impossible (android) boot loop on xperia x compact

asked 2018-06-29 00:58:00 +0300

JayBeRayBearGun gravatar image

updated 2018-06-29 02:15:20 +0300

Spark gravatar image

I bought a Sony Xperia X Compact with a boot loop problem (for a low price). Mistakenly I bought the compact version instead of the regular one (so I want to fix it and trade it).

What and why this came about is not known,.. I asked the previous owner. He suspect it happened after an OTA.

The boot loop acts as follows:

  1. black on white sony logo
  2. big X fading into xperia
  3. replaced by android
  4. then a black screen

I'm sure this must sound familiar, right?

First time I connected it to the PC with the companion software it somehow snapped out of it and started the initialisation process like when it's new. It repeatedly asked for my google credentials which did not work. Later I realised this must be the credential of the previous owner.

Anyway, I was not able to reproduce this and the boot loop issue is still the after a power cycle.

So next I tried the companion repair function. This takes forever and finally asks you to disconnect and switch on the phone. Again boot loop!

First time around though it takes a bit longer and the xperia word goes through a green phase and then a blue phase. Subsequent iterations of the boot loop the xperia word/logo is rendered only blueish. Not sure how significant this is but i noticed it and thought it might mean something.

So next I used the flashtool with the proper firmware. I checked userdata and cache (and cust_reset) to be wiped (according to instructions found on line). The flashing process went much faster than the companion repair process. However the desired result was not there at the end.

So I tried the companion repair once more and after that the flashtool approach. Needles to say same result. Interestingly I am able to coax the phone either into fastboot or flashmode without much problems. So my take on it is that it should be possible to recover from this problem.

So,... what approach is recommended here?

I'd like to get it working again and trade it for a xperia x (not compact) to install Sailfish OS on that baby.

At any rate, advice much appreciated!

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Comments

Isn't this very much off-topic for a Jolla/Sailfish forum? People are nice here, but this is for an Android or an Xperia forum.

Spark ( 2018-06-29 02:14:34 +0300 )edit
1

Sure, but if you want to install SailfishOS and you encounter hurdles chances are there are other with similar poblems here especially this phone. I can imagein others might have dealt with similar issues.

PS: coming here is not my first course of action,.. posted here somewhat reluctantly

JayBeRayBearGun ( 2018-06-29 10:45:58 +0300 )edit
1

I think you should be able to flash it to stock firmware with the Sony's official EMMA flashtool. Did you try that or some other method for flashing?

Manatus ( 2018-06-29 11:22:46 +0300 )edit

I tried,... it detects the phone but then refused because bootloader lock.

JayBeRayBearGun ( 2018-06-29 11:37:14 +0300 )edit

Hmm, then you are out of luck in sense that you probably are able to unlock the bootloader by following Sony procedure here: https://developer.sony.com/develop/open-devices/get-started/unlock-bootloader/

But at the same time if you do that, you will lose the special Sony camera algorithms that are locked with special keys (trade secret thing they want to hold on I assume). This could lower the resale value of the device.

Manatus ( 2018-06-29 19:33:14 +0300 )edit