[Sony Cross-Device General] Toledo_JAB:
[SOFT-BRICK RECOVERY] Recover most XPERIAs from SOFT-BRICK

If you are not sure what your doing or just want to confirm something, PLEASE ASK QUESTIONS FIRST. You always want to do the easiest things first.There many of us that have had success using different methods. And there are many of us who are willing to help.

The Wikipedia definition for {Brick (electronics)}

When used in reference to consumer electronics, a "brick" describes an electronic device such as a smart phone, game console, router, or tablet computer that owing to a serious misconfiguration, corrupted firmware or a hardware problem, can no longer function. The term derives from the vaguely cuboid shape of many electronic devices (and their detachable power supplies) and the suggestion that the device can only function as a large, heavy object.

The term can also be used as a verb. For example, "I bricked my MP3 player when I tried to modify its firmware."[1]

In one common sense of the term, "bricking" suggests that the damage, often a misconfiguration of essential on-board software, is so serious as to have rendered the device permanently unusable.

However, another use of the term "bricked" is understood to describe a situation where a device is unable to function even when the device does have potential to be recovered later to a working state. In this sense, the damage may be reversible; it is only during the period that it's unable to function that the device is deemed "bricked". This is often referred to as a "soft brick" whereas an unrecoverable device is a "hard brick".​

DON'T WORRY, BE PATIENT, YOU CAN FIX YOUR PHONE.

This common 'cents' is worth more than a million dollars the price of your phone ;)

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For this guide I will define types of RESETS that happen when pressing both the POWER and VOLUME UP buttons.​

SOFT RESET = 1 vibration then let go of buttons (hold about 3 seconds); Like hitting REBOOT.

HARD RESET = 3 vibrations then let go (about 10 seconds); Like taking out the battery.*

*USE HARD RESET ONLY IF ALL OTHER TRICKS HAVE FAILED. RECOVERY FROM THIS DEEP LEVEL OF SOFT-BRICK WILL TAKE A LONG TIME​

Both can be used at anytime on a working phone. Most bootloops will also allow resets​

XPERIA phones have 2 different modes that are used in recovering from SOFT-brick. FLASH mode & FASTBOOT mode.​

FLASH mode, is used by FLASHTOOL and can be used on every model of XPERIA phone with a locked or unlocked bootloader. FLASH mode will give a soild GREEN notification led when connected. To connect in FLASH mode:

Start with the phone turned off (or in between loops for some tricks)

Press and HOLD the volume DOWN button. (don't let go ;) )

Now connect to a PC using USB

If all went correctly you will get GREEN led, then let go of button :)

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FASTBOOT mode is used by Android Debug Bridge (ADB), and is found on every Android device. FLASHTOOL also uses FASTBOOT mode, however to flash this way you need an UNLOCKED bootloader. NOT EVERY PHONE CAN USE FASTBOOT. To find out if you can use FASTBOOT and how to set it up read {Spectre51's} thread on {unlocking & relocking bootloaders}. FASTBOOT mode will give a soild BLUE notification led when connected. To connect in FASTBOOT mode:

Start with the phone turned off (or in between loops for some tricks)

Press and HOLD volume UP button. (don't let go ;) )

Now connect to a PC using USB

If all went correctly you will get BLUE led, then let go of button :)

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To recover your phone you need to have FLASHTOOL ready and waiting at a specific spot.​

If you need help with setting up & using FLASHTOOL {>>CLICK HERE<<}

DO NOT CONNTECT YOUR PHONE

First you need to have FLASHTOOL installed from {HERE}

Now run FLASHTOOL.

From FLASHTOOL home, select the flash/lightning bolt button

Select FLASH MODE

Select your stock firmware file

WIPE: everything

If available EXCLUDE: TA. (this option is not available for all stock.ftf files, if it's there just exclude it)

Now click START button

After FLASHTOOL prepares files, you should get this screen (or similar depending on version of FLASHTOOL)

>>>>>STOP<<<<< FLASHTOOL is now ready for TRICKS

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For help with finding your phones STOCK.ftf file click here​

You can use the file for your XPERIA model below to recover from SOFT-brick.

To make your models specific .ftf file after you recover, you will find instructions {IN THIS POST}

MAKE SURE YOU USE A STOCK FIRMWARE FOR YOUR MODEL XPERIA. Each phone model has a different file. Using the wrong file will give you the very SOFT-brick your trying to fix. If your not sure then ask for help.

Links to STOCK FIRMWARES

XPERIA P{LT22}

XPERIA V{LT25}

XPERIA S{LT26}

XPERIA SL{LT26ii}

XPERIA Acro S{LT26W}

XPERIA ION{LT28}

XPERIA TX{LT29}

XPERIA T{LT30}

XPERIA TL{LT30at}

XPERIA TIPO{ST21}

XPERIA TIPO DUAL{ST21_2}

XPERIA MIRO{ST23}

XPERIA U{ST25}

XPERIA J{ST26}

XPERIA GO{ST27}

XPERIA Sola{MT27}

Special THANKS go to the following XDA members for providing and maintaining links for the STOCK.ftf files above. Please click their THANKS button in the post you download from.

{dimon2242} {championswimmer} {Yakandu} {NomNomM} {zhuhang} {Spectre51} {hhlong89} {gregbradley} {Jozinek} {TeamMex} {Deadmask} {irontech}

PC Companion can interfere with FLASHTOOL. Make sure it is NOT running when using FLASHTOOL.​

BATTERY CHARGING CYCLES​

On a working phone there are different stages of a battery's charging cycle. The stages are listed in order they happen. The cycle goes from a completely dead battery through a phone running on battery and back to a completely dead battery.

Dead battery. No response from the power button, no screen and no led.

Connect to charger

low battery level charging mode. This is when just the RED led is on and no screen. At this stage the battery's charge is to low to turn the phone on, but it is charging.

Kernel controlled off-line charging mode. This is when the battery has charged enough from step (3) and boots the kernel to charge the battery. The phone is off, but could be turned on using the power button. A quick press of the power button will show this battery icon. Icon will fill with charge.

The kernel also controls charging when the phone is on.

Battery is fully charged.

Unplug the phone and turn on.

Battery is dead from normal use.

Repeat stages starting at (1)

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Now, that is for a working phone. But if your reading this you don't care about a working cycle right? WRONG, this gives a baseline of charging check points to help in recovering your phone, so it is fairly important to understand.

A soft-brick charging cycle can restart at different points along the baseline while attempting to boot.

The kernel is the first thing to run at start-up.

If the kernel is broken the phone may.....

Lock-up before the kernel boot screen with just the back-light on.

Lock-up at the kernel boot screen.

get stuck in boot loops.

The SONY screen is displayed during kernel start-up, for a stock kernel.

A charging cycle for a phone with a broken kernel can go as far as stage (4) and then lock up or boot loop. Then the battery will have to die for the phone to reset and start over at step (1).

Thus ending a broken kernel cycle from dead battery to dead battery.

The system or ROM/firmware runs after the kernel starts successfully.

If the ROM is broken the phone may.....

Lock-up after the kernel screen with just the back-light on

Lock-up at the ROM boot screen

Get stuck in boot loops.

The XPERIA screen is displayed during ROM start-up, for a stock ROM.

A charging cycle for a phone with a broken ROM can go as far as stage (6) and then lock up or boot loop. Then the battery will have to die for the phone to reset and start over at step (1).

Thus ending a broken system cycle from dead battery to dead battery.

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{SONY's PC Companion}

AN UNLOCKED BOOTLOADER WILL NEED TO BE RE-LOCKED FOR PC COMPANION TO WORK.​

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