16 Oct 2012

[Solved] iTunes Error 3194, Error 21 and Error 1013

itunes-logo | error 3194

How to fix iTunes Error 3194, Error 21 and Error 1013

I finally found a few ways to resolve this after searching on Apple’s support page and other sites. I also came to the conclusion that the error 3194 in iTunes and the other errors are quite common and luckily quite simple to isolate to then resolve. Now the key here is isolate. Try one step at the time, don’t overdo it.

Note for Jailbreak and Firmware Downgrade.

If your issue is unrelated to Jailbreak or Downgrading a device then skip this section and move on to the next one.

This guide is not intended for downgrading or Jailbreaking, and while the info provided may still be useful it may not apply to your case. So unless you’re trying to restore your iOS device to the latest version of iOS this guide may not be for you.

Comments regarding this error while jailbreaking or using a software version other than the latest one will be ignored.

What causes the error?

The error 3194 happens when iTunes tries to validate the downloaded restore file (.ipsw) and is unable to reach Apple’s validation servers. The reason is usually something blocking the connection. Other causes are to try to use a firmware version that Apple is no longer signing ie. 5.1.1. So basically you can’t use an older firmware unless you work around the security that Apple has put in place. This article does not cover bypassing these security restrictions.

Common causes are:

  • Firewall (try to disable it and attempt restoring again)
  • Antivirus (try to disable it and attempt restoring again)
  • Hosts file blocking access to the validation server. (keep reading for help with these)
  • Stubborn computer (By all means try a different machine if you’ve tried everything here).
  • Try this on a Mac (iTunes works almost flawlessly when used on a Mac)

In OS X the error shows as:

“The iPhone “name” could not be updated. This device isn’t eligible for the requested build.”

OR

“The iPhone “name” could not be restored. This device isn’t eligible for the requested build.”

“The iPhone “name” could not be updated. This device isn’t eligible for the requested build.” | error 3194

In Windows the error is even less descriptive:

“The iPhone “iPhone” could not be restored. An unknown error occurred (3194).

“The iPhone “iPhone” could not be restored. An unknown error occurred (3194).

Fixing error 3194 in iTunes

  • Quit iTunes
  • Download TinyUmbrella. (download links on the sidebar of their site)
    Backup links: (Please check the official website for the latest version)
    TinyUmbrella for Windows 5.10.14
    TinyUmbrella for OS X 5.10.14
  • Open TinyUmbrella (It requires admin account on the computer)
  • Select your iPhone and then click on the “Advanced” tab.
  • Untick the box “Set Hosts to Cydia on Exit (If you need a clean restore from Apple uncheck this box)” as seen on the screenshot below.
  • Apply the changes.

TinyUmbrella error 3194

What TinyUmbrella achieves is to remove any blocks created by a previous Jailbreak or similar procedure.

If This method doesn’t work for you try the Alternative method below.

Alternative

As mentioned earlier, what causes the error 3194 in iTunes in most cases, is the inability of iTunes to contact Apple servers.

We can achieve this manually by editing the HOSTS file in Windows or in OS X. All you need to do is to remove any reference to gs.apple.com i.e.: 74.208.105.171 gs.apple.com.

In Windows

You can find the hosts file on: “C:\Windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts”

youtube-iphone-icon15Not sure on how to modify the hosts file? Check out this tutorial including a video. “How to modify the hosts file in Windows

In OS X

You can find the hosts file on: “/etc/hosts” or “/private/etc/hosts”

Make sure you have admin rights to save the changes: Right click on notepad and select run as admin, then browse for the hosts file.

I hope this helps. Leave comments or questions in the comments. Also please share if you’ve found other ways to fix this issue so I can add them up for others to find.  Good Luck! – By Lone Ranger

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103 comments:

  1. Still not working for me :( "The iphone could not be restored. An unknown error occured (21)."

    ReplyDelete
  2. Have you tried testing on a different computer? When try a Mac if possible... less chances of getting blocked by 3rd party software.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Worked Perfectly! Thank You!

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  4. Make sure to close itunes when you remove the apple line from hosts. Then reopen itunes and try the restore again. Editing the hosts file with itunes upen will not help. You need itunes to reload hosts when it opens to grab the clean file.

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  5. bravo works for me thanks

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  6. i tried it for many times please help me ... (I have a iphone 4s and trying to go back to ios 5.1.1 and I run windows 7) Please help me ...

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  7. Please read this part again:

    This guide is not intended for downgrading or Jailbreaking, and while the info provided may still be useful it may not apply to your case. So unless you’re trying to restore your iOS device to the latest version of iOS this guide may not be for you..

