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[Windows Guide] My 2.1 Jailbreak/QuickPwn experience...might help save you time.

jcde7ago

jcde7ago

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Aug 4, 2008
478
0
San Francisco, CA
Okay, so i am by no means an expert at all this jailbreaking stuff, but i did do a lot of research before attempting to Jailbreak my 2.1 firmware 3G. I noticed a lot of questions being asked that were redundant (including some from me)...so I am going to share exactly what i did, what i used, and how things turned out...and yes, they turned out well in the end. This also covers restoring from a backup of non-jailbroken, stock 2.1 firmware AFTER quickpwning, and what the results are. If you want to QuickPwn properly and have Cydia/Installer WITHOUT LOSING ANY OF YOUR DATA, read on!

System specs:

-iPhone 3G, 8 GB

- PC: Windows XP SP2, iTunes 8.0, .net Framework 3.5 (this is important, so make sure you have this), QuickPwn 2.1

-Laptop: Vista 32-bit, iTunes 8.0, .net Framework 3.5, QuickPwn 2.1

Yes, i did the jailbreak twice, on both machines just to see if there was any difference between XP and Vista (there were none). XP iTunes is barebones iTunes 8.0, no music or apps. Laptop/Vista iTunes had all my synced files. Using QuickPwn on a computer with iTunes that you don't normally sync with to jailbreak is 100% ok.

Before you even think about QuickPwning, if you have a bunch of apps installed (I had 4 pages worth) DO NOT QUICKPWN! Doing this will MOST LIKELY cause your iPhone to get stuck on the Apple logo upon reboot after QuickPwning, and doing this twice through Vista and XP confirms this. If you're like me and have LEGIT, NON-Jailbroken 2.1 firmware already running, these are the steps you should take to do a proper QuickPwn:

1. Sync/Backup your iPhone completely. This is important should anything go wrong.

2. Backup that backup. Yes, you read right, navigate to your MobileSync folder and drag the "Backup" folder to a usb flash drive, or external hard drive, or make a copy to the desktop. This is because once we jailbreak and do a backup with jailbroken firmware, it will overwrite your previously clean, 2.1 backup, and we don't want this.

Location of Backup folders in Windows: (credit to SwedishHammer, Mortagon and AFMagnum for additional info):

Vista - C:\Users\(YOUR USER NAME HERE)\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup

XP - C:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\Application Data\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup

Make sure you have folder options set to allow showing of hidden files and folders or you might not find the Backup folder!

3. Download QuickPwn for Windows. It can be found here: http://blog.iphone-dev.org/

4. Make sure you have STOCK, LEGIT Apple 2.1 firmware/ipsw already on your computer (you should have this if you're running 2.1 already). If not, go get it. Google is your friend, so is MacRumors.

5. Before we QuickPwn, we are going to RESTORE completely to stock 2.1 firmware. This is ok because we made a backup earlier, remember? This way after the restore the iPhone has minimal crap on it and is primed for getting QuickPwned with no problems.

6. After you've restored to stock 2.1 firmware, reboot your computer. When your computer starts back up, you DO NOT have to kill any iTunes related processes like Apple Mobile Device Helper, or iTunes Helper.exe. NOTHING. As a matter of fact, don't even start iTunes at all once you've restarted.

7. Make sure your iPhone is plugged in via USB. Then run QuickPwn. I'd go through the steps here, but it's pointless because QuickPwn tells you what you need to do as it is running. If you can follow basic on-screen instructions, you'll be fine. I am 99.999% certain on you guys' ability to do this.

8. Once QuickPwn is done and your phone has rebooted with Cydia/Installer on it, you have succeeded! But wait...there's more!

9. If you want your settings, SMS, and all that good stuff back from your previously non-jailbroken 2.1 firmware, now is the time to go ahead and do that. Right click your iPhone on the left iTunes sidebar and choose "Restore from Backup." Your latest clean backup should be available. Select it, and let it do its thing. This can take anywhere from 25-40 minutes, which is a LOT LESS than the ~4 hours it would take pre-2.1 firmware. And yes, restoring from backup, even if your backup was made using clean/stock/non-previously jailbroken firmware is okay and will NOT erase the jailbreak or Cydia/Installer. In fact, it is suggested that you only restore from backup if that backup was made from clean firmware, and not jailbroken fimware as that could lead to problems.

