How To iPad

Published on December 17th, 2012 | by Jeff Herb

43

‘iPad is disabled’ fix without resetting using iTunes

 

Today I met my match with an iPad that had a passcode entered too many times, resulting in it displaying the message ‘iPad is disabled – Connect to iTunes’. This was a student iPad and since they use Notability for most of their work there was a chance that her files were not all backed up to the cloud. I really wanted to just re-activate the iPad instead of totally resetting it back to our default image.

I reached out to my PLN on Twitter and had some help from a few people through retweets and a couple of clarification tweets. I love that so many are willing to help out so quickly. Through this I also learned that I look like Lt. Riker from Star Trek (thanks @FillineMachine).

Through some trial and error (and a little sheer luck), I was able to reactivate the iPad without loosing any data. Note, this will only work on the computer it last synced with. Here’s how:

 


1. Configurator is useless in reactivating a locked iPad. You will only be able to completely reformat the iPad using Configurator. If that’s ok with you, go for it – otherwise don’t waste your time trying to figure it out.

2. Open iTunes with the iPad disconnected.

3. Connect the iPad to the computer and wait for it to show up in the devices section in iTunes.

4. Click on the iPad name when it appears and you will be given the option to restore a backup or setup as a new iPad (since it is locked).

5. Click ‘Setup as new iPad’ and then click restore.

6. The iPad will start backing up before it does the full restore and sync. CANCEL THE BACKUP IMMEDIATELY. You do this by clicking the small x in the status window in iTunes.

7. When the backup cancels, it immediately starts syncing – cancel this as well using the same small x in the iTunes status window.

8. The first stage in the restore process unlocks the iPad, you are basically just cancelling out the restore process as soon as it reactivates the iPad.

 

If done correctly, you will experience no data loss and the result will be a reactivated iPad. I have now tried this with about 5 iPads that were locked identically by students and each time it worked like a charm.

 

Tags: ,


About the Author

avatar

Jeff Herb is an Educator, Blogger, and Podcaster focusing on Instructional Technology and finding ways to innovate the classroom using technology. Follow Jeff on Twitter to keep up with the latest in Educational Technology.


Related Posts



  • Pingback: 'iPad is disabled' fix without resetting using iTunes - Instructional Tech Talk | ediPads & iThings | Scoop.it

  • Pingback: 003 - Livescribe Pens in the Classroom - Instructional Tech Talk

  • http://www.facebook.com/techfixers Techfixers Kenny

    why does this only works with computer that it last synced to ? is there any other way around it ? if this procedure fails, would it wipe all the data ?

    • http://instructionaltechtalk.com/ Jeff Herb

      This only works with the last computer it syncs with because iTunes does not perform a backup on an iPad it doesn’t recognize, it just formats it immediately. The trick to this one is that you cancel out the backup before it starts reformatting.

      And yes, if you don’t cancel the backup before it completes, you do run the risk of losing data – but that would have been inevitable without this work around anyway.

      Thanks for your questions!

  • elvis

    i suppose my question is essentially the same as kenny’s, and i think i already know the final answer; regardless, i shall ask anyway.

    the ipad in question belongs to a friend of mine, and may never have been synced. ever. not with any laptop, pc, macbook … nothing. no icloud account/relationship either. it’s well over a year old, and has hundreds of megs of pix. she claims that she was using it one day with no problems, and the next day it “just started asking for a passcode.” you guessed it – there have been enough incorrect attempts at guessing the passcode that the ipad is now locked up tight, and seems to be completely disabled.

    i can even hook it to a linux box, and see the device as if it were a camera, but it shows the device as having no pictures. my research over the past several days has consistently led me to “sorry, dude. factory restore. wipe it clean.”

    do you have ANY other suggestions, regardless of complexity or risk? i’m willing to try terminal cpmmands, password cracking, whatever.

    • http://instructionaltechtalk.com/ Jeff Herb

      @disqus_BQL9SqcOwJ:disqus

      To my knowledge, a syncing relationship must exist between the device and the computer in order for this method to work. Without this relationship, the device will start by wiping itself instead of starting with a backup. For this to work, you need to cancel out the backup before it finishes – data will be lost without this step.

      I will try and see what I can track down for you, but I was thrilled to find this work-around in the first place…not sure if anything more intensive exists.

