If you search the net “how to flash a kernel” or “how to flash custom ROM”, you will get a million sites. Some are easy, some are confusing and some assumes that you are an expert. I thought, “why don’t I compile all those info for a new android user who wants to get his hands dirty by trying and tasting new ROMs and kernels other than the stock ones?” and the result is this post 🙂 This post is written with a Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro as example, but will work for all the Sony Xperia devices.
As this post is for new users, I will put some basic definitions first. If you are already acquainted with these terms, head over to the “Unlocking Bootloader” section right away.
BASIC TERMS
- Kernel: Bridge between hardware and the Android OS. It is used for hardware information exchange and control the hardware parts.
- ROM: Read Only Memory. It includes all data corresponding to Android OS. It is kind of the user interface of your desktop OS.
- Bootloader: It controls the “turning on” process of the phone, brings you the home screen(s). The phone won’t turn on without a proper bootloader.
UNLOCKING BOOTLOADER
Cell phone manufacturers lock their devices’ bootloaders so that no virus or potentially dangerous malware or the user him/herself cannot change it. A virus can change your phone’s bootloader and make your phone unbootable. On the other hand, if you want to install a custom kernel or custom ROM (much like installing a new operating system in your desktop/laptop PC), you have to unlock the bootloader. Don’t worry, this action is reversible and won’t harm your phone.
- First, check that your phone is allowed to be unlocked. Dial *#*#7378423#*#* on your phone. Tap Service info > Configuration > Rooting Status. If Bootloader unlock allowed says Yes, then you can continue with the next step. If it says No, or if the status is missing, your device cannot be unlocked.
- Download the “fastboot” package from here. This is a software which will unlock your phone’s bootloader. Unzip it and place the folder on your PC’s desktop (or anywhere else).
- Download the “fastboot” drivers from here. Install them accordingly.
- Head over to Sony’s Bootloader Unlocking page. Click to confirm that you are sure! Accept the legal terms.
- Put your name, your phone’s IMEI number and your email ID in respective fields. Your phone’s IMEI number is found by dialing *#06# on your phone. Write that down by discarding the last digit (phone’s IMEI numbers are 14-digit. Sony Xperia devices will give you a number with 15-digit once you dial *#06#. Just ignore the last digit). On the next page, you will be given an unlock code. Write this down as well.
- Turn off your phone. Wait for 30 seconds. Connect your phone to the PC while keeping the volume up key pressed. Your phone’s LED will lit blue (indicating fastboot mode).
- Head over to the location where you kept the previously unzipped fastboot folder. Right click while keeping pressed the SHIFT key on the folder and select “Open command prompt here”.
- Type fastboot.exe -i 0x0fce getvar version to ensure your have entered bootloader mode (you will get version on java example, 0.3)
- Type fastboot.exe -i 0x0fce oem unlock 0xKEY (replace KEY with unlock code you got from Sony’s website earlier)
- Voila, your phone’s bootloader is now unlocked.
- Disconnect your phone from the PC and wait 30 seconds before starting the next step.
FLASHING KERNEL
The best kernel (my personal opinion) for the 2011 Xperia devices is built by kamarush, a recognized developer of XDA community. I will use this kernel for this tutorial. You may choose any other kernel, but the ROM I am going to flash on the next section works best with this kernel.
- Download the appropriate kernel for your device: any one of Krsh Kernel or Rage Kernel or MESA Kernel will do. For example, you will find the kernel for SK17i here. It is an *.img file. Place this file somewhere on your computer.
- Download and install “Flashtool” on your computer from here. On the “Installation” tab of the website, you will find the download links. First download the 0.8.0.0 package and install it. Then download and install the update v0.8.6.0.
- Download the custom ROM of your choice. I would suggest the MiniCMSandwich AOSP Lite by kamarush. This is the best ROM for your Xperia, really. Its very lite and your phone will experience the pure AOSP flavor from Google Android ICS 4.0.4. Head over to this page and download the ROM file (it is a zip file). If you used the Krsh Kernel V3.0, you need to download the “wifi modules” zip file from here. Download the Google Apps from here. Place all these three zip files on the SD card of your phone.
- After you finished installing the Flashtool, start it (it usually installs in the path C:\Flashtool\). Click on the lightning bolt sign and select “Fastboot mode” and click OK.
- Connect your phone to the computer while keeping the volume up button pressed.
