Activation problem on iPad mini

[chrisc]

Very good friend's mother was given an iPad mini about 7 years ago. It was activated at the shop and her email setup and has been in daily use since then

During the recent load shedding, it was charging and a message appeared on the screen asking for a login and password for the iStore. She has no knowledge of this at all. The iStore got as far as a message asking for a phone number which ends with an unrecognised number. Not knowing this, they gave it back saying it was now unuseable

She is distraught about this and cannot receive mail or use Skype to speak to her children and grandchildren overseas and, at 93, cannot possibly afford a replacement

Is there anyway around this? Another shop quoted R450 to look at it

 

[gfmalan]

You need to gain access to the Apple ID.

Easiest way I found is loging in on browser from PC/Mac, try to answer the 3 questions to gain access.
https://appleid.apple.com/#!&page=signin

The iPad would be useless if you can’t get the password for the Apple ID.

 

[PsyWulf]

You need to gain access to the Apple ID.

Easiest way I found is loging in on browser from PC/Mac, try to answer the 3 questions to gain access.
https://appleid.apple.com/#!&page=signin

The iPad would be useless if you can’t get the password for the Apple ID.

This

Or it's a fancy brick

 

[chrisc]

The 3 questions were:
Apple store email address which is a Gmail address
A password
A telephone ending with "57"

The lady has a webmail.co.za email address.

I must assume someone at the original shop activated it. Old people and remembering IT details are not a good match. The shop no longer exists and the current Apple dealers unhelpful

 

[gfmalan]

It’s a security thing, no shop would be able to help. Apple try to make stolen devices useless.

The questions are normally , what your first car was, mother’s maiden name, town your parents met and pets name etc.

Try skip the recovery email/tel and answer these kind of questions.

 

[chrisc]

Thanks. Its not stolen, she has an invoice dated 02-02-2012 from Incredible Connection. They were really useless and did not even want to look. In fact so rude to her that I complained to the store manager

It seems to stick on the phone number question

 

[gfmalan]

Thanks. Its not stolen, she has an invoice dated 02-02-2012 from Incredible Connection. They were really useless and did not even want to look. In fact so rude to her that I complained to the store manager

It seems to stick on the phone number question

No, I know it isn’t stolen!

What I’m trying to say is that even Apple them selfs wouldn’t help you to gain access to the Apple ID, so if you can’t get access with the recovery stuff, you are locked out.

Similar as to when a device is stolen and new “owner” try to set it up.

I understand your frustration, the staff treat you as-if you are stupid.

The fact is, if you can’t get access to the Apple ID, then no one can help you.

 

[gfmalan]

I would ask Incredible for the staff members on duty that day, they must have records of the employees, and hopefully mobile numbers as well, and then call the number and arrange that you want to send recovery link to that number.

I would start by logging a call with head office, and work my way to store level

 

[Jet-Fighter7700]

otherwise, yes, my main issue with Ipads, if you forgot your apple ID, old Ipads make nice paperweights,
we had an entire cabinet of working Ipads, all locked with apple ID that people are not contactable to reset them.


another way: if you have the original receipt from incredible corruption.
you can try your luck with istore, they might be able to reset it.

 

[pedruid]

I had the same problem. When I bought it I had an mweb email address but had changed several times after that, that’s why I use gmail now. I think I phoned the Apple help Line which is a free number. Can’t remember all the details bu was sent something which had to be activated within a period of time.

 

[chrisc]

Got it sorted. Keltech in CT applied some program they got from the UK. It took 30 mins and it was clean. I was able to set it up as new

Incredible were just that - incredibly disinterested. The store manager asked me if I expected him to recall a sale made 7 years ago. I asked him if he did not have computer records since I had a physical numbered invoice. His response was that was for the shops use. I walked out

 

[MidnightWizard]

Had the similar thing happen here day or two ago -- old iPAD version 2
Had the problem previously with a bad Apple OS upgrade which I sorted out
It appears that in this case there was another minor BAD upgrade that was installed automatically
Basically blocked and tells you you need to activate the device

I have an idea it may be something similar to what happend in your case
Fortunately I have a Mac Mini as well as a MacBook ( both old but working )
There is a procedure for connecting the iPAD to the Mac mini via the USB charging cable
One then runs a recovery procedure and a new version of the OS is downloaded to the iPAD via iTUNES
Cannot remember if I had to log in to iTunes or not ?

IF there is a way to "unblock" these devices might be worthwhile going around and "collecting" all the -- "nice paperweights"