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[Q] Stuck in a procedures loop

Ok so yesterday I've bought myself a "Sony Xperia Z3 D6603 23.0.1.A.5.77". Now I would like to root this device and probebly flash a custom ROM over it. So I started doing my research because I'm used flashing Samsung Galaxy S3 only.
So here's what happens:
1) To be able to root and/or flash your device, you must unlock your bootloader.
2) Unlocking your boatloader will cause the loss of your TA DATA / DRM keys. If you don't want to lose these permanently, please make backups first.
3) To backup your TA, it is required to root your device first.
And so we end up back on step 1 again. I hope any of you can understand my confusion and please point me into the right direction / threads to do this the correct way. Thanks in advance!:highfive:

Yes, that is the current situation.
Normally what you want is this
1) Root using a locked bootloader method
2) Backup TA
3) Unlock bootloader
4) Flash custom kernel/ROM
The problem we have is that there is NO way to root on a locked bootloader ATM for the Z3. So you have to unlock the bootloader without backing up the TA partition.

I have exactly the same situation... Ex user of a galaxy s3 and now using a Z3 Dual D6633...for now I'm waiting to see if something is possible...

jnannetti said:
I have exactly the same situation... Ex user of a galaxy s3 and now using a Z3 Dual D6633...for now I'm waiting to see if something is possible...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is not possible until there is root for a locked bootloader.
I am now unconvinced this will happen as Lollipop is 1-2 months away. It makes no sense to work on locked bootloader root for our current phones. (this is just my opinion, it may still happen)

Thanks for the info! Guess it's best to wait for better methods first. And ye, I agree. With Lollipop comming out anytime soon, it's best to wait for that.

Going from Z to Z5 Compact - downgrade to 4.42?

Evening all,
Just placed an order for the Z5 Compact after my Z has started playing up after 3 years of use,
Basically I had mine rooted a long time ago, and I havnt really touched it since or done any rooting/customization in ages and im drawing a blank..
Basically want to root the Z5 and downgrade to the 4.42 firmware as I have on my Z, as I dislike the 5.51 software the menu options etc looks very tacky for stock Sony layout, and it looks like 6 marshmallow is the same.
Is this feasible or reccomended?
Is there a step by step guide I can follow as I am seriously ****e with computers and all this stuff, I also wanted to learn about and if there are guides on how I can customise the menu etc If I can keep 5.51 or even upgrade to 6.0 and root the device and install a custom theme and change the menu layout etc?
Is this possible at all, I know people have custom software but I havnt a clue on how to go about rooting it let alone customising it...
Any help much appreciated!

There is no 4.4.2 firmware available for z5 series...

Daniel_GB said:
There is no 4.4.2 firmware available for z5 series...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol cool well that answers that, can the menu/ settings etc be customized and changed,

kam90 said:
lol cool well that answers that, can the menu/ settings etc be customized and changed,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think you can customize settings menu in stock roms...

Daniel_GB said:
I don't think you can customize settings menu in stock roms...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im planning on rooting from 5.51 found a decent guide with use of command prompt so should be easy I hope! Is there an app/program downloadable after root which will allow me to apply custom themes/ menu layouts.
I can only remember Super SU, and theres an aptoide one I had iirc

hey. no offense but i'd suggest you read and learn a bit more about rooting newer xperia devices before you do any mistake.
its for sure no easy thing if you arent much into this stuff. just to mention one thing: at this moment there is no way to root the z5
with locked bootloader. unlocking your bootloader means, that you most probably lose your warranty and the drm keys. those keys
can be simulated by a workaround, but infact they are gone forever without any chance to restore them.
in the end, rooting the z5 now is a process of unlocking bootloader (via flashtool or adb), flash kernel via adb, flash twrp recovery via adb
and finally install supersu via twrp flash.
these should be enough keywords to google for, and/or getting knowledge here in xda forums. once again, i just can advice
you read all those guides twice....

