[Q] Root official ICS(updated with SUS) - Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini, Mini Pro, Xperia Pro, A

Is there a way to root my officialy updated to ICS, Xperia Mini(ST15i) without unlocking bootloader?(in order to downgrade etc...) I just want to root my xperia mini without messing up with the warranty....Any way to root it with locked bootloader? (4.1.B.0.431)
Thanks in advance

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You have to downgrade to Gingerbread, root it and then upgrade to ICS using THIS tutorial.
There could be a different way: you should flash the 4.0.3 kernel (for example the Arc one), but I can't find the tutorial. Use the search button and see if you can find it

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Feanor88 said:
You have to downgrade to Gingerbread, root it and then upgrade to ICS using THIS tutorial.
There could be a different way: you should flash the 4.0.3 kernel (for example the Arc one), but I can't find the tutorial. Use the search button and see if you can find it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
downgrading needs unlocked bootloader... :/ i had bricked my mini some time ago because i tried to downgrade with locked... (( any other way?
Thanks
EDIT: flashing xperia arc's or Neo V's for example would brick my phone....wouldn't it? (and it also needs bootloader unlock...so i don't think i would do that... BUT thanks for your help mate

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No, flashing a .ftf does NOT need an unlocked bootloader. You need to unlock it only if you want to flash a custom kernel, but for custom ROMs you can use flashtool.
Same for the 4.0.3 kernel. It's a stock kernel, so you can flash it via flashtool
It WILL end in bootloop, though. The tutorial says you can use DoomLord's root kit anyway, root the phone and then flash again the 4.0.4 kernel. But find it and read it carefully, cause I didn't try it and I can't assure you it will work.
I tried the first one I suggested, though, and my bootloader is locked!

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Feanor88 said:
No, flashing a .ftf does NOT need an unlocked bootloader. You need to unlock it only if you want to flash a custom kernel, but for custom ROMs you can use flashtool.
Same for the 4.0.3 kernel. It's a stock kernel, so you can flash it via flashtool
It WILL end in bootloop, though. The tutorial says you can use DoomLord's root kit anyway, root the phone and then flash again the 4.0.4 kernel. But find it and read it carefully, cause I didn't try it and I can't assure you it will work.
I tried the first one I suggested, though, and my bootloader is locked!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
man i have a problem...when i place my phone into flashmode (down key) it disconnects on its own...and that's why i bricked my phone long time ago....now i am afraid to do that i have installed the flashtool drivers from Flashtool/drivers.... but they mustn't work for my mini....any solution please give me the drivers you use for your Mini and work with it if you can i would really appreciate that!

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What do you mean, it disconnects? How much time does it take for it to disconnect? Mine does the same. If I plug it and wait for a minute or so doing nothing, it disconnects. But if I start flashing a ROM it doesn't.
The drivers I installed are in \Flashtool\drivers.

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Feanor88 said:
What do you mean, it disconnects? How much time does it take for it to disconnect? Mine does the same. If I plug it and wait for a minute or so doing nothing, it disconnects. But if I start flashing a ROM it doesn't.
The drivers I installed are in \Flashtool\drivers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it takes about 1-2 minutes to disconnect.But, what if it disconnects while on downgrading?

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It doesn't. At least, mine doesn't! And I flashed firmware twice a day in the last week
Anyway, both ways need the use of flashtool... so if you don't want to try it, you can't root ICS

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Feanor88 said:
It doesn't. At least, mine doesn't! And I flashed firmware twice a day in the last week
Anyway, both ways need the use of flashtool... so if you don't want to try it, you can't root ICS
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pfff i'm a bit scared.....there is no hope that there will be somewhen another way to root...?

