What is error 3194. Software and hardware reasons
Owners of iPhones of the fourth version, as well as later models - iPhone 5S, iPhone 6 and others, often face error 3194 when updating their device. A malfunction such as error 3194 when restoring an iPhone 4S can occur both at the beginning and at the end of the iPhone update process. Depending on the stage at which it arose, the application of measures will depend on which you can restore the performance of the gadget.
To fix the problem caused by error 3194, you need to determine what caused the error. And in order to understand this issue, it is necessary to consider how the iPhone four is updated.
The update algorithm includes the following steps:
- Pressing the appropriate buttons in iTunes, connecting to the Apple server, sending a message with a request to flash a gadget connected to a PC or laptop.
- After receiving feedback, an IPSW file with firmware is downloaded to the computer, which must be unzipped.
- After that, the gadget switches to recovery mode and re-sends a request to Apple to sign the received and unpacked file with an ECID certificate.
- Then the most important thing begins - the procedure for restoring the iPhone, and the display shows the dynamics of everything that happens.
In the event that at the final - fourth stage - the owner of the gadget still does not wait for a response from the Apple corporation - iTunes informs the user about the error 3194 that has occurred. This means that it was not possible to restore the iPhone. Also, such an error sometimes occurs at earlier stages of the update - when downloading software on an iPhone.
By carefully monitoring the iPhone update process, the user should notice exactly when the error 3194 occurred and, based on this information, take steps to resolve it. So, if the error got out at the very beginning, when trying to download files and the logo from Apple appears on the display, its reasons lie in the program's malfunctions. The error is caused by a hardware problem if it appears when the update is nearing completion and is 70-90% complete.
Error 3194 and how did you manage to fix it
According to the experience of many owners of the iPhone of the four, hardware problems can be solved only with the help of a specialist, contacting the service department. They are usually to blame for the breakdown of the iPhone modem. And, as a rule, problems are associated either with the failure of a part, or with its disconnection from the phone board. Thus, the problem can be solved only in one of 2 ways:
- Completely replace the modem in the Iphone.
- Solder the part to the board.
Of course, the first solution to the problem is more expensive. But buying a new iPhone is even more expensive.
In a situation where error 3194 is caused by hardware malfunctions, the owner of the Apple gadget may well solve the problem on his own. To resolve error 3194, follow these steps:
- Update iTunes to the latest version. In this case, you need to take into account that you can only flash the iPhone on the most recent version of iTunes. This will help prevent misunderstandings in the procedure for updating the gadget. You can download the latest version of the program from the Apple website or from the application itself.
Note! When downloading iTunes from the Apple website, you must first remove the old version from your PC or laptop.
- Check the hosts file for the presence of records from the apple. In this file, you can prevent your laptop or PC from accessing some sites and servers. The hosts may contain information about the prohibition of access to the official website of Apple, and then error 3194 may occur. To prevent this from happening, you must remove the prohibition by going to the folder where the host file is located and run it using the notepad program. When you open a notebook, you must remove the line containing the address of the Apple company from the records, and then close the file and save the changes. It is also necessary to restart the computer after the entire procedure.
- Disable anti-virus programs. The appearance of error 3194 due to certain actions of antivirus programs is not excluded. In this case, you must turn off the operation of all anti-virus and anti-spyware programs, including those provided by Windows.
- Cancel TCP / IP filtering. This is done in the settings of the router connected to the iPhone. The correct solution would be to remove the router from the Internet line to the computer. Simply put, you need to connect an Ethernet cable directly to a PC or laptop through which the gadget is updated.
By performing all the above steps, users will usually be able to safely get rid of the problems caused by error 3194. But this is in the event that it is caused by hardware failures. In situations where the cause of the error lies in a breakdown or disconnection of the modem from the board, only contacting service center... In any case, error 3194, although it occurs frequently, is not critical. In most cases, having certain skills in handling the equipment, users fix the error on their own.
Error 3194 often occurs because iTunes cannot connect to the update server. This error can appear when trying to update iOS, as well as when restoring an iPhone or iPad.
When restoring iPhone or iPad program iTunes must download the firmware file (IPSW) from the Apple server. The second step sends an iTunes request to the Apple update server to sign the firmware file (IPSW) with an ECID certificate. Well, then, if no problems arose, the recovery process starts. However, if at the stage of sending the firmware for signing to the Apple server, no response is received from it, then error 3194 occurs.
Error 3194 can be caused by software errors (the update process does not start or an error is generated at the very beginning of the update). If the error appears already at the final stage (more than half of the process status bar is filled in), then the problem is most likely a hardware problem, and you should not try to fix it yourself. Better to contact the service center.
If software errors are to blame (Apple stopped signing old firmware, the host system file was modified to use Cydia's caching servers), then you can try to fix error 3194 yourself.