VorlonKosh said:
hey. no offense but i'd suggest you read and learn a bit more about rooting newer xperia devices before you do any mistake.
its for sure no easy thing if you arent much into this stuff. just to mention one thing: at this moment there is no way to root the z5
with locked bootloader. unlocking your bootloader means, that you most probably lose your warranty and the drm keys. those keys
can be simulated by a workaround, but infact they are gone forever without any chance to restore them.
in the end, rooting the z5 now is a process of unlocking bootloader (via flashtool or adb), flash kernel via adb, flash twrp recovery via adb
and finally install supersu via twrp flash.
these should be enough keywords to google for, and/or getting knowledge here in xda forums. once again, i just can advice
you read all those guides twice....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
DRM keys arent really required though are they? are they not restorable/ way to back them up prior, ive googled Z5 compact root and ive got loads of links on search results though

Voiding warranty of new device and god knows what will be with restored fake DRM keys with further updates, and no, there is NO rooting Z5 series with having Bootloader locked for now, i doubt there will ever be a method but hope im wrong. You might want to reconsider Z5 series, replace your Z with Z3 that is easily rootable even with locked BL and is on Marshmallow list.

kam90 said:
DRM keys arent really required though are they? are they not restorable/ way to back them up prior, ive googled Z5 compact root and ive got loads of links on search results though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well, the drm keys are required for e.g. x-reality, camera postprocessing, ps controller support and much more. at the moment the drm restore patch works, but who knows, google or sony could counterpatch this aswell. you can only backup them with root. to get root you need to unlock your bootloader first. unlock bootloader = drm key lost forever. you cant lock your bootloader without original drm keys, and with unlocked bootloader you dont have ota updates and pc companion wont work anymore. means, you always have to update manually with
flashtool.

Really?! Cause with my Z I could link up with pc companion and do a factory reset which wiped out the root and everything on it when it froze up..
What about the main thread on this forum... is there any other reading or threads/guides in relation to this

Quick questions about flashing 32.2.A.0.305

I have not received the 32.2.A.0.305 update for my Z5 yet, so I went to XperiFirm to check which region my device's firmware is from. It turns out the firmware is CDA 1298-2996 (South Africa).
I live in Australia and wish to flash the Customized AU firmware with CDA 1298-7277. I want to do this so that my device will be updated and will be using the Australian firmware.
My bootloader is locked; is flashing possible without unlocking the bootloader?
Will flashing a different firmware potentially cause damage (my device is not network locked, and single sim E6653).
Will this affect my warranty / DRM keys?
Thank you in advance, I appreciate any help :angel:

You are safe to flash almost any E6653 Firmware onto your E6653
Obviously dont flash test firmwares or ones that May lock your sim
Sent from my E6653 using XDA-Developers mobile app

Envious_Data said:
You are safe to flash almost any E6653 Firmware onto your E6653
Obviously dont flash test firmwares or ones that May lock your sim
Sent from my E6653 using XDA-Developers mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you And the DRM keys should not be affected? I have read that unlocking the bootloader only affects the keys.

csfrank271 said:
Thank you And the DRM keys should not be affected? I have read that unlocking the bootloader only affects the keys.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Flashing a FTF shouldent touch DRM At all.

Envious_Data said:
Flashing a FTF shouldent touch DRM At all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks again, I appreciate the knowledge!

