[Xperia Z General] [NUT]:
I have had my fair share of problems getting out of all kinds of tricky situations. :fingers-crossed: I thought it would be nice to share my knowledge and experience with the good folks on XDA :)

Using this guide you can get out of the following problems:

Bootloop: Sony logo -> Xperia logo and/or bootanim followed by a reboot

Bootstall: Sony logo appears, nothing else happens

Soft-brick: Phone vibrates when you try to turn it on, nothing else happens, not even the screen turns on! (Formerly named Refuseboot)

A bootloop occurs when your rom has missing or corrupted files or otherwise an incomplete system partition.

A bootstall is caused by a heavily corrupted system partition to the extent you could say it is nolonger there... or an android service that fails to start during init.

A soft-brick can be caused by either a corrupted TA partition or by relocking your phone while you have a custom kernel image still on it (big oops! and yes: I have been in that situation myself :silly: )

Xperia Z: Testing functionality before we start...

Bootloop/bootstall: Try to reboot your phone by holding down the POWER and the VOL-UP buttons

at the same time

for a few seconds. If it reboots, you can be happy! :highfive:

Soft-brick: If you can feel your phone vibrate when trying to power it on, even when your screen does not turn on, you can also be happy! :fingers-crossed:

The above functionality SHOULD also work on the Z1 and the ZU.

Xperia ZL: Testing functionality before we start...

The ZL has a small reset switch behind the lid where your SIM card goes. You need a pen or something similar to operate it and it should be labeled 'reset' or 'off' inside the case. To reset your phone, you will need to use this switch. The selection between Fastboot (Vol-up) or Flashmode (vol-down) however is the same.

View attachment 2029362

Xperia ZU: Testing functionality before we start...

The ZU also has a small reset switch behind the lid where your SIM card goes. You need a pen or something similar to operate it and it should be labeled 'reset' or 'off' inside the case. To reset your phone, you will need to use this switch. The selection between Fastboot (Vol-up) or Flashmode (vol-down) however is the same.

View attachment 2326092

Xperia Z1: Testing functionality before we start...

The Z1 also has a small reset switch behind the lid where your SIM card goes. You need a pen or something similar to operate it and it should be labeled 'reset' or 'off' inside the case. To reset your phone, you will need to use this switch. The selection between Fastboot (Vol-up) or Flashmode (vol-down) however is the same.

View attachment 2326093

Now that we know we can re-/boot your phone, you have a way out of this problematic situation! :victory:

FOR EX- CM/AOSP/AOKP/PAC USERS

When you found this topic while searching for help on returning to STOCK after having CM/PAC/AOSP/AOKP installed on your phone, please visit the following thread:

[GUIDE] How to revert your phone from CM/AOSP/AOKP/PAC to STOCK

This will help you on your quest to return to the STOCK side ;)

FLASHMODE: bootloop & bootstall

Sony Update Service and PC Companion

Open SUS/PC Companion on your PC

Walk through until you get instructed to hold key and connect cable

Connect your USB cable to your phone

Hold POWER and VOL-UP to reboot

As soon as your screen goes black, release POWER and slide your finger to VOL-DOWN pressing it (Do it quickly, otherwise it wont work!)

SUS should detect your phone and begin flashing your phone

Your phone should boot up normally again when SUS is done. :good:

As we are using SUS there is a warning to issue here:

THIS

WILL

DESTROY ALL DATA ON YOUR PHONE!

Consider yourself warned...

FLASHTOOL

Open Flashtool on your PC

Either:

Deselect everything except system, walk through until you get instructed to hold key and connect cable

Walk through until you get instructed to hold key and connect cable, without deselecting anything specific, thus selecting to flash the whole FTF.

Connect your USB cable to your phone

Hold POWER and VOL-UP to reboot

As soon as your screen goes black, release POWER and slide your finger to VOL-DOWN pressing it (Do it quickly, otherwise it wont work!)

Flashtool should detect your phone and begin flashing your phone

Your phone should boot up normally again when Flashtool is done. :good:

As we are using FLASHTOOL there is a warning to issue here:

MAKE YOUR CHOICES WISELY OR YOU RISK DESTROYING ALL DATA ON YOUR PHONE!

Consider yourself warned... again!

FASTBOOT MODE: soft-brick

FASTBOOT FOR KERNEL

Connect your USB cable to your phone

Either:

Hold POWER and VOL-UP to reboot, on the instance your phone vibrates, release POWER but hold on to VOL-UP;

Press POWER, on the instance you feel your phone vibrate, press and hold VOL-UP;

If successful your phone will show a blue led to signal it is in fastboot mode.

Use the fastboot tool to flash the stock Sony kernel image.

Your phone should boot up normally again when fastboot is done. :good:

CONSIDER YOURSELF LUCKY YOU CAN STILL USE YOUR PHONE IF YOU LOSE ANY DATA!!

FLASHMODE & FASTBOOT FOR (RE-)UNLOCKING USING FLASHTOOL

Start Flashtool, open up BLU (have your unlock key at the ready!).

Connect your USB cable to your phone

Either:

Hold POWER and VOL-UP to reboot, on the instance your phone vibrates, release POWER and slide down to VOL-DOWN;

Press POWER, on the instance you feel your phone vibrate, press and hold VOL-DOWN;

Flashtool should recognise your phone and prepares it for unlocking.

On the next step Flashtool needs your phone to reconnect in fastboot

[*] Disconnect USB cable and wait at least 10 seconds before reconnecting.

[*]Connect your USB cable to your phone

[*]Either:

Hold POWER and VOL-UP to reboot, on the instance your phone vibrates, release POWER but hold on to VOL-UP;

Press POWER, on the instance you feel your phone vibrate, press and hold VOL-UP;

[*]If successful your phone will show a blue led to signal it is in fastboot mode.

[*]Flashtool should detect your phone and begin unlocking your phone

[*]Your phone should boot up normally again when Flashtool is done. :good:

CONSIDER YOURSELF LUCKY YOU CAN STILL USE YOUR PHONE IF YOU LOSE ANY DATA!!

And yes, I personally have been dealing with all the above due to sleep deprived stupidity the past 4 weeks ... :cool: But my Z is still very much alive and kicking! :cowboy: