Thousands of iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad users have encounter an error screen saying simply “Error 3200” or “Error 3002” as they tried to download the newly launched version of iPhone’s operating system, iOS 5, last night.

Scroll down for Error 3200 and Error 3002 solutions…

Yesterday launch of iOS 5, the iPhone operating system, a package of updates which adds BlackBerry-stye instant messaging to iPhone, among other things, became a disaster for Apple, as servers struggled to deal with the demand for the new software.

“Error 3200” that users have seen became a trending topic on Twitter, as they were confronted with the message repeatedly during iOS 5 download.

Many tech sites began to offer workarounds and complex “cheats” to help users deal with their frustration and get the software faster.

But many frustrated fans reported leaving their homes today without the new software. Other users reported that the download was extremely slow.

The free update is intended to bring (some) older iPhones into line with the functions offered by iPhone 4S.

But it seems that Apple was overwhelmed by demand.

As the iOs 5 software launched, many users complained of slow download speeds, with some asking plaintively: “Has anyone successfully downloaded iOS 5 yet?”

Not all users encountered the “Error 3200” message, but most found the process excruciating.

The iOS 5 free update is intended to bring (some) older iPhones into line with the functions offered by iPhone 4S

Questions about the “Error 3200” flooded Mac forums and social networks.

Somebody wrote on Twitter:

“Steve Jobs has only been gone a few days and we are already experiencing the start of the techpocalypse.”

The inability of Apple’s servers to deal with demand may have been due to the co-ordinating power of social networks, after “Downloading iOS 5” became a trending topic.

It’s traditional for geeks to be on the edge of their seats in advance of any new Apple software launch – but social networks may have ensured that a wider audience was aware the instant the new software was available.

Unlike BlackBerry’s high-profile collapse this week, “Error 3200” seems eminently curable – just keep trying.

Other glitches have been reported even once users install the iOS 5 software, such as the new music service iCloud refusing logins.

Internet exchanges showed a multi-gigabit-sized jump in demand that coincided with the launch of the new iOS 5, which is available as a free download via iTunes store. If the demand was caused entirely by users downloading iOS 5, it’s little wonder many were left frustrated.

Apple declined to comment this morning.

It’s not entirely clear what’s causing those errors, 3200 and 3002, but we’ve been provided with a solution that should work for both Mac and Windows users.

How to fix Error 3002 and Error 3200:

You will be restoring to iOS 5 rather than updating, meaning the device will be back to a fresh iOS installation. Be sure you have a backup of the iOS device before you proceed, so that you can then get all your apps and settings back.

Important: Before proceeding, be sure you have removed any blocks for gs.apple.com from your hosts file!

1. Be sure you have iTunes 10.5 installed
2. Download iOS 5 IPSW specific to your device, save it somewhere that is easy to find
3. Launch iTunes 10.5 and then…
• Mac users: hold down the OPTION key then click on “Restore”, locate the aforementioned IPSW file
• Windows users: hold down the SHIFT key and then click on “Restore”, point iTunes to the downloaded IPSW file

If your hardware gets totally boinked or if you’re then encountering Error 3194, you can also try putting the iPhone or iPad into DFU mode and restoring while in recovery.

Remember to check your hosts file too, if you blocked an Apple server or use Sauriks instead in the past for jailbreak purposes, that will cause issues now when you are updating to iOS 5.

Another common error is “An internal error has occurred” – this is an indication that Apple’s servers are swamped, so you may want to try again later.