Develop Bugs

[Q] Unanswered things about root

First of all i'm sorry to post more questions about rooting but it seems like no one cares about some problems... i searched so many times on xda and even google advanced search
I have the r800 xperia play...I've been using it for couple of months so i have a lot of apps n stuff. I am running the newest 4.0.A update and i love it but i read i cant flash to 2.3.2,root it with gingerbread then update to 4.0.A cuz its not OTA
so i thought i could do it the unlocking bootloader way but i have a lot of questions so lets start...
-Is there a way to be rooted in 4.0.A,and if there is...do i need a rom or what?
-If I root my phone will i loose all my app data(this is the most important part,i dont want to loose all my perfect games in cut the rope and games like modern combat which have incredibly hard levels)
-When my phone is rooted...will i be able to update it to 2.3.4 and the Ice Cream Sandwich next year,or i would have to load custom roms
-I also noticed that when i uninstall a free app from my phone it disappears from the My Apps tab in The Market so what am i supposed to do if the root wipes all my apps? Write all 60+ of them on a peace of paper?
Contacts and stuff dont worry me

First off i dont have an unlocked bootloader but i will answer what i can.
1. Someone with an unlocked bootloader will have answer this one but im sure you can.
2. If you unlock your bootloader your phone will be wiped. The only way you would have kept root and all your apps is if your are on 2.3.3 (with a locked bootloader) and are waiting for the xloud update over ota (like i am) But since you have already updated to 4.0.A if you reflashed to 2.3.2 > rooted > ota to 2.3.3 (and wait like me) you will still loose all your apps (since you had to reflash). Best you can hope for is backing up your apps data with titanium backup pro or my backup pro. Then once you are rooted on an unlocked bootloader (or if you have reflashed 2.3.2 > rooted > ota to 2.3.3 with root) you can reinstall the app data.
3. If you unlock the bootloader you can still get updates but you cannot get them from OTA, PC Companion or SEUS (it will brick your phone) you will have to go the development section and a user who has got 2.3.4 (when its out) will post an update package you can use.
4. I have used App List Backup from the market. It saves all your market apps in a list so you can just redownload them and you still get updates e.t.c. Only works with market apps no 3rd party ones. Or even MyAppsList just to create a txt of app names.

Mozza2k11 said:
First off i dont have an unlocked bootloader but i will answer what i can.
1. Someone with an unlocked bootloader will have answer this one but im sure you can.
2. If you unlock your bootloader your phone will be wiped. The only way you would have kept root and all your apps is if your are on 2.3.3 (with a locked bootloader) and are waiting for the xloud update over ota (like i am) But since you have already updated to 4.0.A if you reflashed to 2.3.2 > rooted > ota to 2.3.3 (and wait like me) you will still loose all your apps (since you had to reflash). Best you can hope for is backing up your apps data with titanium backup pro or my backup pro. Then once you are rooted on an unlocked bootloader (or if you have reflashed 2.3.2 > rooted > ota to 2.3.3 with root) you can reinstall the app data.
3. If you unlock the bootloader you can still get updates but you cannot get them from OTA, PC Companion or SEUS (it will brick your phone) you will have to go the development section and a user who has got 2.3.4 (when its out) will post an update package you can use.
4. I have used App List Backup from the market. It saves all your market apps in a list so you can just redownload them and you still get updates e.t.c. Only works with market apps no 3rd party ones.
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Thats what I feared...but doesnt titanium backup require root? Maybe i misread it somewhere and its stuck in my head

LOL yeah sorry my bad. Indeed it does. I think mybackup pro works without root but im not sure if it is 100% reliable. Either way you are gonna have to either loose all your data or gamble saving your app data with my backup pro since rooting on anything after 2.3.2 (with a locked bootloader) does not work.

