How to Jailbreak iPhone 3GS 4.2.1 with PwnageTool 4.1.3

Posted by | November 28, 2010 | Hacks, How to | 25 Comments

The newly released PwnageTool 4.1.3 can jailbreak iPhone 3GS 4.2.1 as well as iPhone 3G 4.2.1. It also comes with ability to *update* your baseband to make it possible to unlock it. PwnageTool updates the iPhone baseband to iPad 3.2.2 baseband that is still unlockable. Here is step by step guide on how to jailbreak 4.2.1 iOS using PwnageTool:

Be sure to read Dev Team’s warning before you start:

WARNING — YOU DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK! PLEASE UNDERSTAND THE CONSEQUENCES OF UPDATING TO 06.15.

There is no way to come back down from 06.15, and there’s no hiding the baseband version from Apple. You’ll be voiding your warranty in a very obvious way.

If some future baseband comes out with a critical fix, you won’t be able to update to it if it remains down in the 05.xx sequence (then again, you wouldn’t update to it if you wanted to keep your unlock anyway).

Starting with FW 4.2.1 if you have 06.15 on your iPhone you won’t ever be able to restore to stock firmware (it will fail). You’ll need to only restore to custom IPSWs (then again, if you’re unlocker you should already be doing that).

Update: PwnageTool 4.2 and Sn0wbreeze 2.2 Released

You should discard this guide and instead use PwnageTool 4.2 to jailbreak and unlock iOS 4.2.1.
Windows users should use Sn0wbreeze 2.2 and follow this tutorial.

Before you Begin:

How to Jailbreak iOS 4.2.1 with PwnageTool 4.1.3

Step 1: Update your iPhone to iOS 4.2.1.

Step 2: Launch PwnageTool 4.1.3 and select your device (iPhone 3GS / 3G).

Step 3: In next step, browse for downloaded iOS 4.2.1 IPSW for your device

A dialog box will appear asking if you wanted to update to iPad baseband. You should update to iPad baseband 06.15.00 if you want to unlock.

PwnageTool Warning

Step 4: To update to baseband 06.15.00, browse for iOS 3.2.2 IPSW and PwnageTool will grab the baseband from there. If you’re running PwnageTool in Simple Mode, it will find it itself.

PwnageTool will now start cooking custom iOS 4.2.1 firmware IPSW.

Step 5: PwnageTool will now ask if your iPhone has been pwned before and whether it had the pineapple logo. If you’re not certain, click “No”.

PwnageTool Pwned Before

PwnageTool will process the jailbreak and prepare the custom IPSW for you now. Once the process completes you will see “ihaz Success!” message on screen.

Step 6: Your custom IPSW is now ready. Load custom IPSW in iPhone, (see how to).

Now when your device is jailbroken and baseband updated, you can head to Cydia and unlock iPhone 3GS, 3G 4.2.1 with ultrasn0w 1.2.

  • St3ven

    Please help when i goto simple mode click 3GS and next it takes a while and then tells me no firmware bundle found, when i goto expert mode, and i select iPhone2,1_4.2.1_8C148a_Restore for my 3GS it tells me wrong firmare bundle error, im currently on a iPhone 3GS 4.1 baseband 5.14.02 please help thanks!!

    • http://www.techpetals.com TechAdmin

      You need to download iPad iOS 3.2.2 to fix this issue. PwnageTool will update your iPhone’s baseband to iPad 3.2.2′s 06.15.00.

      • dave

        you’re missing the following file:
        iPhone2,1_4.2.1_8C148a.bundle

        if you google that filename you should be able to download it. then,

        1) go to applications
        2) right click pwnagetool.app
        3) select ‘show package contents’
        4) browse to contents –> resources –> firmware bundles
        5) copy iPhone2,1_4.2.1_8C148a.bundle into “firmware bundles”

        then pwnagetool shouldn’t give you an error when loading the 4.2.1 ipsw

  • vloweer

    so wait, i have to choose ipad pwnagetool for my iphone ???

    • http://www.techpetals.com TechAdmin

      nop, choose your device (iPhone 3GS or 3G). Just got to browse for iOS 3.2.2 while updating your baseband.

  • vloweer

    it says “wrong firmware bundle” :(

  • acidflash

    For me same probleme !

    iphone 3GS 4.2.1
    and i select iPhone2,1_4.2.1_8C148a_Restore for my 3GS it tells me wrong firmare bundle error

  • dimis

    hey friends…same problem…have 3gs just updatet to 4.2.1 and downloaded everything right…pwnage tool says wrong firmware bundle….what should i do?please help me out ..

  • lukester

    hi ,have the same problem :iphone 3gs 4.1, i think we have to update first to 4.2.1 firmware and than run the pwnage tool 4.1.3!! but im not 100% sure !! so let me know if you know more

  • dane

    Same problem here. iPhone 3GS, firmware 4.2.1. I run pwnage tool, select iPad1,1_3.2.2_7B500_Restore.ipsw, and get the error “wrong firmware bundle”. Any solutions?

  • http://www.yahoo.com/ beopeo

    THe 3GS bundle for 4.2.1 is missing from the pwnage tool!!!!!
    that’s why you are all getting this error.

  • Big Elephant

    i managed to jb and unlock my 3g which was running 4.1 using pwnage tool
    what i wanna know is will i loose my unlock or jailbreak if i restart my phone?
    if yes then how will i jailbreak again?

  • Simmiekakes

    I want to do this but I dont want to unlock it, only jail break it. Am I suppose to still use this to jailbreak it or something else. I have version 4.2.1 (8c148a) and Modem firmware 05.15.04

    • http://www.techpetals.com TechAdmin

      You can use Redsn0w 0.9.6 Beta 4.

      • SimmieKakes

        Is there a page that shows me how to do it? I’m new to this jailbreak thing.

  • Dan

    I am having the same problem as above people
    iPhone 3GS
    4.2.1 Firmware (8C148a)
    Firmware: 05.15.04

    When I select the downloaded iOS 4.2.1 firmware in the first step it says firmware not found. I’m guessing @beopeo is correct and that the bundle for 3GS 4.2.1 was left out. Any chance there will be a fix for this out soon?

    Thanks!

  • JHEN

    As stated already, you can download the necessary bundle and add it to the pawnage resources, enabling you to jailbreak the 4.2.1 firmware on 3GS. However, I did not get a prompt to update the baseband to the iPad baseband, which concerns me.

    Google it: iPhone2,1_4.2.1_8C148a.bundle

    The 3G bundle is already present. But the 3GS only has the 4.1 bundle included.

    • Ryley

      I am having the same issue as you. I got no prompt to update my baseband and when my phone was restored my baseband was not updated. I haven’t been able to find any updates on this issue.

      • ben

        Hi, I have same problem.. did u solve it?? Any updates on this issue??

  • Airmin98

    Hi any update about not prompting to udpate the baseband after choosing the 4.2.1 firmware?

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  • Joe

    Ok, so I added both bits of software to the resources and still get the, no file found error, anyone???

  • Jason

    I’m not getting a prompt for a baseband upgrade either. Anybody found a way around that?