DRM Keys - Xperia Z1 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

If i make a TA Backup, will i be good to go with rooting and all that stuff without having to worry about anything?
With a backup, will i always be able to downgrade/upgrade to any custom firmware/original firmware, and or use kernels and stuff.
Unlock/Lock Bootloader.
Can i always go back to stock phone with drm keys and lock bootloader making it 100% factory stock?
And can i have a rooted device with unlocked bootloader + the drm functions working?

Gnubaver said:
If i make a TA Backup, will i be good to go with rooting and all that stuff without having to worry about anything?
With a backup, will i always be able to downgrade/upgrade to any custom firmware/original firmware, and or use kernels and stuff.
Unlock/Lock Bootloader.
Can i always go back to stock phone with drm keys and lock bootloader making it 100% factory stock?
And can i have a rooted device with unlocked bootloader + the drm functions working?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The answer of all of your concerns is yes and yes you can always go to 100% factory state with your ta backed up ......
Assuming you will not mess up in flashing roms............

Are you sure? Cause what ive heard is, that you may backup your TA, but the DRM-Keys will remain forever lost.
For further information, this Thread questions the consequences of loosing DRM-Keys

Xecu said:
Are you sure? Cause what ive heard is, that you may backup your TA, but the DRM-Keys will remain forever lost.
For further information, this Thread questions the consequences of loosing DRM-Keys
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does not making a backup of TA = Backup DRM Keys.
And how can you screw up flashing roms?

Yes.
"And can i have a rooted device with unlocked bootloader + the drm functions working?"
Not sure about that, what I know if you Unlock Bootlader the DRM Keys are lost and they do not working. Anyway if you have Backup TA you can go back to Stock with functionally DRM Keys.

Downgrade to 4.2.2, root via vroot and use ta backup and you good to go. Did the same.
Sent from my C6902 using Tapatalk

eclyptos said:
Yes.
"And can i have a rooted device with unlocked bootloader + the drm functions working?"
Not sure about that, what I know if you Unlock Bootlader the DRM Keys are lost and they do not working. Anyway if you have Backup TA you can go back to Stock with functionally DRM Keys.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So I got something confused there. Good to know that I can always revert to pure stock.

Xecu said:
Are you sure? Cause what ive heard is, that you may backup your TA, but the DRM-Keys will remain forever lost.
For further information, this Thread questions the consequences of loosing DRM-Keys
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wrong. If you backed up your TA partition before you FIRST unlocked your bootloader, then your DRM keys are fine within the TA backup.
Test this if you like by downgrading to 4.2.2 WITHOUT restoring TA. Your camera will not focus etc etc
Now restore TA and as if by magic, everything is fine again (though your bootloader will be relocked)

Related

restore DRM keys after unlocking Bootloader

Is it possible to restore DRM keys after unlocking BL? I have taken the backup of TA partition. Now after unlocking the BL can I restore the partition? Or it will brick the phone if BL is in unlocked state?
I did it this way first i flashed the stock firmware with flashtool in my case Xperia_SP_C5303_12.0.A.1.257_CE.ftf.
Than i rooted the phone with Doomlords Easy Rooing Kit v16.
I got no soft brick after i restored the TA, done before unlocking with BackupTA 9.0b5 and sure i did a dry run before i performed it.
Ehardt said:
I did it this way first i flashed the stock firmware with flashtool in my case Xperia_SP_C5303_12.0.A.1.257_CE.ftf.
Than i rooted the phone with Doomlords Easy Rooing Kit v16.
I got no soft brick after i restored the TA, done before unlocking with BackupTA 9.0b5 and sure i did a dry run before i performed it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, no, mate, you missed the point. I want to know if restoring TA is safe with an unlocked BL.
EDIT: sadly, I know now that restoring the TA would actually relock the BL as well, and if there's a custom kernel installed it might result in soft brick. so I conclude there's no way to have DRM keys with unlocked BL. :crying:
dhiman33 said:
No, no, mate, you missed the point. I want to know if restoring TA is safe with an unlocked BL.
EDIT: sadly, I know now that restoring the TA would actually relock the BL as well, and if there's a custom kernel installed it might result in soft brick. so I conclude there's no way to have DRM keys with unlocked BL. :crying:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh sorry, yes i also think this is not possible at the moment.
So you have to decide DRM or unlocked (custom Kernels).