- Click on “select kernel to flash”
- Browse to the folder where you placed the *.img file and select it.
- Flashtool will install the kernel into your phone. Disconnect your phone from the PC. Wait 30 seconds.
INSTALLING THE CUSTOM ROM
- Turn your phone on. When you see the Sony or Sony Ericsson logo on the screen, keep pressing the volume down key. It will take you to the CWM recovery mode, which was installed automatically with the kernel.
- Use the volume up and down keys to navigate through menu items and the Home key for selecting.
- Do a full wipe (format data, system, cache, Dalvik cache and battery cache).
- Choose “install from SD card” and then select “choose zip file”. Select the ROM file first (MiniCMSandwich Lite Final v4).
- It will take you to the very much intuitive Aroma installer, which is very easy and much like installing an operating system on your PC.
- After finishing the installation, your phone will reboot. While rebooting, enter the CWM Recovery again using the volume down key.
- This time, do not wipe anything. Just select “install zip from SD card” and point to the wifi modules zip file. Similarly, install the Google Apps zip file.
- Turn off your phone from the CWM Recovery menu.
- Turn on your phone, first boot may take a long time, do not worry.
- Now you should get a pure AOSP flavor in your Xperia device.
A big thanks to all the developers of XDA community, specially kamarush.
Hafiz Imtiaz's Blog 
good job dude!! thanks. You missed out few things though, you didn’t specify the links to the rom, wifi module, and google apps. You also didn’t say that we are supposed to put the files on the SDcard.
I didn’t use flashtool, just the fastboot.exe, is that why it’s different?
@Phelios Cyros
I did mentioned to place the three zip files on the SD card. For your convenience, I will list the names of the zip files and the kernel file. Actually, in this page, you will get all the files.
Kernel (for Xperia mini pro): boot_lite_mango_v3.img
ROM: update_minicmsandwich_lite_final.zip
Wifi Modules: new_wifi_modules.zip
Google Apps: gapps-ics-20120429-signed.zip
Regarding Flashtool, you can surely use Fastboot to flash the kernel instead of Flashtool. I used Fashtool and that’s why I wrote to use it 🙂
hey frnd i have se lww wt19i android version 2.3.4 build .58 can i flash rage kernel and can i install MiniCMSandwich AOSP to my phone is that possible or not.??
Possible. Rage kernel is compatible with MiniCMSandwich AOSP.
Thank you very much! Didn’t get all the information together – now with your help i made it!
“keep pressing the volume down key” didn’t work – I have to press it “again and again and again and…” to get to “CWM recovery mode”.
I even got back the LED notification for new E-Mails, cause I downloaded and flashed with “DeodexedNotificationLedFix.zip”, found here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=27802678&highlight=led+notification#post27802678
Thanks for the appreciation. As English is not my first language, I thought “Keep pressing” means “repeatedly pressing” and “Keeping pressed” means “long press” 🙂
During bootloader unlocking,
Cmd shows – OEM remote unlock failed!
I tried 3-4 times.
What is the problem here, according to you?
And if I try unlocking using flash tool, it doesn’t ask for unlocking key.
Should I try that?
Did you checked if your phone’s bootloader is capable of being unlocked? If it is, then you should be able to unlock without any issues using Fastboot. Also, did you installed the Fastboot drivers beforehand to trying unlocking the bootloader?
Yes. I checked, unlock allowed.
I did everything right.
Coz unless drivers work,
Phone will not get detected.
Sorry bro, I can’t help you then. You can contact the guys over XDA developers about your issues.
the fastboot drivers link is down… 😦
I know, many of the links are down. That’s because the original maintainer of the ROM no longer maintains the ROM. But you can search the net and find a lot of links for those downloads.
have you used the ice cream pureness ROM?
Is it available for Xperia MDPI devices? I have an XMP…
i dont know about that am sorry. but it is available for PRO on Xda
Could you please tell me if its possible to restore the phone to complete stock after doing this?
Sure you can go back to everything stock. Here are the steps:
1. [OPTIONAL] Perform a full wipe in CWM: factoy reset, cache, Dalvik cache and battery stats
2. [OPTIONAL] Relock your bootloader using this FTF file. That is, turn off your phone. Open Flashtool on your PC. Select Flashmode and browse to the folder where you put the relocking FTF file. Connect your phone accordingly when prompted and done.
3. Flash your phone using the stock FTF file. From here, you can download the FTF file for the Sony Ericsson stock 4.0.2.A.0.62 (the latest version of Android 2.3.4).
thanks a lot!
will this custom rom also work for Xperia Pro
No. The MiniCMSandwich rom is only for Xperia MDPI devices (i.e. mini, mini pro, active and live with walkman).
is ics update is good for xperia mini pro?
That really depends upon your needs. Android 4.0.4 is the latest possible stable firmware available for Xperia 2011 devices. If you want the latest, go for it 🙂
Hello Hafiz,
I have Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro and I have upgraded it with Sony’s official ICS last month; however, since its update the phone has become very slow and laggy and hangs tons of times while using it.
Now, I want to downgrade it to Sony’s official 2.3.4 (GB), is it possible to downgrade or do I need to root my phone to do it?
Please guide me to fix this issue of mine.
Hope for your help, support and guidance.
Thanks in advance…
Dear Saurav
If you want to downgrade your phone to Gingerbread 2.3.4, you do not need to root or unlock your bootloader. The downgrading process is very easy and will take only 5 minutes of your time. Just download the FTF file (you will find it here) for your XMP. Download and install Flashtool. Start Flashtool, click on the lightning sign, select Flashmode, then browse to the FTF file you just downloaded, wait for a while, follow the on-screen instructions to connect your phone and you are done.
Dear Hafiz,
That worked and really helped me like anything… Yes, it took around 5 mins to fix the issue for me… and now my phone is running butter smooth how it was running when I had purchased it… Will never ever in my life upgrade my phone with ICS (by Sony) coz I believe they have messed up with ICS upgrade to almost all the Xperia series… everyone might not have same issue like me.. but still there are no. of ppl who are facing this issue with their upgrade to their Xperia phones.
Sony should fix this or else would recommend all Xperia phone users not to upgrade it to ICS until Sony fixes this issues…
Hafiz, you really help me a lot and really great-full to you… Thank you sooooo much… :o)
Kind Regards,
Saurav
can i downgrade my phone to gb even if i have a rooted xmp running ics 4.0.4??
Definitely.
Hey Hafiz need help again man…
I have this Samsung Infuse 4G (AT&T) which is unlocked and currently running officially launched 2.3.6 GB by Samsung in this phone…. N need your guidance as to how can we root this phone… so that I can remove the unwanted bloatware installed by AT&T….
Please help…
I am sorry I cannot help you with this device as I do not have it. You may want to look into the XDA developers forum for your device (http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=1158). Hope this will help.
That’s absolutely fine bro… Thanks for your suggestions… :o)
hi man i have cynogen mob 9.1 installed in my xperia mini pro and i get borred with it so i think to get my real sony system back so i flash the device with ics4.0.4.ftf file and also it get flashed but after unplugging the device from computer and when i switch it on it starts and on screen comes sony after xperia but after these it is again rebooting agin and again and also it is not flashin back man now what i do man please help me
While flashing the FTF file (I am assuming you have used the right FTF file for your device), did you accidentally checked “Exclude Kernel” or “Exclude System” or anything like that? The boot-loop you are experiencing is clearly from unmatched ROM & kernel. I would suggest you try the following:
1. Flash the CyanogenMod 9.1 kernel.
2. Boot phone in recovery.
3. Do a complete wipe. Also, mount the System partition and format that.
4. Flash the appropriate FTF file accordingly.
Can you please update the link for wifi modules because the file is not there now.
Thanks.
I will on Saturday next and will let you know.
hi there Hafiz bro i read all the conversation about sony xperia ics upgrade etc but plz can u help to tel me can i update my device sony ericsson xperia mini pro sk17i using flashtool from ver 4.2 to 7.2 i have ftf file???
Mrng Hafiz!
Is Jelly Bean customer ROM available for Xperia Mini Pro? If yes, have you updated on your XMP? How does it work? And can we give it a try?
Sorry lots of ?s… hope for your help… :o)
As far as I can guess, JB will not be officially available for our XMP or any other Xperia 2011 devices. But you can always try CM10. I haven’t tried it as it is in beta stage and drains my battery way too fast.
Oh okay… So, will wait until there is more stable version of JB is available for my XMP…
But yes, do inform us if in future you upgrade ur XMP to stable JB… so that we can also try it… :o)
Thank you…
could not download the kerenel,says file not found……
I will re-upload all files on Saturday.
Hafiz I like the details but I am not sure if this is what i want. My problem is I live in Turkey and I have a Galaxy which is registered to me bought in thr UK. But I broke my thumb and cannot use it so I brought an Xperia Pro unlocked new from Sony UK. Under Turkish law a foreigner can only have one phone registered to him. How can I take the Galaxy IMEI number which is no good and the same IMEI number on the Xperia pro? I will never use the galaxy as I cant.
I hope you can help?
Best regards
Nick
As far as I infer from your statement, you want to replace your new phone’s IMEI number with old phone’s IMEI. I am pretty sure this isn’t possible. The IMEI is unique id assigned to each device.
Hafiz that is correct. The reason is I cannot have another phone imported for another 18 months.
So i want to use Galaxy IMEI number I have which I will not use, on Xperia Pro.
Nick
Hi Hafiz,
Do you know any good JB rom for xperia mini pro ? Can you upload it if you know so.
I cannot find MiniCMSandwich Lite Final v4 from Kamarush as well, can you get it on your dropbox too. Highly appreciate your help.
Its a fantastic user guide you wrote. Thank you.
Enjoy your day!
./Emuzkhn
Thanks for complements. However, I do not know of any stable JB ROM for XMP. I have been looking for one as well. Before he joined the FXP team, Kamarush promised to release the JB based ROM JellyXProject (the JB version of MiniCMSandwich Lite). But I guess he is busy and thus we didn’t see that ROM.
Hey Hafiz..
I was thinking of buying Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro since I liked the features a lot and also heard that it can be upgraded to ICS.
Since then, I have been reading articles on the internet and have been very confused as to what is the right approach.
The common factor I have noticed is that, by the official upgrade, there are issues of lag but the battery life is considerably improved.
I need your honest opinion on a query.
I read this post of yours and was utterly impressed how meticulously you mentioned every step in detail. I have yet to check whether the links you have given are working or not.
The question I want to ask is.. After you upgraded your Mini Pro to ICS by the procedure you have written, what are your observations? Is it an improvement over GB via usage? Do some features of camera that were present in GB disappear when upgraded to ICS [i read abt this many times so am asking]?
Please do reply soon since I am quite eager to buy this phone.
ICS is a good improvement over GB. If your phone is capable of running ICS, you should definitely try it. My XMP with ICS is very good and very stable. I didn’t experience any lack of stability with both ICS (stock firmware and MiniCMSandwich).
Regarding the camera issues, I didn’t notice any, maybe I don’t use the features in the first place.
Thanks for the quick reply Hafiz…
One last question though…
Which do you think is better, the stock firmware or the MiniCMSandwich? And is there any difference between the two?
Also, if I upgrade using MiniCMSandwich or after upgradation decide to rollback to GB and flash using the ftf link you have provided, are there any further things I need to take care of post the installation?
Thanking you in advance.
Both are good. If you want the “Pure google experience”, you should go for the MiniCMSandwich. If you like the Sony stock UI, you can stay there. But MiniCMSandwich will offer you better speed and more free RAM with some control over your phone.
ADDITIONAL DOUBTS ::
Sorry but some additional doubts arose in my mind again… 😛
I just went through the comments on this post again and would like clarification regarding a matter.
A user called Yash wanted to restore his phone back to stock.. You suggested him a certain procedure.
Also, another user Saurav wanted to downgrade his phone back to Sony’s official GB 2.3.4 since he had problems with ICS.. You suggested him a DIFFERENT procedure…
Please could you tell me the difference between restoring to stock and downgrading it? And, in case I too face problems after upgrading to ICS via official firmware or MiniCMSandiwich, which approach should I use?
Should I use the procedure u told Yash about restoring to stock or should I use the procedure u told Saurav about degrading to GB 2.3.4?
Please do reply. I am waiting to hear back from you. 🙂
The “downgrade/going back to stock” procedure is as simple as flashing the appropriate FTF file using Flashtool. If you flash your phone with the GB FTF file, you are “Downgrading”. If you flash your phone with the stock ICS FTF file, you are going back to stock UI from MiniCMSandwich. It is not like Nokia Symbian^3 smartphones that if you flash an upgraded software, you can’t go back to (not in any easy way) previous versions.
For going back to GB or stock ICS, you may follow either tutorial. They both will get you in the same place.
Thank you so much for the clarification Hafiz…
I’ll be buying the XMP soon.. I will post my experiences regarding the upgrades in the comments when I do it…
And I will surely promote this post for others as well.. This is the most lucid and clear procedural sequence of upgrading XMP to ICS anyone has ever written…
Thanks a ton.. Will be writing my experience with the flashing adventure soon! 🙂
I am a big fan of your tutorials and I highly appreciate your work. Could you please tell us how to root Xperia Mini Pro (XMP). Thanks in Advance…. Love your tutorials. Keep up the Good work.
You can find several methods of rooting the XMP in the xda developers blog. This is particularly easy and helpful:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1842366
Hello Hafiz,
I just came to know that xda developers had come up with JB for XMP… did you upgrade your XMP with JB? If yes, please share your experience with us and also guide us how can we upgrade it? As, the developers use very high technical language which I am unable to understand. And, that time your blog helps people like me to understand the upgrade process….
Hope for your favorable response….
I guess you are talking about the FXP releases. I have tried FXP 142, it is good but may not be suitable for day to day use as it is not yet stable. Many applications tend to force close every now and then. When CyanogenMod will come with a stable CM10 for Xperia 2011 devices, FXP will be very usable, I am sure of that. Meanwhile, I will wait for Kamarush for his JellyXProject rom.
Yes, I was talking about FXP. And thanks for your quick response & valuable information. Would request you to share your experience once you upgrade your phone to JB in near future….
Will be following your blogs for it… 🙂
Hi Hafiz,
First of all I can’t resist to appreciate the work done by you.
Absolutely awesome!!
Also the prompt and accurate reply that you provide, is truly commendable.
Now, my small problem. As I’m very new with this Android and all, I’m not very sure what should I do. I’m having Xperia Pro and I want to upgarde it. But I’m not sure whether I should go for ICS or Xperia pro Ultima v 1.1GB. Kindly guide me if you can.
Thanks in advance
Hi Rohan
Thanks for the appreciation. Upgrading to ICS or staying on GB entirely depends upon your use of the phone. If the GB firmware satisfies all your needs, you can stay there. But I would suggest you to upgrade your Xperia pro to ICS. It is a new platform and there are many improvements over the older GB firmware. Now, the stock ICS firmware by Sony has some problems. If you can live with those, then no need to go for any custom ROMs. If you can’t, however, there are a plenty of custom ROMs out there for you to try.
Hi Hafiz,
Thanks for all the information and prompt reply once again.
The question is not about need, I just want to try something different. 🙂
Also please enlist some of the advantages of ICS over GB so that I’m a bit more confident.
According to your reply I’m going for ICS custom ROM.
Although I have 4 doubts:-
1- Which is the lighter version ICS or GB? As I do not have much internal space I want to go for the lighter version and save as much space I can.
2- If I’m not satisfied can I roll back to my original factory version? Kindly share the details how to do it.
3- Will all my apps, songs, photos, files etc. be still there in my phone or will it all be erased? If it is erased, can you suggest any way for back-up.
4- I heard that ICS lacks the screenshot feature as present in GB. Is this true?
Please tell me some of the best ICS custom ROMs for my phone and where can I download it from.
Sorry for the trouble if I cause you any.
Waiting anxiously for your response.
Thanks.
Here are the answers:
1- GB is lighter.
2- Yes you can. Please look into the comments of this thread.
3- Everything will be erased.
4- No. ICS obviously has this feature.
Hi all…im from Malaysia
its been 3 months since i got Xperia Mini Pro..im a bit confused to flash kernel of my device and when i try to download the google apps says file not found…….please make me understand the instruction
The instructions are alright. You can flash any kernel that I have mentioned (krsh kernel, panic kernel, rage kernel, MESA kernel). Regarding the google apps, I cannot re-upload those kernel or rom files as those are not mine. You have to search google for finding the GApps.
Hi hafiz
Did you mean that google app is not only from this net?..its everywhere?..
Hi..
Did you mean that google app is not only from this net?..its everywhere?….can i search it with google
I was wondering this custom kernel work with sk17a with .58? I have 2 phone sk17i and sk17a
It should.
Thank hafiz Now my sk17a .58 is running with rage kernel..
And one thing that bugs me..is it okay if I install custom rom with locked bootloader on my sk17i .58?…or it needs unlocked bootloaders…..please tell me
Some custom ROMs support locked bootloader. If you want to flash one of those, you can keep locked bootloader. But un/locking bootloader is pretty easy, you don’t have to worry about anything.
Yeah. For example, you can download the Google Apps for ICS from here: http://goo.im/gapps/gapps-ics-20120429-signed.zip
Erm.
Is it important to install it? Please tell me…i can’t wait to try the ics
The Android eco-system runs around the Google Play store. You can’t install any apps from the store unless you have the Play Store App. The Google Apps is a combination of Play store, Gmail and other google services app. So yeah, it is very important.
how to install it?
The instructions for installing the Google Apps is written in the original post. Please have a look.
Can i install it with rom manager?
Don’t know. I’ve never used ROM manager.
Hi..
Im still stuck with flashing kernel..its says error.(the device must be rooted) plzz help me!!!
You may not have unlocked the bootloader. Please follow the steps thoroughly.
google apps is not downloading please provide a new link and thank you very much for the blog really very easy for new android users like me 🙂
Try here: http://goo.im/gapps/gapps-ics-20120429-signed.zip
Thank you very much… successful
Hello hafiz,
will this custom rom also work for my Xperia mini st15i.
Thx.
Sure, it will work. But you have to choose an appropriate kernel.
Thx before Hafiz …finally my xperia mini can use this rom, but when I install link2sd, could not move the application into the SD card, always segmentation fault .. why is it? please give me the solution ..? (Sorry if my english bad) 🙂
This usually happens when the kernel is mismatched. Which kernel did you use?
I use kernel kamarush v3 for my xm.., according to you, what kernel should I use for the Xperia Mini st15i?
In order Link2sd to run smoothly on my XM and what should I do now?
Thx Hafiz.
Did you used the appropriate version? I mean, did you chose the specific version of the xperia mini? If yes, then try re-flashing a different kernel (Rage, Panic, etc.). You don’t need to flash the ROM again, just the kernel.
Ok haf…,
I’ll try it…Thx again.
Oh ya I forgot..
Wht do you think, mesa or rage kernel what’s the best?
Thx.
I am using xmp. I am faceing wifi issue on my stock rom. connected with router but no internet access. I tried 6 other router with one place. sorry bad en
Did you flash the Wifi Modules after flashing the ROM?
Good Morning
Hafiz..i’m a bit confused about these rom..does it need kernel ics version or the gb version?…help… My sk17i already official. Ics 4.1.B.0.431 does this custom rom compatible with official rom that im having now ? Please reply quickly…i’m afraid that I install this might brick my phone…
sorry, I am using original GB 2.3.4 rom. even I am also cant see 2 router . symphony w10 device show all router & conect with all router successfully.
Q2: if I want to use coustom rom ( cm 7.1 & cm 7.2) between them which is best. can it solve my wifi issue. I want 2 see all router & connect with them succesfully
Q3:which kernal is best for this Rom?
please help me. bro?
I haven’t used CM7.2 as it drained my battery way to fast. You can try though…
As far as I know, you have to use the kernel that comes with the CM packages, you have no choice there.
what is your advice about WiFi . can it fix using coustom rom . I tell this because symphonx w10, has android 2.3.6. & it working perfect. which rom u are using? are u faced any WiFI problem.
Did you flash the wifi modules?
please tell me the procedure of flashing WiFi modules.
Hi I need to lock my boot loader and get back to the original Rom and kernel of Sony, I’m having Xperia mini pro sk17i , I’m not getting the original tft file please help me . Or give the link if you have for Sony Ericsson mini pro sk17i
Please search the comments of this post, you will get a link of the relock FTF file.
Reblogged this on Nothing Impossible and commented:
*
Can we Roll Back to original ICS after installing other ROM’s ?
Sure you can.
hey hafiz
i have a mini ics 4.04 version 0.587
when i downloaded the drivers there is no application file or method to install
what am i supposed to do from this step?
and btw im runnin windows 7……………………………it was a prob when i tried to rrot as it didnt let me write on the c:/ drive
plz reply quick
thanks
can u plz guide on how to install drivers????
like which drivers to copy where.., that would be of great help..
Can I relock my bootloader? Because track id is not working when I reverted back to 2.3.4..:(
Sure you can. Just flash the “Xperia bootloader relock.ftf” file.
Hey Hafiz,
First of all, Happy New Year buddy!
I wanted to taste “MiniCMSandwich” by Kamarush; however, I am unable to get link for this particular “ROM” to download… Can you please provide any new link for the same? Or, if you have it with you, can you please share and guide me the best procedure to install the same.
As, I tried to install other ICS ROM, but all are going into bootloop… don’t know what I am missing… Tried to go through you blog again & again whole day… but as I am not tech savvy… so unable to find the missing part…
Please help me with the same…
Thank you,
Saurav
Hey Saurav
I am afraid I cannot mirror Kamarush ROM or kernel (as requested by Kamarush). You have to search the internet for those ROM and kernel files. Regarding bootloop, I guess you tried a ROM with an in-compatible kernel. Please use the kernel that is suggested for the particular ROM.
Thanks for the info man! 🙂
It’s working right now… I am using Real ICS… which is really cool… however, having issues with WiFi… so planning to upgrade it to JB from KXP… hope it resolves WiFi issue….
can iI use d same procedure for installing jb on my xperia mini,other than rom file
Yeah. the procedure described here is reproducible for any Android version as long as you use the correct ROM and kernel.
pls give d link 2 get kernel and rom
I connect my xperia 10x to pc to flash,i hold down the volume key the light turns green but cannot be flashed.any help please.
For Xperia x10, you have to press the back button while connecting in flash mode, not the volume down button.
hello,
you said first boot may take a long time, do not worry….its been 10 minutes now and i am worried
how long does it normally take ??
i need a good combination of custom kernel and rom for my 2.3.4 sony live with walkman
i intend to overclock my phone to 1.4ghz so guide me thru…
thanks in advance 🙂
Hello,
Can you please tell me how to install back the Official ICS…. I Have installed the Custom Rom Real ICS R6 with krsh kernel…but i want to re-install the official ICS…thanx
You can just flash the stock FTF file to get back to official ICS.
i was expecting a reply from u hafizimtiaz 😦
anyways m gonna put xkernel n xmod rom on .62 GB
hope it works well.. 🙂
evrythng working well except wifi…
please help
You have to flash the wifi modules to make the wifi work.
My phone is sk17i .is this phone make phone better for gaming or not ???
Dear Imtiaz
Hi this is kashif here , i was trying to install Xperia ultiamte HD on Xperia pro, i did the same as instructed but right after the Mounts and Storage –> Format /System i could not find the Advnaced option and now my phone is not in showing any menu. i lost. please help me to fix this
Thank you So Much!!!
thank you for sharing this powerful guide! tried it and it worked although I had to download an alternate rom as the link for your suggested rom was unavailable. here are several sites where I got the alternate roms from http://srinicame.blogspot.com/2012_07_01_archive.html and http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1748576.
Thanks man!!!!!!!!!
i have live witj walkman and i had root it sucessfully….. unlocked the bootloader….. flashed the rage kernal……so please help to find the suitable custom rom for this kernal….. as i cant find minicmsandwich ASOP lite anywhere on internet…… and will this custom rom will work on ics. 431 firmware….. plz reply and help
MiniCMSandwich is discontinued. You can try CM10 or MikeXperience. Both are fine. You have to use a proper kernel, by the way.
THANKS U BOSS…….GOOD JOB…
🙂
thanks a lot it wworked fine with my xperia
hi, after i unlock bootloader of my lww, i still can’t able to install custom rom. yes i got to recovery and installation but when it reboots, its just the “sony logo” that appears, please help thanks.
You are struck in a bootloop. Maybe the kernel is incompatible.
i have a rooted TECNO D3 andriod gingerbread 2.3.6 version. i then downloaded and installed ROM manager on it , after some time it gave me an error messeger then freezed ,so i restarted it and chouldnt boot again only turns on when power button is pressed and restart by showing a caution(!) mark in the triangle. i tried to “applied update from sdcard” but keeps telling me “signature verification fail,update aborted”
In this situation what must i do Mr Expert ?
my email is g3dgame@gmail.com
and g3dgame as username on facebook..
pls am waiting for your responds
When you try to flash a zip file from the stock recovery, this sort of error message regarding “signature verification” is very common. You need to replace the stock recovery with CWM or likes. As I am unfamiliar with the phone model you are using, I cannot suggest you any further on this topic, sorry.
thanks bro i know you will dive into a deep research on my tecno D3 to restore my phone as i wait a while
All those links have been deleted
That’s because the original developer stopped developing the ROM. Still, the process can be applied to any ROM and any phone.
That was really helpful tutorial. I searched a lot and i finally found your page to be useful and complete. I have a Xperia mini. I recently rooted the phone. I tried to install CM10 but i got an error. After going through your tutorial i came to know that i need to unlock bootloader and flash a kernel in the process.
Do you knoow which Kernel i should be using for CM10. And is the bootloader unlock necessary?
Bootloader unlock is necessary as you will need to flash the CM ROM (or most other ROMs) through custom recovery (like CWM), and for flashing custom recovery, you need to unlock the bootloader. However, bootloader unlocking is completely reversible. You can always go back to stock recovery.
For using CM ROM, you need to use the CM kernel included in the zip file of the CM ROM. There are some kernels, which are written specifically for CM-based ROMs. You can also use those. Any CM-based ROM will/may not work with stock kernel.
Thanks buddy. I have successfully installed ICS custom ROM as mentioned in this post. Now i have relocked my bootloader and i have found custom ROM of JB for my Sony LWW wt 19i. Do I have to again visit the sony site for unlocking the bootloader?
For installing CWM, yeah you need to unlock your bootloader again, but you can use the same code as before.
Hi Hafiz
My mobile model is Sony Ericsson Xperia mini pro SK 17i (Android 4.0.4 / Baseband version – 8x55A-AAABQOAZM-203028G-72/Kernal version – 2.6.32.9-pref BuildUser@BuildHost#1/Build number – 4.1.B.0.431)
i have tired so many ways to upgrade my mobile OS with JB or any other from tutorial, i followed every step and its got success
after loading any custom ROM from CWM recovery its getting only Sony logo after that its getting restart please guide me is my mobile is compatible to change OS how can i find wether my phone is suitable or not???
Your situation is called “boot loop” which typically results from incompatible kernel flashing. Have you flashed a compatible kernel? If yes and the problem still persists, then you need to do a factory reset from CWM.
sir i have ……..sk 17i ……. its problem is continus boot not show sonyericsson logo . and i do fastboot with kernel flashing with cm 7.1.0 ….img.its allow rooting….but not show sd card, i unlocking bootloader with flash tools and flash with 4.0.2.A.0.62 tft…but not stop continus boot….plzzz reply me….thanku
i have sk17i …its problem is when i switch on device its continus boot.. and i connect device to computer ,computer shows MTP device installing failed,,,plzzz reply me
I am sorry I couldn’t catch the meaning of “continuous boot”. What did you mean by that? Boot loop? Boot loop usually results from incompatible kernel (boot.img). Flash a compatible kernel and you will get CWM for flashing ROMs.
Hello Hafiz,
Are you there to reply for this post?
Will you please help me, I m bit confused, wants a confirmation from u.
Either my BL is locked or unlocked, if I will flash stock ftf (GB/ICS) through flashtool with flashmode, will it relock the BL (or keep locked in case of already locked BL) ???
or relocking BL is diff process other than flashing stock ftf ??
Hello Hafiz,
Are you there to reply for this post?
Will you please help me, I m bit confused, wants a confirmation from u.
Either my BL is locked or unlocked, if I will flash stock ftf (GB/ICS) through flashtool with flashmode, will it relock the BL (or keep locked in case of already locked BL) ???
or relocking BL is diff process other than flashing stock ftf ???
Locking or unlocking bootloader has nothing to do with flashing the FTF file. Your bootloader might be locked or unlocked and you can still go to stock by flashing the FTF file. It will not change the status of the bootloader.
I did all of them step by step. But not working. Isn’t there any other easy way to do this?
Not that I know of. If you follow the guide step-by-step, it should work.
hey bro i have xperia C & i recently to change rom jelly bean to lolippop but i made 1 mistake first of all i rooted my mobile thorugh framaroot after rocovery.img file pasted in internal memory through mobileuncle & after that.. zip files of lolipop i forgot to paste in memory card & i restarted mobile..& then my mobile dead..i had tried all possibilities to on my mobile..but only red & green lights are showing …please help ….
You can try booting into fastboot mode and flash the appropriate ftf file.