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What iTunes Error 3194 Mean & How to Fix it while Downgrading Firmware?

Posted by Ben on March 24, 2011

Whenever you restore a stock or custom IPSW of any firmware on your iDevice, iTunes request Apple servers to sign the IPSW with the ECID (Exclusive Chip ID) of your iDevice which is called SHSH Blob. As soon as new firmware gets released, Apple stops signing your ECID for old firmwares which result in iTunes 3194 error.

TinyUmbrella SHSH
Saurik, who happens to the be creator of Cydia managed to create a workaround which can trick iTunes to get SHSH blobs from Cydia server instead of requesting them from Apple servers. Unlike Apple servers, Cydia or Saurik's server signs the IPSW with ECID of your iDevice even when Apple releases new firmware. Unfortunately, Saurik's server do not saves SHSH blobs for any iDevice until it is requested to do so. If you do not have SHSH blobs saved on Saurik's server and Apple has stopped signing ECID for the firmware to which you want to downgrade, in this case you CAN NOT downgrade firmware on your iDevice EVER.

iTunes Error 3194
If you have already saved SHSH blobs for the firmware to which you want to downgrade and you are still getting 3194 error then it means iTunes is unable to connect to Cydia server. To fix this issue, you can use the following two methods:

Get SHSH Blobs Using TinyUmbrella:

  1. Download TinyUmbrella for Windows or Mac OS X from here
  2. Connect your iDevice to your PC or Mac via USB cable.

    3. TinyUmbrella (Save SHSH Blobs)

  3. Launch TinyUmbrella and click on Save SHSH button. Wait while TinyUmbrella downloads your SHSH blobs from Cydia server to your hard-disk drive.

    4. TinyUmbrella (SHSH Blobs Saved)

  4. Once saved, switch to the LOG tab and click on Start TSS Server button. Make sure iTunes is closed at this time.

    5. TinyUmbrella (TSS Server)

  5. If you see the following two lines at the end of your LOG, it means TSS server has started successfully.

    6. TSS Server Started!

    TSS Accepting connections...

  6. Now open http://gs.apple.com in your default browser and see if it redirects you to Cydia homepage instead of opening Apple website.
  7. Thats it. Launch iTunes and restore the stock or custom IPSW using SHIFT+Restore combo on Windows and ALT+Restore combo on Mac.

Get SHSH Blobs by Editing HOSTS File:

Instead of using TinyUmbrella, you can use Windows or Mac HOSTS file to redirect iTunes to Cydia server. To edit HOSTS file on Windows or Mac, you must have full administrator privileges.

Edit HOSTS File on Windows:

  1. Open Notepad. Go to File -> Open... or press Ctrl+O. Now navigate to the following location and open HOSTS file in ETC directory.

    2. C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc

    Windows HOSTS File (Unedited)

  2. Now add the following line to the end of HOSTS file and close the Notepad window. Do not forget to Save the HOSTS file before closing the Notepad window.

    3. 74.208.10.249 gs.apple.com

    Windows HOSTS File (Edited)

Edit HOSTS File on Mac:

  1. Click Go -> Go to Folder and then enter path /etc

    2. Mac HOSTS File Path

  2. Now open HOSTS file with TextEdit and add the following line with at the end of the file as shown in the screenshot below.

    3. 74.208.10.249 gs.apple.com

    Mac HOSTS File (Edited)

Once you have edited the HOSTS file successfully, launch iTunes and restore the stock or custom IPSW. Hopefully, this time iTunes will not throw 3194 error while restoring the firmware.



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  • Vishnu

    It's iPhone 3gs with ipad baseband. I had 4.3.3 which I tried to jailbreak and unlock and messed up somewhere. I rstored it with snowbreezecustome 4.3.3 and it boots teethered with redsnow but goes to recovery as soon as it is unhooked without 4.3.3 SHSH. To fix this recovery loop I want to go to the firmware for which I have SHSH i.e. 4.1, 4.3.5 or 5 GM.

    Please suggest if I should go up to 4.3.5, 5 or downgrade to 4.1.

    • http://twitter.com/pram0dm Pramod

      I believe that's your call to make. Make sure that your aware of the JB options avail for each of those iOS versions & you can't restore to iOS 5 GM anymore.

  • Vishnu

    I want to go to 4.3.5 as my phone is stuck in recovery loop as soon as it is unhooked due to non availability of 4.3.3 SHSH. I have 4.3.5 SHSH and 4.1 SHSH. Since I am windows user, I do not have a tool to create a custom 4.3.5.

    I do not want to downgrading to 4.1 as it might cause some other issues.

    • http://twitter.com/pram0dm Pramod

      There isn't any tool that can create a custom 4.3.5 IPSW. What are your iPhone model / BB / iOS config details?

