How to Fix Error 17 Issue on iPhone or iPad

There are many errors that can be encountered during iPhone or iPad upgrade. You may have encountered the annoying Error 17. This usually occurs if there is a problem in connectivity. Fixing Error 17 is almost the same as the solutions for other errors like iTunes error 3194.

Solutions for iTunes Error 17 – Could not be restored. This device isn’t eligible for the requested build.

Many users may have encountered Error 17 and because of the differences in their devices such as jail break statuses and demographic, you may need to try a lot of solutions before getting the error cleared.

Check Network

The issue can occur because of connectivity. When you are trying to update your device, iTunes connect to Apple server. However, if iTunes can’t seem to connect, this results to an error. Simply check if your Wi-Fi is working properly or if your internet connection is stable. If you are sure that your network is working perfectly fine, simply go to the next solution.

Update iTunes

The most common solution is to update the iTunes software. Make sure that you have the latest version of iTunes. Once the installation is finished, try to update your iPhone or iPad again.

Turn off Security Software

Your antivirus software can hinder iTunes from connecting to Apple servers which stops you from updating your device. Simply check your security software and make sure that you are not restricting iTunes to connect to Apple servers. You can also just turn it off and try to update your iPhone or iPad again.

Restart PC and iPhone or iPad

This is one of the simplest solutions but it can make miracles. Simply restart both PC and iPhone. After turning it on, launch iTunes and try to update your device again.

Edit “hosts” file

You may have edited your hosts file before. For Windows users, go to C:/Windows/System32/drivers/etc/ and open hosts file. For Mac users, open the /etc/ folder and search for hosts file.

Open hosts file and scroll to the bottom. Check for any line that has gs.apple.com or other modification of apple.com. Once you see this, make a backup copy of this hosts file and put it on your desktop. Delete that line that contains the appe.com. Restart your iTunes and check if you can update your device already.

Restore Device as New (For Jailbreakers)

It is rare to get this error with a jailbroken phone. If you are using a jailbroken device and you want to update your phone, you can’t simply do that. You need to restore your iPhone or iPad as new using iTunes and backup to restore your data. This can be a longer process but that’s what we get for jailbreaking.