Jailbreaking ATV2 Running 4.4.4 or Less, After Apple Stopped Signing Older Firmware
#1
Exclamation 
This guide was originally posted at: http://www.jailbreakappletv.com/forums/g...sions.html please keep the acknowledgement out of respect for the hard work put into writing the guide.

I'm going to be putting this up on the front end of the site tomorrow. In the meantime, please share this with others across the internet, many people don't know that this can even be done yet!

How to Jailbreak the Apple TV 2 Running 5.0.1 or Less, After Apple Stopped Signing Older Version Firmware after March 8th

YouTube Video by CYBERxNUKE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUQfJ6OYhlc

System Requirements:

- Windows PC (this doesn't yet work for Mac unfortunately)
- Latest Version of Apple iTunes Installed
- Apple TV 2 Running 5.0.1 (4.4.4) Version Firmware or Less

Before Starting, Download the Following Support Files and Save them to a New Folder on your Desktop:

- Apple TV 4.4.4 9A406A Firmware (http://appldnld.apple.com/AppleTV/04...a_Restore.ipsw)
- Seas0nPass 4.4.4 0.3.52.4905 (https://rapidshare.com/files/1941554...0nPass_444.zip)
- iFaith 1.4.2 for Windows (http://downloads.ih8sn0w.com/iFaith-v1.4.2_windows.zip)
- Total Commander (http://www.totalcmd.net/download.php?id=totalcmd)

Once the files have been download, Extract the compressed Seas0nPass and iFaith compressed folders, then Install Total Commander. Once that's been done, continue following the instructions below carefully.

Part 1 - Saving SHSH Blobs (Deviced Plugged)

Step 1: Launch iFaith choose "Dump SHSH Blobs"
Step 2: Proceed by following the on screen prompts, don't plug in device until prompted.
Step 3: Follow the process to Enter DFU Mode and retrieve the SHSH Blobs. Let the process complete before touching anything. Close iTunes if it starts automatically, although it won't change anything if you leave it open.
Step 4: When prompted to choose a Save Location, save the new SHSH Blob to a designated folder on your Desktop, where you saved the rest of the support files to initially.
Step 5: Disconnect the Apple TV for the time being.

Part 2 - Building Signed Firmware Revision (Device Unplugged)

Step 1: Return to iFaith and Choose "Build *signed* IPSW w/ Blobs" and follow the on screen prompts.
Step 2: Select "Browe for SHSH Blobs cache" and open the SHSH Blob file we had saved in Part 1 of this guide.
Step 3: Choose "Browse for the iOS 4.4.4 (9A406a) IPSW" and open the Apple TV Firmware file that was saved initially.
Step 4: Wait, then click "Build IPSW" when prompted.
Step 5: Once it's done Saving the File to your Desktop, it will say "Done building IPSW" in the header, DO NOT CLICK the "Proceed" button, close the program instead.

Part 3 - Build Custom Firmware with Seas0nPass (Device Unplugged)

Step 1: Launch Seas0nPass, and Click "Create IPSW"
Step 2: Wait for Seas0nPass to finish downloading and modifying the IPSW from Apple, this will take a few minutes at least.
Step 3: Once you see "Waiting for device to enter DFU mode..." it means that this part of the procedure is done, close Seas0nPass.

Part 4 - Modify Image Files with Total Commander (Device Unplugged)

Step 1: Create a New Folder within the Folder that was created at the beginning of this guide, name it "Finish".
Step 2: Drag the Seas0nPass Firmware file (located within the My Documents -> Seas0nPass folder) that was created in Part 3 of the procedure into the Total Commander shortcut Icon located on your Desktop.
Step 3: On the Right Side of the Total Commander window, navigate to the "Finish" folder we created in Step 1 of this part of the procedure. The desktop can usually be found under the "Users -> [Login Name] -> Desktop" folder tree.
Step 4: Drag the IPSW Firmware File from the Left Side of the Total Commander window to the folder on the right side, agree to any prompts.
Step 5: Close Total Commander, then drag the iFaith Signed IPSW located on your Desktop into the Total Commander shortcut icon, reopening the application.
Step 6: Drag the file that was previously moved to the right side of the window in Step 2, into the Firmware Archive on the left side of the window.
Step 7: Agree to any on screen prompts and wait for it to finish writing.
Step 8: Once complete, close Total Commander, you now have a signed Firmware File on your Desktop.

