Apple iPod: Advanced ways to restore iPod Touch

Manually Install the Firmware

If iTunes connects to your device but cannot update or restore it, you will want to reinstall the device’s firmware. You can download the specific firmware for your device here by choosing it from the drop-down menu.

Once you have downloaded the correct firmware, go to iTunes and perform a shift + mouse click (Windows) or option + mouse click (Mac) on the Restore or Update buttons. You will then be prompted to select the firmware that you wish to use. Select the firmware you just downloaded and continue the restore process.

DFU or Recovery Mode

To enter Recovery Mode, you will need to have iTunes open before anything else. Turn off your device by holding the Sleep/Wake button for a few seconds until the Power Off slider appears and slide the device off. Now, plug in the USB cable into the computer, leaving the end that goes into your device unplugged.

Go back to your device and hold the Home button as you plug the end of the USB power cord into your device. It should start up in recovery mode and hopefully be recognized in iTunes.

If Recovery Mode fails, you can enter DFU mode. DFU stands for Device Firmware Upgrade and is used to access the firmware system without having the use of the iPod touch’s operating system. It’s used for jailbreaking and installing older systems on a device. To enter DFU mode, power down your device, then plug it into your computer using the standard USB or Lightning cable.

Once plugged in, hold down both the Sleep/Wake and Home buttons for about 10 seconds. After ten seconds, release the Sleep/Wake button, but continue holding the Home button until you hear a sound from your computer. You’ll know you’re in DFU mode because the screen will be blank, and iTunes will tell you it’s found a device in recovery.

But be cautious—DFU and Recovery modes are very similar, but not quite the same. Your screen should stay black the entire time. If the screen lights up and displays the recovery mode image asking you to connect to iTunes, you held the Home button too long and will need to repeat the process.

From here you can choose to restore to a specific firmware or a previous backup. Click Restore, then choose the file you want to restore to.