[SOLVED] Help with ST18 bad flash. - Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini, Mini Pro, Xperia Pro, A

Hi
I will try to be brief.
I have a ST18 (which has a bad flash that stops the screen working - if I press power button I can press power off/airplane mode etc but otherwise the screen is unresponsive).
The phone will not go into fastboot mode or be recognised in fb mode in windows (tried 3 different cables and 3 different pcs).
Windows 7 will recognise the phone but will not allow me to install the fb drivers ( I have tried everything, including disabling driver signing and getting windows to ask me what drivers to install).
On an XP machine, I still cannot install fb drivers but PC companion/flashtool/s1tool recognise the phone.
I have tried to work through the advice on here and reflash with various fw with flashtool but it will not fb and flash mode always stops with a security issue at the start of flashing. S1tool stops at the start of flashing with different issues depending on fw such as cannot send s1 command. DoomLord's toolkit does not recognise the phone.
I have tried everything I can find on this forum and on the web but don't want to write pages for you to sift through.
Any pointers would be really appreciated.
Thanks

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jordan0001 said:
Hi
I will try to be brief.
I have a ST18 (which has a bad flash that stops the screen working - if I press power button I can press power off/airplane mode etc but otherwise the screen is unresponsive).
The phone will not go into fastboot mode or be recognised in fb mode in windows (tried 3 different cables and 3 different pcs).
Windows 7 will recognise the phone but will not allow me to install the fb drivers ( I have tried everything, including disabling driver signing and getting windows to ask me what drivers to install).
On an XP machine, I still cannot install fb drivers but PC companion/flashtool/s1tool recognise the phone.
I have tried to work through the advice on here and reflash with various fw with flashtool but it will not fb and flash mode always stops with a security issue at the start of flashing. S1tool stops at the start of flashing with different issues depending on fw such as cannot send s1 command. DoomLord's toolkit does not recognise the phone.
I have tried everything I can find on this forum and on the web but don't want to write pages for you to sift through.
Any pointers would be really appreciated.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you post your log from flashtool and give some more information, like what you did before the problem started, if your bootloader is unlocked, are you rooted, and if you are on a custom ROM or running stock. If your bootloader is locked, have you tried to use PC Companion or SUS to fix your phone?

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justmpm said:
Can you post your log from flashtool and give some more information, like what you did before the problem started, if your bootloader is unlocked, are you rooted, and if you are on a custom ROM or running stock. If your bootloader is locked, have you tried to use PC Companion or SUS to fix your phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the quick reply justmpm
Sorry I cannot be too specific - the problem started after the phone was "unlocked" by a mobile shop.
From what I can work out, the bootloader is locked and the phone is not rooted. The phone was updated by SEUS to the latest stock.
I have had various flashtool errors, the latest of these was Read error :31 : A device attached to the system is not functioning. If I try another flash to save the log, would it be a good idea to use a particular fw as different fw give different logs?
Thanks

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Any ideas at all would help.

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And you have installed the drivers from flashtool -> drivers?

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mihahn said:
And you have installed the drivers from flashtool -> drivers?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi
Yes, installing the flashtool drivers was the only way anything would work. Before that nothing worked which made me think this was more of a driver problem but then it does seem like the phone may be a problem with not being able to go into fastboot.
Thanks

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Re: [Q] Help with ST18 bad flash
i think usb debugging is disabled on your phone and the unlocking procedure has your touchscreen firmware corrupted...
did u try repair phone option in SEUS..?
the reason why you got the device is not functioning error is because the usb debugging feature is disabled,not sure though..
can provide me the other errors you encountered in flashtool,maybe i can help you out..

