Flashing international firmware on US model - Sony Xperia XZ1 Questions & Answers

I got the official US model Xperia XZ1 from Amazon and wondering if there is a guide to flash the international firmware on the US model so that I can use the damn fingerprint sensor which Sony disables on the US model.
Anybody tried it on the XZ1? Would appreciate a simple guide or steps.
Sent from my G8342 using Tapatalk

Flashing XZ1 and XZ1 Compact is very similiar to flashing XZ premium.
1. Download XZ1 Driver
https://developer.sonymobile.com/downloads/drivers/xperia-xz1-driver/
2. Download xperiafirm and newflasher
https://forum.xda-developers.com/cr...xperifirm-xperia-firmware-downloader-t2834142
https://forum.xda-developers.com/cr...gress-newflasher-xperia-command-line-t3619426
3. Use Xperiafirm to download desired rom for your phone.
4. Place newflasher in the directory of the downloaded rom
5. Reboot the phone to flash mode (turn off and then hold volume down while connecting usb cable.
6. Install USB driver
7. Run newflasher - This will delete all userdata - there are better instructions if saving userdata matters to you.
8. After newflasher finishes, restart phone.
For one set of more detailed instructions
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=72958788&postcount=16

rp3 said:
Flashing XZ1 and XZ1 Compact is very similiar to flashing XZ premium.
1. Download XZ1 Driver
https://developer.sonymobile.com/downloads/drivers/xperia-xz1-driver/
2. Download xperiafirm and newflasher
https://forum.xda-developers.com/cr...xperifirm-xperia-firmware-downloader-t2834142
https://forum.xda-developers.com/cr...gress-newflasher-xperia-command-line-t3619426
3. Use Xperiafirm to download desired rom for your phone.
4. Place newflasher in the directory of the downloaded rom
5. Reboot the phone to flash mode (turn off and then hold volume down while connecting usb cable.
6. Install USB driver
7. Run newflasher - This will delete all userdata - there are better instructions if saving userdata matters to you.
8. After newflasher finishes, restart phone.
For one set of more detailed instructions
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=72958788&postcount=16
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
were can I find the instructions if I dont want to erase userdata? I searched the newflasher thread but still not shure what to do

I'm not very familiar with the changes to save userdata but, as near as I understand it, delete the userdata file to not flash it. The detailed instructions seems like they contain the exact files (of course, finding the XZ1 version) needed to accomplish the fingerprint enabling goal

rp3 said:
I'm not very familiar with the changes to save userdata but, as near as I understand it, delete the userdata file to not flash it. The detailed instructions seems like they contain the exact files (of course, finding the XZ1 version) needed to accomplish the fingerprint enabling goal
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
just flashed my phone, deleted userdata.sin and all .ta files and that worked perfect. Got the firmware I wanted and kept all userdata!
Sorry for the thread hijack

kirdroid said:
I got the official US model Xperia XZ1 from Amazon and wondering if there is a guide to flash the international firmware on the US model so that I can use the damn fingerprint sensor which Sony disables on the US model.
Anybody tried it on the XZ1? Would appreciate a simple guide or steps.
Sent from my G8342 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I responded to a similar thread in Reddit:
https://www.reddit.com/r/SonyXperia/comments/7433id/has_anyone_enabled_xz1_fingerprint_scanner/
I'll repost the content here so you don't have to go to the page. I should preface this with "This worked for me. YMMV"
I have with Newflasher. I had an issue with the XZs and XZ1 where if I flashed another region's firmware, I could get a fingerprint scanner, but I could not send group MMS messages. And you know everyone will hate you if you screw up a perfectly good MMS group message session with individual SMS messages.
I tried following this guide for the XZ Premium to get the US firmware with a working fingerprint scanner from a CE1 firmware:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/xz-premium/help/version-flashing-internation-version-t3629823
but it didn't enable it for the XZ1.
So I was using the standard US firmware for the last week.
Fast forward to today, I decided to give it another shot using the CE1 firmware as a basis. After a few failed attempts, I decided to add additional *.sin files one at a time. The second one I added was the oem*.sin. That disabled my MMS group messages. So I flashed the US version back and it re-enabled MMS.
For my next step I decided to add a few more more to try to get the fingerprint scanner to work. That next attempt solved it. However, I do not know what exact combination of files are the minimum amount you need. Here are all of the sin files I flashed. They are sort of ordered by size because one of the examples in the xda thread was ordered that way.
These are the files I needed to flash to enable the fingerprint sensor on the US firmware from the CE1 firmware.
* system_X-FLASH-ALL-C93B.sin
* vendor_X-FLASH-ALL-C93B.sin
* partition.zip (someone else confirmed this is not necessary)
Note. When I was narrowing the files down, I flashed in a manner that kept my data. So my fingerprints were still usable once I re-enabled the fingerprint manager.

I'm not sure if edits may notify anyone watching this thread. If not, I narrowed down the files I needed to flash to get the US firmware working with a fingerprint sensor.

aj.eats.sushi said:
I responded to a similar thread in Reddit:
https://www.reddit.com/r/SonyXperia/comments/7433id/has_anyone_enabled_xz1_fingerprint_scanner/
I'll repost the content here so you don't have to go to the page. I should preface this with "This worked for me. YMMV"
I have with Newflasher. I had an issue with the XZs and XZ1 where if I flashed another region's firmware, I could get a fingerprint scanner, but I could not send group MMS messages. And you know everyone will hate you if you screw up a perfectly good MMS group message session with individual SMS messages.
I tried following this guide for the XZ Premium to get the US firmware with a working fingerprint scanner from a CE1 firmware:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/xz-premium/help/version-flashing-internation-version-t3629823
but it didn't enable it for the XZ1.
So I was using the standard US firmware for the last week.
Fast forward to today, I decided to give it another shot using the CE1 firmware as a basis. After a few failed attempts, I decided to add additional *.sin files one at a time. The second one I added was the oem*.sin. That disabled my MMS group messages. So I flashed the US version back and it re-enabled MMS.
For my next step I decided to add a few more more to try to get the fingerprint scanner to work. That next attempt solved it. However, I do not know what exact combination of files are the minimum amount you need. Here are all of the sin files I flashed. They are sort of ordered by size because one of the examples in the xda thread was ordered that way.
These are the files I needed to flash to enable the fingerprint sensor on the US firmware from the CE1 firmware.
* system_X-FLASH-ALL-C93B.sin
* vendor_X-FLASH-ALL-C93B.sin
* partition.zip (someone else confirmed this is not necessary)
Note. When I was narrowing the files down, I flashed in a manner that kept my data. So my fingerprints were still usable once I re-enabled the fingerprint manager.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
are voLTE and voWIFI still active with this method?

WaxysDargle said:
are voLTE and voWIFI still active with this method?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
According to this reply in Reddit, it worked for someone with an XZ1C on T-mobile. From what I've heard, the XZ1C has voLTE and voWIFI, but the XZ1 doesn't have it enabled. I'll admit that I haven't done any thorough research on it since I don't have T-Mobile. :
https://www.reddit.com/r/SonyXperia...yone_enabled_xz1_fingerprint_scanner/do1fipe/

aj.eats.sushi said:
According to this reply in Reddit, it worked for someone with an XZ1C on T-mobile. From what I've heard, the XZ1C has voLTE and voWIFI, but the XZ1 doesn't have it enabled. I'll admit that I haven't done any thorough research on it since I don't have T-Mobile. :
https://www.reddit.com/r/SonyXperia...yone_enabled_xz1_fingerprint_scanner/do1fipe/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you search for volte in settings and select it, does it take you to any volte settings?

WaxysDargle said:
If you search for volte in settings and select it, does it take you to any volte settings?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see it in the settings search but when I select it no volte settings appear.

Debrand Xz1
Hi,
Is the procedure for Sony XZ1 debrand equal to that of XZ Premium? There isn't "flash_session" subfolder in the firmware folder "Customized IT", why?. It's necessary extract the "partition.zip" and put the files into a folder named "partition" or delete some other files? It's possible run the procedure with the bootloader locked and the procedure unblocks the bootloader? After the flash with "newflasher" it's possible use the OTA update?
Thanks.