csfrank271 said:
I have not received the 32.2.A.0.305 update for my Z5 yet, so I went to XperiFirm to check which region my device's firmware is from. It turns out the firmware is CDA 1298-2996 (South Africa).
I live in Australia and wish to flash the Customized AU firmware with CDA 1298-7277. I want to do this so that my device will be updated and will be using the Australian firmware.
My bootloader is locked; is flashing possible without unlocking the bootloader?
Will flashing a different firmware potentially cause damage (my device is not network locked, and single sim E6653).
Will this affect my warranty / DRM keys?
Thank you in advance, I appreciate any help :angel:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you can flash and what ever with your device, DRM keys are safe!
when u ulock bootloader, the device WIPE user Data and sony partitions (TA (trimArea) partitions) and DRM keys and FIDO keys will be lost!
this $h!t is with sony only!!
i rooted my fone and having modified kernel having DRM stimulation installed. its working fine now.
- at any given day, to a thirsty user who wants to CONTROL his Xperia to the most. i would say, ignore drm keys and make a deal with devil to have root access
- however since Xperia Z5 (unlike latest xperia Xseries) came out on LP kernel. so u can FLASH LP kernel and root it with app like kingroot and extract your DRM keys to windows pc and back it up. now u can flash the LASTED Android back on you Xperiaz5 and unlock your boot loader to have root access.
check this
http://forum.xda-developers.com/z5-...ting-xperia-z5-z5p-variants-drm-keys-t3437902

YasuHamed said:
you can flash and what ever with your device, DRM keys are safe!
when u ulock bootloader, the device WIPE user Data and sony partitions (TA (trimArea) partitions) and DRM keys and FIDO keys will be lost!
this $h!t is with sony only!!
i rooted my fone and having modified kernel having DRM stimulation installed. its working fine now.
- at any given day, to a thirsty user who wants to CONTROL his Xperia to the most. i would say, ignore drm keys and make a deal with devil to have root access
- however since Xperia Z5 (unlike latest xperia Xseries) came out on LP kernel. so u can FLASH LP kernel and root it with app like kingroot and extract your DRM keys to windows pc and back it up. now u can flash the LASTED Android back on you Xperiaz5 and unlock your boot loader to have root access.
check this
http://forum.xda-developers.com/z5-...ting-xperia-z5-z5p-variants-drm-keys-t3437902
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the advice, I will look into it in the future when CyanogenMod improves and I need to unlock the bootloader to install it. My main incentive for this would be to greatly improve the camera, which we all know takes very washed-out photos.
I have just gone through the firmware flashing process. Thankfully there are many guides available and it all worked just fine, so I am using the current, correct firmware now
The worst part was just the waiting and suspense (feels like a lot could go wrong).
Thanks again Envious_Data and YasuHamed!

csfrank271 said:
Thanks for the advice, I will look into it in the future when CyanogenMod improves and I need to unlock the bootloader to install it. My main incentive for this would be to greatly improve the camera, which we all know takes very washed-out photos.
I have just gone through the firmware flashing process. Thankfully there are many guides available and it all worked just fine, so I am using the current, correct firmware now
The worst part was just the waiting and suspense (feels like a lot could go wrong).
Thanks again Envious_Data and YasuHamed!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i had flashed Cm13 on XperiaZ and inbuilt camera app of CM13 was worse than xperia! and if you think you z5 camera isn't working properly then God Help you when you won't have DRM keys in place! because the DRM keys actually enables feature of camera which wont be activated if DRM keys are lost
nothing will go wrong! be confident! sony devices are Hardcore stallions! once you nail them! they will be your pet!

Before root Xperia XZ

So I got a Xperia XZ F8332, it have bootloader status is Yes and I'm going to run a custom ROM, i have some question before follow a guide to root 1st :
1.I need to downgrade to MM in order to backup TA partition, i know this contain drm key for some technology, so i only just keep a backup and everytime i use a new ROM, i only need to flash it back?
2.I've heard some people say when downgrade to MM the Bootloader will change to No if you flash wrong way, so which .sin i should tick to avoid that problem?
3.which ROM is stable and bring the best Performance for this Phone?
Thanks alot to anyone who spend some time to answers my questions

All my unsolved questions researching before XZ Premium Bootloader Unlock. Please read.