How to relock bootloader without TA backups.. Android 4.3.. Please help mr

Sent from my C6903 using xda app-developers app
Nuwan75n said:
Sent from my C6903 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it is possible to lock it without a backup, is your camera not working anymore ?
You can try flashtool, BLU option tries to relock it if it's unlocked, theres a good chance you will brick your device!
Have fun
Sent from my C6903 using Tapatalk
AntiDroid said:
it is possible to lock it without a backup, is your camera not working anymore ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you sure this is good and/or informative advice? I thought a locked bootloader not finding valid keys in the TA will refuse to ever function usefully again - no boot, no fastboot, no flashmode, nothing, totally bricked, and no way to convert it back to unlocked and get your phone back.
I would like to know if I am wrong about any of that. And... it seems that I was:
** Correction - it is Ok to relock the bootloader without having the pre-unlock data in the TA partition
** Flashing in data from any other TA partition (some other phone) seems certain to brick the phone though.
n0bleINtP said:
Are you sure this is good and/or informative advice? I thought a locked bootloader not finding valid keys in the TA will refuse to ever function usefully again - no boot, no fastboot, no flashmode, nothing, totally bricked, and no way to convert it back to unlocked and get your phone back.
I would like to know if I am wrong about any of that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've never read about those damages but I read things like the known camera bug.
I unlocked my Z1 on .290 - the Sony release which fixed the problem (4.3). I flashed a Recovery and rooted it with it and my device is working like it was with a "untouched" ROM.
That's all I know.
We could wait for a dev to answer deeper questions.
AntiDroid said:
I unlocked my Z1 on .290 - the Sony release which fixed the problem (4.3).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes this absolutely fine and is what I did with my Z1, ie do not unlock until after the 290 update is applied - you will see that advice on the Sony unlock website. However if you want a TA backup you need to do that before unlocking as the unlock process will wipe the keys, and you also need root in order to make that copy. (let me know if I am wrong about that)
My process was to root on earlier firmware, copy the TA, update to .290, then unlock. After unlocking full root on .290 is easy with a custom kernel and everything is good: unlocked, rooted *and* working camera.
But you *will* need a copy of the pre-unlock TA partition to regain any of the functions that use the DRM keys if you decide to relock the bootloader later.
It is impossible to get the DRM keys back, and there is no gain from relocking without them, all you're doing is locking down the bootloader without enabling BIONZ, etc, but you can certainly run a stock system if you want.
n0bleINtP said:
Yes this absolutely fine and is what I did with my Z1, ie do not unlock until after the 290 update is applied - you will see that advice on the Sony unlock website. However if you want a TA backup you need to do that before unlocking as the unlock process will wipe the keys, and you also need root in order to make that copy. (let me know if I am wrong about that)
My process was to root on earlier firmware, copy the TA, update to .290, then unlock. After unlocking full root on .290 is easy with a custom kernel and everything is good: unlocked, rooted *and* working camera.
But you *will* need a copy of the pre-unlock TA partition to regain any of the functions that use the DRM keys if you decide to relock the bootloader later.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello, yesterday I downgraded to rooteable 4.2.2 rom in order to backup TA partition. Once I had backup, I updated to 4.3 (290) and unlocked bootloader, then flashed recovery. With recovery was easy to flash superSu. Now I have "stock" rom with root and unlocked bootloader, but I realized that x-reality wasn't warking anymore (because of the DRM keys loss).
I tried to recover TA partition, but I caused a soft-brick, wich I only could solve flashing a 290 ftf through flashtool, but I lost root. My question is: It is possible to have root and DRM keys (TA partition restored)??
Thank you very much.
yanbee said:
Hello, yesterday I downgraded to rooteable 4.2.2 rom in order to backup TA partition. Once I had backup, I updated to 4.3 (290) and unlocked bootloader, then flashed recovery. With recovery was easy to flash superSu. Now I have "stock" rom with root and unlocked bootloader, but I realized that x-reality wasn't warking anymore (because of the DRM keys loss).
