On his laptop, Li Wei opened the tool he trusted for phone archaeology: 3uTools. Not the newest release—this was 2.63, a compact, no-nonsense build he’d come to rely on for tricky restores. Some fans joked it ran on willpower and duct tape; others called it predictably blunt and fast. For him it was the right balance of control and forgiveness.

Because 3uTools is not available on the Microsoft Store (due to its system-level access), you must download it from third-party sites. However, there are risks: some download mirrors bundle adware or malware.

It provides far more device data than iTunes, which is crucial for troubleshooting or identifying refurbished devices.