      Let me know if you come up with a solution!

  • sachin

    i have followed the instructions to fix disabled ipad without resetting but the in device section it does not read ipad. The pop up shows itunes cannot connect ipad as it is passcode protected. please suggest

    • http://instructionaltechtalk.com/ Jeff Herb

      @ce48c83bf44be82f8478011e961d1450:disqus

      This is generally the case if the device you’re connecting to your computer hasn’t been synced with that computer. Is this the case?

      • joy

        my ipad has been synched w m computer several times but i also get this message. if i reboot in safe mode only option is to restore ipad and delete all data. thoughts arnd this?

  • Nuha

    my ipad is disabled and it can’t connect to itunes ? i really need an answer
    thank u.

    • http://instructionaltechtalk.com/ Jeff Herb

      Hi @46dd1ec1e9fc3754296e830366a91d9c:disqus – need a little more info than that. What do you mean by “it can’t connect to iTunes?”

  • Kat

    I also have a student iPad which I have forgotten the password to. I have backed up with iCloud but I haven’t synced to a computer. Will this work?

  • Neats

    What if the last computer you synced to does not recognize the iPad?

    • http://instructionaltechtalk.com/ Jeff Herb

      That’s a great question. Can’t say I’ve run across that problem. Perhaps putting the iPad into recovery mode? No guarantees here, as I’m not sure if recovery mode will still attempt a backup first. Either way, here are the steps:

      1. Disconnect the USB cable from the iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, but leave the other end of the cable connected to your computer’s USB port.

      2. Turn off the device: Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button for a few seconds until the red slider appears, then slide the slider. Wait for the device to turn off.

      Note: If you cannot turn off the device using the slider, press and hold the Sleep/Wake and Home buttons at the same time. When the device turns off, release the Sleep/Wake and Home buttons.

      3. While pressing and holding the Home button, reconnect the USB cable to the device. The device should turn on.
      Note: If you see the screen pictured below, let the device charge for at least ten minutes to ensure that the battery has some charge, and then start with step 2 again.

      4. Continue holding the Home button until you see the “Connect to iTunes” screen. When this screen appears you can release the Home button.

      5. If necessary, open iTunes. You should see the following “recovery mode” alert. Restore using iTunes.

      • Indu

        Hey I have followed all the above steps but still Itunes say “t says it needs the password entered on the ipad – which can’t be done because ipad is disabled. “. This IPAD was never synched to PC. I need to enable this, please suggest.

        • Jennifer

          my mom’s does the same thing as Indu. It starts to do the restore but then stops & the message about the needing to entering the password. Plus my Itunes doesn’t have a menu on the left side anymore since it was updated. I’m kinda confused on why it looks different. Any help would be awsome! Thanks!

  • http://www.facebook.com/susan.b.albert Susan Broadstreet Albert

    My daughter’s ipad can’t even be accessed through itunes – it says it needs the password entered on the ipad – which can’t be done because ipad is disabled. What can we do???

    • http://instructionaltechtalk.com/ Jeff Herb

      If it won’t allow you to interact with the computer while the lock is in place, my guess is that the iPad had never been synced with the computer. Is that the case? If so, you will need to reformat the iPad as this solution really only works if you can initiate a sync and then cancel it before there is data loss.

  • lolVa

    im connecting it to itunes and i try to restor it but it updates this software and it takes hoooours !!!! pleaseee help

  • Dinny

    the above method worked like a charm and restored my ipad, which was disabled due to the “wrong passcode” attempts

    • http://instructionaltechtalk.com/ Jeff Herb

      Great to hear, Dinny – thanks for sharing your success!

  • Trooper

    Like Elvis, I am in the same situation. The pictures on my ipad are dearly important as they contain my 4th childs birth in photos and video. My wife cried for over an hour when we realized that our 7 and 9 year old exhausted the attempts to guess the passcode on the ipad. (ipad3). Apple Care was no help. My PC crashed in December(2012) and was restored shortly before my sons birth in January. The Ipad was never synced to the new Itunes account nor did it have an ICloud account. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I can also be reached by email -

    • Natalia

      Hi there. I had the same situation. I nearly lost all my very important photos of my baby!! I couldn’t manage by connecting ipad to the PC. But I’ve managed to send from disabled ipad to iPhone via STREAM PHOTOS. Hope that helps.

