After a couple hours of attempting to jailbreak my iPhone 3G, I was able to do it relatively quickly using the redsn0w method for Windows. The key to a successful jailbreak is patience and the correct firmware from Apple. Here’s how I did it.
The QuickPWN project has retired, which was an excellent user-friendly way of jailbreaking the iPhone. Redsn0w is the method now to jailbreak on 3.0 firmware. A bit of a disappointment, but the steps are similar.
Backup your iPhone in iTunes. Yes, this works fine with iTunes 8.2. Right-click the iPhone and select Backup. Depending on the amount of data you have, it will take a while.
Download the official Apple firmware for your phone. If you can’t find it or are unsure, perform a Restore from iTunes. It will fetch the appropriate firmware from Apple. When the download is finished, browse your computer for the IPSW file. Mine was located in “C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\iTunes\iPhone Software Updates” on Windows 7 and presumably on Windows Vista.
Copy the firmware to your Desktop.
Download redsn0w. As of this post, it’s version 0.7.2. The easiest and quickest way is to use BitTorrent to acquire it. Important details on redsn0w and download links are available on their blog.
Run the executable as an administrator by right clicking and select, Run as Administrator.
Follow the instructions on the screen. Patience is key here and will take a few attempts to physically pull this off.
Turn it on, holding the power button.
Three seconds later, hold the Home button (the only button on the face of the phone).
Release the power button, keep holding the Home button.
Watch and observe the hacking.
When your iPhone is functional, go ahead and restore your backup from iTunes.
Use Cydia to acquire all the applications you desire. Updating is essential as these apps and settings change frequently.
Why do I have to jailbreak my phone?
There are a few additional utilities that I use as well, such as a volume hack, 3G as wifi hack (for cloaking as a wireless connection for some apps), Google Contacts sync and more. Just search and browse around.