Help with broken sleep button issue

[Tanbam]

I hate to even ask this, because I know it's going to start a storm of "return to owner" posts, but here goes.

One of my son's friends asked him if I could fix her iPod Touch (4th Gen) since his friends know I like to fix stuff. I said I'd take a look, so he brought it home.

I guess someone had gotten it from her and was determined enough to keep trying passcodes until it was finally disabled. She just wanted me to restore it and get it working again.

I know it's hers, because it's got pictures of her and her friends on the lockscreen, and it comes up as "<her name's> iPod" when I plug it into iTunes.

Needless to say (it being a teenage girl's iPod) the screen is broken to hell, and the sleep button is actually MISSING.

She's never plugged it into a computer, so she can't restore it, and neither can I.

I tried the DFU mode in redsn0w, but you need to be able to at least start a restore to get it into that mode, I think.

I'd considered, for a few seconds at least, opening it up and replacing the home button with one of the several broken iPods that my kids have thrown in drawers, but I don't think I can get the screen out without it falling apart.

I've pretty much given up on it, but I figured I'd just ask if someone here knows more than I do.

Is there any tool out there that can force the phone into DFU mode without starting a restore first?

 

[098v]

No there's no way without using the sleep button as its one of the main steps in the process of doing so


Tapin' and Talkin' from my iPhone 4

 

[fb2]

hahaha I never heard such a strange iDevice story xD

I also had to reset the passcode of the device of a friend. You can google it. Just access the file system and insert two one-liner in a preference property list and set a new passcode like "1234" and then use that new code. You said the Sleep button is missing, but can you maybe somehow access the contact of that button without opening the device? (I know stupid question, you sure tried that)

I know you don't want to hear that, but just go to a Apple Store and ask what you can do. If they see the device live they react different as if you ask them via a call.