      • MAK

        Hi Natalia. How you did that can you please give some instructions. I got couple gig photos and that one time occassion photos. I can’t afford to lose. Please advise

  • http://twitter.com/pshea99 Peter Shea

    My daughter cracked the glass on her iPad. We sent it to a company that fixes them. when we got it back it said iPad disabled for 22,667,476 minutes. Does this fix work under these conditions or only when permanently disabled?

  • banana

    i forgot my ipod touch at my friends house on friday and just got it back today (on sunday), and they must of tried to get on it, but they couldn’t because it has a password on it. so, when i turned it on now it keeps saying Ipod is disabled connect to iTunes and there is no arrow slide thingy

    i have already tried turning it all the way off and that didn’t help

    can u help me please???????

  • Pingback: 'iPad is disabled' fix without resetting using iTunes - Instructional Tech Talk | Ipad enabling without resetting using itunes | Scoop.it

  • kacie oboyle

    it doesnt come up ( kacies ipad ) what will i do or what can i do ?

  • My I Pad is disabled.

    Do i need to log in with my apple id and password first. and then go to file and click on devices.
    But when I click on it, there are Sync, Transfer Purchases, Backup, Restore from Backup. But I tried to click on it but it doesn’t let me.

  • My I Pad is disabled.

    Jeff Herb, When I went into iTunes, it didn’t say recovery mode alert but it said software update. Do I need to update the software first then the recovery mode alert will come out…

    • http://instructionaltechtalk.com/ Jeff Herb

      If you update the software it should re-enable the software much like the backup does. Good luck!

  • http://www.facebook.com/RsixXanthusMark Rsix Xanthus Mark

    sir my ipad is also disabled but den i also cant connect it to itunes..den if i connect the itunes said that i need 1st ti enter my password to my ipad..but i cant because my ipad is disabled..please help me..thanks

  • Sbidani

    Jeff,

    My I pad shows a message ” Ipad is disabled” connect to I tunes. This happened after I bought an apple iphone 5 and they synced the iphone5 to the same apple ID ( which would be a natural thing to do).

    Now, I can log into Itunes with the same apple ID, and it shows only one device which is the iphone.

    When I connect the ipad2 to itunes, it identifies it as “Kiosk’s Ipad” and gives a message “Ipad is locked with a passcode” and could not connect to iTunes.

    Please advise

    • http://instructionaltechtalk.com/ Jeff Herb

      Had you synced the iPad with the computer in the past? I assume you have, just clarifying.

  • mitch

    my ipad is disabled abd never been snyced with computer what im going to do?

  • Richard

    no help is useful till now

    • http://instructionaltechtalk.com/ Jeff Herb

      Great to hear, Richard! Thanks for commenting.

  • http://www.facebook.com/donna.robles.777 Donna Robles

    IS THIS REALLY EFFECTIVE/ ? I REALLY REALLY NEED AN IFO TO BACK UP OR ENABLE THE IPAD, PLEASE HELP ME, I NEED UR HELP SIR, THIS IS A VERRY BIG PROBLEM TO A VERRY BIG PERSON, PLEASE HELP ME

  • Deb

    About how long does it take to restore disabled ipad to iTunes?

    • Deborah Jackson

      Can someone please answer this question? Is it suppose to take 7 hours? I don’t have that much data on my ipad.

  • Savannah

    It took a bit of searching in iTunes (it was actually under File – Devices – Transfer Purchases to from iPad and then I x’d things out), but it totally worked!! Thanks!!

  • sunshineannie

    My daughter had a passcode on her ipad2, she kept entering radom numbers bc she forgot it, it has now permanantly disabled the ipad says to connect to Itunes I did that I when I connect it it brings up the screen to backup in icloud or computer and to sync. the message for restore says connect a usb cable to update or restore. when I right click on the ipad name it only brings up eject,sync,backup or reset restore warnings. I also did what you suggested as far as canceling out the backup before it finishes and nothing happened. the computer does bring a pop up when I begin that it can not connect bc of password but Itunes does detect the ipad, I really hope this gives you a little more info to help us with this problem for me I dont care if I loose all my data and it restores back to factory anything to get it working again I am willing to do… Thank you.

  • Jose

    Great solution, thanks!

Back to Top ↑

© 2013 ITT Media



Back to Top ↑