I have been waiting for a few weeks for an OTA update from 3.195 to a major version, and finally this update has arrived today (v3.223). But some things have caught my attention:
First: update size is about 0.1 Mb, and Update Center says that "a computer is required". In other words, it forces me to use PC Companion. But I don't want to lose root (I'm on locked bootloader), so I want/need to update through OTA and cross my fingers so that black79one method will still works.
Second: I was waiting this update to confirm if CWM has impact on the update itself, as others have supposedly reported before (but no one confirmed).
Surprisingly, after remove CWM and reboot the device, no OTA update is available! So CWM apparently has impact over OTA updates. Now I can only wait for a new update notification, and if this update will be a full update "Over The Air".
EDIT: A few hours later the update is still available, same result: 0.1 Mb and "a computer is required" (of course this time without CWM). Just waiting for a truly and fully OTA update to 3.223 (or whichever version).
More stuff to conclude this little interesting thread about updates and recoveries:
Checking the option to allow updates automatically in the Update Center settings triggers the update to be downloaded by trully OTA. But after 20 minutes waiting, the download progress bar remains empty. Looking at the wifi icon, it displays activity, then pause, then activity again, and so on.
Then I remembered that root blocks OTA updates (dammed memory...) so I had unroot my device but this does not change nothing: 0.1 Mb 3.223 update and progress bar remaining empty.
So I started to play with some things:
Flash a clean 3.195 tft with flashtool and force an update search, same result as earlier. CWM is evidently out of scene now.
Flash a clean 1.303 tft with flashtool and force an update search, with some interesting result: an update is available, but for 3.195 firmware (not latest 3.223). After update to the first, a new update search attempt offers no version to update. Anyway I'm sure that if this happened it would be the 0.1 Mb update along with the now famous SAME ****ING RESULT AS ALWAYS.
At this point is clear to me that 3.223 versión is not a fully and truly OTA update, but is still pending to prove if CWM allows such update kind. So I tried this:
Flash a clean 1.303 tft with flashtool and force an update search, download the update, follow the black79one method to root, install CWM and finally done the update. Result: device is restarted, then the update begins but a few seconds later it's interrupted. Remove CWM with my removal tool does not help (same result).
So INSTALL CWM DOES NOT ALLOW OTA UPDATES ANYMORE. I think the recovery partition is overrided at some point and the only way to lead back the OTA functionality is recover the original recovery (amazing pun ). I tried some minimal flashtool flashing (only fotakernel.sin and loader.sin) but does not help.
For the moment my work ends here. If anyone could give ideas they will be welcome.
Why not just bite the bullet and flash the 223 ftf and have done with it? If you are happy to flash stuff already, then
there seems little reason to worry about either a) bricking your 'phone or b) having to send it back because of a).
You've already taken various steps with your 'phone, be brave!
Unless I am missing something, which I may well be, I am fairly new to all this, but in truth I did all sorts to my new
Xperia T without too much worry, it's okay.
davidmarco said:
More stuff to conclude this little interesting thread about updates and recoveries:
Checking the option to allow updates automatically in the Update Center settings triggers the update to be downloaded by trully OTA. But after 20 minutes waiting, the download progress bar remains empty. Looking at the wifi icon, it displays activity, then pause, then activity again, and so on.
Then I remembered that root blocks OTA updates (dammed memory...) so I had unroot my device but this does not change nothing: 0.1 Mb 3.223 update and progress bar remaining empty.
So I started to play with some things:
Flash a clean 3.195 tft with flashtool and force an update search, same result as earlier. CWM is evidently out of scene now.
Flash a clean 1.303 tft with flashtool and force an update search, with some interesting result: an update is available, but for 3.195 firmware (not latest 3.223). After update to the first, a new update search attempt offers no version to update. Anyway I'm sure that if this happened it would be the 0.1 Mb update along with the now famous SAME ****ING RESULT AS ALWAYS.
At this point is clear to me that 3.223 versión is not a fully and truly OTA update, but is still pending to prove if CWM allows such update kind. So I tried this:
Flash a clean 1.303 tft with flashtool and force an update search, download the update, follow the black79one method to root, install CWM and finally done the update. Result: device is restarted, then the update begins but a few seconds later it's interrupted. Remove CWM with my removal tool does not help (same result).
So INSTALL CWM DOES NOT ALLOW OTA UPDATES ANYMORE. I think the recovery partition is overrided at some point and the only way to lead back the OTA functionality is recover the original recovery (amazing pun ). I tried some minimal flashtool flashing (only fotakernel.sin and loader.sin) but does not help.
For the moment my work ends here. If anyone could give ideas they will be welcome.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
TheGSL said:
Why not just bite the bullet and flash the 223 ftf and have done with it? If you are happy to flash stuff already, then
there seems little reason to worry about either a) bricking your 'phone or b) having to send it back because of a).
