iPadOS 14 update… this is weird

Topic

New Reply

(There’s no specific forum for iPadOS… so I guess this currently remains the best fit.)

I *always* recommend updating iOS/iPadOS devices via iTunes rather than OTA (Over The Air via Wi-Fi). Even when using the very clunky Windows version of iTunes (and *never* via the MS Store version of iTunes… too many tears).

This is primarily because using iTunes on a PC/Mac allows the update to download and expand on the PC/Mac rather than on the iOS/iPadOS device itself… which often has too little space left for the unpacking.

So… I tried so many times to update my iPad (Gen 6) to iPadOS 14.0.1 when it became available (as shown by a notification icon). Yet my iPad has loads of free space:

Even though I updated as advised to the latest version of iTunes (12.10.9.3 currently), the iPasOS update failed consistently within iTunes at ‘Step 2 of 5’. I swapped out all my (genuine Apple) USB-to-Lightning cables in turn, all to no avail. On my iPad it just showed that an error occurred *every* time:

Within iTunes it showed an ‘Error 4000’ occurred *every* single time.

I tried every single one of the potential solutions recommended automatically by the failed installation (updating, rebooting, cable swapping, weird incantations… OK, perhaps not the last)… and by my own Googling (this is now a verb, right?) about the specific error code (for example).

Finally I got the update to install… by using an OTA update via Wi-Fi and I’m still at a loss to explain why a Wi-Fi OTA update worked when a direct USB-to-Lightning cable connection didn’t.

Hope this helps others if they run into the same thing…

1 user thanked author for this post.

Nathan Parker

Reply | Quote

Replies

BTW… I know that the ‘standard’ download to be applied via iTunes is *very* much larger than the OTA equivalent… but I have bucketloads of free storage space on both newly-rebooted Windows and iPadOS device… so free space should not have been a problem.

IMO error messages could at least have tried to narrow the issue down rather than a generic Apple ‘Throw hands in the air, I can’t cope!” effort. Not helpful.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Nathan Parker

Reply | Quote

Was your iPad unlocked when you started the update via iTunes ? It should be unlocked.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Nathan Parker

Reply | Quote

Rick Corbett wrote:

(There’s no specific forum for iPadOS… so I guess this currently remains the best fit.)

The iOS forum states it is for iPads, so this is the correct specific location!

1 user thanked author for this post.

Nathan Parker

Reply | Quote

Alex5723 wrote:

Was your iPad unlocked when you started the update via iTunes ? It should be unlocked.

Yes it was. In fact, it’s the first thing it asks for.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Nathan Parker

Reply | Quote

Kirsty wrote:

Rick Corbett wrote:

(There’s no specific forum for iPadOS… so I guess this currently remains the best fit.)

The iOS forum states it is for iPads, so this is the correct specific location!

Apologies for trying to recognise that iPadOS is now different from ‘iOS’, whilst it wasn’t before.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Nathan Parker

Reply | Quote

Possibly the update file was corrupted and needed to be re-downloaded?

Nathan Parker

Reply | Quote

Nathan Parker wrote:

Possibly the update file was corrupted and needed to be re-downloaded?

It downloaded fine, unpacked fine and went through the self-check with Apple fine too (which I assume is just a hash check). It was just the installation that failed abruptly each time, even though I restarted PC once, iTunes twice and iPad several times before giving up via iTunes and carrying out the OTA update.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Nathan Parker

Reply | Quote

That is strange.

Nathan Parker

Reply | Quote

[Vincenzo]

I have for years always updated my iPhone through iTunes. Seemed like it should be more reliable. But the last 2 times iTunes gave me such a hard time, errors different than yours, that I just did the OTA update. I figured 99.9% of the world probably does it that way any way, so what the heck.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by Vincenzo.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Myst

Reply | Quote

OTA is our choice for updating the Apple devices. Have auto update off and when a new iOS comes out it’s a wait and see what the experts recommend. Then go for it. It’s a simple process. Hope it stays that way and I don’t have to eat my words. 🧐

MacOS, iOS, iPadOS, and SOS at times.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Microfix

Reply | Quote

Same here, I ONLY use iTunes when backing up Mrs Microfix’s iPhone 6 prior to an OTA update, nothing else. Bearing in mind, not all iThing users have computers so, it’s in the interest of apple to provide reliable OTA updates. And the zero-point-zero-x release updates on OTA are usually smaller than the iTunes ipsw image, hence quicker.

Keeping IT Lean, Clean and Mean!

1 user thanked author for this post.

Myst

Reply | Quote

Since iTunes no longer handles upgrades/updates on my Macs, I have been doing backups and updates on iPhone and iPad with Finder. It works the same way iTunes used to work and I have had no problems. Much less churning of the “i” equipment.

3 users thanked author for this post.

AlexEiffel, Nathan Parker, Myst

Reply | Quote