MyBackup requires root to backup app data I mean hasn't anyone figured out how to save their data...seems to me nobody cares about it
Anyways,provided that somehow i magically manage to save it i would still have to wait for OTA. Any ideas where i can check daily when the update will be available?

lol sigh... something is wrong with me today. I stoped reading as soon i a saw
MyBackup and MyBackup Pro will work on all Android mobile devices, regardless if they have root access or not.
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Didnt get to the bottom
NOTE: Backup of Data/setting of applications can only be supported if you have a rooted phone, or if the application integrates with us.
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Sorry bout that bud. Probably got your hopes up for nothing I think the arc got their ota update a few weeks after it appeared on SEUS/Pc Companion but who knows its totally up to SE. I dont even think all the countries have got the ota yet for the arc.

You can root without unlocking the bootloader as far as I remember. I believe I used SuperOneClick for it.

What is this guy at post #7 talking about? http://forums.androidcentral.com/general-help-how/63387-backup-application-data.html

Nope
zerojay said:
You can root without unlocking the bootloader as far as I remember. I believe I used SuperOneClick for it.
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That was patched up in 2.3.2 so it doesnt work

Fokezy said:
What is this guy at post #7 talking about? http://forums.androidcentral.com/general-help-how/63387-backup-application-data.html
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I believe that basic Android - unthemed, untouched - does regular backups to Google. Basically, it will backup your app data and your list of apps. When you wipe a phone and log back in, it'll restore the apps and data automatically.
I noticed this myself when I was on my Samsung Galaxy S Captivate. The first time I installed Cyanogenmod 7 on it, it restored a ton of apps on my phone. The touchwiz framework for the Captivate doesn't allow it by default, I believe.
I have not seen this work on the Xperia Play.

Well...if it works on other phones it can work on any other phone running it...right?
I guess someone would have to extract the feature and somehow make an apk

I don't think it's quite that simple. It's most likely completely removed from the framework, so there's no readding an APK.
More info: http://code.google.com/android/backup/index.html

zerojay said:
I don't think it's quite that simple. It's most likely completely removed from the framework, so there's no readding an APK.
More info: http://code.google.com/android/backup/index.html
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I dont really know...but why would SE do that...i mean its just extra work limiting something?

Fokezy said:
I dont really know...but why would SE do that...i mean its just extra work limiting something?
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What your talking about was a feature of froyo, google removed it with gingerbread.
Sent from my R800i using Tapatalk

My hopes are being buried deeper and deeper... Ok how about this,that data must exist somewhere on the phones memory right? So if the apps themselves can access and change it,why can't another app or say a computer? Tell me why that won't work...

Fokezy said:
My hopes are being buried deeper and deeper... Ok how about this,that data must exist somewhere on the phones memory right? So if the apps themselves can access and change it,why can't another app or say a computer? Tell me why that won't work...
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Click to collapse
because the app has the permission to do it, an unrooted user, does not have access to /data/data

Ok this is the last thing i had in mind...SE had some sort of backup app for the arc and it was ported to other xperia phones but whenever i would try to download it from their official page it would show me random html all over the page and now i lost the link..
But when i think about it... SE couldn't do it without root so...it probably just saves something else. Anyway can i root it with unlocked bootloader without loosing data?

Fokezy said:
Ok this is the last thing i had in mind...SE had some sort of backup app for the arc and it was ported to other xperia phones but whenever i would try to download it from their official page it would show me random html all over the page and now i lost the link..
But when i think about it... SE couldn't do it without root so...it probably just saves something else. Anyway can i root it with unlocked bootloader without loosing data?
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Click to collapse
Your phone gets wiped when you unlock your bootloader but you can downgrade to a rootable version of android using flashtool without loosing data you can then make a backup, unlock bootloader, flash latest firmware, restore backup

Oh yea...That recovery thing?

AndroHero said:
Your phone gets wiped when you unlock your bootloader but you can downgrade to a rootable version of android using flashtool without loosing data you can then make a backup, unlock bootloader, flash latest firmware, restore backup
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Well my original plan was to downgrade do 2.3.2,Gingerbreak and wait for 4.0.A to hit OTA but Mozza2k11 said it would wipe my data

Just ordered my Arc S... Some questions.