My phone is the XZ1 Dual (G8342) factory unlocked, I downloaded the "MY" firmware with a lot of TA files, including Simlock.TA, cust-reset.TA, etc.
I don't care about my personal files, I just want everything purged as if I got a brand new phone.
If I want to flash as much as I can without getting my phone bricked, which files should I take out from the folder before flashing it?
Do I just take out the Simlock.ta, or do I need to add some other .TA files? or can I just leave everything as it is?
Thanks.

aj.eats.sushi said:
I responded to a similar thread in Reddit:
https://www.reddit.com/r/SonyXperia/comments/7433id/has_anyone_enabled_xz1_fingerprint_scanner/
I'll repost the content here so you don't have to go to the page. I should preface this with "This worked for me. YMMV"
I have with Newflasher. I had an issue with the XZs and XZ1 where if I flashed another region's firmware, I could get a fingerprint scanner, but I could not send group MMS messages. And you know everyone will hate you if you screw up a perfectly good MMS group message session with individual SMS messages.
I tried following this guide for the XZ Premium to get the US firmware with a working fingerprint scanner from a CE1 firmware:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/xz-premium/help/version-flashing-internation-version-t3629823
but it didn't enable it for the XZ1.
So I was using the standard US firmware for the last week.
Fast forward to today, I decided to give it another shot using the CE1 firmware as a basis. After a few failed attempts, I decided to add additional *.sin files one at a time. The second one I added was the oem*.sin. That disabled my MMS group messages. So I flashed the US version back and it re-enabled MMS.
For my next step I decided to add a few more more to try to get the fingerprint scanner to work. That next attempt solved it. However, I do not know what exact combination of files are the minimum amount you need. Here are all of the sin files I flashed. They are sort of ordered by size because one of the examples in the xda thread was ordered that way.
These are the files I needed to flash to enable the fingerprint sensor on the US firmware from the CE1 firmware.
* system_X-FLASH-ALL-C93B.sin
* vendor_X-FLASH-ALL-C93B.sin
* partition.zip (someone else confirmed this is not necessary)
Note. When I was narrowing the files down, I flashed in a manner that kept my data. So my fingerprints were still usable once I re-enabled the fingerprint manager.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i just wanna say thank you. this really helped a great deal because i had the exact same situation. everything is working great now. thanks to everyone's contribution here.

Will this method allow you to receive OTA updates or will you need to do it for each OS version that comes out?

Question:
Is this still the preferred method, or does flashing via Flashtool work 100% for the XZ1 now?

Just got around flashing the UK version but I keep loosing data, phone is most of the time on 1 bar to completely none. Is this because the UK version or is there a fix I could do to get better signal or should i flash US version back? But I want to keep fingerprint enabled. I on cricket mobile, has anyone had this problem?

562TOKER said:
Just got around flashing the UK version but I keep loosing data, phone is most of the time on 1 bar to completely none. Is this because the UK version or is there a fix I could do to get better signal or should i flash US version back? But I want to keep fingerprint enabled. I on cricket mobile, has anyone had this problem?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Flash the US version but swap the system.sin and vendor.sin for the CE1(Europe) ones. Basically go inside the US firmware folder delete system.sin, vendor.sin, go back to the CE1(Europe) folder, copy system.sin, vendor.sin and paste them into US firmware folder. Flash!

dcrin3 said:
Basically go inside the US firmware folder delete system.sin, vendor.sin, go back to the CE1(Europe) folder, copy system.sin, vendor.sin and paste them into US firmware folder. Flash!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WARNING! I tried replacing system.sin and vendor.sin with the files from Central Europe before flashing the latest US firmware and it (temporarily) bricked an XZ1 Dual (8342). Screen just froze with perpetual Sony logo at bootup. Once I flashed back to straight US firmware, it booted as expected (but no fingerprint reader, of course).
Presumably this problem occurred because the current US firmware is Android 9.0 Pie (version 47.2.A.2.33_R2C) whereas the current CE firmware is still Android 8.0 Oreo (version 47.1.A.16.20_R7B). Maybe the selective replacement of certain .sin files works OK when both sets of firmware are for the same version, but it does not seem to work when the versions are different. Not surprising, I guess.
Any XZ1 users out there who have been successful in activating the fingerprint reader with Android 9.0 firmware?

biff_p said:
WARNING! I tried replacing system.sin and vendor.sin with the files from Central Europe before flashing the latest US firmware and it (temporarily) bricked an XZ1 Dual (8342). Screen just froze with perpetual Sony logo at bootup. Once I flashed back to straight US firmware, it booted as expected (but no fingerprint reader, of course).
Presumably this problem occurred because the current US firmware is Android 9.0 Pie (version 47.2.A.2.33_R2C) whereas the current CE firmware is still Android 8.0 Oreo (version 47.1.A.16.20_R7B). Maybe the selective replacement of certain .sin files works OK when both sets of firmware are for the same version, but it does not seem to work when the versions are different. Not surprising, I guess.
Any XZ1 users out there who have been successful in activating the fingerprint reader with Android 9.0 firmware?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course it's not going to work across different version numbers, there has been instances where it has but most of the time it's a no.
And for sure it will never work between 8.0/9.. That's risky to even attempt it.

Related

Fingerprint reader working in US version (after flash)