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a|\|droid_user said:
i think usb debugging is disabled on your phone and the unlocking procedure has your touchscreen firmware corrupted...
did u try repair phone option in SEUS..?
the reason why you got the device is not functioning error is because the usb debugging feature is disabled,not sure though..
can provide me the other errors you encountered in flashtool,maybe i can help you out..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi a|\|droid_user
What you are saying makes sense.
S1tool gives me the error
llbug:[\\?\USB#Vid_0fce&Pid_e161#43423531315632314D4C#{a5dcbf10-6530-11d2-901f-00c04fb951ed}] open error: "The system cannot find the file specified"
Here is my log for flashtool, the first is for the basic Nordic fw pack, which I read worked for other people. The second is for A fw which I think is right for my phone and the next is for B fw. The only one which seems to start to flash is the second one.
20/011/2013 13:11:22 - INFO - <- This level is successfully initialized
20/011/2013 13:11:22 - INFO - Flashtool Version 0.9.10.1 built on 2013-01-09 19:49:47
20/011/2013 13:11:22 - INFO - You can drag and drop ftf files here to start flashing them
20/011/2013 13:11:30 - INFO - Device disconnected
20/012/2013 13:12:44 - INFO - Selected XperiaTimes.com-ST18i_4.1.B.0.431_kernel.ftf
20/012/2013 13:12:44 - INFO - Preparing files for flashing
20/012/2013 13:12:44 - INFO - Please connect your device into flashmode.
20/012/2013 13:12:54 - INFO - Device connected in flash mode
20/012/2013 13:12:54 - INFO - Opening device for R/W
20/012/2013 13:12:55 - INFO - Start Flashing
20/012/2013 13:12:55 - INFO - Processing loader
20/012/2013 13:12:55 - INFO - Checking header
20/012/2013 13:12:55 - INFO - Ending flash session
20/012/2013 13:12:55 - ERROR -
20/012/2013 13:12:55 - ERROR - Error flashing. Aborted
20/012/2013 13:12:55 - INFO - Device connected in flash mode
20/013/2013 13:13:07 - INFO - Log written to C:\Flashtool\flashtool_2013-02-20_01-11-22.log
20/013/2013 13:13:22 - INFO - Device disconnected
20/014/2013 13:14:12 - INFO - Selected ST18i_4.0.2.A.0.62.ftf
20/014/2013 13:14:12 - INFO - Preparing files for flashing
20/014/2013 13:14:25 - INFO - Please connect your device into flashmode.
20/014/2013 13:14:30 - INFO - Device connected in flash mode
20/014/2013 13:14:31 - INFO - Opening device for R/W
20/014/2013 13:14:31 - INFO - Reading device information
20/014/2013 13:14:31 - INFO - Phone ready for flashmode operations.
20/014/2013 13:14:31 - INFO - Current device : ST18i - CB511V21ML - 1252-5986_R3I - 1248-9545_4.1.B.0.587 - WORLD-i_4.1.B.0.587
20/014/2013 13:14:31 - INFO - Start Flashing
20/014/2013 13:14:31 - INFO - Processing loader
20/014/2013 13:14:31 - INFO - Checking header
20/014/2013 13:14:31 - INFO - Flashing data
20/014/2013 13:14:34 - INFO - Loader : S1_Loader_Root_773f - Version : R4A066 / Bootloader status : NOT_ROOTABLE
20/014/2013 13:14:34 - INFO - Processing kernel.sin
20/014/2013 13:14:34 - INFO - Checking header
20/014/2013 13:14:34 - INFO - Flashing data
20/014/2013 13:14:36 - INFO - Processing fota1.sin
20/014/2013 13:14:36 - INFO - Checking header
20/014/2013 13:14:36 - INFO - Flashing data
20/014/2013 13:14:36 - INFO - Ending flash session
20/014/2013 13:14:36 - ERROR - Read error :31 : A device attached to the system is not functioning.
20/014/2013 13:14:36 - ERROR - Error flashing. Aborted
20/014/2013 13:14:36 - INFO - Device connected in flash mode
20/014/2013 13:14:47 - INFO - Log written to C:\Flashtool\flashtool_2013-02-20_01-11-22.log
20/014/2013 13:14:54 - INFO - Device disconnected
20/015/2013 13:15:50 - INFO - Selected ST18i_4.1.B.0.587.ftf
20/015/2013 13:15:50 - INFO - Preparing files for flashing
20/016/2013 13:16:24 - INFO - Please connect your device into flashmode.
20/016/2013 13:16:35 - INFO - Device connected in flash mode
20/016/2013 13:16:35 - INFO - Opening device for R/W
20/016/2013 13:16:35 - INFO - Reading device information
20/016/2013 13:16:35 - INFO - Phone ready for flashmode operations.
20/016/2013 13:16:35 - INFO - Current device : ST18i - CB511V21ML - 1252-5986_R3I - 1248-9545_4.1.B.0.587 - WORLD-i_4.1.B.0.587
20/016/2013 13:16:35 - INFO - Start Flashing
20/016/2013 13:16:35 - INFO - Processing loader
20/016/2013 13:16:35 - INFO - Checking header
20/016/2013 13:16:35 - INFO - Flashing data
20/016/2013 13:16:35 - INFO - Ending flash session
20/016/2013 13:16:35 - ERROR - Read error :31 : A device attached to the system is not functioning.
20/016/2013 13:16:35 - ERROR - Error flashing. Aborted
20/016/2013 13:16:35 - INFO - Device connected in flash mode
Thanks for looking into this.