Part 5 - Flash Signed Jailbroken Firmware to Device (Device Plugged)

Step 1: Launch iFaith Once Again and plug Apple TV back into Micro USB.
Step 2: Choose "Use DFU Pwner (iREB)" and Follow on screen prompts.
Step 3: Your device has now been forced into DFU Recovery Mode, agree to proceed and then Close iFaith.
Step 4: Launch iTunes and wait for it to recognize Apple TV device.
[i]Step 5: Hold the SHIFT key, Press the "Restore" button in iTunes.
Step 5:[/i] Open the Jailbroken Signed Firmware File that was previously saved to your Desktop named something like "00000XXXXXXXXXX_iFaith_Apple_TV_2-4.4.4 (9A406a)_signed.ipsw" and wait for iTunes to flash the device.

Congratulations! Your device has now been Jailbroken and is running 5.0.1 firmware. You can now use it as Apple definitely didn't intend it be used. Remember, you read it first at Jailbreak Apple TV!

We'd like to give special thanks to the people that helped make this special DFU programming process possible, thanks goes out to CYBERxNUKE, ormanton, ih8sn0w, and Firecore for contributing to this guide.
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#2
Normally we don't allow these kinds of posts, but right now a lot of users are in a hard place and can't use XBMC right now. So what I'm going to do is still move this to off-topic, but link to it in the FAQ/Read-me post in the iOS section. Thank you, Mr Jailbreak man, for providing these instructions. I see you also have a jailbreak forum, which is great, as we can funnel anyone with additional questions to that forum.
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#3
Untethered Jailbreak ATV2 4.4.4 firmware.

THE SIMPLER PROCESS: (Windows XP/Win7) (ATV Plugged in the whole time)

1) Follow Part 1 as above and save your SHSH Blob File to the Desktop using iFaith, then close iFaith.
2) Download Apple TV firmware 4.4.4 from http://appldnld.apple.com/AppleTV/041-35...store.ipsw
3) Download Sn0wbreeze v2.9.3 from here https://rapidshare.com/files/1810177006/...v2.9.3.zip
3) Start Sn0wBreeze and select iFaith mode, and build a signed firmware using previously saved Apple firmware and SHSH blob file, this takes around 5 minutes. Save signed .ipsw to desktop.
4) Sn0wbreeze will now step you through getting your ATV2 into DFU mode again. Do not close Sn0wbreeze.
5) Start iTunes and do the SHIFT + Restore and use the signed .ipsw firmware file generated by Sn0wbreeze

Jailbroken and untethered. Done!

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#4
I have a ATV2 running 4.3 can i update to 4.4.4 using my SHSH Blob that is from 4.3 ??
4x ATV2's (v4.3) XBMC Frodo12.2. Raspberry Pi running MYSQL 5.5.31-0+wheezy1. NAS is a Drobo FS
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#5
(2012-05-05, 11:15)matbor Wrote: I have a ATV2 running 4.3 can i update to 4.4.4 using my SHSH Blob that is from 4.3 ??

I don't have the link handy, but there's a few guides to getting to 4.4.4 using iFaith without SHSH blobs. However, 4.3 is the best version of iOS to be on, as that is the last version before iOS started using a lot more system resources.
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#6
(2012-05-07, 07:34)Ned Scott Wrote:
(2012-05-05, 11:15)matbor Wrote: I have a ATV2 running 4.3 can i update to 4.4.4 using my SHSH Blob that is from 4.3 ??

I don't have the link handy, but there's a few guides to getting to 4.4.4 using iFaith without SHSH blobs. However, 4.3 is the best version of iOS to be on, as that is the last version before iOS started using a lot more system resources.

cheers.
4x ATV2's (v4.3) XBMC Frodo12.2. Raspberry Pi running MYSQL 5.5.31-0+wheezy1. NAS is a Drobo FS
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#7
Guys,

I didn't realize staying on 4.3 was the best thing to do, so I upgraded to 4.4.4 long ago.
Since the "system resources" change occurred from 4.3 to 4.4.4, would it be worth it for me just to update my ATV2 to the latest untethered version of iOS at this point? I don't have any SHSH blobs for 4.3 and can't go backward anyway.
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#8
Probably wouldn't hurt, but save your blobs for 4.4.4 just in case.
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#9
A question.

Why would this process end up with 5.0.1 if we are using the 4.4.4 files?
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#10
Not sure, but remember there are two version numbers: one is iOS version and one is ATV software version. It gets confusing keeping track of both of them, but both numbers bump each time the OS gets updated.

So, IIRC, 4.4.4 is 5.0.1, kind of.
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