Where are iPhone firmware files stored on my computer?

Apple doesn't go out of it's way to tell you where iTunes stores the firmware files it downloads before it updates your iPhone. Should you ever need to access these files, it helps to know where to find them.

Firmware files have an .ipsw extension and can be found at the following locations:

On Windows XP :
Documents and Settings\<User>\Application Data\Apple Computer\iTunes\iPhone Software Updates

On Windows Vista/Windows 7:
Users\<User>\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\iTunes\iPhone Software Updates

On Mac:
~/Library/iTunes/iPhone Software Updates

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tags:

iPhone Firmware

Comments

rahul replied on February 23, 2012 - 11:49amPermalink

Hai, I restore my IPhone in reset my iphone soon after that my iphone restart, after that it only show apple icon, I cant acess inside it. So please help me to fix my problem. Is there any one who can help me? Im new user of it And accidentely I done it. please help me....I will be more thankful

vazir replied on June 19, 2012 - 4:42amPermalink

Hi!

any body can help me out from this error shows "firmware file is not cimpatible" while updating by itunes the ios 5.1.1...

Iphone 4 3g

mike replied on August 21, 2010 - 7:38amPermalink

Thanks, your input help a lot, finally found where it located: Location on Windows 7 & Vista: C:\Users\User\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\iTunes\iPhone Software Updates

Took me a while to look but finally found them....cool, thanks again.

Bunk replied on August 28, 2010 - 11:42amPermalink

I have located C:\Users\User\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\iTunes\iPhone Software Updates but there is nothing in there....why do I not have the IPSW file?

Anonymous replied on September 14, 2010 - 10:20pmPermalink

I have located the C:\users\user\.......\iPhone Software Updates folder as well but there this nothing in that folder?

What gives guys?

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Anonymous replied on August 27, 2011 - 7:45pmPermalink

ispw file Download from firefox instead of intrenet exploer and download to it hope itunes hope it helps a little to late lol

Anonymous replied on February 24, 2011 - 2:59pmPermalink

go to control panel and click on personalisation the go to folder options and click on show hidden files it will open and just hit the show all files hit apply and done go to users and so on you will see it now

Anonymous replied on May 11, 2012 - 10:21pmPermalink

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!!

gltstar replied on March 22, 2011 - 9:30pmPermalink

For Doing this simply go to your User folder or administrator's folder on the desktop or on the start menu Then click on the tools>Folder Options> Then click on view on the top and then come on to the Advanced Settings and then click on the show hidden Files and Folders and then apply it.... Then there is a folder appeared named as AppData Open it And then open the Roaming folder and then double click on the Apple Computer then iTunes then Iphone Software Updates you can paste any ispw file or any firmware version you want to install on your iphone...

You can downlaod many of firmware version by searching in www.filecrop.com
Then put the name of the firmware version you want to download for e.g iphone 4.1.ispw it will show many of unlocked and latest firmware versions you can download them free from file crop....

hzh replied on September 2, 2010 - 2:20pmPermalink

i want to restore my ipod wid one of the older softwares.................i hav succesfully found the .ipsw files how do i use them???

Sethulhu replied on September 11, 2010 - 5:45pmPermalink

press SHIT + RESTORE and select your prefered IPSW file ...

Slyfox replied on June 15, 2011 - 12:16pmPermalink

Shift + Restore was the information that I was looking for. Thanks!

Anonymous replied on September 14, 2010 - 8:53pmPermalink

i cant find application data, Help!

jake harbour replied on November 9, 2010 - 2:16amPermalink

i have windows 7 home premium and i've tried to find the .ipsw files but i cant seem to locate them anywhere. can someone please help? i would prefer if i could be emailed about this problem. thanks!!!

Anonymous replied on March 15, 2011 - 11:43amPermalink

C:\Users\this will be your username\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\iTunes\iPhone Software Updates

Anonymous replied on November 12, 2010 - 4:22pmPermalink

hey im trying to downgrade my ipod touch from 4.2 to 4.1 but everytime i try to custom restore to 4.1 it says that it is not compatible i am using itunes 9 so yeah plz help i tried to follow one of those guides to make it compatible but the number it told me to change in the buildmanifest.plist was not there so yeah oh btw its a ipod touch 3g if some1 could like make the firmware for me like change the numbers for me i would be so so so so thankful my email is aluebbers@live.com plz help me! Thanks!

Sonsum replied on November 22, 2010 - 10:39pmPermalink

Thank you! This gave me exactly what I needed.

Anonymous replied on December 3, 2010 - 4:52pmPermalink

MAC: It is important to note that in order to find the iPhone Software Update folder, you must be searching through your home folder. If you look for it by way of the hard drive (i.e., "MACINTOSH HD") you will only fine iTunes plugin folder.

Anonymous replied on January 9, 2011 - 3:05pmPermalink

hi i need your help. i got a iphone3G which is on iso 4.2.1 and i want to unlock. i cant find the ipsw firmware file. all the downloads i am getting are in zipped folders. i have tried to extract the folder, rename it an also download the file from many different sites and torrents but still wont work. would be glad if you could help me. your help would be greatly appriciated. thanks

Sir Francis replied on January 21, 2011 - 4:19pmPermalink

ive downloaded the file and cant find the .ipsw file anywhere, not even with redsn0w. how/where can i find the ipsw file?

Anonymous replied on January 24, 2011 - 3:10amPermalink

Use Firefox thats how it worked for me

Guaroa Mendez replied on March 25, 2011 - 9:56pmPermalink

Thanks, i was good for me...

Guaroa Mendez replied on March 25, 2011 - 9:58pmPermalink

Thanks, it's was good for me!!

Anonymous replied on April 17, 2011 - 5:11pmPermalink

That helped SOOOO much!
Thank you times one million!!

lyssa bev replied on April 23, 2011 - 5:29amPermalink

Ive gone thru all thouse steps "Users\\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\iTunes\iPhone Software Updates" ...................

But in the "/iphone software updates"

it shows no info. it just says "This folder is Empty"
WHAT HAPPEND?

can anyone help?

Anonymous replied on May 16, 2011 - 3:23pmPermalink

Hello,
I don't mean to be a n00b or anything, but i'm new to this stuff,
and i'm doing it on my new computer (windows vista) and I can't find
Users, I searched it on the start menu: Nothing. Can anybody help, I realy want
to jailbreak my device and I have been at this four five hours.
Plz, Thanx!

Anonymous replied on January 16, 2012 - 3:36pmPermalink

Start, computer, c:. It should be listed there.

Rafael Claycon replied on May 22, 2011 - 8:35pmPermalink

Thank you so much, this really helped me out!

Anonymous replied on July 1, 2011 - 5:21amPermalink

hello
i just tried the whole deal, but after downloading firmware from ur suggested page, when i try to restore to that firmware, and after it tries to validate it, there is an error (3194 i think)
what should i do now? the current version is 4.3.3. and i want to restore it to 4.0.1..
i would appreciate any kind of help, thanks in advance :)

Anonymous replied on August 29, 2011 - 4:17pmPermalink

i have iphone4 and i took all the steps required but it keeps telling me unable to recognise specific ipws file what to do ????

Where are iPhone firmware files stored on my computer?

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