You've already taken various steps with your 'phone, be brave!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because I don't want to lose root, and both 195 and 223 tft's are not rootable at this time if you are in locked bootloader.
I know there is a workaround, flashing a rooted 223 firmware through CWM, but the intention of this thread was to demonstrate if CWM allows OTA update, nothing more. Now that it is demonstrated, such intention is how to fully revert CWM.
Okay, I understand that, but I guess I should of been clearer above too, in that, does it matter that much about unlocking your bootloader?
Is it because you want to protect your warranty? If that is the reason I understand your concerns, it is just as I say, perhaps foolishly, I
unlocked mine and rooted my T almost as soon as I got it, without really knowing 100 percent what I was doing! (true) but understanding
why I wanted to have root access (mainly at the moment to uninstall dross like Facebook and Twitter that are pre-installed and to be
able to decide what apps do what on my 'phone) - I understood the risks and took them, as have many people, and lived to tell the
tale.
I do not have the technical know how to help with the cwm query, sorry.
davidmarco said:
Because I don't want to lose root, and both 195 and 223 tft's are not rootable at this time if you are in locked bootloader.
I know there is a workaround, flashing a rooted 223 firmware through CWM, but the intention of this thread was to demonstrate if CWM allows OTA update, nothing more. Now that it is demonstrated, such intention is how to fully revert CWM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
TheGSL said:
Okay, I understand that, but I guess I should of been clearer above too, in that, does it matter that much about unlocking your bootloader?
Is it because you want to protect your warranty? If that is the reason I understand your concerns, it is just as I say, perhaps foolishly, I
unlocked mine and rooted my T almost as soon as I got it, without really knowing 100 percent what I was doing! (true) but understanding
why I wanted to have root access (mainly at the moment to uninstall dross like Facebook and Twitter that are pre-installed and to be
able to decide what apps do what on my 'phone) - I understood the risks and took them, as have many people, and lived to tell the
tale.
I do not have the technical know how to help with the cwm query, sorry.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't worry mate, everyone is welcome to this discussion and their opinions will be very appreciated
Is not a matter of fear, I contacted with Sony technical support in Spain a few days after to bought my phone (they unlock your bootloader with no cost if you can provide a valid sim unlock code) but they misbehaved to me: the carrier never came to pick up the device, and when I sent a new email to show my annoyance and request a new pick up they simply didn't response me. After that, I decided to not send my phone and live with locked bootloader.
greetings to all ya'll wonderful people from all over the world from South Africa I have a dilemma, and as I am somewhat ocd about having unneccessary things on my screen I come to you for some advice.
I currently have 12.0.A.2.254 on my SP, and the phone is rooted. recently the OTA offered to update to 12.1.A.1.205. Im struggling to find if its safe to update from 4.1.2 to 4.3 (is that right?) using either pc companion or downloading it via the phone directly, considering that my phone is rooted. I dont want to have to reflash my phone if possible. Im also hella scared of bricking the phone.
Its fine you wont brick your phone unless you abort halfway through flashing or something else silly, youll have to re-root when 205 is finished installing though (use towelroot, google it).
Update via Pc Companion. Yes you will lose root but via Towelroot (see my guide in general) you can reroot it
~~Regards
Bricking your mobile device is quite simple to recover from with flashtool but since you want to avoid that, here's some notes you can take note:
Official SONY Firmwares are able to upgrade your device so long your device has no custom kernel and recovery
Root may be lost but follow the TowelRoot guides in the forums to recover it back
Do not venture too far if you're inexperienced
If you ever face a problem with your device seek help from the forums
Use Sony PC Companion to Upgrade Firmware or OTA (They both work the same way)
Regards,
Furrydaus
[First, I apologize for the double post, but I was getting no answers on the first and thought a different title might help. Also goes toward my first 10 posts which is frustrating, as I want to comment this question directly on the thread I posted a link to below. I suppose this is to prevent spammers, but I really need an answer to this. Also if this is the wrong section, I apologize... seems there is no z1s category.]
Though I am used to androids, this is my first device I am attempting to root. I own a Sony Xperia Z1s running 4.4.4. Kitkat. I've been following these posts http://forum.xda-developers.com/xper...4-4-4-t2839990 and http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=2784900 and thought it sounded plenty easy enough. One issue has popped up though, and I'm fairly certain it has a simple answer that you guys might provide. Here's what I got: my Sony has usb debugging enabled, I downloaded all necessary files (drivers,easy root tool), unknown sources are enabled (as always), and extracted the files so I could run install.bat. It keeps saying tr.apk not found, trying to download from towelroot. Next, as it kept failing, I decided to manually install towelroot (call me crazy here, but I swear every time I plug my phone in, my internet drops off. I'm using a usb wifi bridge thing [whatever you call those], and the blasted thing won't stay. Probably why install.bat can't help me with towelroot)... anyhoo, I opted to direct download the apk on my phone rather than this crappy PC. So, I began again, now with Towelroot. I ran install.bat and got the waiting for device, connect now message. Stuff started happening, libzxploit.so created, doing the magic, etc, and done. It checked if my device was rooted, and came back with error: device not found. error: device not rooted.