Hello,
I resort to the kindness and experience of the forum to be able to advise me on the basic questions about the experience of rooting the Sony XZ Premium (G8142), since I spent several hours reading and searching the forum for information, but everything that is there is scattered, then I would like to know from those who directly did it, if it is worth it. Also, in order to help other users who are looking for concise information, they can have this link as a reference to remove all the most common doubts that arise in one place.
My doubts are the following:
is it advisable to root?
I have been researching about the camera problems that for Android 9 no longer have them, but in another article it describes that we lose the video enhancement X-Reality, DSEE HX, ClearAudio +, Widevine L1. All this arises because a certain system partition (TA) is erased when we unlock the bootloader. Does anyone have info how he remedied all these leaks? Custom ROMs fix this?
DRM issues: This is also something that was not clear to me. First do Backup DRM; In order to be able to backup to the partition with the locked bootloader I still need to run the temporary root. For that I need to downgrade the system to version 8 (G8142_47.1.A.16.20). Then run command lines to create the backup with the help of the tool that a forum user created. Please if I'm wrong correct me.
* The question is first to downgrade (Android 8),
* temporary root,
* then create the backup.
* Unlock bootloader from sony page
* then to restore the backup again, or not? Does restoring the backup lock and leave the device to a previous state? (undoing the changes), or does it just fix the DRM problem?
* In short, is it advisable to unlock the bootloader with Android 9 or earlier?
* Is it advisable to create the DRM backup?
* In which case would I have to restore this backup?
I have also seen that they mention a paid software that does all the work by yourself I do not know if it is for Android 9, it is just a matter of connecting the device in fastboot mode, then it automatically executes twrp, root, repairs DRM, but the cost of the software in my country it is something difficult to pay, that is why I am gathering as much information as possible before executing any procedure.
Custom ROMs: Regarding the user experience, does anyone have information about the rom that is more stable and recommended for this device? Does it cover all the holes or bugs that it leaves when erasing DRM after unlocking the bootloader?
I hope the reference text of what I write can be understood since my native language is Latin American Spanish, and I am using the Google translator.
I would appreciate any kind of suggestion or experience in this regard. Thank you.

First of all, have you seen these threads:
[XZ1c/XZ1/XZp] temp root exploit to backup drm keys implemented
Tools to backup TA partition (drm keys) of Xperia XZ1 Compact by j4nn https://j4nn.github.io/ As everyone knows, bootloader unlock via code from sony removes drm keys. That disables certain functions, the most critical one being the camera...
forum.xda-developers.com
[XZp] rooted kernel hiding bootloader unlock with working fota
rooted kernel hiding bootloader unlock with working sony stock fw fota updates for Sony Xperia XZ Premium Firmware Over the Air system updates have been disabled/not working with sony xperia phones with unlocked bootloader. Also many sony...
forum.xda-developers.com
It's all there really, explained step by step. Thanks to @j4nn you can run stock firmware with superuser access concealed from the system so that it doesn't know the phone is unlocked, with all the DRM-restricted functionality still available.
The relative benefits of unlocking depend on your specific needs. But considering there are no more official updates, being able to use aftermarket firmware like this: https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/rom-lineageos-18-1-unofficial-updated-2021-3-31.4221427/ already makes it worthwhile in my opinion.
The only drawback of an unlock is that there is a scary message displayed on every boot, which also adds 1 or 2 seconds to the startup sequence.
Regardless of whether you decide to unlock or not, there is no downside to having a TA backup. It might come useful one day.
All you need is Android Platform Tools (adb, fastboot), and: https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/tool-newflasher-xperia-command-line-flasher.3619426/ There is no need to pay for any of these, although you can donate to @j4nn and @munjeni: they both put a lot of effort into making this possible.

