At this point, if this iPad is very old, like a nearly 10 to 11-year old iPad 2, 3, 4 or 1st gen iPad Mini, forget about it now and recycle this very old device.
The very act/procedures for restoring such an old device will erase ALL stored data on this iPad and render it nearly useless, now in 2022.
If NO previous data backups of this old iPad model, all data will be permanently lost in the full reset of this old iPad.
Sorry.
Also, Sometime in mid 2021, Apple made changes to its activation servers that now check device activation validation through the Safari Web browser, now.
If you had been using that over 5-year old Safari Web browser to accesss the Internet, I suspect that this was the reason your old, 10-1/2-year old, 2011 iPad 2 went into user activation mode.
That old Safari Web browser is over 5-years old, now, and is NOT safe and secure to use to accesss the Internet, any longer.
I, also, suspect with this new device activation method, that old Safari Web browser may no longer be able to negotiate getting by Apple's new activation authentication server processes/protocols and allowing that old iPad to be re-activated.
I, also, suspect that Apple didi this to silently and permanently end use of these over 9-10-year old iPad models on their networks, pretty much completely ending the use of these very old iOS devices.
None of Apple's own procedures NOR my own procedures, as well as those from others, may no longer be effective to re-activate these very old iPad models.
You need to realise that the iPad 2, 3, 4 and 1st gen iPad Mini are all very old and obsolete, now.
Sorry.
Apple ended support for all 9-11-year old iOS devices nearly 5 years, ago, in 2016.
Third party app developers abandoned and stopped supporting these 8-10-year old iOS devices nearly 3 years, ago, in 2018.
There are, virtually, NO MORE third party apps available from the iOS App Store, any longer!
Third party compatible apps for such old devices are few and far between, now, in 2022.
This includes apps for both iOS 9 AND iOS 10 devices.
AND, NO WAY to initially install any older, compatible, third party apps into this old iPad.
NO MORE SUPPORT! NO MORE APPS!
AND, that 5-1/2-year old default iOS Safari Web browser is too old, not secure and not safe to use to access the Internet, any longer.
There are virtually NO MORE third party Web browsers left for 8-10 year old iPads!
Available and more popular third party Web browser choices are GONE, now, for these very old iPad models.
All 2011-2012 iPad 2, 3, 4 and 1st gen iPad Mini models are fully and completely unsupported AND obsolete!
Sorry, but this is the reality for ALL 8-10-year old AND OLDER iOS devices now. Especially now, in 2022.
In addition, the internal, rechargeable batteries in these old iPads are, also, running on borrowed time.
Not worth the costs to replace these old internal, rechargeable batteries in these old iPads, any longer, either.
I am sorry that you had to learn all of this, but this does not change any of the facts regarding these very old iOS devices.
These nearly 10-11-year old iPads are just too old, now.
Please recycle these old devices properly and responsibly.
Sorry & Best of Luck to You!
