This guide tells you how to reset / restore an Apple iPad to the default / factory settings, and then how to set up a new user.
The guide includes the following:
- Wiping all existing content and settings on an Apple iPad tablet.
- Setting up the Apple iPad for a new user.
- Creating an Apple account and accessing the App and iTunes Store.
- Resolving a few problems including: App and iTunes access issue on the iPad, iTunes Helper error 2 message on Windows and a low resolution iTunes issue on Windows.
WARNING: By following this guide, you can not hold anyone responsible for any damage, financial costs or losses, loss of files, or any other issues that occur. You follow this Apple iPad guide at your own risk!
2nd Warning: These instructions will ‘wipe’ all existing content, such as applications, music and other files.
3rd Warning: This guide doesn’t cover wiping files so that they can’t be recovered! I frankly don’t know if someone can recover files after this standard Apple iPad wipe has been performed.
Backgound / Introduction
Typical scenario: Someone has been given an Apple iPad and they need to delete / erase the previous owner’s settings and files.
I needed to restore an Apple iPad tablet to its original settings, including wiping all content on the device. Whilst I was doing this, I decided to take photos to share with you here, plus I ran into a few problems, which I’ve also provided solutions to.
The whole process would of taken me ten minutes, if I hadn’t run into these problems! So I hope those reading this guide, find it useful and I would appreciate a thank you in the comments.
How to Wipe the Apple iPad and Restore to the Default Settings:
- Select the ‘Settings’ icon.
- Now select ‘General’ from the left, and ‘Reset’ at the bottom right.
- Select ‘Erase All Content and Settings’, if you are sure you wish to do so.
- If prompted, type in your four digit passcode.
- You should now choose the ‘Erase’ option.
- Just to be certain, it asks if you are certain. Again select ‘Erase’.
Now depending on the amount of data stored, it could take a while to delete all the content on the iPad, and restore it to the original out of the box default settings. When I did this, it only took around a minute!
Setup the Apple iPad for the first time!
Now that I had wiped all the content from the tablet, and restored it to its out of the box settings, I needed to configure the Apple iPad for a new user.
Note: These instructions are for those not using a SIM card in the iPad, but instead already has a trustworthy WIFI network available to use.
How to setup the Apple iPad 1:
- The first step is to select the language.
- Next is to select which country or region you are located.
- Now you need to decided whether to enable location services.
- Hopefully you have a trustworthy and secure WIFI network available. You should now be shown a list of available WIFI networks to choose from. Please select a WIFI network to use.
- You are now prompted whether to setup as a new iPad, else to restore the Apple iPad 1 from a backup. Choose the first option.
- If you have an existing Apple account, please sign in with it, else choose to create a new account. If you have an existing Apple ID, please skip to step 8.
- Some of the options of when creating a new account include: inputting a birthday. choosing to assign an existing email address to the account, else obtain a free iCloud email address. You will also need to provide a password for your Apple ID, and an answer for a security question. Lastly you will need to agree to the ‘Terms and Conditions’.
- Now choose whether you wish to use the iCloud service, which can be used to store photos, applications, contacts, calendars and other details, which then can be pushed to your devices.
- Now you need to select whether you wish to backup your iPad to the iCloud service or to your computer.
- We now move onto the option to use the ‘Find my iPad’ service. Please choose whether you wish to use the service or not.
- Next you can setup your email account.
- Now you are asked whether you wish to send diagnostic and usage data.
- The last option is to start using the iPad.
Problem Accessing Apple iTunes and App Store for the first time!
At some stage I found I wasn’t able to access the App Store for the first time. Can’t quite remember the circumstances, but the iPad was freezing / pausing every time I tried to log in (perhaps at an agreeement) for the first time with my newly created Apple ID. I think it was showing a blank / empty box and wouldn’t proceed.
I found the solution was to install iTunes on my desktop computer, log into iTunes on my desktop computer, and then agree to the terms and conditions / usage of the service on my desktop computer. Then when I went back to the iPad, it let me straight in!
Note: Personally I don’t use iTunes on my desktop computer, and since resolving the problem above, I now only use the App and iTunes stores on my iPad.
iTunesHelper Error – iTunes won’t run on my Windows Computer
When I tried to run iTunes on a Microsoft Windows computer for the first time, I received this error:
ItunesHelper
Apple Application Support was not found.
Apple Application Support is required to run iTunesHelper. Please uninstall iTunes, then install iTunes again.
Error 2
The solution is the following:
- Uninstall all iTunes related software on your Microsoft Windows computer.
- Then using a package such as 7-Zip extract all files from the iTunes setup file. The screenshot below shows a right-click on the iTunes Setup application within Windows Explore, and 7-Zip being selected from the menu, and the option to extract the files.
- Now manually run all the setup applications, leaving the iTunes setup application till last.
iTunes should now work for you!
Problem: Apple iTunes is running in a low resolution!
If you find that the iTunes application starts in a low resolution, you should right-click on the iTunes icon.
Now select the ‘Compatibility’ tab and unselect any ‘color’ or ‘screen resolution’ options that are selected, click ‘Apply’ and ‘OK’. Now iTunes should run normally.