    ReplyDelete
  8. None of this worked! =( I've been trying to restore my iphone 4 for months but I always get the same pop up error (3194)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. if your just go to Setting>General>Reset>Erase Content and Settingss

      Delete
    2. if its just "error 3194" then try editing your 'hosts' file (delete all the lines containing 'gs.apple.com') if that does not worked too then try "disable" your antivirus/firewall programs (don't just do right click>>exit. make sure you disabled them) and try to restore again.

      Delete
  9. It's OK for me. Thank you very much. You save my life.

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  10. plz help me its not working for me i am iphone and ios 4.3 and updating for the latest ios

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  11. @Ragy Have you tried testing on a different computer? When try a Mac if possible... less chances of getting blocked by 3rd party software.

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  12. thanks so much you saved my life.

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  13. is dis working for upgrading 3gs to 5xx ios

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  14. thank you, this really helped me

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  15. Ii love you!

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  16. Can i try restoring it from a different computer

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  17. Yes, you can try from a different computer.

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  18. Worked for me, many thanks!!! Finally a useful tip.
    Everywhere: I have the same problem HELP... Yes I have it too help... But nobody helps... :)

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  19. you are the best thank you a lottttttttttttt !!!

    ReplyDelete
  20. thanx - it saved my device - keep up the good work

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  21. bravo!! it works for me (alternative way)..thanks alot :D

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  22. Brilliant - don't forget to close itunes and reopen, that did it for me :)

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  23. Dude you rule... simple as...

    ReplyDelete
  24. thanks, very helpful. i spent all night to solve this. but your tips works like a charm.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Hammad Ahmed07/02/2013, 10:45

    Thanks a lot man. Your alternative method "Worked Perfectly!"

    ReplyDelete
  26. Hey thanks alot it work perfectly and if ya getting other error try putting your device in pwned dfu it could help but thanks

    ReplyDelete
  27. Awesome, alternative method work perfectly!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Method worked once device was put in DFU mode. Thanks!

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  29. I love you!I got rid of all the hosts, and put my sim card in and volia!

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  30. Your alternative method "Worked Perfectly!" thank you :)

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  31. ive tried ... but it still returned with the same error... Im using Apple Ipod Touch fifth generation ios 6.x

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  32. For Anonymous10/02/13 1:55 pm

    When you've tried these methods and u still get the same error it normally means that something is blocking the validation of the restore file. That's why is important to try another computer and/or make sure your firewall/antivirus is not blocking iTunes.

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  33. thanks a lot you are grate

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  34. thanks man YOU ROCK it worked perfectly fine XOXO

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  35. thought id give a many thanks also for saving my ipod <3

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  36. Brilliant worked first time
    Thank you

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  37. THANK YOU SO MUCH! I tried different methods from other websites that included adding certain things, moving, copy, pasting, everything! To the point where I thought I had completely messed up that host file, and this worked!!! Thank you x10

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  38. Seriously the flipping host file!!! Alternative method is the way go folks!! Thanks man!!!

    ReplyDelete
  39. thank you so much, hosts file solution has worked for me.
    IOS 6.1.2

    ReplyDelete
  40. My phone is currently stuck on recovery mode. a couple hours ago my phone crashed. it didnt power on until i got home and pluged it in. It is still like that it wont power on unless its connected to a PC or power outlet. All i want to do is get it on the latest version of IOS.

    1: I have tried deleting the "74.*****" as well as placing a space between the # and the 74. Keep getting couldnt contact update server.

    can anyone help me out.

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  41. where to apply i stuck help meeeeeeeeeeeee

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  42. Worked for me! Thank you!

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  43. The "Alternative" worked for me after commenting ("#") out the "gs.apple.com" line from the Hosts file.

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  44. IT WORKED !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  45. It worked !!! Thank you so much for the tip !

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  46. it didnt work :(
    "C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts is not writabe!"

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  47. @sdh You need to open notepad as admin

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  48. Above method helped to overcome the Error 3194. Thank you for the help.

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  49. Worked like a charm thank uuuuuuu.....

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  50. Worked for us, thanks a lot!

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  51. not working
    i cannot find gs.apple.com
    in my drivers>host file

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You need to enter that information yourself.

      Delete
  52. thank you very much!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  53. Thank you so so much!!!
    By deleting the gs.apple blablabla from the hosts with notepad, my freeze ipad can connect with itunes and restore factory setting also update the ios.
    Thanks again ;D

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  54. cheers mate, got me out of a hole.

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  55. Thanks, it worked for me..