I tried to recover TA partition, but I caused a soft-brick, wich I only could solve flashing a 290 ftf through flashtool, but I lost root. My question is: It is possible to have root and DRM keys (TA partition restored)??
Thank you very much.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, never.
Just2Cause said:
No, never.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, apart from losing x-reality and some Sony apps functionalities (which I dont care). Do you lose something else? I heard about losing bionz processor, but camera still works, then I dont know how far this is true.
The incompatibility problem of root and restored TA partition, is because flashing recovery (which modifies kernel) or supersu.apk it self?
Thank you VERY much!
You loose bionz, but not x-reality. I unlocked my bootloader and I have x-relity enabled.
Some ROMs won't have working camera, for example: android 4.4 KitKat ported from xperia z ultra GPe, and some other ROMs.
Just2Cause said:
You loose bionz, but not x-reality. I unlocked my bootloader and I have x-relity enabled.
Some ROMs won't have working camera, for example: android 4.4 KitKat ported from xperia z ultra GPe, and some other ROMs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can see that the x-reality option is still on menu, and you can enable/disable it, but it doesn't work. Before, I could see in the first second of picture showing how x-reality improves the image (its an effect that can be seen with the naked eye), this is not happening now. By the way, its for sure that bionz stop working? How could I take pictures without it?
Thank you
yanbee said:
I can see that the x-reality option is still on menu, and you can enable/disable it, but it doesn't work. Before, I could see in the first second of picture showing how x-reality improves the image (its an effect that can be seen with the naked eye), this is not happening now. By the way, its for sure that bionz stop working? How could I take pictures without it?
Thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure about bionz, but I guessed it as I had the x-relity option enabled. I can't tell if it works or not as I don't have camera (I'm using ported 4.4)
It would be nice of someone confirmed it.
Correct me if i am wrong.
Bionz is a service which improves the pictures after a shot, isn't it ?
Bionz and X-Reality are things u can't detect that easy like "oh that effect is from X-Reality" or something else.
I thought the main reason for not working cameras on other roms was that the dev's didn't apply those 4.3 changes :S
AntiDroid said:
Correct me if i am wrong.
Bionz is a service which improves the pictures after a shot, isn't it ?
Bionz and X-Reality are things u can't detect that easy like "oh that effect is from X-Reality" or something else.
I thought the main reason for not working cameras on other roms was that the dev's didn't apply those 4.3 changes :S
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bionz it's a image processor that includes xperia Z1, it process the pictures taken instead the cpu. I dont know if it's easy to detect if it's working or not. But in the case of x-reallity it's very simple, when you open a picture in Sony gallery app, you can see how the picture "improves" quality in the first second. It is no so evident in all pictures, but can be detected by a naked eye, as I do.
My only doubt is about bionz processor, I already know that I loss x-reality. But I want to be SURE if bionz processing is also lost. I want to have full root (with unlocked bootloader), and have bionz enabled. I dont care x-reality or Sony apps.
Thank you very much
Just2Cause said:
No, never.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not true. If you have a TA backup, install .290, unlock bootloader, install a recovery, root, reflash stock boot partition, restore TA partition, you will end up with a booting, rooted, .290 installation.
Rekoil said:
Not true. If you have a TA backup, install .290, unlock bootloader, install a recovery, root, reflash stock boot partition, restore TA partition, you will end up with a booting, rooted, .290 installation.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you sure about that? :fingers-crossed:
Just2Cause said:
Are you sure about that? :fingers-crossed:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did that and it worked
Sent from my iPad Air using Tapatalk
Rekoil said:
Not true. If you have a TA backup, install .290, unlock bootloader, install a recovery, root, reflash stock boot partition, restore TA partition, you will end up with a booting, rooted, .290 installation.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
jjpro45 said:
I did that and it worked
Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you VERY much!!! Could someone tell me how to reflash boot partition only?? The TA partition which I must restore, could be restored in 290 if backups comes from 534?

