HOW TO: Force iPod Touch, iPad, or iPhone into Restore Mode

There are a lot of posts with people asking how to do this so I thought I would post this thread to limit the questions.

Warning: This should be used as a last resort, restoring will erase all of your data

*Must have iPod, iPad, or iPhone plugged into computer while doing this*

Be patient, the force restore part may take up to 20 seconds.

1. Press and hold the home button and the sleep/wake button. (the power off option will appear, ignore it)
2. When the apple logo appears let go of the sleep/wake button (keep holding the home button.)
3. After a few seconds you should see the connect to iTunes image (you can now let go of the home button.)
4. Open iTunes .
5. iTunes should automatically recognize your iPod, iPad, or iPhone once the image comes up, if not unplug your iPod, iPad, or iPhone and plug it back in.
6. Restore your iPod, iPad, or iPhone by clicking the "Restore" button.

****If iTunes comes up with an error you may want to see the following link****

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=307007

If you are having a different error, post in this thread:

http://www.ifans.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32977

Alternate Method (Thanks to Zombie_Killer)

Really easy way to do it...

1.Make sure iPod, iPad, or iPhone is completely powered off.
2.Hold the home button while its off.
3.While holding the Home button, connect the cable. The iPod, iPad, or iPhone should power on.
4.Keep holding the Home button.
5.The Connect to iTunes image should come up.
6. Congrats, you in recovery mode.

I keep trying this and keep getting an unknown error after it trying to restore for about 2 minutes. What can I do? Please.

Is the iPod plugged into the computer during the whole process? Do you get the connect to iTunes image?

yes and yes. And after it says unknown error and I hit ok, the iPod just sits frozen with the apple symbol and the little spinning wheel frozen.

Yeah I do all of this but then when its finished iTunes freezes again. Idk If I will ever be able to sync again. I hope not, If so, then I just threw 300$ down the drain

Do you have the latest version of iTunes installed? (iTunes 7.4)

Yes, I sure do.

Yeah i just downloaded it yesterday. But i havent restated my computer in a while. Could that be it?

Maybe, shorty04992 try restarting your computer. Robleton, can you post a screen shot of the error you are getting?

Yeah, here it is.