In finder right click and click on Go to Folder- Type with - /Private/
then Click on the folder named - "etc" , Look for a file called " hosts "
Then click and drag onto the desktop. Open that file using Text edit and look for the IP adress " 74.208.10.249 gs.apple.com "
Add the following - # -
It should know look like this
#74.208.10.249 gs.apple.com
Now close the window and drag the file back on to its original location
/private/etc folder. It should ask you for your PW to make changes.
You should be able to Authenticate with apple servers and Update the iOS Device
Putting iOS 5 on your device and getting into it without activating because you don't have a dev acct means you will be wasting a lot of time for nothing.
If you must though, you can get past activation on ipad by upgrading to iOS 5, then at the activation screen, plug in the camera kit with a camera plugged into the USB dongle, or an SD card in the SD card dongle. This will trigger the ipad to auto launch the Camera app. Now hit the Home button, and you're in. Sort of.
However what they fail to tell you is that you can now noodle around however iMessage, iCloud, syncing with iTunes do not work because the device is STILL NOT ACTIVATED. So, other than seeing OS 5.0 in your "About" screen in Settings, there's nothing that loading iOS 5 will do for you.
So, either pony up the $99 to get a dev acct, or see if a developer you know will add your device to their acct and activate your device for you, or, just wait until iOS 5 is released.
Just posting this because I see a lot of angry people installing iOS 5 and not knowing until afterwards that all that time was wasted, and no one is really coming out and warning people or telling them how to put the shit back in the horse, so to speak.
Yes, you can put your device in DFU mode and get 4.3.3 back:
plug it into the sync cable &, plug into your computer, launch iTunes
shut off the device by holding the lock button and slide "turn off device"
after it's off, then hold the lock & home buttons for 10 seconds
then ONLY release the lock button, keep holding the home button for 8 more seconds.
You are now in DFU mode & your device will trigger iTunes to say it found an iphone/ipad/ipod in recovery mode, now shift-click on "Restore" and then find the 4.3.3 ipsw file and choose it, then 4.3.3 will be put back on your device. Then you'll be prompted to choose your last backup, and you'll be right back where you were before, only you won't get that time back.
Anyone going off half-cocked saying you can get past activation are full of shit.
