What is IPSW?

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What is IPSW?
ITunes is Apple Application digital media software that organizes music and videos. This connects and synchs IPad, IPhones, and IPhone Touch in your computer. ITunes and mostly all Apple supported Hardwares uses IPSW file format.

IPSW or commonly known as IPhone/IPad/IPod Software contains set of information and data that is used by Apple Applications, primarily ITunes, for updating IPod, IPhones, and IPads. These data is essential in updating and restoring files in your IPhone, IPad, or IPod Touch.

There are tendencies that files may become corrupted and must be deleted for it to stop from spreading the virus that may affect other files. During these conditions, the user’s IPhone, IPad, IPod Touch must be connected to ITunes and let those IPSW files to be synched into the computer. This allows replacement of corrupted files or removal of virus threats that may damage the user’s Apple hardwares.

Some users now modify their IPhones or IPod Touch by ‘Jail breaking’. ‘Jail breaking’ means customizing IPhones or IPods into user-defined settings and not by the default settings or given features by Apple.
What are the Advantage and Disadvantages of Jailbreaking an IPhone and IPod Touch?

The Advantage of Jailbreaking an IPod Touch or an IPhone are:

  1. You can change the settings of your IPhone or IPod Touch depending on what you prefer rather than the default settings of Apple. By doing this, it allows your IPod Touch or IPhone to do more rather than just handling music and videos.
  2. You can install additional applications that are not introduced by Apple.  These custom applications will give you a wide variety of software programs from customizing your springboard to almost any available set up that an IPhone or IPod Touch can achieve.
  3. It is easier to organize applications since the user can have access in modifying folders by categorizing IPSW files.

The Disadvantage of Jailbreaking an IPhone or an IPod Touch:

  1. ‘Jailbreak’ IPhone or IPod Touch has more risk in becoming unresponsive. Moreover, more likely to be literally broken.
  2. Applications that are installed in IPod Touch or IPhones may not have authorization from Apple. This means, if the problem is caused by the application that is installed, Apple may not have the solution or methods in fixing a ‘Jailbreak’ IPhone or IPod Touch.
  3. IPSW files are more likely to be misplaced and might become unresponsive. Deleting these IPSW files and reinstalling them to the right location may fix the problem.

There are methods in fixing a broken ‘Jailbreak’ IPhones or IPod Touch. Nevertheless, not all of these methods guarantee 100% success rate. ‘Jailbreaking’ might be more fun rather than the boring default settings of Apple; this also means a risk for the user’s Apple gadgets. The methods are as follows:

  1. Unresponsive ‘Jailbreak’ IPhones or IPods may become responsive again by holding the Home and Sleep buttons at the same time. This means resetting the IPhone or IPod Touch.
  2. Reinstall Firmware 2.2 and try to restore it by re-synching to ITunes.
  3. Lost IPSW must be saved at ‘Home Folder/Library/Application Support/iTunes/iPod Firmware’