I went for a genuine SIM-FREE one (at extra cost), so the bootloader can be unlocked.
What does this mean with regards to getting updates and rooting the device?
Can I download the latest OTA update when I boot the phone, and by doing so, will it lock me out of doing anything? (i'm guessing after taking the latest OTA, I can still request a bootloader unlock?)
I have seen some posts suggesting that once you unlock the bootloader, you will stop getting OTA updates, which would suck, as Android 4.0 is out soon(ish), and I wouldn't want to prevent my phone from being able to get that.
I'm sorta tempted to get the latest OTA and then leave it for a while until I understand the pros and cons of unlocking the bootloader, and rooting the phone.
Sorry to sound like a Newb, but all phones are different, I have a HTC Legend, and know all about that one, ditto for my Asus Transformer, both are rooted with CWM recovery, but only once I worked out what the pros and cons are.

If youve bought one sim-free (and thus unbranded, good call) then you should (as of, like, yesterday, good timing) be able to root without unlocking the bootloader (see this thread for how).
Thus the only reason for you to unlock the bootloader would be when you want to install a custom rom, and if youre running a custom rom youre not really going to be wanting OTA updates blatted on top of them
As far as getting OTA updates when rooted - so far OTA updates have worked fine on rooted arcs (and have maintained root). But, with this new rooting method we dont yet know what the outcome would be with an OTA update. However, when 4.0 rolls around you should still be able to flash it via SEUS unless youve also unlocked the bootloader, which stops SEUS from working. Also - if you do unlock the bootloader DO NOT ACCEPT any OTA updates, this can brick the phone.

Thanks, for the moment, i'll hold off unlocking the bootloader, accept OTA updates and then root it (or should I root it for and then update?)
The unlocking of the bootloader is only really of use when SE stop supporting the phone....

CrazyPeter said:
The unlocking of the bootloader is only really of use when SE stop supporting the phone....
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Not really, even while SE continue to support the handset, some people will always prefer to be able to flash custom ROMs - CM7 offers a lot of nice features, some of which Google have actually copied in ICS.

Imo the arc s is a very good phone that needn't be rooted or boot loader unlocked unless you want themed or roms. Now if there was a mod for the stock camera app to give lower compression images, I'd root straight away.
Sent from my LT18i using XDA App

The reason I root is so I can use AdFree and MyBackup Pro , which both require root, there are also some other handy root-required apps....
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk

LOADS of reasons to root.
Crapware removal, titanium backup, drocap2, button saviour, root explorer, SE panorama app, appwidgetpicker, transparent dock... the list goes on.
However, not everyone needs/wants these things. Horses for courses innit?

[Q] Rooting Questions

I have an Xperia Arc S, I just bought it a week ago, Sim Free. I really wanted to avoid rooting and flashing it for 2 reasons; 1. Because of Warranty issues and 2. because I'm happy with the current set up.
However I'm tired of background apps running and hogging up my ram. I don't use Facebook, yet I'm not able to uninstall it because it's an app that came with the phone. I can stop it from running for a bit, but then it it starts running again within a few minutes.
Because of this, I'm thinking of rooting my phone, because as far as I'm aware, root access enables me to remove these apps.
But I have a few questions about rooting.
A) How risky is it? Can rooting "brick" a phone?
B) Does it void warranty?
A bit of background information; Bought brand new Sim Free (unbranded and unlocked) bought and live in the UK
Android Version; 2.3.4, Build Number; 4.0.2.A.0.42 Model Number; LT8i

HTML:
I have an Xperia Arc S, I just bought it a week ago, Sim Free. I really wanted to avoid rooting and flashing it for 2 reasons; 1. Because of Warranty issues and 2. because I'm happy with the current set up.
However I'm tired of background apps running and hogging up my ram. I don't use Facebook, yet I'm not able to uninstall it because it's an app that came with the phone. I can stop it from running for a bit, but then it it starts running again within a few minutes.
Because of this, I'm thinking of rooting my phone, because as far as I'm aware, root access enables me to remove these apps.
But I have a few questions about rooting.
A) How risky is it? Can rooting "brick" a phone?
B) Does it void warranty?
A bit of background information; Bought brand new Sim Free (unbranded and unlocked) bought and live in the UK
Android Version; 2.3.4, Build Number; 4.0.2.A.0.42 Model Number; LT8i
rooting can be able to brick your phone if you dont know which one you want to delete it .warranty of your phone can carry this out ,but if you unlock the bootloader they will not accept it.

migsguerra said:
rooting can be able to brick your phone if you dont know which one you want to delete it .warranty of your phone can carry this out ,but if you unlock the bootloader they will not accept it.
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Delete what? What can my warranty carry out? Not really sure what the bootloader is

Bootloader unlocked phones got repaired under warranty!
So the warranty is not voided untill the bootloader unlock or a ROM or kernel bricks it.
Sent from my LT15i using XDA Premium App

I think he means which app you delete. If you delete a wrong app you can mess up your phone but no worries. You can repair via SEUS or PC Companion. Rooting will not void warranty but bootloader unlocking will. Bootloader you dont need to unlock unless if you want to flash custom roms and kernels so dont worry. If you just want to delete apps just root delete apps then you can unroot if you wish
Sent from my LT18i using Tapatalk

rkanwar said:
I think he means which app you delete. If you delete a wrong app you can mess up your phone but no worries. You can repair via SEUS or PC Companion. Rooting will not void warranty but bootloader unlocking will. Bootloader you dont need to unlock unless if you want to flash custom roms and kernels so dont worry. If you just want to delete apps just root delete apps then you can unroot if you wish
Sent from my LT18i using Tapatalk
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Awesome, cleared up a lot of confusion.
I'm not doubting you but are you 100% sure that rooting doesn't void warranty? Also, how easy is Unrooting? And which apps can cause the phone to **** up?

Bump
anyone?

hey dude,, ive rooted my xperia arc once.. and it worked perfect!! then removed it for no reason.. and now here is my xperia arc rooted again,, to avoid any errors with ur xperia rooted,, just follow whats written at rooting thread and ur xperia wont be bricked

Pr0xXxY said:
hey dude,, ive rooted my xperia arc once.. and it worked perfect!! then removed it for no reason.. and now here is my xperia arc rooted again,, to avoid any errors with ur xperia rooted,, just follow whats written at rooting thread and ur xperia wont be bricked
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Thanks but Does rooting it void warranty, or removing some of the apps? Which apps could brick the phone if removed?

Hi, itsmyname.
The consensus of a lot of discussions here is that rooting won't affect your warranty. I've found this part of xda very useful for rooting methods - the zergrush thing worked painlessly on my Arc.
You'll also probably enjoy this thread for definitions of what the heck these guys are talking about! And see here for a list of apps it is - or isn't - safe to remove.
Happy rooting (but NEVER say that to an Australian!).

Loosely said:
Hi, itsmyname.
The consensus of a lot of discussions here is that rooting won't affect your warranty. I've found this part of xda very useful for rooting methods - the zergrush thing worked painlessly on my Arc.
You'll also probably enjoy this thread for definitions of what the heck these guys are talking about! And see here for a list of apps it is - or isn't - safe to remove.
Happy rooting (but NEVER say that to an Australian!).
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Click to collapse
Thanks for that. So I take it rooting doesn't affect the warranty then. However, what If I'm rooted and the next firmware is out, can I update to it the "legit" way, or would I have to unroot again? Does Unrooting reset everything back to normal again, i.e. bring back all of the apps I may have deleted?
Also, I connect up the phone via USB to my PC to transfer music onto the phone, will I be able to do that whilst its rooted?

