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Install iOS 4.2 on your iPad Today

By | November 3, 2010 | 14 comments
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Apple recently finalized iOS 4.2 for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch, but the new OS is only available to developers at this stage, and will be released to the public only later this month. If you are not a developer, and cannot wait to try the new release, you can actually install it on your iPad as early as today, as the iOS 4.2 Gold Master and iTunes 10.1 are already floating around the net.

iOS 4.2 brings to the iPad many great features already available on the iPhone, such as multitasking, folders, and GameCenter.

Installing iOS 4.2 on your iPad is pretty easy, as all you need to do is to look for a couple files via your favorite search engine. First, you will need the beta version of iTunes 10.1, as the current official release (10.0.1) cannot update your iPad to iOS 4.2.

  • iTunes 10.1 Beta Mac OS X - OR -
  • iTunes 10.1 Beta Windows x86

As for the iPad firmware, simply look for:

  • iOS 4.2 GM for iPad: the file you need is called iPad1,1_4.2_8C134_Restore.ipsw

Install iTunes, plug your iPad, and back it up. Then, hold down the “option” key if you are a Mac user, or the “shift” key if you are a Windows user, and click “Check for update”. Point iTunes to the folder that contains the iPad firmware you downloaded, and let iTunes do its magic. Enjoy, your iPad is now running the official version of iOS 4.2!

A couple notes:

  • We do not recommend performing the update on a jailbroken iPad
  • We cannot give you the direct links to the files (so please don’t ask!), but it takes less than 5 minutes to find them via Google
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  • A2Bob2

    Where is “Update” on the Itunes screen? I see only restore.
    thanks

    • Dave Gleason

      The directions should say restore, not update.

    • ANNE

      I meant to reply to you Bob, see my post below about “Check for Update” instead of an “Update” button.

    • http://www.padgadget.com dag

      There should be a “check for update” option. “restore” works as well.

  • Phil

    Hey – so I see the Game Center now, but I don’t see any of the other interesting apps like AirPrint and AirPlay. I also don’t see how I’m going to create a folder. Can someone let me know if I did something wrong? The GENERAL tab says I have the right version of the OS.

    Thanks.

    • http://www.padgadget.com dag

      Simply tap and hold an app for a while, then drag it over another one, and you’ll be given the option to create a folder

  • ANNE

    I clicked on “CHECK FOR UPDATE” in iTunes and I was directed to find the folder that contained the iPad IOS 4.2 that I had downloaded. I selected it and it worked its magic in about 10 minutes. I haven’t used my iPad yet, but I see that the Game Center is there and it previously wasn’t!

  • Eric

    Anyone having problems creating a backup when syncing after doing the upgrade to 4.2? Sync works, but no backup…

    • Chuck

      I am having the backup issue…

    • Louis

      Me too!

  • Ckole

    Exercise caution on this. Lot’s of us are having wifi issues now. What a pain! I have the issue with my Netgear router and the one public access point I have tried. WEP only encryption with my mywifi appeared not to die but I didn’t test it for more than 20 min. The iPad will show you are connected but you are not.

    • http://www.padgadget.com dag

      Note that we haven’t experienced such issues with our routers, including a netgear (using WPA2), it could be isolated to specific router models only.

  • Mike Miller

    I am having wifi issues locking Up as well. I need to disable and re-enable it often. Doesn’t appear this version is fully baked. Don’t download it if you are not a developer.

  • Mike

    Downloaded and installed last night super easy, finally got all my apps wrangled up and grouped in folders, re-loaded my music and podcasts. Sure enough, WiFi bags out after just a couple of minutes of use whereas before it was working perfectly.

    3G works fine but obviously not as fast as WiFi.

    I’d love to see if anyone who has/had the same issues has successfully solved it.

    BTW I do see the print options although without WiFi I obviously can’t do that. The interface is great, love the OS overall, although I was a little disappointed to see the reverse/pause-play/forward buttons and scrubbers in the iPod player still crammed so close together.