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No, I'm sorry. Anyway, just follow this steps:
1) DON'T plug your phone.
2) Open flashtool
3) Click the lightning icon and select flashmode
4) Select the .ftf you want to flash: if you want to downgrade, select wipe data. If you want to flash the 4.0.3 kernel, unckeck wipe data and check "exclude" for everything apart from kernel. Which means you'll only flash the kernel
5) Start: you'll be asked to plug your phone. Plug it now in flashmode. This way you'll avoid it being unplugged.
Flashing will start, and your phone won't be unplugged. I suppose it's unplugged automatically when you're not doing anything, it's the same for me, but I repeat, whenever I flash something (kernel, whole ROM, whatever) everything just goes fine

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Feanor88 said:
No, I'm sorry. Anyway, just follow this steps:
1) DON'T plug your phone.
2) Open flashtool
3) Click the lightning icon and select flashmode
4) Select the .ftf you want to flash: if you want to downgrade, select wipe data. If you want to flash the 4.0.3 kernel, unckeck wipe data and check "exclude" for everything apart from kernel. Which means you'll only flash the kernel
5) Start: you'll be asked to plug your phone. Plug it now in flashmode. This way you'll avoid it being unplugged.
Flashing will start, and your phone won't be unplugged. I suppose it's unplugged automatically when you're not doing anything, it's the same for me, but I repeat, whenever I flash something (kernel, whole ROM, whatever) everything just goes fine
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i maybe try it later... thanks for your replies man DD i appreciate that

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kwstas 13 said:
i maybe try it later... thanks for your replies man DD i appreciate that
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let me know if you need more help!

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Feanor88 said:
Let me know if you need more help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A friend of mine told me that if i try with locked bootloader is a simple suicide!!! :/ Now i am confused again :S

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kwstas 13 said:
A friend of mine told me that if i try with locked bootloader is a simple suicide!!! :/ Now i am confused again :S
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Who is that friend of you? He is trolling. Stay away from him. And learn this. Feanor here is a better friend for you than him, when it comes to rooting your phone.
Just do as in the tutorial Fenor had shared in his first post. Everything will be fine.
And you say you bricked your phone. May we know how your repaired it?
Thanks,
Rick
Sent from my SK17i using XDA

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DragonClawsAreSharp said:
Feanor here is a better friend for you than him, when it comes to rooting your phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Blushing
But don't forget I'm a noob after all... I'll just keep pointing other people's tutorials, like for example yours, Rick

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DragonClawsAreSharp said:
Who is that friend of you? He is trolling. Stay away from him. And learn this. Feanor here is a better friend for you than him, when it comes to rooting your phone.
Just do as in the tutorial Fenor had shared in his first post. Everything will be fine.
And you say you bricked your phone. May we know how your repaired it?
Thanks,
Rick
Sent from my SK17i using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
while i was downgrading with locked bootloader the procces stopped on its own at 43%....and my phone wouldn't turn on and didn't even worked with flashtool....i sent it to a service centre and they fixed it ( i think i hadn't installed the proper drivers....am i right?)

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kwstas 13 said:
while i was downgrading with locked bootloader the procces stopped on its own at 43%....and my phone wouldn't turn on and didn't even worked with flashtool....i sent it to a service centre and they fixed it ( i think i hadn't installed the proper drivers....am i right?)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's strange. Anyway, if you installed PC Companion you have adb drivers. Install flashmode drivers from Flashtool installazion folder, you find the executable in \Flashtool\drivers. If Windows prompts you that the drivers are dangerous, just install them anyway.
What I can say is that you DON'T need to unlock your bootloader to use flashmode in Flashtool. Otherwise, my phone would have exploded long ago
Now let me tell you this: if you are SURE you did everything the right way, and still your phone got bricked, then maybe you shouldn't try. you never know.
If you tried to to something you didn't know how to do, you probably made a mistake, and that's why the phone got bricked.In this case, I'd give it a try.
But we're not able to see your phone and test it, so whatever you do, unfortunately, you always do it on your own risk.
I couldn't be more sincere.