Again, have a good explore of xda-dev. But my understanding is firmware updates will come through quite happily to a rooted phone. And if you get rid of carrier-branded firmware you may even get the updates earlier than you otherwise would (come on, ICS!).
If you've uninstalled an app and want it back again you need to reinstall it, whether you're rooted or not. And there's no problem hooking a rooted phone to a PC to transfer files - I do it all the time.

itsmyname said:
Thanks but Does rooting it void warranty, or removing some of the apps? Which apps could brick the phone if removed?
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In my country Israel,, u wont lose the warranty,,, but when anything wrong happens to ur phone, you have to delete that root b4 going to the company u bought ur phone from.

If I root using the Zergrush method (not unlocking bootloader) and I the remove apps, and I decide to update when a new firmware comes out OTA or on SE Companion, will the apps come back again?

Yes they return with a vengeance! Better to update the rom and the kernel yourself via flashtool. That way you can control the bloatware, I use the " dx toolbox " app to remove most bloatware as it backs all the apps to your sd in case you make a boo boo!
Sent from my LT18i using xda premium

[Q] I need help on overclocking the phone

Hello everybody!
I know, we all should use the search function first and look for it and I already did, but I just want to be sure to do everything correctly. As I'm living in Germany and my Xperia Play was a display item (sorry if this is an incorrect translation), Google Play tells me to have a Vodafone R800i. My phone is already rooted with the one click function in Flashtool64. I'ts the standard 2.3.4 Android Version, the Kernel is the Standard 2.6.32.9-perf [email protected] #1 and the build number is 4.0.2.A.0.42.
Today I bought setCPU and i noticed, that i am not able to overclock.
I want to keep the firmware, but i want to install the DooMKernel, so I think I have to unlock the bootloader, right?
Now the important questions for me are:
-Do i lose data, because I hate to reconfigure everything and i don't want to lose any savegames and stuff.
-When do i lose warranty or did a alredy lost it by rooting my phone/using Game Keyboard, Game Killer, the firewall by avast! Mobile Security?
-How do I flash the kernel now?
Sorry if those questions are already answered, I am new to Android and rooting/flashing blablabla and I want to be sure not to do something wrong
Thanks in advance,
xxxxl25

xxxxl25 said:
Hello everybody!
I know, we all should use the search function first and look for it and I already did, but I just want to be sure to do everything correctly. As I'm living in Germany and my Xperia Play was a display item (sorry if this is an incorrect translation), Google Play tells me to have a Vodafone R800i. My phone is already rooted with the one click function in Flashtool64. I'ts the standard 2.3.4 Android Version, the Kernel is the Standard 2.6.32.9-perf [email protected] #1 and the build number is 4.0.2.A.0.42.
Today I bought setCPU and i noticed, that i am not able to overclock.
I want to keep the firmware, but i want to install the DooMKernel, so I think I have to unlock the bootloader, right?
Now the important questions for me are:
-Do i lose data, because I hate to reconfigure everything and i don't want to lose any savegames and stuff.
-When do i lose warranty or did a alredy lost it by rooting my phone/using Game Keyboard, Game Killer, the firewall by avast! Mobile Security?
-How do I flash the kernel now?
Sorry if those questions are already answered, I am new to Android and rooting/flashing blablabla and I want to be sure not to do something wrong
Thanks in advance,
xxxxl25
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
-Overclock can only be done with custom kernel. On stock kernel you will get max 1GHz
-You didn't lost warranty by rooting. Actually, you did, but if you flash any stock firmware, you'll remove root (and warranty is valid)
-You will lost warranty permanently if you unlock your bootloader
-You can flash custom kernel only if you unlock your bootloader
-You can save your data with apps like titanium backup or mybackuproot (for that you only need root, not unlocked bootloader)
-There are GB custom ROMs that work on locked bootloader
-You can't use ICS or JB ROMs, because you need custom kernel for that (meaning, you need unlocked bootloader)