Well GREAT. Let's do it AGAIN.
Ran install.bat again. It keeps stopping on creating vm <loljavasucks>. Is it because of my crap signal, or is there something else I am missing? This seems so easy and straightforward, absolutely frustrated i'm having so many issues. Can someone help walk me through? Is it because it's newer firmware? But then why is that XDA thread specifically targeting the Xperia Z1s on 4.4.4. as mine is, and all the comments seem to be "Great, it worked!" and "Rooted my device!"? Am I just unlucky here? Ffs, I just want this damn thing rooted so I don't have to muck through KitKat anymore! Now what am I to do?
Lollipop can't get here fast enough....
Wireless usb?!?!
You are having the same issue I had when I brought my Z1. KitKat have some issues when you try to root it, specially if you are on KK .157 (LATEST)
Follow this link to download the correct FTF for your device: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2311211
Also, you can try this to root your device (doesn't work with updates AFTER .108 build) http://forum.xda-developers.com/xperia-z1/development/newroot-z1-t2807092
This is 99% of success.
TurokHunter47 said:
Wireless usb?!?!
You are having the same issue I had when I brought my Z1. KitKat have some issues when you try to root it, specially if you are on KK .157 (LATEST)
Follow this link to download the correct FTF for your device: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2311211
Also, you can try this to root your device (doesn't work with updates AFTER .108 build) http://forum.xda-developers.com/xperia-z1/development/newroot-z1-t2807092
This is 99% of success.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey, thanks for the reply! This is why I loathe KitKat (among other reasons). Love the phone, hate the build.
I'll give this a shot and report back my results!
I should've mentioned this, I forgot. I'm on 14.4.B.0.56
This is what happened when I ran the newroot.exe. It sent the log to my desktop and reported back this:
...........................................
NEWROOT v1.7 FOR XPERIA Z1 COMPACT and Z1
BY MUNJENI @ 2014
This might work on most Xperias
credits to libexploit by Towelroot
credits to wp mod by MohammadAG
Thank you guys!
...........................................
ro.build.product=C6916
ro.build.id=14.4.B.0.56
kernel version=3.4.0-perf-gf96f13d-00907-gaee6e5a
Your device: C6916 is not D5503, C6902, C6903, C6906 or C6943 so you will need to replace recovery.munjeni.gz in /system/bin when you finish root since only listed models is supported with my recovery!
Your kernel: 3.4.0-perf-gf96f13d-00907-gaee6e5a is not supported!
And unless I'm mistaken, the first link you sent me requires that your phone already be rooted, which it sadly is not.
Hi! Did you root your phone already?
If not, check out this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/xperia-z1/development/guide-root-sony-xperia-z1s-t-mobile-t2829848
EDIT: The first link is to download the correct FTF for your device.
Follow the PART B AND C ONLY. Do this before clicking the link up here. [emoji106] [emoji106]
Hello, Im new user of android devices and gout my z1 a week ago. I was waiting for update patiently for my region (central europe 3) but sony seems to have forgoten us, so I decided to upgrade manually.
Im interested what steps I need to take to do so. So far I dled Customized UK ftf and dled and installed flashtool and android-studio.
Should I root my phone before installing update or is it enough to just unlock my bootloader (i found the guide for that one on sony site) and if so is there a clear guide I can follow for rooting my phone (im on 4.4.4. version of android)?
Also should I do a backup of my system (I dont care about data on my phone, my contacts are on net already and I dont have any apps) and how is that done?
And finally what options should I select in flashtool when updating (I want it to be clean install, I dont have anything of importance on my phone).
Thanks in advance!!
I have an Xperia Z1 and I made the mistake of rooting with Kingroot. I am now trying to uninstall it (I followed their instructions) and it says it has removed the root, but after I rebooted, the root came back. I reset to factory and this did nothing either. I have googled the problem a lot and I have seen many people saying I needed to flash the firmware back to 14.4.A.0.108 to remove kingroot. I was ready to do that using flashtool but I cannot find a version of 14.4.A.0.108 for c6906 since all the links are too old. Does anyone have a version hanging around they could host? Or is there something else I should be doing to fix my problem? My biggest reason for rooting was to get rid of the bloatware, but in the end any unbranded firmware would do for me.
Am I headed in the right direction? Let me know if you need anymore information and I will happily provide. I am new to this world, so go easy on me!