  • Vishnu

    I want to upgrade iPhone 3gs 4.3.3 with ipad baseband to custom 4.3.5 and retain my unlock. How can I create custom 4.3.5 firmware? I have SHSH for 4.1, 4.3.5 and 5 but not for 4.3.3.

    • http://twitter.com/pram0dm Pramod

      I prefer you don't update to iOS 4.3.5 because it has nothing new in it when compared to 4.3.3. Also, its still a tethered JB unlike 4.3.3 which is untethered.

  • Antun

    Hey!

    I have an iPhone in wich i use a Gevey SIM card beacause it's looked to a different operater. Now i've updated my iPhone to ios 5 and the gevey does'nt work. So what i'm trying to do now is to downgrade the iPhone to a lower version and i've tried 4.1, 4.3 and 4.3.5. I allways get the same ERROR 3194!

    I've tried changing the hosts file and i still get the same error.

    Is it eaven possible to downgrade it now?

    I'll appreciat any help. Thank you!

    • http://twitter.com/pram0dm Pramod

      By updating to iOS 5, you have killed the Gevey unlock. Currently, there is no way for you to unlock your iP4 & so trying to downgrade your iOS will not help either. You will need to wait until an unlock is out for the 04.11.08+ BB version. :(

  • Helen Thompson

    Hi, i am on an iphone 3gs woth ios 4.1 and baseband 6.15. Is there a way i can update to ios 5 while still preserving my unlock? I know i need a custom ipsw but dont know if its possible

    • http://twitter.com/pram0dm Pramod

      Yes you can do so by restoring your device using a custom IPSW created by either Redsn0w / Sn0wbreeze.

  • bss

    i can´t get out of black screan recovery mode, i can´t see even the loop logo, help

    • http://twitter.com/pram0dm Pramod

      Read the post once again. It explains why.

  • bora

    thx, i read it already, that was my fault...!!! to be honest i have no idea to fix it...!!! and i don wanna return it back to apple. do u have any recommendations for me to do next ???? it works if i restore in to 4.3.5??

    • http://twitter.com/pram0dm Pramod

      Nope. Only restoring to iOS 5 will help.

  • Omar

    Hi, i was trying to upgrade my iphone 4 from ios 4.1 to 4.3.3 It got stucked on DFU mode and according to what I've read it seems it's because I did not save any SSH (shame on me I wasn't aware of that). Now my device is stucked on a black screen (DFU mode) and can't get it out of it... Any suggestions?

    Thanks

  • bora

    hello, now my ipod touch is stuck in PWNED DFU, first of all, i would like to restore it to 4.3.3, actually iTunes shown me the message error 3194 then i used TN to help then iTunes shown up again error 1600, next i used redsn0w to put my iDervice in PWNED DFU mode, then i could restore it completely, but my iPod touch won't show anything after restored..even Apple boot logo !! And i though it is working bcos i could use Voice Control and heard the disconnection beep when connected to iTunes, but iTunes said my ipod is in recovery mode..!!! I really don know how to fix it,,, pls help me !!! it belongs to my girlfriend..!!! i wanna make her happy..! :'(

    • http://twitter.com/pram0dm Pramod

      I guess you used TU to force install your iOS onto your iPT w/o using any SHSH saved for your device. It is not possible to restore your device w/o a valid SHSH. Read this http://bit.ly/oKCpYX.

  • abreham

    Pls help me after i downgraded my iphone to 4.3.3 it wont start it doesnt even show the apple logo anymore pls help.

    • http://twitter.com/pram0dm Pramod

      Its all about having valid SHSH blobs saved for your device / iOS. You might want to read this http://bit.ly/oKCpYX first & understand why it happens.

  • MatMotor

    4.3.3 no more untethered even u downgrade with/without custom ipsw ur iphone will be in DFU mode n u need boot tethered ... totally waste of time doing it btw just wait new JB released.

    • http://twitter.com/pram0dm Pramod

      DFU loop happens when you restore your device w/o having any valid SHSH blobs saved for your device / iOS & even then use TU to force install the same. The type of IPSW is not at fault here, but its the need for a valid SHSH blob.

  • joellee

    hi, is it possible to downgrade iphone 4 from 4.3.5 to 4.3.3 and performing untethered jailbreak?

    • http://twitter.com/pram0dm Pramod

      Yes, but ONLY if you have the necessary 4.3.3 SHSH saved for your device on Cydia / TU.

  • Helen Thompson

    Will stick on the 4.1 in that case, thank you for all your replies :-)

  • Helen Thompson

    So if i upgrade to a custom 4.3.5 will i lose my unlock and can i jailbreak untethered? Thank you for your help :-)

    • http://twitter.com/pram0dm Pramod

      No, iOS 4.3.5 is still tethered. As of now, iOS 4.1 is your best untethered option.

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