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  56. great! thanks for the input works great!

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  57. For anyone who didn't manage to get this to work, launch Tiny Umbrella and start tts server then try again

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  58. LOVE you man, your the best. Saved my ass, from getting a new phone, Your the best

    ReplyDelete
  59. It solves the 3194 but now i got error 1604 instead, any idea folks?

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  60. goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood. Works.
    Thanks.

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  61. Gooooooooooooooooooooooooood!. Works.
    Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  62. thanks this really helped me

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  63. it worked!!..tiny umbrella helped..though "set host to cydia" was actually unhighlighted...so i just unchecked "request shah...from cydia"

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  64. tiny umbrella worked!!!!..though i unchecked the next option as the one mentioned was not highlighted!!!..but worked!!

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  65. thanks you save my life lol

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  66. thanks you save my life!

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  67. cheers mate you're a genius!!!

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  68. worked for my ipod :)
    thank you big time

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  69. Thank you soooooo much!!!! I tried everything I could find and nothing was working until I found this. I was so worried that I ruined my ipod forever. Thanks so much it worked perfectly

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  70. Was fighting with this for several hours on my iOS 6.1.3 device. I decided that apple must have updated there address for gs.apple.com. I used just-ping.com to do a ping of "gs.apple.com" and it came back with 17.171.36.30 I replaced that IP with the one provided above and then restarted iTunes... I have gotten past the point where it give me the 3194 error and it appears to be doing a restore. I will post the results as soon as I have them. (I feel dumb for not pinging gs.apple.com earlier) lol

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  71. You need to make sure that you ping "gs.apple.com" with a service like just-ping.com (it's free) replace what ever IP comes back with the one provided above and the alternative method will work just fine ;)

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  72. YEEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!! it worked....thanks alot dude

    ReplyDelete
  73. I used to get an error (21)
    This solved the problem
    Thank you!

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  74. Didn't work at first, till I read the comment that said to close and reopen itunes; then it worked like magic!!

    ReplyDelete
  75. i don't have this reference thing 74.208.105.171 gs.apple.com on my host files?why is that so?

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  76. I could not restore using a custom IPSW file (for iPad 2), I got the 3194 error. So in a desperate attempt I just tried the latest iOS version from Apple through their update feature in iTunes and it worked, until I got a error (6).
    It also got my iPad stuck in recovery mode and I think I was screwed. So I tried disabling my anti-virus software (Microsoft security essentials) because Apple recommends that and I tried resetting my iPad to factory settings and it worked and it automatically installed iOS 6.1.3 with that...

    I don't know if it was Microsoft security essentials causing problems to begin with but one thing was sure, I could not update with the custom IPSW file (that I downloaded from Apple), I had to use the latest iOS that iTunes downloaded for me...

    ReplyDelete
  77. thank you
    guys the alternative method worked perfectly after removing the whole
    2 lines which included apple word in them not only gs.apple.com: here

    remove those and save the file
    74.208.10.249 gs.apple.com
    #127.0.0.1 gs.apple.com

    ReplyDelete
  78. big fat thanks:i love you man !!
    the alternative method worked perfectly
    guys remove completely the following 2 lines in hosts and then save:

    74.208.10.249 gs.apple.com
    #127.0.0.1 gs.apple.com

    ReplyDelete
  79. what the fuck it works for me !!
    thank you so much!! i love u guys :)))))))))

    ReplyDelete
  80. When i tried to save as note pad, it showed "access denied" helppppp. i want to restore my ipod! and then when i used tiny umbrella it was error :((((

    ReplyDelete
  81. I own the computer and it says i can't change anything? pls help!

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  82. Thanks a lot. After spending whole on web your solution worked for me...Thanks a lot brother...

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  83. Worked perfectly. Thanks.

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  84. Worked! Awesome!!! Thank you!

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  85. it workss... thanksssss this is awesomee..

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  86. my iphone 4 ios 7.0.6 i want to downgrade to 6.1.3 or lower. because i want to unlock..
    pls teach me how to downgrade itunes

    ReplyDelete
  87. This article helps me to solve error 21
    clean my mac when I really need to work on the my iphone. This article has lots of information about this error and actual information about error.

    ReplyDelete
  88. thank a lot.host file editing work for me

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  89. in my host file there is no gs.apple.com.
    i tried many time but not working in iphone 4s ios 7.1.2

    ReplyDelete
  90. gs.apple.com i.e.: 74.208.105.171 gs.apple.com.
    This type of reference is not showing in the hosts file....afterall it is showing me the same error 21...what should i do now

    ReplyDelete

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