How to Check iPhone’s Bootloader Version on Windows Computer.

4 May 2009 by Vinay 5 Comments

Use the following instructions to find your iPhone Bootloader version using BBUpdaterExtreme and Windows Computer. Bootloader is the code which is run prior to the main firmware and is responsible for loading the main FW and in some cases performs signature checking. Both the baseband and the main iPhone OS have bootloaders, and these are entirely different. PwnageTool and WinPwn allow control over the main OS bootloader, while BootNeuter allows control over the Baseband Bootloader. Hackers always messing with bootloader to find an exploit to make it unlock. iPhone 3G 2.2.1 firmware update contains a baseband firmware update (02.30.03) which is not compatible with yellowsn0w. If you upgrades your iPhone 3G accidently your baseband also upgrades from 02.28.00 to 02.30.03 GeoHot found an exploit and hackers managed to developed a tool to Downgrade your iPhone Baseband from 02.30.03 to 02.28.00 but for Bootloader 5.8 if you have bootloader 5.9 you have to wait for next release.

If you don’t know how to use BBUpdaterExtreme we have a simple to follow guide given below, there’s aanother “simple” way to know if you are 5.8 or 5.9 (but this is not 100% sure). If your iPhone was manufactured before September (2008), you are 5.8. Otherwise, you are 5.9 (that can’t be downgraded). If your phone was 2.2.1 OOB you are on 5.9 or 6.2 for make yourself sure please follow the guide. Before you begin please have MobileTerminal and OpenSSH installed from Cydia. You can find MobileTerminal in the Terminal Support section of Cydia.

Other Guides of Interest :

Downgrade iPhone Baseband from 02.30.03 to 02.28.00

How to Downgrade iPhone 3G / 2G 3.0 back to 2.2.1

Upgrade and Unlock iPhone 3G 2.2.1 With Custom Firmware.

How to Install and Unlock OS 3.0 beta on your iPhone 2G.

Downloads of Interest :

WinSCP Download Here.

BBUpdaterExtreme Download Here.

Putty Download Here.

1. Download and Install WinSCP.
2. Check and note iPhone WiFi IP address — Settings->WiFi->tap blue arrow->IP Address

3. Launch WinSCP – Enter IP Address in Host Name box, Username root Password alpine and uncheck “Allow SCP fallback”. Click ‘Yes’ if a message window appears for the first connection attempt. WinSCP GUI will appear, your local PC directories will be shown on the left portion and iPhone directories will appear on the right. Browse to /usr/bin directory on iPhone if you already have that. If not make one by Right Click -> New or press F7 in the /usr directory
4. On the GUI, look for bbupdater you just downloaded, drag and drop it into iPhone’s /usr/bin directory. MAKE SURE to set the permission to 0755!
5. Close WinSCP
6. Launch puTTY.exe
7. Enter the same IP Adress in Step 2 to the Host IP Name and click ‘Yes’ to the message for the first connection attempt
8. Enter root as login prompt and alpine as Password and you will see a ‘#’ symbol
9. In the puTTY window, type: (to disable Comm Center)

launchctl unload -w /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.CommCenter.plist

10. Nothing will happen but then type:

bbupdater –v

The following message will appear and you can now write down the bootloader version of your phone:
Resetting target…
pinging the baseband…
issuing +xgendata…
firmware: DEV_ICE_MODEM_04.01.13_G
eep version: EEP_VERSION:207
eep revision: EEP_REVISION:8
bootloader: BOOTLOADER_VERSION:3.9_M3S2
11. Finally type: (to enable Commcenter again)

launchctl load -w /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.CommCenter.plist

12. Power cycle your phone and you are done!!

5 Comments »

How I Shed said:

Hi, nice post. I have been thinking about this topic,so thanks for writing. I will probably be subscribing to your blog. Keep up great writing

# 6 May 2009 at 6:32 am

iPhone user99 said:

tried on 2 iPhones 3G allready, NOT WORKING !!!!
After step 10.
(10. Nothing will happen but then type.)
iPhones gonne crazy and only respring all time!!!!
THIS IS NOT WORKING !!!!!!!!!!!!

# 30 May 2009 at 8:55 am

pedro said:

I have the same problem as the comment before me. In step 10 after the unload the iPhone keeps rebooting.

# 6 June 2009 at 1:31 pm

Zaber123 said:

Had the same problem as posted above. iPhone is restoring through iTunes as I speak, wish I didn’t try this

# 10 June 2009 at 12:24 pm

Moh said:

hi,
I downloaded the bbupdater and pasted it to /usr/bin/, gave it the 0755…..tried to run putty and pasted the command…gives me error, and now my iPhone keeps on restarting just like the previous comments!!!
what should i do?
thanks

# 23 September 2009 at 11:06 pm