10. When it has finished restoring from the backup, you will notice that all of your downloaded AppStore apps are gone...Cydia/Installer/the Jailbreak, SMS and settings and that stuff is still there, but the Apps are gone. You lost your game saves, everything. Right? Wrong!

11. Simply re-sync your iPhone with the Apps you previously had (this might already be checked for you in the iPhone Applications tab in iTunes) and when they are back on your phone, you will notice that the progress/data on all of those apps are EXACTLY like they were before. Go ahead and resync the rest of your media, and you're done! You now have a Jailbroken iPhone running 2.1 firmware, and absolutely none of your data was lost! :D

Please remember, folks, that this is my personal experience, and although i replicated this twice on two different machines with the same exact results, technology is always tricky and your hardware might be different, so your mileage may vary. Should you have any questions, go ahead and reply to this thread, or PM me and i'll help you out as best i can. :)

Oh, this is now what my iPhone looks like:
(this theme i am using is called Bluebird (with a custom dock and wallpaper, and different icons). It can be found at macthemes2).

Lock Screen
photo3re5.jpg


Home Screen
photodk4.jpg


SBSettings (download off Cydia) which drops down over home screen, lock screen or within any app with the simple swipe/slide of your finger across the status bar (where the signal bar/battery indicator is) similar to Android drop down functionality. Replaces BossPrefs as you can easily toggle many things like WiFi/3G/Edge/SSH on or off without having to exit an app, just swipe your finger and voila!
photo2et3.jpg


QuickPwned 2.1
photolj9.jpg
 
Alright this is going to sound really stupid, but how do I get that Bluebird theme on my phone? I have only been using themes from cydia, but I found a bunch that I like on macthemes2 and don't know how to get them on my phone. Do I have to use open ssh?

Nice tutorial by the way. Quickpwn is really easy to work with.
 
staccato83 said:
Alright this is going to sound really stupid, but how do I get that Bluebird theme on my phone? I have only been using themes from cydia, but I found a bunch that I like on macthemes2 and don't know how to get them on my phone. Do I have to use open ssh?

Nice tutorial by the way. Quickpwn is really easy to work with.
Click to expand...

Thanks! And yes, you're going to have to SSH into your iPhone. Follow this guide on how to SSH into your iPhone using WinSCP (i am assuming you have Windows): http://limitededitioniphone.com/windows-guide-to-using-winscp-with-iphone/

When you've gotten into your iphone hit the previous folder arrow three times (it'll be the icon of a folder with an arrow in it) until you see a bunch of folders, one of which is "Library", click it then click "Themes". It should take you to a bunch of folders that are named [something].theme.

Download the Bluebird theme, extract it, and simply put the Bluebird.theme folder into your iPhone "Theme" folder. Close WinSCP, go into Winterboard and select "Bluebird," and you're done! To replace or add icons, SSH back into your phone, navigate into your Bluebird.theme folder and drag and drop your custom icons in the "Icons" folder inside the Bluebird.theme folder.

Remember that in order to replace icons, they must match the EXACT name of how they show up on your phone. (For example, Mocha VNC Lite's icon on the phone is simply "VNC," all in capital letters, so when dropping a custom icon inside your theme/Bluebird.theme/Icons folder to replace the original icon, you must match it EXACTLY, it is case sensitive. Hope this helps!
 
Great step-by-step.

BUT, it didn't work for me. I'm still having the same problem following your guide as I did with all other guides. QuickPwn hangs at "Wait for your iPhone to connect in Recovery Mode..." We are talking about it in this thread. Feel free to jump over there and help us out!

Thanks for the info; it seems to answer a lot of the questions I've been asking as well.
 
jcde7ago said:
Thanks! And yes, you're going to have to SSH into your iPhone. Follow this guide on how to SSH into your iPhone using WinSCP (i am assuming you have Windows): http://limitededitioniphone.com/windows-guide-to-using-winscp-with-iphone/

When you've gotten into your iphone hit the previous folder arrow three times (it'll be the icon of a folder with an arrow in it) until you see a bunch of folders, one of which is "Library", click it then click "Themes". It should take you to a bunch of folders that are named [something].theme.

Download the Bluebird theme, extract it, and simply put the Bluebird.theme folder into your iPhone "Theme" folder. Close WinSCP, go into Winterboard and select "Bluebird," and you're done! To replace or add icons, SSH back into your phone, navigate into your Bluebird.theme folder and drag and drop your custom icons in the "Icons" folder inside the Bluebird.theme folder.

