How to fix error 9 in iTunes?

- “My iPad is stuck on the Apple logo. I tried to restore it in DFU, recovery mode and ready-made custom firmware. However, the screen just keeps turning on and off with the Apple logo. And the phone just keeps throwing iTunes error 9. Any help would be appreciated. "

Many people report that they are getting iTunes error 9 when updating to iOS 11 or restoring from an iTunes backup. When you receive the message “Failed to restore iPhone [device name]. An unknown error has occurred (9).", The iOS update or restore process will be interpreted. Therefore, you need to fix iTunes Error 9 as soon as possible. After that, you can continue updating or restoring your iOS device.

Part 1: What does error 9 mean and why did it happen?
Part 2: General Solutions to Fix iTunes Error 9

Method 1: Reboot devices

Error 9 in iTunes may well turn out to be an isolated failure, in which case, to eliminate it, it is enough to perform a banal reboot - both the iPhone/iPad/iPod and the computer on which the update or recovery procedure is being carried out.

Read more: How to restart an iPhone How to restart a PC

Method 2: Update iTunes

The problem in question may arise due to the fact that the computer is using an outdated version of iTunes. The solution in this case is obvious - the program should be updated. We previously talked about how to do this on a Windows computer in a separate article.

Method 3: Updating the operating system

The cause of error code 9 may well not be the program in which it occurs, but the operating system - its outdated version. This applies to both computers and iPhone/iPad/Apod. And while updating Windows or macOS, in which iTunes is used, it is not difficult to perform this procedure, then on mobile devices, in our case, it is not always available. At a minimum, due to the fact that the problem discussed in this article arises precisely during the update or recovery process.

Read more: How to update to the latest version of Windows/macOS

How to update the OS on a computer or laptop is described in the articles provided at the links above. On an i-device, if it starts, you will need to go to the settings and try to download the update over the air, and then install it. If this option is not available, move on to the next solutions.

Read more: How to update iPhone/iPad over the air

Working solutions

Virus check

The procedure is banal, but nevertheless useful. It's worth eliminating the problem with malware right away - this way, at least, you won't have to worry about losing communication between iTunes and Apple's servers.

There are three useful tools worth taking advantage of.

We're talking about HitmanPro, Dr.Web CureIt! and Adguard. Each utility needs to sequentially check the system for Trojans, trackers, and ransomware. The check will take no more than ten minutes. Then all you have to do is reboot and try everything again.

Checking the hosts file

If for some reason the ubiquitous HitmanPro was unable to detect anything suspicious in the system, then the time has come to personally look for the problem in the hosts file, located at the address: “C:WindowsSystem32driversetc”.

You need to quickly follow the specified path, and then find and open the hosts file with notepad.

Inside you will find some technical information, as well as some addresses and even websites.

The main goal is to delete the content after the command “127.0.0.1 localhost”. All you have to do is save the changes and restart the computer. By the way, if the file does not open, is not edited, and changes are not saved, then you need to interact with the hosts with administrator rights set.

Reboot and updates

Yes, a banality, but a useful thing. Both your PC and iPhone need to be rebooted. And only then repeat the recovery procedure.

Didn't work again? In this case, you need to check whether the latest version of iTunes is really installed (the developers from Apple should be given their due - errors are corrected quickly enough, and therefore you should not be lazy and skip updates). The check is carried out through the “Help” menu in the top drop-down menu of iTunes.

Hardware problem

Did the above methods not work? Most likely, error No. 9 is caused by a poor-quality USB cable, a non-working PC port (you should try the others), or problems with the iPhone cable. The best way to figure out the situation is to ask someone to visit, borrow someone else's lightning cable and someone else's computer and try to repeat the procedure.

Using DFU

And the last, truly radical method. To enter forced recovery mode, you need to connect your iPhone to your PC, hold down the “Power” key (for about 3 seconds), and then press and hold the “Home” button. After about 10 seconds, Power can be released and iTunes will display a recovery message. All you have to do is agree and start the procedure.

Method 4: Use a different USB port

Perhaps error 9 when trying to update or restore an Apple device in iTunes occurs due to an incorrectly working, damaged USB connector on the computer or a conflict with other devices connected to it. In this case, you must first disconnect all unused accessories (flash drives, adapters, wireless signal receivers/sources, etc.), and then connect the cable one by one to the free connectors and try to perform the necessary actions in the program.

Important! If the connection via USB is not made directly, but through a hub, card reader or extension cable, you should exclude the additional accessory from this bundle and connect directly to the connector.

Reasons for the error

The ominous system notification “Failed to restore iPhone []. An unknown iTunes error 9 has occurred” occurs during the recovery procedure for an Apple smartphone, tablet or player (although, as practice suggests, the error occurs exclusively on the iPhone 5s device, and nowhere else). And there are several reasons for this.