I purchased (pre-ordered) the X compact from Amazon, and just wanted prospective buyers in the US to know that, after flashing the customized UK firmware from Xperifirm on the phone just now, the fingerprint scanner works perfectly , and is super fast compared to the Z5 compact. In fact, it's actually unlocked as the screen turns on - no delay. T-mobile LTE and everything else works fine. It took two minutes to do, and I can totally recommend it if you don't want to order the international version.
In other news, I LOVE this phone, particularly the screen - so bright and vivid, and looks beautiful with the loop design. The camera loads so much quicker than the Z5 compact too, and so far in usage all the other apps I have feels just as fast to load/use, if not faster.
Thanks. Could you please give info on how to do this exactly?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I think the way to do it on other phones has been described before, so this is just going over old ground, but I always appreciate step by step instructions all in one place. However, being very noob at this, an obligatory disclaimer is if you try this I have no responsibility if you use this advice and it ruins your brand new phone. Use at your own risk. That said, since you're not unlocking bootloaders or rooting or anything like that, I think flashing sony stock firmware is relatively noob-proof (I'm a living example). I did it on my fresh-out-the-box X compact, so don't know if it will wipe your data - assume it will.
No doubt a professional will be able to cut out half my steps and correct this method, but that's appreciated
Edit: As corrected by someone who knows what they're doing (thanks and all credit to AndroPlus and IgorEisberg), you can just download Flashtool, click the Xperifirm button and download the firmware. This lets you skip steps 2-5 below: Flashtool will read the fwinfo.xml file and automatically create the FTF. Then head to step 6 below. Or follow all the steps I listed, which is the long way to do it, but also works
1. Download Xperifirm and flashtool:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/cro...xperifirm-xperia-firmware-downloader-t2834142
http://www.flashtool.net/index.php
2. In Xperifirm find and download the UK customized version of the X compact firmware. This downloads a folder full of files that will need to be converted into a single .ftf file using flashtool in order to flash it to your phone, also with flashtool.
3. Delete the fwinfo.xml file from the folder before you convert into .ftf
4. Open flashtool, go to tools>create> select the folder you downloaded. Select the device (F5321), write in the branding (Customized UK) and version (number with periods). Select all the files on the left and click the arrow to move them to the right.
5. Click create to make the .ftf file in c:/users/YOURUSERNAME/.flashtool/firmwares (or something like that). If it asks you to use the default.fsc select no.
6. Open flashtool. With your phone turned off, hold down volume down and plug in your phone into the PC. Flashtool should say its detected in flashmode. Click the lightning bolt icon, select flashmode, and choose the .ftf file you just made. Hit flash, and again if it asks for default.fsc select no. It might take a while to prepare files for flashing, just leave it. After it starts flashing it will take less than 5 mins.
7. Unplug your new fingerprint enabled phone.
This was all amalgamated from other peoples guides and hard work. For reference and reading first:
http://www.xperiablog.net/2014/08/1...re-files-using-xperifirm-and-flashtool-guide/
http://forum.xda-developers.com/xperia-z/general/tutorial-how-to-flash-stock-roms-t2240614
Hey thanks for taking the time to write all of that. Honestly I don't know if I have the guts to try this. If you're a noob, I'm a new born. I was just about to pull the trigger but I'm really considering buying the UK version and be done with it. I don't care about warranty
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
drrobo said:
I think the way to do it on other phones has been described before, so this is just going over old ground, but I always appreciate step by step instructions all in one place. However, being very noob at this, an obligatory disclaimer is if you try this I have no responsibility if you use this advice and it ruins your brand new phone. Use at your own risk. That said, since you're not unlocking bootloaders or rooting or anything like that, I think flashing sony stock firmware is relatively noob-proof (I'm a living example). I did it on my fresh-out-the-box X compact, so don't know if it will wipe your data - assume it will.
No doubt a professional will be able to cut out half my steps and correct this method, but that's appreciated
1. Download Xperifirm, Xperia Companion from Sony (maybe this isn't needed, but it's handy to have),
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You only need Flashtool as it has built-in Xperifirm.
Press XF button (right of + button, left of PayPal donate button) and it will create FTF automatically.
AndroPlus said:
You only need Flashtool as it has built-in Xperifirm.
Press XF button (right of + button, left of PayPal donate button) and it will create FTF automatically.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
See, I knew there was an easier way! Thank you for clarifying.
Chinese to me. I'd probably kick my computer If I tried this. Lol
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
So i did this flash and it worked perfectly, however i can only get 4g for mobile data, their is no option for LTE like i was getting with AT&T before. Any ideas on how to fix this?
Brave29 said:
So i did this flash and it worked perfectly, however i can only get 4g for mobile data, their is no option for LTE like i was getting with AT&T before. Any ideas on how to fix this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In the UK we refer to LTE as 4g.
Does anyone know if we will automatically receive future software updates when we have done this? And does it disable and Bands for service?
EDIT: I flashed the Nordic Combined and it seems like everything is working. It did not reset my phone. Everything remains. If anyone knows answers to my questions i would still appreciate it.
everdred said:
Does anyone know if we will automatically receive future software updates when we have done this? And does it disable and Bands for service?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You'll still receive updates (I did the same US to UK conversion for my Z5 compact to enable fingerprint reader and still received all the updates right on time), and it doesn't change the bands available.
drrobo said:
You'll still receive updates (I did the same US to UK conversion for my Z5 compact to enable fingerprint reader and still received all the updates right on time), and it doesn't change the bands available.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Everything has been working great! The fingerprint reader is really great, very fast. I did notice that the US version Vs the Nordic version there is 1 less bar for cellular (4 instead of 5) but I'm getting the same service (based on signal numbers) so visually it looks like it is worse but isn't.
Flashed my US phone to UK firmware and fingerprint sensor is working! Thanks!
drrobo said:
3. Delete the fwinfo.xml file from the folder before you convert into .ftf (this step is possibly unnecessary since flashtool now incorporates xperifirm, but I did it anyway to prevent any problems with flashing, and it worked great).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Like AndroPlus said, just open XperiFirm through Flashtool and download the firmware. After it's done, close XperiFirm. Then Flashtool will read the fwinfo.xml file and automatically create the FTF for you.
This file was created by XperiFirm not to be deleted, but to be consumed by Flashtool. If you have problems with flashing with this file in the folder, you better update Flashtool, it's about time.
P.S. XperiFirm is not "built-in" into Flashtool. It's integrated. It means that both programs are completely separate. Flashtool downloads the latest version of XperiFirm whenever there is one, and then launches it. XperiFirm has a specific behavior when it's been launched by Flashtool.
he fingerprint sensor hardware is in the device but disabled due to a patent by HP since they own the patent of having a fingerprint sensor on the side with the power button.
AndroPlus said:
You only need Flashtool as it has built-in Xperifirm.
Press XF button (right of + button, left of PayPal donate button) and it will create FTF automatically.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So i already had XF downloaded and the UK downloaded firmware, when I hit the XF button it says wait, downloading most recent XF. What should I do now. Flashtool doesnt tell me how far along it is in downloading it. Also if it does is it native to Flashtool(inside the program) or does it just download the XF program again?
Are you able to install the Sony Beta Program?
Are you able to use the Sony Beta Program to get early access to Android 7 after flashing the U.K. ROM on
your U.S. Xperia X Compact?
Sony Beta Program
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sonymobile.xperiabeta.signup
---------- Post added at 02:22 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:17 AM ----------
Akorstayblessed said:
he fingerprint sensor hardware is in the device but disabled due to a patent by HP since they own the patent of having a fingerprint sensor on the side with the power button.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This bites considering HP is a non-factor when it comes to smartphones.
I hate patent trolls.
P.S. Can you provide your source regarding your HP statement?
---------- Post added at 02:29 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:22 AM ----------
drrobo said:
I purchased (pre-ordered) the X compact from Amazon, and just wanted prospective buyers in the US to know that, after flashing the customized UK firmware from Xperifirm on the phone just now, the fingerprint scanner works perfectly , and is super fast compared to the Z5 compact. In fact, it's actually unlocked as the screen turns on - no delay. T-mobile LTE and everything else works fine. It took two minutes to do, and I can totally recommend it if you don't want to order the international version.
In other news, I LOVE this phone, particularly the screen - so bright and vivid, and looks beautiful with the loop design. The camera loads so much quicker than the Z5 compact too, and so far in usage all the other apps I have feels just as fast to load/use, if not faster.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you flash the U.K. ROM then return to the U.S. from by flashing back to the U.S. ROM,
is there a way Sony can tell you flashed a non-native ROM(i.e. the U.K. ROM)?
For example, if you flash a non-native ROM to a Samsung Galaxy S6 and revert to the
native ROM, you can no longer use Samsung Knox. Plus, Samsung phones use a trip
counter to tell when you flash a non-native ROM.
.ta files
drrobo said:
I think the way to do it on other phones has been described before, so this is just going over old ground, but I always appreciate step by step instructions all in one place. However, being very noob at this, an obligatory disclaimer is if you try this I have no responsibility if you use this advice and it ruins your brand new phone. Use at your own risk. That said, since you're not unlocking bootloaders or rooting or anything like that, I think flashing sony stock firmware is relatively noob-proof (I'm a living example). I did it on my fresh-out-the-box X compact, so don't know if it will wipe your data - assume it will.
No doubt a professional will be able to cut out half my steps and correct this method, but that's appreciated
Edit: As corrected by someone who knows what they're doing (thanks and all credit to IgorEisberg), you can just download Flashtool, click the Xperifirm button and download the firmware. This lets you skip steps 2-5 below: Flashtool will read the fwinfo.xml file and automatically create the FTF. Then head to step 6 below. Or follow all the steps I listed, which is the long way to do it, but also works
1. Download Xperifirm and flashtool:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/cro...xperifirm-xperia-firmware-downloader-t2834142
http://www.flashtool.net/index.php
2. In Xperifirm find and download the UK customized version of the X compact firmware. This downloads a folder full of files that will need to be converted into a single .ftf file using flashtool in order to flash it to your phone, also with flashtool.
3. Delete the fwinfo.xml file from the folder before you convert into .ftf
4. Open flashtool, go to tools>create> select the folder you downloaded. Select the device (F5321), write in the branding (Customized UK) and version (number with periods). Select all the files on the left and click the arrow to move them to the right.
5. Click create to make the .ftf file in c:/users/YOURUSERNAME/.flashtool/firmwares (or something like that). If it asks you to use the default.fsc select no.
6. Open flashtool. With your phone turned off, hold down volume down and plug in your phone into the PC. Flashtool should say its detected in flashmode. Click the lightning bolt icon, select flashmode, and choose the .ftf file you just made. Hit flash, and again if it asks for default.fsc select no. It might take a while to prepare files for flashing, just leave it. After it starts flashing it will take less than 5 mins.
7. Unplug your new fingerprint enabled phone.
This was all amalgamated from other peoples guides and hard work. For reference and reading first:
http://www.xperiablog.net/2014/08/1...re-files-using-xperifirm-and-flashtool-guide/
http://forum.xda-developers.com/xperia-z/general/tutorial-how-to-flash-stock-roms-t2240614
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HI,
Should I have to exclude .ta files during ftf file creation ??
AnandRajaguru said:
HI,
Should I have to exclude .ta files during ftf file creation ??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I only deleted the fwinfo.xml file, I didn't exclude any .ta files. And that's only because I was doing it the long way - if you download the firmware through Xperifirm in flashtool it will make the .ftf for you and you don't need to worry about messing with separate files.
Hello!
Crazy question
Will flashing a UK firmware to a US device will affect Antenna band reception, ie: Tmobile reception...?

Sony Z5 on Nougat, big hope to get back to MM. Issues, terrible performance.

Hello everyone.
This is my first post here - in hope to get help with my Sony Z5 Compact.
So a week ago I have updated to Nougat,by mistake tbh.
Unfortunately Im really not happy with the device. The volume is OK unless youd like to watch some videos on a website - you won't hear much.
Then, playing a matroska file is impossible - stutters, pauses, gives you 5 fps ( I'm not joking) - it was flawless on MM (305).
So my plan is to go back to MM and I believe I've read every step by step tutorial existing on the Internet but I still have some questions.
1. How do I backup firmware? Every tutorial says about a folder with firmware files that you can import to flashtool to make an ftf backup of your stock firmware. The folder does not exist on my PC.
I've tried "repairing" etc, still, it does not exist.
2. Why do I need a backup firmware ftf for warranty?
3. Where can I find an ftf file?
Xperifirm doesn't give me anything, there are lots of fake websites, xperiablog doesn't send me an approval email for my account.
4. Is there anyone in Lodz, Poland that could help me?
I'd love to downgrade.. The phone is unusable for my work and I can't afford a new one.
Thanks in advance.
Kindest regards.
Michelangelo
Suggest you download Customized SG firmware, the lastest marshmellow is still available for download. Grab it now.
Hello, welcome to xda.
First, please do not open 2 different threads for the same problem - it's against forum rules.
About your problem: which fw you are on? you could try newest nougat firmware .33 first because the problems you described should've been fixed in this. Also you could dirty flash it and won't lose anything.
However if you want to go back to MM anyway, i would recommend 5.11 fw because it's .305 with newer security patch.
Be aware, that if you go back to MM, you will have to make a clean flash.
You can find all 3 firmwares on xperifirm from different regions(also .305). For most regions there are two different available, so click through all firmwares and look on the right side which you can choose.
What do you mean xperifirm gave you nothing?
How to download via xperifirm, create a ftf and flash viaflashtool: https://forum.xda-developers.com/z5...-33-pushed-t3581352/post71662820#post71662820
yup every update sony become worse
the best one was the last 5.1.1 i think (or one b4)
the last 6MM was meh
the last nougat (.33) is far worse from all of them
probably i won't buy sony's anymore
( i was happy with my WT19 sony ericsson arc like(Legacy Xperia) the one of the reasons i bought this sony(also easy roms flash,you just need use flash tool for stock roms you dont even need root or BTunlocked)
anyway i'm usually replace my phone every 5 years in average (when the phone stop run smooth mid-low range .like waze, temple run 2,subway surfer. apps (z5 still mid-high)
so the phones got about 4 more years, at least how i see it.
As Gewiz suggested, if you're on .376 or .378 version of the Nougat firmware, then updating to 2.33 might just fix the problems you're describing.
This is the highly recommended solution, since you won't lose any of your data or settings, and you don't really have to do anything, just wait for the update to become available for your region via OTA or Xperia Companion.
If you insist on downgrading back to MM, then you must perform a clean flash using unofficial (non-Sony) tools, which means you will lose all of your data and settings. Therefore you should backup all your data before doing so.
Being on anything but the latest version means you will forever have a non-dismissible notification nagging you about upgrading to the newest version.
If you're fine with that, then download a MM ROM from XperiFirm, create a FTF from the bundle, then flash it to your phone using Flashtool.
I think you're confused by the numerous tutorials you've read about "backups" and "warranty". You've likely read guides teaching you how to root your phone, which involves making a backup of the TA partition of your phone to preserve the DRM keys that resides within. Rooting the Z5C requires unlocking the bootloader, a process that wipes the DRM keys and voids your warranty. So, guides are there to help people make a backup of the DRM keys, so that they will have the ability to restore the keys to the phone and return the phone to warranty-eligible state when they need warranty service or resell their phone.
Since you have made no mention of rooting your phone, I assume none of this matters to you, don't worry about it.
Thank you all for the replies.
I updated from 376 to 2.33 and the phone is even more pathetic. It's slow and sluggish even with stamina mode off and data transfer/WiFi off. The battery drain is even bigger, now the alarm volume is terrible ( although video volume in chrome browser is now better). Mind you, I always do a reset after updating the phone, so everything that could be done was done.
I'm after 305 since the 5.11 introduced heating an worse performance ( I don't believe it was just a security patch).
I've managed to download 305 firmware with Xperifirm but I've hit one obstacle - I cannot create an FTF file with flashtool as the Xperifirm download unpacks the " FILE" files to many separate files and folders after download.
Could anyone please tell me how should I go about it? I'm really desperate to downgrade this phone as it was perfect until the cursed update and I can afford a new one.
Thanks in advance, and again thanks for all the replies.
MichelangeloJan said:
Thank you all for the replies.
I cannot create an FTF file with flashtool as the Xperifirm download unpacks the " FILE" files to many separate files and folders after download.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First: for nougat (7.0) you need flashtool in version v0.9.23.2
version 0.9.23.1 _cannot_ create ftfs out of what you downloaded with xperifirm
Second: here's a tutorial for FTFs:
http://www.xperiablog.net/2014/08/1...re-files-using-xperifirm-and-flashtool-guide/
Please note: in flashtool, you just have to click "Bundles\Create" (you don't need to decrypt, as this is done by xperifirm already)
Ok, guys I have one last question regarding this topic. Im sorry this took me so long but I don't have the Internet connection at home.
The "how to create an FTF file" tutorial says " exclude . Ta files" although the screen from it show only 2 files being excluded.
Some other tutorials either say the same or don't mention the .ta files.
So should I exclude all of them? Or should I leave "simlock. Ta" and "booter" in there?
Thanks again.
Michelangelo
Reflash firmware or make a factory reset. I am on .33 Nougat and rooted. Don't have any issues. Only have Greenify and battery life is good, performance is very good.
I also have flashed Zach's kernel, it makes a difference. However, these issues you have are not from this. Some people have reported such issues when upgrading from MM. If you don't want to unlock bootloader and root, make a factory reset or flash a whole .33 FTF in Flashtool. Also no, I haven't had these issues on .376 either.
I hope one of my tips helps you
---------- Post added at 01:15 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:12 AM ----------
MichelangeloJan said:
Ok, guys I have one last question regarding this topic. Im sorry this took me so long but I don't have the Internet connection at home.
The "how to create an FTF file" tutorial says " exclude . Ta files" although the screen from it show only 2 files being excluded.
Some other tutorials either say the same or don't mention the .ta files.
So should I exclude all of them? Or should I leave "simlock. Ta" and "booter" in there?
Thanks again.
Michelangelo
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't exclude anything, leave it as is
If you ask me, make a backup of all the stuff of your Internal Storage and wipe Userdata as well (unlocking the bootloader also does this, if you decide to do so).

Locating specific FTF --OR-- bit-for-bit backup of current stock FW?

Hello!
Recent proud owner of new Z5 Compact, U.S. edition (E5803, CDA 1298-3109). Excited to start tweaking it, but I want to have a copy of the shipping stock firmware before I begin messing with anything. I've already successfully created a TA backup, so we're good there. But I am BEYOND frustrated at the fact that it is seemingly impossible to obtain a copy of an FTF for the exact firmware version that my phone was preloaded with from the factory.
My phone was apparently manufactured in spring 2016 and came stock with 32.2.A.0.224, "Customized US". Does anybody have an FTF for this for my exact CDA? I haven't managed to find a copy anywhere, and of course XperiFirm doesn't show it as available for download from Sony's servers. (I'm having a little trouble believing that it is unavailable from Sony direct, given that OTA updates for older versions are still distributed...my phone is prompting me to accept an OTA for 32.2.A.0.253, which can't be obtained via XperiFirm, either.) I know I can flash FTFs for other CDAs on my phone (even for E5823s) but my goal at this point is simply to get one that matches what I already have exactly. It boggles the mind that nobody bothered to make a backup of this when Sony was still distributing it and that it isn't available for download anywhere (at least that I can find).
Barring that, though, I had another thought: pull a bit-for-bit image of the boot and system partitions. I'm concerned that a standard TWRP backup would not suffice given the existence of dm-verity, but I'm wondering if this would work:
1. Unlock bootloader
2. Boot TWRP with fastboot
3. Access an ADB shell, and then use dd to clone the necessary partitions to an SD card or attached USB drive
Then if I ever wanted to go back to the original factory firmware, I boot TWRP, use dd to write the clones back to the partitions, restore the TA to re-lock, and Bob's your uncle. Anybody see a problem with this plan?
Thanks much!
-- Nathan
P.S. -- Is there some super secret stash of FTFs for the Z5 Compact somewhere that I just haven't stumbled upon yet? In addition to hunting down this particular firmware build, I would also be interested in obtaining copies of other Sony stock firmwares (other than the most recent) for this particular CDA. Again, frustratingly hard to come by...
Darn it, I meant to post this to the Q&A forum. I swear that was the one I was browsing...grr. Anyway, mods, feel free to move, and my apologies.
-- Nathan
So, I guess I'll just keep talking to myself here...
I can confirm (in case anyone who stumbles across this thread in the future cares) that a bit-for-bit backup of all partitions using 'dd' works just fine, and that restoring that backup in reverse also works fine and does not risk a brick. I was 99% sure this was probably the case but wanted to make sure. I made a backup of every partition except userdata and cache, and then downgraded to Lollipop, and restored back to the shipping firmware by booting off of TWRP, clearing userdata and cache, and restoring each partition I had previously backed up (including my TA backup w/ bootloader lock & DRM keys). Phone booted up and went through OBE setup, and all DRM keys were present and accounted for.
I can't, however, get the FOTA update from .224 to .253 to take. Phone downloads it, reboots, goes through some kind of firmware verification process, reboots, and .224 boots up again and the Sony Updater says there was some kind of failure and to try again. If you try again, it re-downloads the whole update again and does the same thing. Not a huge deal, but I thought it would prove interesting if it were still possible to get all the way to 7.1.1 from the shipping firmware incrementally, especially since Sony seems to have pulled the full versions of those updates from their servers.
I'm still on the hunt for archives of firmware releases; I've found a few here and there, but it would be nice to find some Customized US releases. I'm particularly interested in 32.0.A.6.209, which I believe was the one and only Lollipop release that ever shipped on the U.S. models (since they were so late to market here).
-- Nathan
Can you post the img files?
Hey, as you can imagine I ****ed up. If you could do me a favor and post those images that you got from your phone somewhere that would be incredibly useful for me. Thanks.
nlra said:
I'm still on the hunt for archives of firmware releases; I've found a few here and there, but it would be nice to find some Customized US releases. I'm particularly interested in 32.0.A.6.209, which I believe was the one and only Lollipop release that ever shipped on the U.S. models (since they were so late to market here).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You probably won't find much US firmware floating around because of the disabled fingerprint reader, and I daresay the relatively tiny US market share Sony enjoys.
On top of that, I don't think anyone has compiled a database of Z5C FTFs unfortunately, so it's difficult to locate a particular version, and extra hard to find a specific version + region combo.
Honestly, I don't think there's any advantage to using a US-based firmware other than potential warranty validity reasons (if they even check it).
By hanging on to US firmware, you're missing out on a really useful feature that your phone hardware supports but can't let you use because business.
Since it sounds like you're comfortable with flashing ROMs, and have an understanding of making proper backups, I suggest you flash another region's firmware to enjoy the full potential of your phone.
Hey, thanks for the response.
mhaha said:
[...]I don't think anyone has compiled a database of Z5C FTFs unfortunately, so it's difficult to locate a particular version, and extra hard to find a specific version + region combo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do find this especially sad and frustrating, especially given that we know that Sony is apparently willing to delete older firmwares from their server. (Bad on Sony, BTW!)
mhaha said:
Honestly, I don't think there's any advantage to using a US-based firmware other than potential warranty validity reasons (if they even check it).
By hanging on to US firmware, you're missing out on a really useful feature that your phone hardware supports but can't let you use because business.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't had the chance to run tests yet myself to confirm or deny this, but if you read some of the "enabling fingerprint scanner on U.S. models" threads for both the Z5 and the X/XZ, there is some unfortunate evidence that points to there being some kind of difference when it comes to LTE reception in U.S. firmware vs. other regions...some people claim that non-U.S. firmwares simply show "less bars" in the status area but that the phone's radio is still seeing the same RX levels (making it just a cosmetic thing), while others say that for them, it is not simply cosmetic and it quantifiably impacts their phone's radio's performance. I'm not sure why there would be any difference at all, but it is something to keep in mind, and is a potential "cost" one should take into account when using international firmware on a U.S. model.
Also, there are as-yet-unknown and undocumented differences between functionality in the various firmwares from different regions, making it extremely difficult to determine which is the "best" one to use. Arguably the only thing that the U.S. firmware lacks is the fingerprint scanner and is otherwise fully functional. I happen to know from reading other threads that all German firmwares, including the generic carrier-unbranded one, for some reason have SIP/VoIP calling ripped out of the system phone app, which makes absolutely no sense to me. Who knows what other features are missing or crippled in that region or in others.
At least with the U.S. firmware, it appears to be possible to restore the files that are missing from it in order to resurrect the fingerprint scanner (after rooting, of course). Given the minefield presented by the uncertainties when it comes to firmwares for other regions, this might arguably be the best way to go if you are in the U.S. and want a working fingerprint scanner.
-- Nathan
DRHARNESS said:
Hey, as you can imagine I ****ed up. If you could do me a favor and post those images that you got from your phone somewhere that would be incredibly useful for me. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, somehow I missed seeing this reply! You want the images for 32.2.A.0.224 that I pulled? Just to clarify, these were pulled as bit-for-bit rips from the phone's partitions (so they're big; even leaving out cache and userdata we're talking about 6GB here), and are not in FTF format nor flashable with Flashtool or Emma. To flash, you'd have to have your bootloader unlocked, put the image files on an SD card, put the SD card in the phone, boot TWRP over USB with fastboot, and then use dd to flash each partition from the command line.
If you're still interested, send me a PM and we'll work out a way to get these to you.
-- Nathan

N970U and N970U1 Firmware Links Here

For those who aren't already aware, N970U is the model number of all of the US carrier versions of the Note 10. The N970U1 is the model number of the same device, but sold by Samsung SIM unlocked and with no carrier bloatware. Firmware is 100% interchangeable among these models: any U or U1 firmware version can be flashed to any U or U1 device at any time, assuming that you're not trying to downgrade the bootloader. A "U to U" or "U1 to U1" flash does not require a factory reset, but changing from one firmware to the other will require one. Also, U firmware is identical for the 4 base files (AP, BL, CP, CSC) for each individual build, no matter which carrier it comes from. So if you download 2 different carrier versions of the exact same build, the 4 base files will be identical. Where the firmware differs is in the USERDATA file - that's where the carrier bloatware and customizations reside.
This is not a "beginner's guide to Odin flashing" type post/thread, so I won't list basic, step-by-step instructions. My threads are geared towards those who already know what they're doing. If you're new to manually flashing Samsung firmware, I recommend you consult one of the "beginner's" posts/threads - there are tons of them here on XDA.
Happy flashing!
U firmware: https://www.androidfilehost.com/?w=files&flid=297977
U1 firmware: https://www.androidfilehost.com/?w=files&flid=297978
NOTES:
- DON'T QUOTE THE OP WHEN YOU REPLY, kthx
- I have an identical thread for the Note 10+
- My zips are compressed extra small for space and bandwidth savings. The default Windows extractor can't handle it, so you'll need a 3rd party tool like 7zip, WinRAR, etc
- My naming method for folders on AFH is: build - bootloader - Android version
So "SAT - 1 - 9.0" means the full build number ends in SAT, it's bootloader version 1, and it's Android 9.0. When bootloader and Android versions increment, the first build to have those changes will have its folder notated appropriately.
- HOME CSC file keeps data intact; using the other CSC will wipe data. Flashing USERDATA will also wipe data
- I know AFH servers/mirrors can be wonky sometimes, so if you want to download the latest version of whatever firmware you're seeking yourself, you can do so via SamFirm or Frija (plenty of links and threads here on XDA). I pay for a subscription to a site that gets beta builds and also gets the official releases (usually) before they hit SamFirm, so that's where my files come from. However, I don't have unlimited bandwidth on the site, and it's also quite time consuming to download the files, zip them up, and upload them to AFH. And, I do threads like this for every single Sx and Note x model - so I won't be uploading every single update version. The only full builds that I upload are ones where I get access to a new bootloader and/or Android version early, before they hit SamFirm.
- You can get USERDATAs from SamFirm for everything but AT&T and Cricket- those files will never be on SamFirm. So I'll try to always upload at least one USERDATA per bootloader increment for those carriers, and I'll also upload any full builds if AT&T is the only carrier to get that specific build, because you won't be able to find the files anywhere else.
- For USERDATAS (all the others are self explanatory):
AIO = Cricket
CCT = Xfinity Mobile (Comcast)
CHA - Spectrum Mobile (Charter)
TMK = Metro PCS
- the correct procedure for switching from one carrier's firmware to another is:
1. Flash full U1 firmware package including non HOME CSC
2. Upon boot, insert a SIM of the carrier whose firmware you want
3. Watch for the popup that says "reboot to apply new carrier settings" etc, and do it
4. After that restart completes, reboot back to Download mode and flash the full U firmware package, with the USERDATA file of the carrier whose firmware you want
Firmware is now available via SamFirm and Frija, but manual entry is required in a lot more cases than previous models. Hopefully that's just because the phone technically doesn't release until Friday, and that they change that on Friday or soon after.
Manual entry is currently required for VZW, CHA, and TMB U firmware, and for all carriers/regions/CSCs of U1 firmware
iBowToAndroid said:
Firmware is now available via SamFirm and Frija, but manual entry is required in a lot more cases than previous models. Hopefully that's just because the phone technically doesn't release until Friday, and that they change that on Friday or soon after.
Manual entry is currently required for VZW, CHA, and TMB U firmware, and for all carriers/regions/CSCs of U1 firmware
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the links. I wonder if my Note10 tomorrow will get a software update out of the box.
Charkatak said:
Thanks for the links. I wonder if my Note10 tomorrow will get a software update out of the box.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I only saw the news about the Verizon models getting updated. Theoretically that means that Xfinity and Charter should also have updates, since they all get the same updates at the same time. Not sure about any other models yet
iBowToAndroid said:
I only saw the news about the Verizon models getting updated. Theoretically that means that Xfinity and Charter should also have updates, since they all get the same updates at the same time. Not sure about any other models yet
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
By the way, I did use manual entry in SamFirm to find TMB firmware and download it. As a rule of thumb, I usually don't flash my phones right away after getting it, as I want to make sure that it isn't defective
Wonder if we need another Odin version or the regular 3.13/or Patched would work
Charkatak said:
Wonder if we need another Odin version or the regular 3.13/or Patched would work
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Existing 3.13 3B Patched Odin will work fine
iBowToAndroid said:
Existing 3.13 3B Patched Odin will work fine
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cool, my PC is ready and setup for Note10 Any idea if XAA firmware and the carrier's firmware are within the range/build date to allowing flashing? As I know the downgrade usually fails.
Charkatak said:
Cool, my PC is ready and setup for Note10 Any idea if XAA firmware and the carrier's firmware are within the range/build date to allowing flashing? As I know the downgrade usually fails.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can't downgrade if there's only one software version that's been released so far - there's nothing to downgrade to.
But even if it's months or years down the road, the flash will only fail if you're trying to downgrade bootloaders. As long as you operate within the same bootloader, you can flash anything you want
This is the one I'm getting direct from Samsung: SM-N970UZSAXAA. It is supposed to be unlocked. I asked for a Sprint sim Card. I hope it's not tied to Sprint, but can be moved to any US Carrier if I want to once the TMB-SPR merger completes.
SamFirm shows this firmware for TMB: N970USQU1ASH4 and I checked U1(XAA) as well and they are the same
iBowToAndroid said:
Firmware is now available via SamFirm and Frija, but manual entry is required in a lot more cases than previous models. Hopefully that's just because the phone technically doesn't release until Friday, and that they change that on Friday or soon after.
Manual entry is currently required for VZW, CHA, and TMB U firmware, and for all carriers/regions/CSCs of U1 firmware
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looks like everything is back to normal, in SamFirm. Manual entry is now only required for VZW U firmware, as has traditionally been the case. Also, if you type in an older version for VZW, it will automatically give you the newest version, if there is one. So you don't have to always know the exact newest version - entering in the correct details of any previous version should always trigger the newest one.
Also, SH4 is now showing as the newest build for U1, T-Mobile, and Verizon. Spectrum gets SH5 (no idea why), and Sprint is still back on SGO.
iBowToAndroid said:
Looks like everything is back to normal, in SamFirm. Manual entry is now only required for VZW U firmware, as has traditionally been the case. Also, if you type in an older version for VZW, it will automatically give you the newest version, if there is one. So you don't have to always know the exact newest version - entering in the correct details of any previous version should always trigger the newest one.
Also, SH4 is now showing as the newest build for U1, T-Mobile, and Verizon. Spectrum gets SH5 (no idea why), and Sprint is still back on SGO.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Received my Note 10 U1, tested it on original firmware XAA(build: ASGO) and just now completed flashing to T-MO without updating to ASH4 build and want the phone to find and update firmware to see if OTA works. To get to download mode, I needed to press Vol + and - and power and the same time.
Flashed 5 files: BL, AP, CP, regular CSC and USERDATA. Device shows T-Mobile logo at boot, has Advanced Messaging, Video Call and I don't see any bloatware except for couple of T-Mo apps.
Went through setup and was able to get new OTA with August 1 patch(screenshot)
Wow great job! Can I get the link for the 10+ ...
I have the unlocked one but I have att and the only way to get wifi calling is flashing the U firmware
cubano2031 said:
I have the unlocked one but I have att and the only way to get wifi calling is flashing the U firmware
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can go to my profile to find all of my threads. But flashing U probably won't give you wifi calling. It's been extensively discussed in my S10 threads, and it usually doesn't work if you have a U1 model
Charkatak said:
Received my Note 10 U1, tested it on original firmware XAA(build: ASGO) and just now completed flashing to T-MO without updating to ASH4 build and want the phone to find and update firmware to see if OTA works. To get to download mode, I needed to press Vol + and - and power and the same time.
Flashed 5 files: BL, AP, CP, regular CSC and USERDATA. Device shows T-Mobile logo at boot, has Advanced Messaging, Video Call and I don't see any bloatware except for couple of T-Mo apps.
Went through setup and was able to get new OTA with August 1 patch(screenshot)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Quick question, did your provider codes change? I flashed the Verizon files and am still stuck on XAA? Any help would be appreciated.
redneckben said:
Quick question, did your provider codes change? I flashed the Verizon files and am still stuck on XAA? Any help would be appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Initially, before I put in TMB sim, phone was on XAA/XAA/XAA. Now after all was said and done, my phone shows TMB/TMB/XAA. Make sure you put in the sim when you get the phone and when it has original firmware, so it can apply sim carrier's settings. Then you can flash and get the results that you need.
Charkatak said:
Initially, before I put in TMB sim, phone was on XAA/XAA/XAA. Now after all was said and done, my phone shows TMB/TMB/XAA. Make sure you put in the sim when you get the phone and when it has original firmware, so it can apply sim carrier's settings. Then you can flash and get the results that you need.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks man I'll give that a shot.
@iBowToAndroid It states in the op that these models are all interchangeable. I have a U1 and flashed it to vzw U now when I try to Flash back to U1 it fails and says model mismatch???? Any help would be appreciated.
redneckben said:
@iBowToAndroid It states in the op that these models are all interchangeable. I have a U1 and flashed it to vzw U now when I try to Flash back to U1 it fails and says model mismatch???? Any help would be appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not much information.
1. What's the current U build?
2. Which U1 build are you trying to flash?
3. Where do you get that error exactly?
4. What Odin version are you using?
5. Do you get any other errors, either in Odin or on the phone itself?
iBowToAndroid said:
That's not much information.
1. What's the current U build?
2. Which U1 build are you trying to flash?
3. Where do you get that error exactly?
4. What Odin version are you using?
5. Do you get any other errors, either in Odin or on the phone itself?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, the phone was purchased as a unlocked version from samsung, model number SM-N970UZSAXAA/SM-970U1 is what the box says.
1. N970USQU1AHS4 is the build that I was able to flash. And the actual problem is that I had a brain fart and didn't read your simple instructions and instead of booting the phone first I opened the box and flashed the firmware. The issue I am having is my "Service provider SW ver. is stuck at XAA/XAA/XAA and I'm trying to get it to switch to VZW.
2. N970U1UEU1ASH4 I looked at all the n970u1 firmwares on samfirm and this was the only one that had XAA.
3. After I load the files into their locations and hit start it checks the files and the fails on the 4th step, I can run it again and find out exactly if you'd like.
4. 3.13.1 patched I believe.
5. None
I may be taking the wrong route to answer my problem. I really need help with getting it to show the right service provider code VZW.
Thank you for your help.

Z2 D6503 4.4.4 Downgrade to 4.4.2 "Internet Settings" no longer retrieves APN details automatically

I recently downgraded an Australian Z2 from KitKat 4.4.4 to 4.4.2 using Flashtool version 0.9.18.6 successfully but there was this "ERROR - root : this bundle is not valid " it was the only error before I was told to connect my phone after files were prepared for flashing, I was on a different "Customisation Number" 1280-9502_R3B which is now 1281-9715_R8A, it's an Australian "Unbranded Generic" FTF file would that make a difference at all as to why "Download Settings for Internet and MMS" no longer works?
You can prove your hypothesis by flashing the same-as-original Customisation Number FTF, regardless of Android version as long as you are doing a clean flash (as supposed you have done so when you downgrade from 4.4.4 to 4.4.2).
iXaidyiu said:
You can prove your hypothesis by flashing the same-as-original Customisation Number FTF, regardless of Android version as long as you are doing a clean flash (as supposed you have done so when you downgrade from 4.4.4 to 4.4.2).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for getting in touch, I don't believe any member to have any "Optus" specific Customisation Number FTFs that I have come across, I know I'm only several years too late, what is strange though is that the Optus carrier specific Customsation Number had no Optus bloatware of any kind, no branded apps or Splash screen upon startup, do you think it's possible that the member that created the 17.1.2.A.0.314 Customised_AU.FTF added "Network Carriers" when he compiled the FTF file? I know I perhaps sound ridiculous but I'm a real newbie when it comes to stuff like this, I noticed there was no "SIMLOCK" option in the Exclude section & I left everything unticked in the Exclude section, perhaps I was meant to tick "BASEBAND" or "TA", do you perhaps know what this error meant "ERROR - root : this bundle is not valid " anything particularly serious that I should have been concerned about?
Oniiz86 said:
Thanks for getting in touch, I don't believe any member to have any "Optus" specific Customisation Number FTFs that I have come across, I know I'm only several years too late, what is strange though is that the Optus carrier specific Customsation Number had no Optus bloatware of any kind, no branded apps or Splash screen upon startup, do you think it's possible that the member that created the 17.1.2.A.0.314 Customised_AU.FTF added "Network Carriers" when he compiled the FTF file? I know I perhaps sound ridiculous but I'm a real newbie when it comes to stuff like this, I noticed there was no "SIMLOCK" option in the Exclude section & I left everything unticked in the Exclude section, perhaps I was meant to tick "BASEBAND" or "TA", do you perhaps know what this error meant "ERROR - root : this bundle is not valid " anything particularly serious that I should have been concerned about?
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Have you tried XperiFirm? It should have a complete (but latest only) collection of FTF for each and every varients released.
iXaidyiu said:
Have you tried XperiFirm? It should have a complete (but latest only) collection of FTF for each and every varients released.
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I'm unfamiliar with the tool XperiFirm is it something completely different to Flashtool? Would you be able to say if this error "ERROR - root : this bundle is not valid " is of any serious concern, it popped up just after it was preparing the files for flashing after I pressed the "Flash" button & was told to connect my phone holding the Vol. down button?
When flashing FTF files in terms of downgrading can it affect the "Internet Settings" the Download Internet & MMS settings automatically option that is under "Mobile Networks"? I can add the APN manually but it's unfortunate that it no longer downloads the Internet/MMS settings automatically which is most strange because I thought that setting is linked to your Sim Card & it is registered correctly with my carrier's network.
Oniiz86 said:
I'm unfamiliar with the tool XperiFirm is it something completely different to Flashtool? Would you be able to say if this error "ERROR - root : this bundle is not valid " is of any serious concern, it popped up just after it was preparing the files for flashing after I pressed the "Flash" button & was told to connect my phone holding the Vol. down button?
When flashing FTF files in terms of downgrading can it affect the "Internet Settings" the Download Internet & MMS settings automatically option that is under "Mobile Networks"? I can add the APN manually but it's unfortunate that it no longer downloads the Internet/MMS settings automatically which is most strange because I thought that setting is linked to your Sim Card & it is registered correctly with my carrier's network.
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If you have problem concerning the cell part of the firmware then it should be due to the fact that the wrong and incompatible Customized FTF is flashed. Just flash the right one then you should be good.
As for the difference between flashtool and XperiFirm, if you are using v0.9.18.6 of flashtool, there should be a button on the hotbar that opens up XperiFirm, then after you have downloaded any firmware using XperiFirm and close it, flashtool will automatically process the FTF and make it flashable.
iXaidyiu said:
If you have problem concerning the cell part of the firmware then it should be due to the fact that the wrong and incompatible Customized FTF is flashed. Just flash the right one then you should be good.
As for the difference between flashtool and XperiFirm, if you are using v0.9.18.6 of flashtool, there should be a button on the hotbar that opens up XperiFirm, then after you have downloaded any firmware using XperiFirm and close it, flashtool will automatically process the FTF and make it flashable.
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I think I did flash the proper firmware it was for the correct variant of the Z2 in my case it was the D6503 & it was this "D6503_17.1.2.A.0.314_Customized AU.ftf" which was downloaded from the xda forum, I wasn't aware that downgrading affected the "Internet Settings" downloading Internet & MMS settings automatically on the Xperia Z2, why would the member "store" in his compiled ftf file "Network Carriers" that he had used when he compiled the file?
Is there a safe GSM code I can try to reset my mobile network data settings to see if I can get that automatic "Internet & MMS" settings option to work again?
Oniiz86 said:
I think I did flash the proper firmware it was for the correct variant of the Z2 in my case it was the D6503 & it was this "D6503_17.1.2.A.0.314_Customized AU.ftf" which was downloaded from the xda forum, I wasn't aware that downgrading affected the "Internet Settings" downloading Internet & MMS settings automatically on the Xperia Z2, why would the member "store" in his compiled ftf file "Network Carriers" that he had used when he compiled the file?
Is there a safe GSM code I can try to reset my mobile network data settings to see if I can get that automatic "Internet & MMS" settings option to work again?
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Did you wipe and install everything with flashtool when downgrading? If you didn't properly wipe everything when downgrading, random things may break due to not being backward compatible.
iXaidyiu said:
Did you wipe and install everything with flashtool when downgrading? If you didn't properly wipe everything when downgrading, random things may break due to not being backward compatible.
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I sure did, everything was ticked APPSLOG, DATA & CACHE but everything in the "Exclude" column was Unticked, was I meant to "Tick" "BASEBAND" & "TA" also "SIMLOCK" was missing in the Exclude column for some reason, I forgot to mention I accidentally left my Sim Card in my phone when I downgraded perhaps it affected the sim card, it's strange because the phone recognises "calls" & sees my network "KOGAN" on my Z2's lock screen but it just will no longer retrieve Internet/MMS APN details automatically, is it a Kernal issue?
I heard about SCRTN (Special Code to Reset the Network) ##72786# is that worth a try it apparently rebuilds the PRL (Preferred Roaming List)
Carrier Network information, it's such a shame that I didn't save my previous 4.4.4 firmware build as an FTF so I could have checked all the customisation numbers, as you can see in the attached flashtool log, I believe the BASEBAND version number did change but I suppose that is normal with different firmware OS versions?
I'm sorry to mention it but as you will see in the attached log is this "error" "ERROR - root : this bundle is not valid" any cause for concern whilst downgrading would you know what it means as I searched for an answer but didn't find anything as to what it could possibly mean?
@iXaidyiu I was just wandering if you could offer any other suggestions, perhaps reflash the ftf file? I have already tried a factory reset it made no difference.
I was also wandering if you can access @Androxyde's Flashtool from www.flashtool.net it seems the website is down has been for quite a while.
Oniiz86 said:
I sure did, everything was ticked APPSLOG, DATA & CACHE but everything in the "Exclude" column was Unticked, was I meant to "Tick" "BASEBAND" & "TA" also "SIMLOCK" was missing in the Exclude column for some reason, I forgot to mention I accidentally left my Sim Card in my phone when I downgraded perhaps it affected the sim card, it's strange because the phone recognises "calls" & sees my network "KOGAN" on my Z2's lock screen but it just will no longer retrieve Internet/MMS APN details automatically, is it a Kernal issue?
...
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Normally flashing would not modify your inserted SIM card in any way.
If you have no problem receiving phone calls or SMS then it could be your network problem, try typing *#^#4636#*#* then you should see there are a list of internet modes that you can try out for different locale of LTE.
iXaidyiu said:
Normally flashing would not modify your inserted SIM card in any way.
If you have no problem receiving phone calls or SMS then it could be your network problem, try typing *#^#4636#*#* then you should see there are a list of internet modes that you can try out for different locale of LTE.
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Yes I've tried that but it resets itself to "LTE/GSM auto(PRL)" from when I switch it to "LTE/CDMA/GSM auto(PRL)" is that the better option? If I turn off the phone it will reset back to ""LTE/GSM auto(PRL)" upon next startup, I forgot that going back to 4.4.2 there is no longer a "Restart" option in the shut down menu, Sony were pretty ridiculous to not have an official "Restart" option only for it to be implemented in the 4.4.4 firmware build, it's a shame I didn't save the 4.4.4 build so I could re-flash it only to test this "Internet Settings" option to see it it will retrieve the APN details automatically, would XperiFirm have a copy of the 4.4.4 build (23.0.1.A.0.167) Customised AU.ftf file or does it only have the latest builds?
Oniiz86 said:
Yes I've tried that but it resets itself to "LTE/GSM auto(PRL)" from when I switch it to "LTE/CDMA/GSM auto(PRL)" is that the better option? If I turn off the phone it will reset back to ""LTE/GSM auto(PRL)" upon next startup, I forgot that going back to 4.4.2 there is no longer a "Restart" option in the shut down menu, Sony were pretty ridiculous to not have an official "Restart" option only for it to be implemented in the 4.4.4 firmware build, it's a shame I didn't save the 4.4.4 build so I could re-flash it only to test this "Internet Settings" option to see it it will retrieve the APN details automatically, would XperiFirm have a copy of the 4.4.4 build (23.0.1.A.0.167) Customised AU.ftf file or does it only have the latest builds?
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First, try the options that do not come with "PRL".
Then, I remember the author of XperiFirm once explained in the post that XperiFirm is a tool for providing direct access to Sony's server, so if there isn't the FTF you are looking for then it might as well be removed from the server.
iXaidyiu said:
First, try the options that do not come with "PRL".
Then, I remember the author of XperiFirm once explained in the post that XperiFirm is a tool for providing direct access to Sony's server, so if there isn't the FTF you are looking for then it might as well be removed from the server.
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I tried a few network selections that didn't have PRL, like LTE Only & WCDMA Preferred but didn't make any difference also strangely XperiFirm had the latest MM 6.0.1 builds from various regions including all Australian specific carriers ones from Optus, Telstra, Vodafone & Customised & a couple of 4.4.2 (17.1.2.A.0.314 ) builds but not AU specific ones, I wonder if any forum memebrs have archived any 4.4.4 (23.0.1.A.0.167) builds, there is a member who linked this particular build here https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/...ria-z2-20160227.2759934/page-43#post-56545097 but the link is dead, the link I downloaded from this forum is still active here for the 4.4.2 (17.1.2.A.0.314) build https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/...ria-z2-20160227.2759934/page-28#post-54793183
Oniiz86 said:
I tried a few network selections that didn't have PRL, like LTE Only & WCDMA Preferred but didn't make any difference also strangely XperiFirm had the latest MM 6.0.1 builds from various regions including all Australian specific carriers ones from Optus, Telstra, Vodafone & Customised & a couple of 4.4.2 (17.1.2.A.0.314 ) builds but not AU specific ones, I wonder if any forum memebrs have archived any 4.4.4 (23.0.1.A.0.167) builds, there is a member who linked this particular build here https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/...ria-z2-20160227.2759934/page-43#post-56545097 but the link is dead, the link I downloaded from this forum is still active here for the 4.4.2 (17.1.2.A.0.314) build https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/...ria-z2-20160227.2759934/page-28#post-54793183
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Sorry for hearing this. If that's the case, that means your firmware is no longer being hosted on Sony's website. Your best bet is to look for others archive and if they have the version you are looking for. In the meantime, you can try flashing FTF of another region that the local bands are identical (and not limited to) those offered by your carrier. Flashing those should work too.
iXaidyiu said:
Sorry for hearing this. If that's the case, that means your firmware is no longer being hosted on Sony's website. Your best bet is to look for others archive and if they have the version you are looking for. In the meantime, you can try flashing FTF of another region that the local bands are identical (and not limited to) those offered by your carrier. Flashing those should work too.
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I just thought of something that is entirely possible, perhaps I'm misremembering that this "Internet Settings" downloading automatically function worked effectively under the stock 4.4.2 build & only worked with the 4.4.4 ( 23.0.1.A.0.167 ) build, I'm curious if I were to update to the latest MM 6.0.1 (23.5.A.1.291) build than it would work as it should, can I remain on the 0.9.18.6 Flashtool version to flash the newest FTF firmware file as I believe it has outdated java, would it at all matter?
I heard about the Sony EMMA tool does that somehow differ to XperiFirm?
Oniiz86 said:
I just thought of something that is entirely possible, perhaps I'm misremembering that this "Internet Settings" downloading automatically function worked effectively under the stock 4.4.2 build & only worked with the 4.4.4 ( 23.0.1.A.0.167 ) build, I'm curious if I were to update to the latest MM 6.0.1 (23.5.A.1.291) build than it would work as it should, can I remain on the 0.9.18.6 Flashtool version to flash the newest FTF firmware file as I believe it has outdated java, would it at all matter?
I heard about the Sony EMMA tool does that somehow differ to XperiFirm?
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EMMA is quite hard to use when compared to the rest, and 0.9.18.6 is just fine, as once you have moved past it would not be that compatible with older devices but I forgot the criteria.

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