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kwstas 13 said:
while i was downgrading with locked bootloader the procces stopped on its own at 43%....and my phone wouldn't turn on and didn't even worked with flashtool....i sent it to a service centre and they fixed it ( i think i hadn't installed the proper drivers....am i right?)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On all probability you are correct.
They (The service centre people) flashed a firmware using Flashtool. That's what they must have did. See. I will explain things a bit.
Your phone has some memory in it (this corresponds to what was known as phone memory in older phones). This memory is of Read Only type. That is ROM. Now, of all the types of ROMs, androids have EEPROM. That stands for Electronically Erasable Programmable ROM. So you can electronically erase the data stored in the ROM and write new data on it (even though it is called Read Only). This process of writing new data on the ROM is called flashing.
For flashing, the tool that is available to us as an open source, is Flashtool. Using it we can flash ROMs into our phones, erasing the earlier ones.
Now, Sony will not want us to flash Cyanogen Mod to our phones. So they have made up the concept of locking the bootloaders. With locked bootloaders custom ROMs can not be flashed to your phone. This is because most custom ROMs are designed for a specific Kernel (the intermediate between the OS and the hardware), and flashing a custom kernel requires unlocked bootloaders.
If you want, you can flash firmwares (ROMs + Kernels released by Sony) even if you are on locked bootloader, as long as the firmware files are signed by Sony.
This restriction however is against the OpenSource spirit of Android, and thus Sony gives us the scope to unlock bootloader at the cost of loosing the warranty, and the DRM keys (search google for that).
Now coming to your problem of unability to flash properly, make sure that you have installed all the drivers. For that open up /drivers folder in /flashtool and install the .exe there. Also install the adb drivers of your device. For that have PC Companion installed on your PC. Flashing will happen properly then.
Thanks,
Rick
Sent from my SK17i using XDA

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DragonClawsAreSharp said:
On all probability you are correct.
They (The service centre people) flashed a firmware using Flashtool. That's what they must have did. See. I will explain things a bit.
Your phone has some memory in it (this corresponds to what was known as phone memory in older phones). This memory is of Read Only type. That is ROM. Now, of all the types of ROMs, androids have EEPROM. That stands for Electronically Erasable Programmable ROM. So you can electronically erase the data stored in the ROM and write new data on it (even though it is called Read Only). This process of writing new data on the ROM is called flashing.
For flashing, the tool that is available to us as an open source, is Flashtool. Using it we can flash ROMs into our phones, erasing the earlier ones.
Now, Sony will not want us to flash Cyanogen Mod to our phones. So they have made up the concept of locking the bootloaders. With locked bootloaders custom ROMs can not be flashed to your phone. This is because most custom ROMs are designed for a specific Kernel (the intermediate between the OS and the hardware), and flashing a custom kernel requires unlocked bootloaders.
If you want, you can flash firmwares (ROMs + Kernels released by Sony) even if you are on locked bootloader, as long as the firmware files are signed by Sony.
This restriction however is against the OpenSource spirit of Android, and thus Sony gives us the scope to unlock bootloader at the cost of loosing the warranty, and the DRM keys (search google for that).
Now coming to your problem of unability to flash properly, make sure that you have installed all the drivers. For that open up /drivers folder in /flashtool and install the .exe there. Also install the adb drivers of your device. For that have PC Companion installed on your PC. Flashing will happen properly then.
Thanks,
Rick
Sent from my SK17i using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You, and all developers/people here, are simply awesome!.... But this sh*t with unlocking bootloader and loosing warranty is so....stupid....I think i will give it a try and i am gonna sure thank you.... Somethink else....my phone has also a problem on the screen while scrolling....do you know if that is a hardware or a firmware problem?
What do i mean when i say scroll problem:
1st example: While browsing the Internet and scroll with fast moves, links are pressed on its own and new tabs are opened,as links are pressed.
2nd example: While i scroll the app drawer,fast s make apps open without my will....
3nd exapmle and the most representative: While playing fruit ninja and do fast moves to cut the fruits, the touchscreen doesn't even fell that i touch the screen!!! I do fast moves to cut the fruits and nothing happens!! As a result i always lose! (just joking....)
My phone is fast and really smooth only when my moves are slow....any thoughts about that? :/
Thanks once again for your BRAVE help!

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You have a Mini, right? That's a hardware problem. Very common, even if not everyone realizes it. Check THIS thread for a (possible?) solution.