Firstly, of a purely technical nature - for example, problems unexpectedly appeared with the USB cable (no longer detected by the system, the socket became clogged, or simply “lost”) or the user inadvertently violated the recovery procedure by accidentally rebooting the device;
Secondly, the error appears due to a loss of communication between iTunes and Apple servers. This problem is possible due to malicious software that has accumulated on the PC, or a corrupted hosts file, or a raging antivirus.

Method 5: Replacing the cable

Often the problems under consideration and similar ones arise due to the Lightning-to-USB cable, and this is also possible with both the original product and its copy or counterfeit. Branded Apple cables wear out over time, which is why they may become damaged, which is not always noticeable externally, and only partially and, for example, provide charging and identification of the device in the system, but do not transmit data. Non-original accessories may not meet specifications or may simply not be of sufficient quality. Therefore, to eliminate this reason, it is necessary to use another wire, and it is highly desirable that it be branded or at least recommended for use by the company - a list of such can be found on the official website.

Board delamination

There were several fives hanging on “waiting for Iphone”, rolling the processor and the nand did not help, the problem turned out to be in the board itself, having removed the processor, I began to call the nickels that come from the nand, and noticed a situation that if I press harder on the nickel, the contact seemed to ring, but if not press and step as if from the edge of the contact, then the nickel is in the break, so that there are no objections to the purity of the experiment, I will say that everything was done under a microscope and with well-sharpened probes, I repeat that I have seen this on several devices and now if the device arrives with a reboot or waiting, I remove the percentage and the first thing I do is check the nickels that come from the nand. The board is probably delaminating.

Method 6: Reinstall iTunes

The factor that triggered the occurrence of error code 9 on a Windows computer may well be iTunes itself. It is possible that program components were damaged during an unsuccessful installation, after cleaning the computer from junk, or due to infection of the operating system with viruses. The solution in this case is reinstallation, which is best done using specialized software that effectively erases all temporary files and data, as well as entries in the system registry. We will use Revo Anistaller as an example.

Note: On current versions of macOS that do not have iTunes, you should skip this method.

Download and install the program on your computer, then run it. Make sure you are in the "Uninstaller" tab.

Find the iTunes software in the list, select it and click on the “Delete” button.
Note: If iTunes was not downloaded from the official website, but was installed from the Microsoft Store, it will not be in the list of programs shown above, but in the “Windows Applications” tab. To start uninstalling, you will need to right-click on its name and select “Delete” or use the button of the same name located on the top panel.

Confirm your intention to get rid of the program and wait until the procedure is completed.

In the next Revo window, in the “Scan modes” block, select “Moderate” (for programs from the Microsoft Store, this parameter is determined automatically) and use the “Scan” button.

In the list of system registry entries that appears in the next step, click “Select all” and “Delete” in sequence.

Confirm your intentions in the pop-up window.

After the program is uninstalled, restart your computer and install the latest version of iTunes.
Read more: How to install iTunes on a computer

Part 1: How to Fix iTunes Error 9 without Data Loss (Easy and Fast)

dr.fone has developed “iOS System Recovery”, a general fix for iPhones and other iOS devices to recover from boot issues such as widescreen, black screen, iPhone errors, recovery mode, and Apple logo loop without data loss. These are typical problems that lead to inoperability.

dr.fone toolkit – iOS system recovery

Fix iPhone error 9 or iTunes error 9 without data loss!

Fixed various issues of iOS system stuck in recovery mode, white Apple logo, black screen, stuck on startup, etc.
Just fix your ISNA normally, without losing data at all.
Fixed other errors and iTunes iPhone error such as iTunes error 4013, error 14, iTunes error 27 and more.
Works for all iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch models.
Fully compatible with the latest firmware 10.3.

The main advantage is that dr.fone software repairs the operating system without causing data loss. At the same time, your iPhone or other device is updated to the latest, non-jailbroken versions even when the device is unlocked.

Steps to fix iPhone 9 error with dr.fone

Step 1. Launch dr.fone and select "System Restore" Feature

Click on the “System Recovery” button to launch the function.
Connect your iPhone to your computer using a USB cable. Software recongnises on iPhone or any other connected device.
Click on the "Start" button in the software to begin.

Step 2: Enable Firmware Download

To recover from an operating system crash, the latest firmware must be loaded into the IOS device.
The software recoNgnises the model, asks for confirmation, and offers the latest download.
Click the Download button. The process ends automatically.

Step 3. Return to normal life

After the firmware is installed, the program begins preparing the iPhone.
The iOS device exits recovery mode. If the Apple logo was previously saved within the loop, it starts working normally. You are already receiving iPad error 9 messages. It takes about 10 minutes for the iOS device to recover and function normally.
Visual instructions are clearly displayed on the screen.
Use the device only after completing the process as specified in the software.

With iTunes Error 9 or iPhone Error 9 plaguing so many iOS device users, the new dr.fone solution really simplifies the recovery process after download error and when the iOS device is unresponsive to time-consuming manual methods.

