Possibly because some of us are not running the current version?
Click to expand...

To me, that's not a normal user. The majority of the iPhone users are just going to update to the latest and most probably won't even read the patch notes.

I know there are reasons you might want to keep your old firmwares, but for most iPhone users they probably don't even know that the 3.1 firmware is on their computer. It's just cleanup of useless files for most of Apple's users.
 
SilentPanda said:
To me, that's not a normal user. The majority of the iPhone users are just going to update to the latest and most probably won't even read the patch notes.

I know there are reasons you might want to keep your old firmwares, but for most iPhone users they probably don't even know that the 3.1 firmware is on their computer. It's just cleanup of useless files for most of Apple's users.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't be so sure. IMO, iPhone users are on the gadgetaholic end of the human scale. :) People who are just interested in a 'phone that works, no frills' probably don't buy an iPhone.

If there are many 'casual' iPhone users out there, they probably don't even upgrade their iPhone OS, never mind read the patch notes.
 
dalvin200 said:
if you're worried, then go to trash can and drag them out for sake keeping :)
Click to expand...

I emptied the trash BEFORE i realized that the firmware versions were in there. I already went elsewhere and downloaded what I needed.

I only upgraded my 3G to 3.1. My 3GS is running 3.0 and my 2G is running 2.2.1. Itunes had no reason to delete 2.2.1.

Yes I know they want every iPhone to upgrade to 3.1 to prevent unlocking and jailbreaking and at least they won't prevent me doing that so far on the 2G and 3GS since I didn't upgrade.
 
I know a lot of Iphone users and none of them have a clue about firmware. They just update when told to do so. Most of us here have lost touch with the "average" user.
 
whooleytoo said:
I wouldn't be so sure. IMO, iPhone users are on the gadgetaholic end of the human scale. :) People who are just interested in a 'phone that works, no frills' probably don't buy an iPhone.
Click to expand...

maybe 2 years ago. the iphone is now a fashion accessory like designer clothes. apple wouldn't have the market share they have if only tech-heads bought the phone.
 
jayenh said:
maybe 2 years ago. the iphone is now a fashion accessory like designer clothes. apple wouldn't have the market share they have if only tech-heads bought the phone.
Click to expand...

Very likely true. Though the non tech-heads probably aren't updating their firmware at all! My boss hasn't upgraded his since he bought it.
 
jayenh said:
maybe 2 years ago. the iphone is now a fashion accessory like designer clothes. apple wouldn't have the market share they have if only tech-heads bought the phone.
Click to expand...

tech heads are only buying it now, 2 years ago no tech head would buy a $600 phone with features missing that cheaper phones had for years

SilentPanda said:
Why does any normal user need a firmware saved to their machine prior to the current?
Click to expand...

so they can go back if the new firmware breaks old hacks
 
whooleytoo said:
I wouldn't be so sure. IMO, iPhone users are on the gadgetaholic end of the human scale. :) People who are just interested in a 'phone that works, no frills' probably don't buy an iPhone.
Click to expand...

That doesn't match my experience.

Counting myself I know 16 people with iPhones. Here's the breakdown:

Reads pages like this daily, Knows everything about the iPhone: 1 (Me)
Keeps up with updates, know a lot but still asks me questions: 6
Casual users: 9
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile/7C144 Safari/528.16)

Moast of the iPhone users I know are "casual" users who wouldn't care about this. but I still think apple should tell you this is happening.
 
Small White Car said:
That doesn't match my experience.

Counting myself I know 16 people with iPhones. Here's the breakdown:

Reads pages like this daily, Knows everything about the iPhone: 1 (Me)
Keeps up with updates, know a lot but still asks me questions: 6
Casual users: 9
Click to expand...

Some of us fit in between these categories. We browse this forum regularly; we know a little; but we're often afraid to ask questions because you tech heads jump all over us saying that we're naive or should have known that what we're asking was discussed on three threads in July or August :eek:
 
When they did this with apps, everyone complained that it was taking up too much space, so there was rejoicing when installing a new app, it deleted the old one.

Now that Apple do it with the firmware files, people complain. I think it's better this way - to delete them, and if the user wants, they can elect to rescue them from the trash. YOu know, rather than keep them, even when you don't want them - it was never clear where they were stored for most users. Deleting them is more transparent.

And for people accidentally erasing trash, then I guess it's a lesson learnt in either keeping an eye on what you are emptying, or to keep a time machine backup.
 
Numours sources like this that actually lets you select which one and downloads it directly from Apple's servers. If Apple didn't want you installing it completly they would have removed them all off the servers:

http://www.felixbruns.de/iPod/firmware/

It was probably to assist in taking less space on every computer iTunes is installed to and making it less "bloaty"
 
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