[XPERIA X8 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] sgt. meow:
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Section II: Guides

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Rooting Your Phone Easily

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Make sure you are using Android 2.1 (update 1) and that your baseband ends with 015. If not, update with PC Companion. If your baseband is still not ending with 015, go to this thread at Flashtool point 3 and follow instructions.

Note: On your phone go to Settings > Applications > Development and tick USB Debugging.

XDA member puppet13th has made a very useful and easy to operate toolbox to help you. Go to this thread and download the toolbox. Follow the instructions to root and install dual-mode recovery on your device.

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Unlocking The Bootloader

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In order to push your phone beyond the limits, you must unlock the bootloader and install a custom kernel. But there is a disadvantage to people with phones that were manufactured during or after the 29th week of 2011 shipped with a revamped chipset configuration (which is having the security hole what the bootloader unlock uses) effectively closed. This means that upon unlocking the bootloader your phone will end up as a hard brick - and you will have NO means to revive the phone yourselves. You either have to send it off to Sony Ericsson for repair (recommended) or find a phone repair shop being able to resurrect shot devices!

To check whether you are safe, take off the back cover of your X8/W8, pull the battery and look at the sticker below (NOT THE STICKER OF THE BATTERY). Find the line that says 11wxx. If the date code on the sticker reads 11W29, or any later date (11W30, 11W31, 11W32, 11W33, ...), DO NOT attempt to unlock the bootloader.

But some people ignore this warning and attempted it. Most of them end up in a hard brick, but some of them were very very lucky to unlock it successfully. You can try only when you are ready to take some cash out from your wallet (or purses).

You are also advised to be on stock ROM.

Look at these guides to unlock:

HERE or HERE

NEW!!

This is now by far the easiest way to unlock your bootloaders!! And for phones with 11w29 and above, you have a greater chance of success!!! :D

Try it now!! ---HERE

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Installing A Custom ROM & Kernel

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Note: Not every ROM works with every kernel. Be careful with that. Read the ROM for kernel requirements.

1. Be sure to backup all your current data such as apps, contacts, messages etc before installing a custom ROM.

2. Transfer all the zip files needed to make the ROM work and the ROM itself on your SD card. We do this now because stock ROM won't boot up with a custom kernel.

3. Choose your kernel, download it and put the .ftf file in the "Firmwares" folder of Flashtool.

4. Open Flashtool.

5. Press the flash button. Make sure "flash mode" is selected and press OK.

6. Select the kernel you want to install and press OK.

7. Shut down your phone While holding the back button. Insert the USB cable.

8. Wait till the process has finished and remove the USB cable.

9. Boot up your phone and as soon as the kernel logo appears, start pressing the back button continuously multiple times till you get to CWM recovery. Now its time to flash the ROM.

10. Follow the instructions on the ROM's thread on how to install it.

11. Enjoy!

Note:

If you are not able to flash a kernel after you unlock your bootloader, it might be because of this following reasons~

1) Drivers are not installed. Make sure you installed the X8 drivers and Flashmode drivers from Flashtool/drivers folder.

2) Kernel size is too large. Only some phones will experience this, that they are unable to handle the installation.

3) Your USB port should be resetted.

A- Change to a tighter USB port.

B- Reset your USB in Gordon's Gate program menu. Go to Start/ All Programs/ Sony Ericsson/ Gordon's Gate/ Reset USB

C- Reboot your PC.

4) Kernel may be corrupted or interrupted while downlading.Redownload the kernel from appropriate (official, not mirror) kernel link.

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Simple Guide On Modules

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Note: If you're using a custom kernel, you don't need these modules anymore!

- Overclock

Make your CPU frequency and speed higher.

- Undervolt

It saves the battery, decrease the heat of the CPU, and make your phone more stable.

- Gesture Pinch Zoom

It is the fake multitouch modules for Synaptics Digitizer.

- X8 MDDI Fix

It increases your phone's smoothness by eliminating the lag that happens every 5-7 seconds in custom ROMs.

- X8Kconfig

It not for daily use, it's for developers to extract kernel config from our running kernel 2.6.29 in X8.

- Dual Touch For Cypress Touchpad

It's the real multitouch if you have a Cypress Digitizer.

-X8 Netfilter

- We can have native USB/wifi tether on our phone. And also:

1. Firewall apps

2. Transparent proxies

3. NAT

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Backing Up Your Things

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To Backup Contacts:

- Export them to SD card in "Contacts" app.

OR

- Sync them with Google Account.

To Backup Messages:

- Use "SMS Backup and Restore" app from the Play Store.

To Backup Apps:

- Use "Titanium Backup".

To Backup Settings:

- Do a nandroid backup in CWM.

To Backup Everything:

- Do a nandroid backup in CWM, just make sure no apps are being stored in SD card.

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App Replacements For The Better Guide

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- Android Default File Manager »

Root Explorer/ ASTRO File Manager/ ES File Manager (Much more features including mounting & editing system files)

- Android Default Music Player »

PlayerPro/ PowerAMP (More features & less battery and RAM consuming)

OR

Google Play Music (Beautiful UI)

- Android Default Gallery » Quickpic (More features & much better picture quality viewing)

- Android Default Camera »

Camera ZOOM FX (More features including zoom & better quality pictures)

OR

Camera ICS (Nice UI & Sweep Panorama too!)

- Android Default Launcher »

LauncherPro/ Zeam Launcher (Speed & less RAM)

OR

360 Launcher (Buttery smooth)

- Android Default Dialer » exDialer (Nice MIUI UI, very light & changeable theme)

- Android Default Browser » Dolphin Browser HD (Very fast, smooth & nice UI)

- Android Default Keyboard » Sony's Default Keyboard (No doubt the best)

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Guides For Running Some Different OSes

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:: How do I run Linux Debian??

- How To Run Linux Debian

:: How do I run Windows 95??

- How To Run Windows 95

:: How do I run QBasic??

- How To Run QBasic

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Understanding Stock Firmware Before Flashing

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E15a phone:

"i" firmware in an "i" zone = No 3G.

"i" firmware in an "a" zone = 3G.

"a" firmware in an "i" zone = No 3G.

"a" firmware in an "a" zone = 3G.

E15i phone:

"i" firmware in an "i" zone = 3G.

"i" firmware in an "a" zone = No 3G.

"a" firmware in an "i" zone = 3G.

"a" firmware in an "a" zone = No 3G.

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Mini List Of Acronyms Found In Our Forum

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DEV- ROM under development, so it may be unstable

ETA- Estimated time of arrival, keep in mind do not ask it in the development forum, or you may earn yourself a movie ticket or a 1 month vacation (Infractions or banning)

FM- Forum moderator

OP- Operator of the current thread you are in

PM- Private messaging

RC- Recognized Contributor

RD- Recognized Developer

SM- Senior moderator

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END OF SECTION II