[Sony Cross-Device General] cy56:
Here I start my new thread:

Best Ever Flashing Guide!​

I've started this thread to give you my own experienced flashing guide. This thread/guide will provide you easy and step-by-step tutorial to flash a ROM. If I'm wrong, please don't hesitate to correct me.

You'd say what's new in this thread? I say, "None other guide provide a deep-through guide and these type of new processes that can help you in better ROM flashing."

Before starting I'd like to say:

Anything you're doing is your own responsibility and I'm not responsible for any type of damage to you device.​

​

(As seen on many thready, I found this interesting) If you point your finger towards me in case of any damage, I'll LOL at you!​

Now let's start with part 1:

Backing-up: When you're switching to a new ROM it's better to back-up your important apps that you need in your new ROM. Because if you don't do this, you've to re-download your apps which is time, data & battery consuming. Here you need a File Explorer such as MiXplorer or ES File Explorer or Root Explorer (Get 'em by clicking on names). Now follow these steps:

Open your File manager and goto Root directory.

Head to "data" folder and then open "app" folder. Here you can see all your installed apps. These are 'User Apps'.

Now select the apps that you want to backup.

Now press "Copy" button to copy you apps.

Head to your SD Card. (You can find "sdcard" folder back in root directory.)

Just paste them wherever you want.

That's it! You've backed-up you apps!

Now let's move to part 2:

Pre-flash initial wipe: Yeah! Pre-flash wipe! This means that you're wiping your installed apps' data. Sometimes in flashing instructions of some ROMs, it is not given to wipe \data because that wouldn't install your new ROM. SO here's the manual way:

Open you file manager.

In your SD Card, there's a folder named "Android". Just delete it!

Now head back to "data>app" select 'em all and delete 'em! (As you've backed-up, don't fear to delete 'em.)

Part 3:

Pre-flash final wipe: This is the final step of wiping manually. CAUTION: After this wipe you MAY NOT be able to use your phone, so before this, finish your any other precious work then head to this part. Now follow these steps:

Open your file manager and again head to Root directory.

Now goto "data" then again "data" folder. Here you'll see lots of folders.

Just select 'em all and press "Delete". SOME FOLDERS MAY NOT BE DELETED as they are currently in use.

Now Reboot or power-off your phone! (If you're unable to reboot/power-off, just pull-out your phone's battery)

Part 4:

Flashing Kernel:Before Installing/flashing a ROM you must install a Kernel otherwise you'll get error in Flashing ROM or get bugs in installed ROM. You can get the kernel to flash inside you ROM's zip. (Just open the ZIP file and extract boot.img) Here are the Kernel Flashing instructions:

Open FlashTool. If you don't have FlashTool, get it here!

Click the Lightning Icon and choose Fastboot mode.

Click Select Kernel to flash and choose your kernel. (if it is .elf file choose .elf format from dropdown menu and if it is .img file choose it from same.)

Before clicking Open, Turn-off your phone. Wait at-least 5 sec. press and hold vol+ (volume increase) button and simultaneously insert data cable into your phone.

A Blue LED will light-up and here you can remove finger from the button. (On some Xperias that light will glow-up in the Illumination bar). Now Press Open by clicking on your kernel.

It'll flash kernel to your device in just 3-5 seconds then you can reboot and Install your desired ROM.

Part 5:

Flashing ROM: This part relates to your respective ROM's flashing instructions. Some important points here can help you:

Most of the Stock, Stock-based and CyanogenMod10, 10.1 ROMs use this wiping precess in Clockworkmod Recovery:

Wipe data/factory reset.

Wipe cache partition.

Goto advanced and wipe dalvik-cache.

Install ROM.

Most of the CyanogenMod 9 ROMs use this wiping procedure:

Install ROM

Install GAPPS

Wipe data/factory reset.

Most of the CyanogenMod 10.2 ROMs use this wiping procedure:

Wipe data/factory reset.

Wipe cache partition.

Goto mount & storage and do a format system.

Install ROM.

Most of the Kit-Kat 4.4 ROMs use this wiping procedure:

Wipe data/factory reset.

Wipe cache partition.

Install ROM.

IMPORTANT: Some ROMs have different wiping procedure, please follow them. This is just for reference purpose if wiping procedure isn't provided in the ROM's thread. Also, DON'T FORGET TO FLASH THE KERNEL every time before you Install a ROM.