Remember that in order to replace icons, they must match the EXACT name of how they show up on your phone. (For example, Mocha VNC Lite's icon on the phone is simply "VNC," all in capital letters, so when dropping a custom icon inside your theme/Bluebird.theme/Icons folder to replace the original icon, you must match it EXACTLY, it is case sensitive. Hope this helps!
Click to expand...

Thanks alot!! It took me a little while, but it worked perfect.
 
so if I update to 2.1 jailbroken, can I keep my previous themes from the previous jailbroken version? if so, how does this work?
 
I am unbale to find the backup folder with itunes 8

I have XP but the file path you wrote doesn't exsit on my computer, and from other research ive done after upgrading to itunes 8 that backup folder location is different. ????

Last step before I jailbreak and can't find the folder!!! grrr
 
JaseFase said:
I am unbale to find the backup folder with itunes 8

I have XP but the file path you wrote doesn't exsit on my computer, and from other research ive done after upgrading to itunes 8 that backup folder location is different. ????

Last step before I jailbreak and can't find the folder!!! grrr
Click to expand...

me too.
 
C:\Users\(YOUR USER NAME HERE)\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup

Should have the backup data, you want to make a copy of that folder
 
Same here and im rather confident with computers. That path does not exist on my computer. Ive been looking everywhere since 9am, can some one with itunes 8 that has backed up there backup please confirm.

if not it must be my comp but that doesn't make much sence???

Oh and yes for XP
 
I'd love to help you XP folks out on the backup folder location, but as i mentioned above the iTunes 8.0 i used on my XP machine is bare, no media or anything as all syncing i do is on my laptop...hence, no backup. I'll dig around and see what i can find and report back though...

EDIT: XP users, navigate to this location and see if it yields any results, and post back here and let others know if it does:

C:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\Application Data\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup
 
The folders application data, apple computer and mobilesync do not exist as a have searched thoughly maually and using the search function.
 
before you go through quickpwns' steps
do you put it into DFU mode before or
after you plug it in? or does
quickpwn do it for you?

thanks for the great post. i'm getting my
iphone next monday!
 
JaseFase said:
The folders application data, apple computer and mobilesync do not exist as a have searched thoughly maually and using the search function.
Click to expand...

As always with the MS OS XP/Vista etc. they don't trust users know how to handle critical OS files so they hide these directories. To see ALL directories you need to

* Open any folder or My Computer
* Go to Tools, Folder Options
* View Tab
* Look for "Hidden Files and Folders"
choose Show hidden files and folders.


Click ok

Check your path again in c:\
 
reliantj said:
before you go through quickpwns' steps
do you put it into DFU mode before or
after you plug it in? or does
quickpwn do it for you?

thanks for the great post. i'm getting my
iphone next monday!
Click to expand...

All you have to do is make sure your iPhone is connected via USB, run QuickPwn, and it'll guide you through the whole DFU and jailbreak process step-by-step.

Also, i am glad people are having success with this guide, it'd be awesome if it was stickied until the next firmware and QuickPwn update (by which i'd probably go through the same trial-and-error processes again and update this guide anyways!).

I've also gone ahead and edited the 2nd step in the process by providing the location of the MobileSync/Backup folder location in Vista. As for the XP location of that folder, it hasn't been confirmed by anyone yet, but i will add it if someone can confirm the location of the backups folder in XP. SwedishHammer above also notes a critical step in the Windows folder-finding process; in order to see your App Data/Application Data folder, make sure you enable the viewing of hidden files and folders, as outlined in his post above. Thanks!
 
jcde7ago said:
I'd love to help you XP folks out on the backup folder location, but as i mentioned above the iTunes 8.0 i used on my XP machine is bare, no media or anything as all syncing i do is on my laptop...hence, no backup. I'll dig around and see what i can find and report back though...

EDIT: XP users, navigate to this location and see if it yields any results, and post back here and let others know if it does:

C:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\Application Data\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup
Click to expand...

I'm running XP and my backup files were exactly as documented above.
 
I just did the pwning with a 2G iphone. Twice. My phone Icon only works for like 5 seconds and then crashes. Is there a detailed fix for that? Everything else works though.
 
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