This post will walk you through performing an iOS restore in iTunes on a Windows computer. Here’s a quick guide to restore iPhone 13 with iTunes on Windows PC.
iTunes Restore
iTunes is Apple’s very own system management software that’s mainly designed to organize and play media files, set up, update and restore an iOS device on a computer.
A lot of iPhone users would resort to using iTunes when dealing with complex system issues depicted by dreaded symptoms of black screen of death, stuck on Apple logo, system lags, boot loops and app crashes.
Tackled below is the standard process of restoring an iPhone 13 with iTunes on a Windows computer.
Restoring an iPhone in iTunes is often carried out when the device encounters fatal system errors following an iOS update, system settings customization and file downloads resulting in corrupted system data.
Performing an iOS restore in iTunes will erase your device and restore it from a previous iOS backup (downgrade) or set it up as new.
Different Ways to Restore iPhone 13 with iTunes on Windows PC
The following steps will require the use of the latest version of iTunes app installed on the Windows computer. If necessary, download and install the latest update available for your Windows iTunes application.
Also ensure that your computer is running on the latest OS version. This is highly recommended to prevent any unexpected errors tied to system conflicts. Feel free to start whenever you’ve got everything set.
There are different types of system restore you can do with iTunes including the standard iOS backup/new iOS setup restore, recovery mode and DFU (Device Firmware Update) mode restore.
A standard iOS restore is usually done when dealing with recurring system issues that are tied to software bugs and malware. This process involves wiping the system and restoring it either from a previous iOS backup or setting it up as new.
A recovery mode restore works by putting the iPhone in a recovery state and then restoring iOS with iTunes. This is often carried out when you forgot your iPhone passcode and the device is disabled as well as when resolving major iOS problems tied to update bugs and malware that result in fatal system errors and data corruption.
A DFU or device firmware update mode restore puts the iPhone in a more advanced state wherein it’s still able to communicate with iTunes even without activating the boot loader or operation system. This restore is usually carried out as the last resort when fixing more complex and fatal system errors resulting in a totally malfunctioned iOS device.
All these restoring methods result in total data loss unless iCloud backup was enabled on your iOS device and your iPhone was linked to your iCloud account before it stopped working.
A. Standard system restore (from iTunes backup/new setup)
Follow these steps to restore your iPhone from your previous backups or do a new iOS setup with iTunes on a Windows computer.
Step 1: To get started, connect your iPhone to the computer using the Apple-supplied USB cable/Lightning cable.
Step 2: Launch iTunes on your computer and then select your iPhone from the devices section.
Step 3: While your iPhone is selected, click Restore Backup.
Step 4: Locate and select the backup that you’d like to restore your iPhone from and then click the Restore button. Be sure to choose the correct backup file to end up with a successful iPhone restore.
Note:
You may be asked to enter the password if the selected backup is encrypted. Just follow the onscreen instructions.
Step 5: Sign into your device, when asked and follow the rest of the onscreen prompts to finish restoring your iPhone.
B. Recovery mode restore
Follow these steps to put your iPhone 13 in recovery mode and then restore it with iTunes on your Windows PC.
Step 1: Turn off your iPhone then connect your iPhone to your computer using the Apple-supplied USB/lightning cable. Then, launch iTunes on the computer.
Step 2: While your iPhone is connected, enter recovery mode with these actions:
Press and quickly release the Volume Up button. Then press and quickly release the Volume Down button and finally, press and hold the Side button until you see the Recovery mode (Connect to iTunes) screen.
Step 3: Select your iPhone on your computer and then click the option to Restore.
You will see these options from the pop-up window saying that “There is a problem with the iPhone that requires it to be updated or restored.”
Step 4: Wait for the Restore process to complete and then set up your device as new.
Do not do anything on your iPhone that may interrupt the restoration process because if that happens, there’s a higher chance that the operating system would become totally corrupted and the recovery mode restore fails.
C. DFU mode restore
The last system restore you can do to fix a system-malfunctioned iOS device is the Device Firmware Update (DFU) mode restore. This is the highest level of iOS restoration you can perform on your device that remains stuck on the Apple logo, black screen, white screen or any app’s screen.
To put an iPhone 13 in DFU mode, just follow these steps:
Step 1: Connect your iPhone to your computer using the lightning to USB cable.
Step 2: While your iPhone is connected, press and release the Volume Up button then quickly press and release the Volume Up button.
Step 3: Then, press and hold the Side button for about 10 seconds and then release when the screen becomes totally black.
Step 4: Keep holding the Side button and then press the Volume Down button for another 5 seconds
Step 5: After 5 seconds, release the Side button but keep holding down the Volume Down button for another 10 seconds. The iPhone’s screen should remain black up to this point.
If you see any logo on the iPhone screen, that means that you haven’t successfully entered DFU mode and that you’ll need to start all over.
Step 6: When you see the pop-up window saying that “iTunes has detected an iPhone in recovery mode. You must restore this iPhone before it can be used,” release the Volume Down button then click OK then Restore iPhone on the pop-up message.
Restoring iPhone 13 on a Mac with Finder
If you don’t have a Windows computer but got a Mac, you can use Finder as an alternative to restore your iPhone 13 from a backup. Just make sure that your Mac is running on the latest MacOS version.
Once you’ve got everything set, you may go ahead and proceed with these steps:
Step 1: To begin, connect your iPhone to your Mac computer using the OEM lightning/USB cable.
Step 2: When your iPhone is connected, launch the Finder window.
Step 3: From the Finder menu, navigate to the left pane and then find your iPhone from the list of devices. It’s typically listed under Locations.
Step 4: Select your iPhone 13 then navigate to the Summary section.
Step 5: Find the Restore Backup button and then click on it to instigate system restore.
Step 6: Select the backup that you’d like to restore from. You may choose from Local, Archived, or iCloud.
If you choose Local, you may be asked to enter your encryption password before you can restore your device.
If you choose Archived or iCloud, you will directly be prompted to restore your device.
Just follow the onscreen instructions to finish restoring your iPhone from an iOS backup.
Do not disconnect your iPhone from the computer while the restoration process is ongoing.
And that’s all about restoring an iPhone 13 with iTunes through a standard iOS restore, recovery mode restore and DFU mode restore on a computer.
Please keep posted for more comprehensive iOS tutorials and troubleshooting guides on this site. Or you can check out this YouTube channel to view more comprehensive tutorial and troubleshooting videos including recent iOS devices.