Problems updating software on iPhone?

I recently attempted to update the software on my iPhone from IOS 5.0 to 5.1. However, after iTunes backed up my phone and extracted the old software, it forcefully ejected my phone from the program. When I attempt to turn the phone, it tells me to plug it into iTunes, as there's currently no software on the phone, but iTunes no longer recognizes the phone as a device. Any suggestions on how I could put the software back on my phone so I can use it without having to go to the Apple store?

Follow the steps int he link and get it out of recovery mode(i-tunes logo). Then try again. If same result then download the software from the second link for your phone and try again but this time hold shift and then click on restore button in i-tunes and select the software you downloaded. Hopefully it works then.

Fortunately, iTunes backs up everything before its starts an IOS update; it didn't use to be that way.

Essentially what's happened is that it didn't complete the IOS update, and it's probably stuck in Recovery mode. That's why iTunes doesn't recognize the phone, and you probably have a white Apple logo on your screen as well (though not always).

This unfortunately isn't an uncommon occurrence; I had to deal with it, as well as other iPhone 4's and 4S's I'm responsible for. So don't feel like you're being singled out; Apple wants all of us to feel screwed.

Anyway, this procedure at Apple Support is what you need to do to get it back to its original baseline configuration (as when you first got it). Once that's completed and it updates the IOS, you can do a Restore from iTunes to recover all of your content.

http://support.apple.com/.../kb/HT1808

If you have an Error Code displayed:
http://support.apple.com/.../kb/ts1275

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