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May sound stupid but I have just found the thanks button (really) to thank mihahn and alokbina whose guides were the one's I tried before joining here.

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So this is your problem?
20/016/2013 13:16:35 - ERROR - Read error :31 : A device attached to the system is not functioning.
20/016/2013 13:16:35 - ERROR - Error flashing. Aborted
i havent see this before
but, try reinstall the driver and flashtool or check your cabel. or you can try another PC maybe

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alund said:
So this is your problem?
20/016/2013 13:16:35 - ERROR - Read error :31 : A device attached to the system is not functioning.
20/016/2013 13:16:35 - ERROR - Error flashing. Aborted
i havent see this before
but, try reinstall the driver and flashtool or check your cabel. or you can try another PC maybe
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi alund
Thanks, I have tried different cables and PCs and eventually got one working but not with the standard drivers, only with flashtool and Gordon's gate drivers.
I am not sure if the drivers I have are good or not (I found them on a download site) or if it is a problem with the phone not going into fastboot (so the system not knowing it needs the fb drivers) but when I try to install drivers for fb mode they are not recognised.
Another thing is that, from what was said and from a small mark on the phone, it may have been dropped.

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I am still searching for answers but I have still not got any ideas where I need to start.
Does anyone think it is a particular issue (maybe the phone or maybe the pc/drivers)?
Thanks

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AW: [Q] Help with ST18 bad flash.
try flashing a kernel only..maybe this will work...

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rob rich said:
try flashing a kernel only..maybe this will work...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi
Thanks, it was worth a go but the result was the same.
If anyone has got any idea what it might be, it would be a big help so I could start searching for clues.

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AW: [Q] Help with ST18 bad flash.
jordan0001 said:
Hi
Thanks, it was worth a go but the result was the same.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the same error in flashtool?

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Crazyyyyyyyyyyyyyy...................
jordan0001 said:
Hi alund
Thanks, I have tried different cables and PCs and eventually got one working but not with the standard drivers, only with flashtool and Gordon's gate drivers.
I am not sure if the drivers I have are good or not (I found them on a download site) or if it is a problem with the phone not going into fastboot (so the system not knowing it needs the fb drivers) but when I try to install drivers for fb mode they are not recognised.
Another thing is that, from what was said and from a small mark on the phone, it may have been dropped.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi its really sounds crazy to you but believe me i have gone through this with my MINI..................... you have to find another MDPI device or RAY itself an added advantage............ just tick MTP in USB Connectivity and connect it to your another PC i mean try different PC....... let your PC install its drivers after that install Flashtool and now you are good to go its worked for me...........in my case i have installed my friends LWW drivers n its worked for me:good::good: i think you have to try.................... and plz do let me know if it worked happy flashing..........................

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jesudas said:
Hi its really sounds crazy to you but believe me i have gone through this with my MINI..................... you have to find another MDPI device or RAY itself an added advantage............ just tick MTP in USB Connectivity and connect it to your another PC i mean try different PC....... let your PC install its drivers after that install Flashtool and now you are good to go its worked for me...........in my case i have installed my friends LWW drivers n its worked for me:good::good: i think you have to try.................... and plz do let me know if it worked happy flashing..........................
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks jesudas - you're a star!
Not completely solved but I've got the right drivers installed so I'm pretty sure it is a phone problem.
Can anyone tell me if it is possible to change the USB settings of my phone without using the touchscreen (maybe using a pc connection or something)?

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Gr8..........
jordan0001 said:
Thanks jesudas - you're a star!
Not completely solved but I've got the right drivers installed so I'm pretty sure it is a phone problem.
Can anyone tell me if it is possible to change the USB settings of my phone without using the touchscreen (maybe using a pc connection or something)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey you are most welcome buddy.......................:laugh::laugh: i think you have to ggogle about ANDROID COMMANDER may be this will help you to solve your problem best of luck buddy.......................

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Solved
Thanks for all of your help.
I downloaded fresh copies of flashtool and drivers and re-installed everything.
As I was setting administrator privileges I noticed that the start menu shortcut was pointing to the 32 bit version not 64.
As my system is 64 bit, I started up the right version and it flashed ok.

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Re: [Q] Help with ST18 bad flash.
Please add solved in the title.