How To Recover Original Sysconfig Data from iPhone

How To Recover Original Sysconfig Data from iPhone
Device	iPhone 6, iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max
Affects part(s)	Main Logic Board, NAND
Needs equipment	Hot Air Station, Soldering Iron, JCID Programmers, JCID Software
Difficulty	◉◉◉◉ Specialist
Type	Soldering

Problem Description

When the original NAND of an iPhone is dead and replaced with a new chip, the device fails activation due to mismatch of serial number, Wi-Fi MAC address, and Bluetooth MAC address.

This issue occurs because SysConfig data stored on the original NAND is missing.

iPhone Unable to Activate - Fig. 1

Symptoms

• Device flashes successfully but fails at activation screen.
• Serial number may appear as “XXXXXXXX” or a random serial number will appear.
• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth may not function or show random MAC addresses.
• iTunes / 3uTools may show “Activation Error” or “Could not activate iPhone.” (See Figure 1)

Diagnostic Steps

1. Flash iPhone with new new NAND using 3uTools or iTunes.
2. Observe that phone boots to setup screen but does not activate.
3. Check Serial / Wi-Fi MAC / BT MAC — mismatch or missing.
4. Confirm there is no baseband or logic board fault before proceeding (baseband/nfc issue can also cause activation failure).

Repair Steps

Method 1: Traditional NAND Desolder & Programmer Write

1. Remove Bad NAND: Desolder the original faulty NAND chip from the logic board.
2. Install & Flash New NAND: Solder new NAND, flash using iTunes/3uTools, confirm device boots (activation will still fail).
3. Remove New NAND: Desolder the new NAND from the board again.
4. Read SysConfig:
   • Launch JCID Software.
   • Connect JC V1S Pro with respective NAND or JC P13/P15 Programmer module to PC.

     

     Select programmer and click connect.

   • Insert NAND into programmer.
   • Go to Programmer Interface → Query Info → Query Code/Unbind.

     

     QueryCode/Unbind - JCID Repair Assistant

   • Wait (up to 30 mins) for software to retrieve original Serial, Wi-Fi MAC, BT MAC.
5. Write SysConfig to NAND:
   • Copy retrieved values.

     

     Note down SN, WiFi-MAC & BT-MAC

   • Paste values in respective fields.
   • Click Write Selected Info in JC software to program data back into NAND.

     

     Paste and Write SN, WiFi-MAC & BT-MAC

6. Reinstall NAND: Solder NAND back onto logic board.
7. Reflash Device: Perform clean flash with iTunes/3uTools to finalize.
8. Verify Activation: Boot and confirm device activates normally and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth work.

Method 2: Direct SysConfig Recovery in Purple Mode (iPhone 8–X)

1. Install & Flash New NAND:
   • Solder new NAND.
   • Flash device once.
2. Boot to Purple Mode: Use JC P13/P15/iRepair P10 or any compatible tool to enter Purple/Diag Mode.
3. Recover SysConfig:
   • Connect device to PC with programmer software open.
   • Select Recover SysCfg in the tool interface.
   • The software will pull Serial / Wi-Fi / BT data directly from device’s original SysConfig partition (server-side or local backup).
4. Write SysConfig:
   • Write recovered data directly back to NAND via the programmer tool (without desoldering).
5. Reflash Device: Perform a clean flash with iTunes/3uTools once more.
6. Verify Activation: Boot, complete setup — device should now activate normally with correct serial and functional Wi-Fi/Bluetooth.