Method 7: Using a different computer

If, after following all the recommendations suggested above, when trying to update or restore an iPhone/iPad/iPod in iTunes, error code 9 still appears, it is worth suggesting that the problem lies in the PC you are using - its software or hardware components. Therefore, if this is possible, you should try to perform this procedure on another computer or laptop using an original Lightning-to-USB cable connected to a known working port and the current version of the firmware.

Additional recommendations

If the device update was successful but it started in recovery mode, follow the above steps again. In step 4, now select "Restore" rather than "Update". Once the restore is complete, you will need to configure the device based on the backup.

If the update continues to fail, try the following:

Check for updates for your Mac or Windows computer. If the update required you to restart your computer, check again for updates after the restart.
Try restoring your device using a different USB cable.
Try restoring your device using a different computer.

If you continue to receive error 9, 4005, 4013, or 4014 when you try to restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, contact us.

Method 8: Recover in DFU mode

In the vast majority of cases, the problem considered in this article is solved after implementing one of the recommendations proposed above or several recommendations at once, but sometimes this does not happen. Error code 9 in iTunes occurs when updating or restoring an Apple mobile device in normal mode, but it should not appear in DFU (Device Firmware Update). This is a special recovery mode in which this procedure is performed bypassing the operating system. We previously wrote in separate instructions about how to put the iPhone and iPad into this state, and then return it to functionality. Please note that it is better to perform these steps on another computer to ensure that all negative factors are eliminated.

Read more: How to put iPhone/iPad into DFU mode How to restore iPhone/iPad to DFU mode

Important! Restoring in DFU mode is an emergency procedure that involves deleting all local data from the device, so it should be used only in extreme cases. You must first create a backup copy.
Read more: How to backup data on iPhone

Instructions for replacing flash memory on iPhone

The problem is in the flash memory of Samsung 843 K9MDG0805M. Devices with 16 gigabytes on board are susceptible to the problem, since these are the chips they contain. 8s - toshiba.

The screen was removed. In front of us is a flash filled with black compound at the bottom and sides where the contacts are. There is only one way to remove it, at least all the others led to the separation of the platforms from the PCB. Moreover, this does not depend on the degree of solder melting; they come off due to the compound.

We fix the board, heat it up at a temperature of 260-280 (this is for air! - the microcircuit should not heat up more than 240 degrees) to the flash evenly, while using an ordinary stationery knife at the edge we begin to scrape the compound trying to make a crack under the microcircuit. (Before this, we rub this place with a solvent - the rag becomes a little black.

Then we take a regular razor with duckbills (sold for machines), first adjust it in width with scissors) and begin to carefully push it under the mikruha while it’s hot.
Then, without ceasing to heat, we begin to move the blade with “swinging” movements until we reach the legs on the edge. We switch to this place - carefully and evenly heat it (I changed the nozzle to a narrow nozzle - I warmed the legs locally) and carefully move the blade outside the flash, cutting off the remaining compound and separating the legs from the contact pads, since the solder “floated”.

Nothing should rest against or interfere with the movement of the blade; by the way, check that it is smooth without burrs or bites. it will smoothly go beyond the limits. We repeat the procedure for the other side - it is more careful there, the chip parts and the upper cable connector are close. By the way, we cover it with foil (I also put a thermal pad from some kind of video camera) otherwise you will end up with a replacement if it melts.

And here before us is the “hero of the occasion” and the seat after removal:

In general, if all the pads on the board are in place, you can breathe out, the worst is over. Next, we prepare a new microcosm (from the donor), prepare the board (we service all the contacts, wash them, then apply a thin layer of flux) and go ahead.

Preparing the flash installation site

Installing flash

Voila, I flashed it without a hitch, and the coolest thing is that I installed an 8 GB flash on a 16 GB device, and for the hell of it! I just called it, everything works, I’m filling it with music for the last test.

Most often, this malfunction is hardware, that is, in 90% of cases the problem lies in a malfunction of the motherboard. Below are statistics on motherboard malfunctions and methods that you can try at home. At the very bottom of the page there is a video on one of the “error 9” repairs on the iPhone 5s.

Common causes of “error 9” by device model:

iPhone 4/4s/5/5s: 70% - faulty Flash memory, 15% - problems with the processor, 15% - other malfunctions. fees.

iPhone 6/6+: 85% - problems with the processor, 10% - faulty Flash memory, 5% - other malfunctions. fees.

iPhone 6s/6s+/7/7+: 60% - Flash memory fault, 30% - problems with the processor, 10% - other malfunctions. fees.

All of the above problems can be repaired in our service center, regardless of the complexity of the problem, including repairs related to a processor malfunction. We announce the final verdict and cost only after diagnosis by our engineers, since the symptoms in almost all cases are almost the same, and diagnosis by phone is tantamount to fortune telling by the stars