Even though Sony says that you *may* lose your warranty when unlocking the bootloader, they fixed my Xperia Play's cameras when I sent it to them. I did relock the boot loader of course, but they could know if they wanted to (you give them your IMEI to unlock anyway)
I guess they say that you might lose the warranty to avoid fixing software problems that can be caused with an unlocked boot loader.
Sent from my R800i

leots said:
I guess they say that you might lose the warranty to avoid fixing software problems that can be caused with an unlocked boot loader.
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Click to collapse
So I don't really lose my warranty?
I also remember that somebody told me that he only lost warranty of the OS, but not of the device..?

xxxxl25 said:
Now the important questions for me are:
-Do i lose data,
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Click to collapse
The official unlock procedure from sony will loose the DRM.
So myphone is unlocked thru the test point methode:
> Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini, Mini Pro, Active, Ray, Live with Walkman > Xperia Mini, Mini Pro, Active, Ray, Live with Walkman General > [Tutorial] Unlock Bootloader.Test Point | For Newbs | 18th Jan 13
> Sony Ericsson Xperia Play > Xperia Play General > [GUIDE] Bootloader Unlock Status: No / No Fastboot
I can confirm TrackID is still working with this methode on my R800i

xxxxl25 said:
So I don't really lose my warranty?
I also remember that somebody told me that he only lost warranty of the OS, but not of the device..?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nobody will guarantee you that they'll fix your phone because we're not Sony, but they did fix mine and I have read about other people who got their flex cables and stuff fixed after relocking the boot loader... If you notice at the boot loader unlock page it says that you *may* lose your warranty... you be the judge
Sent from my R800i

[Q] Unbloat Z1c running KK 4.4.2 (14.3.A.0.681)

I bought a simfree Z1c, updated it to 4.4.2 when sony released it and got sick of all the bloat that comes with the phone. I searched the internets and forums to find a method to unbloat this phone without voiding warranty. From what I understand I should:
1. root the phone
2. uninstall all the crap i detest (FB and YT and other "social" stuff that makes me behave antisocially)
3. ???
4. profit!!
(optional 5. unroot it so I don't make any accidental changes after I my phone is cleansed)
I've been having problems with #1, that is a root method for a phone with locked bootloader (to retain warranty) running latest android from sony (unbranded 14.3.A.0.681). Is there a way to do this without downgrading OS, unlocking bootloader, etc.? A link to proper HOWTO would be more than enough...

h0m3b0y said:
I bought a simfree Z1c, updated it to 4.4.2 when sony released it and got sick of all the bloat that comes with the phone. I searched the internets and forums to find a method to unbloat this phone without voiding warranty. From what I understand I should:
1. root the phone
2. uninstall all the crap i detest (FB and YT and other "social" stuff that makes me behave antisocially)
3. ???
4. profit!!
(optional 5. unroot it so I don't make any accidental changes after I my phone is cleansed)
I've been having problems with #1, that is a root method for a phone with locked bootloader (to retain warranty) running latest android from sony (unbranded 14.3.A.0.681). Is there a way to do this without downgrading OS, unlocking bootloader, etc.? A link to proper HOWTO would be more than enough...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you are only interested on eliminating bloatware, there is a way of hiding it without being root... in configuration/apps the ones that can not be uninstalled can be disabled, it will not eliminate them but will disable so they will not run in background and also will not appear in apps menu,

h0m3b0y said:
Is there a way to do this without downgrading OS, unlocking bootloader, etc.? A link to proper HOWTO would be more than enough...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Read the link you've already read, if there was an easier way it would be posted, as it isn't, and if you can't or don't want to unlock the bootloader then you'll have to downgrade first.

Sweet. Disabling apps will do just fine until a root for KK comes out. Thanks!
Sent from my D5503 using xda app-developers app

Edit: Ignore