Aqq123 said:
First of all, have you seen these threads:
[XZ1c/XZ1/XZp] temp root exploit to backup drm keys implemented
Tools to backup TA partition (drm keys) of Xperia XZ1 Compact by j4nn https://j4nn.github.io/ As everyone knows, bootloader unlock via code from sony removes drm keys. That disables certain functions, the most critical one being the camera...
forum.xda-developers.com
[XZp] rooted kernel hiding bootloader unlock with working fota
rooted kernel hiding bootloader unlock with working sony stock fw fota updates for Sony Xperia XZ Premium Firmware Over the Air system updates have been disabled/not working with sony xperia phones with unlocked bootloader. Also many sony...
forum.xda-developers.com
It's all there really, explained step by step. Thanks to @j4nn you can run stock firmware with superuser access concealed from the system so that it doesn't know the phone is unlocked, with all the DRM-restricted functionality still available.
The relative benefits of unlocking depend on your specific needs. But considering there are no more official updates, being able to use aftermarket firmware like this: https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/rom-lineageos-18-1-unofficial-updated-2021-3-31.4221427/ already makes it worthwhile in my opinion.
The only drawback of an unlock is that there is a scary message displayed on every boot, which also adds 1 or 2 seconds to the startup sequence.
Regardless of whether you decide to unlock or not, there is no downside to having a TA backup. It might come useful one day.
All you need is Android Platform Tools (adb, fastboot), and: https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/tool-newflasher-xperia-command-line-flasher.3619426/ There is no need to pay for any of these, although you can donate to @j4nn and @munjeni: they both put a lot of effort into making this possible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much for answering my question, you have clarified several points that I had scattered about.
I still have some doubts reading more comments on the links that you have suggested. Perhaps you have an answer to such doubts:
I have read that a user has lost video enhancements, perhaps because he did something wrong here:
temp root for drm keys backup - anybody still interested?
--- edit 2018-11-03 --- Tools to backup TA partition before bootloader unlock have been released. Just check the [XZ1c/XZ1/XZp] temp root exploit to backup drm keys implemented thread. --- Just wondering if there is already drm keys backup...
forum.xda-developers.com
post #72 sulistyoarif:
Only Video Image Enhancement didnt work for me.
I have seen some videos of the YouTube profile of the user j4nn where he has all the libraries without problems, working perfectly, including the improvements of the video image.
About the installation processes for firmware I did a clean installation of firmware version 9 latest compilation with Xperia flashtool without problems. Do you think that I will be able to downgrade with Xperia flashtool without problems with the libraries or some other? I think that the experience serves me more than the tutorials .
For what remains in my information I found this steps:
*downgrade
* no flash - persist.sin
1) Use temp root and backup TA image
2) Unlock bootloader
3) Flash Newest firmware (or choice of yours)
4) Setup phone temporary and copy magisk files to
phone
5) flash twrp and temporary boot with twrp
(fastboot boot twrp.img)
6) flash magisk and reboot
7) Check Root privilege
8) Restore TA image and check DRM
8.1) (optional) factory reset if any fc issue
"Now You have unlocked and rooted phone with full DRM Support including OTA Support.
Everything is tested and working for XZP and XZP Dual"
Thanks again for the help and taking the time to read my post.

@sergioemmr
It should work like you describe it, except with newflasher: https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/tool-newflasher-xperia-command-line-flasher.3619426/ FlashTool is for older devices.
That guy did something wrong, so don't be like him. Just follow @j4nn's instructions.
You can downgrade to an earlier firmware on this device, no problem here. Do not flash persist.sin like you said, and you're good to go. If you run into any problems, just post in that thread, and you'll get more people's attention.

Aqq123 said:
@sergioemmr
It should work like you describe it, except with newflasher: https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/tool-newflasher-xperia-command-line-flasher.3619426/ FlashTool is for older devices.
That guy did something wrong, so don't be like him. Just follow @j4nn's instructions.
You can downgrade to an earlier firmware on this device, no problem here. Do not flash persist.sin like you said, and you're good to go. If you run into any problems, just post in that thread, and you'll get more people's attention.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What's the deal with persist.sin? I used flash tool to downgrade and managed to extract the unlocked-ta file. Did I somehow void the TA key?