If your device does not have the most recent version of iTunes, you should update it using the Apple official website. Then you can try to update or restore your iPhone or iPad again. The likelihood that everything will work out is not very high, but it's worth a try.
If even after updating iTunes to the latest version, you cannot download the update or restore your mobile device, you need to proceed to the next steps.
First, you need to restore the contents of the default host file. If your computer is running Windows, it is best to refer to the remediation algorithm that Microsoft recommends.
To fix the host file on Mac OS, follow these steps:
- Open the Terminal program.
- Enter command sudo nano / private / etc / hosts.
- Enter the password (not necessarily empty) that is used to log into the computer. When you enter it in the Terminal program, the password will not be displayed.
- The Terminal program displays the hosts file.
- At the beginning of the gs.apple.com entry, add the # symbol followed by a space (#).
- Save file (Control-O). After prompting for a name, press Control-X. Next, close the program.
- After all these steps, you must restart your computer.
If fixing the host file did not help, then you can try disabling the security software for the time of updating or restoring - it can also be the cause of error 3194.
Also, the problem may lie in filtering TCP / IP addresses in the router settings. Therefore, during the update, it is worth disconnecting the modem or router, and connecting to the network directly via a wired connection.
What is remarkable about Apple's technique is its lack of glitches. It works like an expensive Swiss watch, delighting users with stability and absence of errors. But sometimes errors still appear. A typical example is error 3194 in iTunes when restoring firmware - it appears when trying to update or restore the firmware of an iPhone or iPad. Can you fix this error yourself? Of course you can - for this you need to read these instructions.
Method one - updating iTunes
Error 3194 in iTunes when restoring firmware occurs due to the fact that iTunes cannot verify the digital signature of the firmware. The process of updating or restoring includes two preliminary stages - downloading the firmware from Apple servers and verifying the signature. If the check fails for some reason (there is no connection with this or that server), iTunes will give an error.
In some cases, the problem occurs due to the banal obsolescence of iTunes itself. Yes, software tends to become outdated. As a result, individual functions and modules stop working in it, and it becomes impossible to use the software. There are two ways out of this situation:
- Find workable software analogues;
- Update existing software.
We'll choose the latter option and proceed to update iTunes. In order to download a fresh distribution, you should visit the official Apple website... Go to the iTunes download page, uncheck the mailing lists and newsletters (or leave them if you need these mailings), click on the "Download" button and wait for the procedure to complete. After that, run the installer and update iTunes.
If iTunes updates with errors, try uninstalling the previous version completely, then try installing again new version... You can find instructions on how to completely remove iTunes on our website.
After you finish updating iTunes, launch the program and try updating / restoring your iPhone / iPad again. Most likely, this time the procedure will pass without the annoying error 3194 in iTunes. If the error reappears during the update / restore process, try the following methods. But updating / reinstalling iTunes won't hurt anyway.
Method two - we deal with antiviruses and firewalls
Unknown error 3194 in iTunes keeps showing up over and over and updating iTunes with little results? It doesn't matter - let's try to deal with the problem in other ways. For example, let's try to disable antivirus and security software. Modern antiviruses and firewalls are characterized by paranoid meticulousness, diligently filtering out not only necessary, but also unnecessary packages.
If you suspect that the security software you are using is interfering with updating / restoring your gadgets, try disabling used antiviruses and firewalls... You should also turn off the Windows firewall, which likes to smell, without asking, blocking certain requests that seem suspicious to him. Now you can try to perform the update / restore procedure again, observing the reaction of iTunes - it is likely that this time the signature will be verified, and you will not have to observe error 3194.
Method three - we deal with the hosts file
ITunes showing error 3194 while restoring? Updating the program itself and disabling antiviruses / firewalls / firewalls does not give any results? In this case, you need to slightly edit the hosts file located in C: WindowsSystem32driversetc. Here you need to delete the line 74.208.105.171 gs.apple.com. On Mac computers, this file is located in the / etc folder. To edit the file, use the simplest Notepad(or any other text editor).
After you delete this line, error 3194 in iTunes when updating or restoring the firmware should disappear. If the hosts file cannot be edited, try running Notepad as an administrator.
Method four - repair in a service center
If error 3194 in iTunes does not go away when updating / restoring, the problem may be related to a malfunction of the smartphone itself. This may be indicated by the fact that the error occurs at the very beginning of the procedure, and not practically at the very end. It is impossible to repair an iPhone or iPad on your own., so you will have to contact the nearest authorized service center, where specialists will take care of your gadget - they will restore the device to a normal state and find out the true cause of error 3194 when restoring / updating.
