Sony XPERIA Unlock boot loader Part 2

Unlocking the boot loader

We’re supporting the open developer communityThe open developer community is important to us at Sony, and we have therefore made it possible to unlock the boot loader for certain releases of Xperia™ devices from 2011 and onwards. To find out what models are supported by this service, please see the Supported devices page to the left.However, even if the device model is supported, certain releases of the device model may not be supported due to operator restrictions. To check if your device can be unlocked, go through the first two steps on thepage.Important informationPlease note that you may void the warranty of your device and/or any warranty from your operator if you unlock the boot loader. See your device's warranty statement for details. Additionally, due to the modified device software, Sony’s repair network will likely have to replace key components before it can properly test, repair and verify your device using our repair tools and software. Consequently, if Sony performs a warranty repair, Sony will likely charge you a significant service fee for the additional costs caused by your modification of the software.Sony can no longer guarantee the full functionality of your device, and will not be responsible for any unsigned custom software being flashed to the device after the boot loader is unlocked. Certain functions in your device might cease to work, and performance might not be ideal. You might alsodamage your device permanently. In the worst case, unlocking the boot loader will cause physical injuries or material damage, for example, due to the device overheating.Certain content on your device may also be inaccessible due to the removal of DRM security keys and the secure user data partition while unlocking the boot loader. We advise you to create backups, since user data, settings and accounts will be removed. For Xperia™ devices released 2013 or later (for example Xperia™ Z and Xperia™ ZL), the SD card of your device will be formatted and you will lose all content (for example photos, music, videos) when you unlock the boot loader.

With all of the above in mind, you should only unlock the boot loader of your device if you are an advanced user with good knowledge of the technology and risks involved. We recommend standard users not to unlock the boot loader, as it is not needed. We are proud to deliver great software experiences through our rigorously tested and official software releases.

If you are fully aware of the risks involved, and have a deep knowledge about these technologies, continue to the unlock boot loader instructions page.You should be aware that unlocking the boot loader will not give you root access. The only way to get root access is to flash a custom ROM with root access.

For any questions, we will monitor this thread on Google groups. However, we cannot guarantee an answer for every question asked in this forum. If you want additional assistance, check out the FreeXperia developer thread on the XDA-forum. Please note that this is an external forum, not run by Sony.

Also note that there is no turning back once you have unlocked the boot loader. You will not be able to revert the device to a locked or original state if you unlock it. In addition, if you brick the device, it is your own responsibility. Note that you will not receive any official software upgrades if you unlock your device.

Known issues

• To unlock the Xperia™ Z1 boot loader, you must update your device to the latest software (build 14.2.A.0.290, Android 4.3). Unlocking the boot loader on earlier software versions will stop the camera functionality.


• Some customers with unlocked boot loaders have experienced problems when they are accepting over the air upgrades (FOTA - Firmware upgrade Over The Air). For customers that have unlocked the boot loader, please do not accept any over the air upgrades. For additional information, check out the hints and tips from the community on the XDA forum.

Instructions

Known issues

• To unlock the Xperia™ Z1 boot loader, you must update your device to the latest software (build 14.2.A.0.290, Android 4.3). Unlocking the boot loader on earlier software versions will stop the camera functionality.


• Some users with unlocked boot loaders have experienced problems when they are accepting over the air upgrades (FOTA - Firmware upgrade Over The Air). For users that have unlocked the boot loader, please do not accept any over the air upgrades. For additional information, check out the hints and tips from the community on theXDA forum.

Instructions

1. First, you should confirm that it is possible to unlock the boot loader of your device by checking the service menu. In your device, open the dialler and enter *#*#7378423#*#* to access the service menu. If you have a tablet, click here to learn how access the service menu.


2. In your device, tap Service info > Configuration > Rooting Status. If Bootloader unlock allowed says Yes, then you can continue with the next step. If it says No, or if the status is missing, your device cannot be unlocked.


3. On your computer, click Continue at the bottom of this page to start the unlock boot loader process.


4. Read through the information in the pop up window and click Yes, I’m sure, if you are still confident you want to unlock the boot loader.


5. Read through and accept the legal terms. Click I Accept.


6. Enter your name, a valid email adress and the first 14 digits of your device’s IMEI or MEID or IDID number (remove the last digit if necessary). Click Submit. You can view the IMEI or MEID number by entering *#06# on your device. If you have a tablet, click here to learn how to find your IMEI, MEID or IDID number.


7. The unlock boot boot loader key will be sent to your email. Save it for later use.


8. Download and install the latest Android SDK fromdeveloper.android.com.


9. Download and unzip this file. This is the standard android_winusb.inf-file, with a few lines of code added to enable Fastboot to support Sony and Sony Ericsson devices. Make sure you are running Google USB Driver package revision 4 or higher in your Android SDK. You can see current Google USB Driver package revision in the SDK Manager.


10. Place the unzipped file in the usb_driver folder, located in the Android SDK > extras > google folder on your computer. Accept to replace the old android_winusb.inf-file with the new file. If you can't find the usb_driver folder, please install the Google USB Driver Packager using the Android SDK manager.


11. Turn off your device.


12. On your device, push and hold the Fastboot button at the same time as you connect the device to the computer with a USB-cable. The Fastboot button may differ between different device models. See theFastboot buttons page for more information on what button use on your device.


13. On your computer, you will be asked for drivers. Point to the usb_driver folder where you placed the android_winusb.inf-file, and select the Android Boot loader Interface-file.


14. Open a command window and go to the tools folder within the Android SDK folder.


15. Enter fastboot.exe -i 0x0fce getvar version, and verify that you get a response back (for example "0.3"). This means your device is connected properly.


16. Warning! If you perform this step, you will unlock the boot loader. This may void your warranty and/or any warranty from your operator. If you still want to unlock the boot loader of your device, enterfastboot.exe -i 0x0fce oem unlock 0xKEY, where KEY is the unlock boot loader key you got in the beginning of this instruction. The boot loader should now be successfully unlocked.