Quick question about unlocked bootloaders

Hi!
We know that backing up TA with locked bootloader saves DRM keys. I`m not too bothered about this as I have TA backup.
However...
If I create another copy of the TA partition once I have unlocked the bootloader (I know the DRM keys will be gone) but would it enable me to switch between locked and unlocked bootloader states just by restoring the appropriate backup?
So...
TA Backup #1 - Locked bootloader with DRM intact
TA Backup #2 - Unlocked bootloader with DRM gone
Could I just use Backup-TA to switch between both backups and unlock / relock bootloader as I wish? Or does it have to be unlocked via command line every time?
Many thanks for your input.
You can do this,
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=51222121&postcount=2
gregbradley said:
You can do this,
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=51222121&postcount=2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good man. Thanks.

[Q] Unlocking?

I'm trying to figure out exactly what you lose when you unlock Z3(C).
So far I've discovered that:
- Sony has a webpage that allows you to unlock your device
- Unlocking your device will void your warranty
- Unlocking is the only known way to get root (at least right now)
- Unlocking your device will kill the "TA partition" that contains DRM keys
- Loss of the aforementioned DRM keys will cause some stuff to stop working
I found a huge thread on backing up TA partition for older xperia devices, but no good information RE: what exactly you lose if you wipe out the DRM keys by unlocking.
Do any of you know definitively: what the DRM keys are for and what you lose?
As an aside - it looks like backing up TA partition is only possible before you unlock bootloader and if you've rooted your phone (so probably not possible on Z3C until someone finds a working exploit to get root with a locked bootloader).
Thanks in advance for any insights.
I don't think there is a definitive place which says exactly what you lose by unlocking the boot loader but judging by what people having been saying after unlocking the Z3C and other Xperia phones on 4.4 it seems like the answer is nothing. Nothing is lost on the software side at all.
On the z1c I neglected to back up the TA partition. And apparently lost native mirror cast and some camera features when I rolled the device back to stock.
Back up your TA partition before unlocking BL... If not for the I'm tact features turn for your warranty!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2292598
Those that have rushed into unlocking the BL without backing up the TA partition risk voiding warranty I'm afraid.
dillalade said:
On the z1c I neglected to back up the TA partition. And apparently lost native mirror cast and some camera features when I rolled the device back to stock.
Back up your TA partition before unlocking BL... If not for the I'm tact features turn for your warranty!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2292598
Those that have rushed into unlocking the BL without backing up the TA partition risk voiding warranty I'm afraid.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Problem is, you need root to use those backup tools... So we would need a temp root exploit to backup before unlocking. But from what I've read so far, it doesn't seem like you lose that much, if anything.
I am also curious about this as I need root access but would like to preserve the warranty. Somebody else has also started a thread with what breaks with unlocking: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2890936
TiMiN8R said:
Problem is, you need root to use those backup tools... So we would need a temp root exploit to backup before unlocking. But from what I've read so far, it doesn't seem like you lose that much, if anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most important consideration is your warranty such if your happy to lost it then unlock your BL.
dillalade said:
Most important consideration is your warranty such if your happy to lost it then unlock your BL.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not that definitive that you will lose warranty. Sony says it may void your warranty. Known issues with the specific model or batch, or other hardware problems that could not be caused by flashing custom ROMs/kernels will most likely still be covered.
http://www.phonearena.com/news/Sony...oader-unlock-tool-voids-your-warranty_id32972
I myself have sent in my Xperia T twice since unlocking the bootloader and on both occassions it was covered by the warranty.
Mind you, I did relock the bootloader and flash a stock FTF before doing that.
Flashtool has a function to relock the bootloader
http://www.digitalinternals.com/mobile/keeping-warranty-intact-sony-xperia-unlocked-phones/264/
I don't know if this works on our phone already, maybe someone who has already unlocked would like to try?

[Q] Will DRM functions work on unlocked bootloader with restored TA partiton ?

I have TA backup and locked bootloader.
If I unlock and thereby delete the TA partition, can I then restore the TA partition and still have working DRM functions while keeping the unlocked bootloader ?
No, if you restore TA partition, the bootlloader gets locked again!
Sadly like ulysse34 said
ulysse34 said:
No, if you restore TA partition, the bootlloader gets locked again!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is no way of keeping an unlocked bootloader with DRM keys active
I unlocked the bootloader, is there any way to restore drm Keys?
chonazo2003 said:
I unlocked the bootloader, is there any way to restore drm Keys?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can Re-Lock your device first (just to be safe)
If you used FlashTool to unlock, simply click the unlock bootloader option and make sure the IMEI and unlock code are the same and click Re-Lock
If you did it the Sony way, you should be able to use flash tool
To get back your DRM keys simply go into the TA-Backup program http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2292598 (script thing) and click on 'Restore'
If you did not make a backup of your TA keys... I am sorry... but you have no way of getting them back
FlipFlopHHJ said:
I have TA backup and locked bootloader.
If I unlock and thereby delete the TA partition, can I then restore the TA partition and still have working DRM functions while keeping the unlocked bootloader ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good News, you can have an unlocked bootloader with DRM functions http://forum.xda-developers.com/crossdevice-dev/sony/xperia-z1-z2-z3-series-devices-drm-t2930672
This thread should help you out, you can have an unlocked bootloader with recovery / root and keep the low light etc functions

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