If you try to restore, update the official firmware, or downgrade your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch error 3194 occurs in iTunes, which means iTunes cannot receive a response to the request for signing the IPSW firmware with an ECID certificate (SHSH blobs) from the Apple server. A similar situation can arise in two cases:
- The software is out of date.
- The "hosts" system file has been modified (due to iTunes calls to the Cydia cache servers bypassing Apple).
How to fix error 3194 in iTunes when restoring (updating) the firmware
Method 1Download the latest from the official Apple website iTunes version and update your media player. For reliability, you can reinstall the program and then repeat the recovery procedure again. Method 2
Using the TinyUmbrella program, which you can download, you can try the following:
- Launch TinyUmbrella and, in the Advanced tab, uncheck Set Hosts to Cydia on Exit;
- Repeat the procedure for restoring the firmware.
Step 1.
- For Mac OS X - Transition ->
- For Windows -
Step 3. Launch iTunes, connect your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch to your computer and repeat the firmware restore procedure.
How to fix error 3194 in iTunes when downgrading the firmware
Method 1The first method exactly copies the fix when restoring or updating the firmware. You need to download the latest version of iTunes from the official Apple website and update your media player. For reliability, you can reinstall the program and then repeat the recovery procedure again.
Method 2
Step 1. After launching TinyUmbrella, which you can download, open the Advanced tab and uncheck the Set Hosts to Cydia on Exit item.
Step 2.
After these manipulations, the program will start the procedure in DFU mode. When a gray background occurs, Home button you can stop holding.
Step 3.
Method 3
Step 1. Close iTunes and disconnect your mobile device from your computer. Next, find the system file "hosts":
- For Mac OS X - Go -> Go to folder in Finder. / Etc / folder
- For Windows - C: \ Windows \ System32 \ drivers \ etc \
Step 3. We transfer the device to the mode. We hold and hold the lock buttons (Power) and Home on your mobile device for 10 seconds, after which, without releasing Home, release Power and wait another 10 seconds.
After these manipulations, the program will start the procedure in DFU mode. If a gray background appears, you can stop holding the Home button.
Step 4. In DFU mode, try to restore the firmware again.
ATTENTION. Line 74.208.105.171 gs.apple.com in the "hosts" file in any case must be deleted after the firmware restore procedure. This is necessary in order to be able to further self-update your iOs device through the official Apple servers.
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Apple technology is flashed through the proprietary iTunes application. Sometimes during the software installation process failures occur, one of which is "Failed to restore iPhone error 3194". Let's consider what this is connected with and how to fix it.
Causes of occurrence
The appearance of error 3194 indicates that the flashing process at a certain stage could not receive the necessary data. This failure can be caused by both software and hardware.
Software
Most often, the error occurs due to the fact that the user is trying to install iOS version which is no longer signed by Apple.
iTunes contacts the company's servers during phone recovery in order to obtain certificates for the installed firmware. If they are not available, then an error appears.
Note! Make sure your software is up to date as Apple only signs the latest version.
Also, the occurrence of a failure is influenced by:
- Unoriginal USB cable.
- Outdated version of iTunes.
- Conflict with antivirus.
- Other factors.
Hardware
If it was not possible to fix the software malfunction, then the matter is in the "hardware" of the iPhone. If the installation process reaches about 75% and gives error 3194, then the problem is in the device's modem. In this case, it is worth contacting the service center to replace the component.
Bug fix
Let's move on to fixing the error related to software glitches.
Note! Check the cable is working properly before proceeding with the next steps. Perhaps the problem is in him.
Update iTunes
Configuring firewall and antivirus
Advice! If you are using a Wi-Fi connection, try connecting directly with a cable.
Sometimes antivirus or windows defender does not provide network access for iTunes. This can lead to process failures. To fix the problem, you need to add the program to the exclusions or disable the antivirus.
Note! For example, we used Windows 10 and Avast antivirus.
- Open the hidden toolbar icons.
- Right click on antivirus software → Move to "Manage Avast Screens".
- From the menu that appears, select Disable until computer restarts.
- Open the system search bar → search for "Windows Defender Firewall".
- Open "Allow communication with an application or component in Windows Defender Firewall."
- “Change Settings” → find iTunes in the list → check the boxes for “Private” and “Public”.
- Click OK.
- Try reflashing your iPhone.
Correct the host file
Note! The method is relevant if you have previously used the TinyUmbrella utility.
After using the utility to obtain digital signatures, a new entry is automatically added to the "host" file, which redirects requests to their servers. This causes iTunes to be unable to access Apple data. You can fix the problem by deleting the line in the file.
Note! Item names and locations may vary.
On Windows
If you have a Windows computer on board:
On Mac
If you have an Apple computer:
If all the above methods did not help, then the problem is in the modem malfunction. Contact the service center.
