[TUT] THE guide to modding and tweaking your Arc

Step666 · Apr 26, 2011

This guide is now dormant as of the 25th of September and will not be updated again.
The information contained within still holds true, the guides to the likes of unlocking your bootloader, flashing using FlashTool etc are all still correct even with the release of newer firmware updates but I won't be adding anything further to it.

Purpose:

This thread is my personal attempt to provide Arc owners with a guide to getting the most out of the handset.
It draws upon the combined expertise of the Arc userbase here on XDA-devs and collates it in a simple, easy-to-follow format.

I am in no way claiming this as all my own work, full credit is given where due and my thanks go out to all of the wonderful, knowledgeable contributors whose work I am honoured to be able to showcase here.

Words of warning::

As with any modding or tweaking of a mobile phone, there is always a risk attached that you end up bricking, killing, blowing up, disintegrating, shrinking, beaming your handset to an alternate dimension or sending it forwards or backwards through time.
The risks are slight, countless people have undertaken the procedures listed in this thread with no problems at all - I myself have unlocked the bootloader on my Arc, rooted it using Bin4ry's image-flashing method, deleted some of the pre-loaded apps, flashed the 2.3.3 update using FlashTool are re-rooted again using Bin4ry's method... and my Arc is absolutely fine.

However, if you somehow manage to mess up or break your phone in any way, neither myself nor the authors of any other threads or resources I link to accept any responsibility or blame for what happens.
No-one is forcing you to do any of this, it's your own decision. If you're uneasy or nervous, just don't do it.

Also, whilst unlocking the bootloader is supported to a degree by Sony Ericsson, rooting, flashing custom ROMs, all the rest of it is not and there is always a chance you'll end up voiding you warranty.
As above, no-one else accepts any responsibility for your decisions and actions.

Also, on a personal note, please don't PM me asking for help.
I don't wish to sound rude or ungrateful but I'm not a developer, I'm not coming up with new tweaks/mods/ROMs or anything like that, everything I know is laid out in this guide in a manner that should be plain and simple to follow, if there's something that isn't covered here chances are I don't know either.

There is a whole section here for the Arc literally teeming with people happy and willing to answer any/all questions you might have, so you'd probably find your question answered quicker that way than if you were to contact and individual and ask for help.

Step666 · Apr 26, 2011

Contents

The bootloader:

Rooting:

GingerBreak (inc how to use GingerBreak to root a handset running 2.3.3)
Bin4ry's flashing method
Recovery update method

Recoveryhttp://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?p=13340438#post13340438http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?p=13340438#post13340438

Updating firmware/flashing ROMs:

Theming using UOT Kitchenhttp://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?p=13967176#post13967176http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?p=13967176#post13967176

Step666 · Apr 26, 2011

Bootloader - Unlocking

What you need:

A factory-unlocked Xperia Arc
Your handset's unlocking code from the SE unlocking webpage
Fastboot and drivers (if necessary)

What you need to know:

Handsets with unlocked bootloaders cannot be updated via SEUS.
Though if you re-lock your bootloader, you will regain this ability.

Handsets that have their bootloader unlocked will stop working with SE's various music-related services (TrackID and the Facebook-inside 'like music' function).
This is due to the unlocking process rendering DRM function inoperable and cannot be recovered by re-locking the bootloader

How to do it:

Back up any important information from your handset - unlocking the bootloader wipes the handset
Download Fastboot and, if necessary, x86/x64 Windows drivers
Retrieve your unlocking key from Sony Ericsson's website:
- Follow the link
- Click 'Continue'
- Click 'Yes, I'm sure'
- Agree-to/accept the terms and conditions
- Enter your name, e-mail address and first 14 digits of your IMEI, not the whole thing
- Copy the code into a text file or similar for use later
Extract the contents of the fastboot rar file you dowloaded in step 2 and open the folder that is extracted
Open a command prompt and change directory to the folder that fastboot.exe is in (in Windows, the easiest way to do this is to hold shift and right-click on the background of the folder and select 'Open command window here')
Connect your phone:
- Switch it off
- Press and hold the Menu key (the right-most of the three)
- Connect the USB cable whilst still holding the Menu key
- The indicator LED next to the USB port should turn blue to indicate your are in fastboot mode - if it doesn't, then try again; if it completely refuses to enter fastboot mode, then you may well have a locked/branded handset in which case you cannot unlock your bootloader
If your computer fails to find or install the drivers automatically, download and install the drivers included in step 2
Once your phone is connected in fastboot mode and any driver installation has finished, type fastboot.exe -i 0x0fce getvar version into the command prompt you opened in step 5 - this should return a value such as 0.3 or similar, if it doesn't then the phone is not connected properly, start again from step 5
If step 8 worked, then type fastboot.exe -i 0x0fce oem unlock 0x[key] into the command prompt, [key] being substituted for the unique unlocking key you retrieved in step 3 (I told you you'd need to keep it safe...)
You should see some text output by the command prompt stating that it is erasing certain blocks and then that it is finished - congratulations, your bootloader is unloked

Credits:

lollylost100 - Source thread

Step666 · Apr 26, 2011

Bootloader - Re-locking

What you need:

An Arc with an unlocked bootloader
FlashTool
Blagus' relocking ftf

What you need to know:

Relocking will allow you to use SEUS to update firmware and restore your handset.
You will still be able to use FlashTool to update firmware if you wish though.

Re-locking the bootloader won't reactivate the DRM-based music features like TrackID, they're permanently gone

How to do it:

Download and install FlashTool (for those of you who don't speak French, you want to click the 'Extraire' button)
Download Blagus' re-locking ftf and place it in the /firmwares sub-directory of where you extracted FlashTool to
Download this file, rename it to LT15.sin and place it in the /loaders sub-directory
Switch your handset off
Run FlashTool
Press the 'Flash' button and select the .ftf file you wish to flash
When prompted, connect your handset in 'flash mode' - FlashTool should explain exactly how to do this but just in case, press and hold the 'back' button while connecting the USB cable
FlashTool should automatically detect your handset and start flashing it - if it doesn't however:
- Disconnect your handset (it should remain switched off)
- Close FlashTool
- Go to the /drivers sub-directory and run/install ggsetup-2.2.0.10.exe
- Now go back to step 6 and follow the instructions once more, everything should work ok this time
When FlashTool finishes, disconnect your phone and switch it on - don't worry if it's a little slow the first time it boots after flashing

Credits:

Blagus - Source thread

Step666 · Apr 26, 2011

Rooting - GingerBreak

What you need:

An Arc running 2.3.2 - and with a locked bootloader if you wish to update to 2.3.3 OTA
GingerBreak

What you need to know:

GingerBreak will not directly root 2.3.3 (or later) ROMs. The exploit it uses, which was patched by Google in the vanilla 2.3.4 release was patched by SE in their 2.3.3 release.
This is not a deliberate attempt to prevent rooting, the exploit in question was to the best of my knowledge the same exploit that led to the widely-publicised security hole through which personal information could be intercepted on unsecured wi-fi connections - Google and SE are just looking out for us, it's merely an unfortunate coincidence that they 'broke' GingerBreak.

As it happens, there is an indirect way to root 2.3.3 using GingerBreak but I'll come back to that.

Do not follow steps 5 and 6 if you have an unlocked bootloader - updating a handset with an unlocked bootloader OTA is fraught with issues.
If you have a handset with an unlocked bootloader, follow these instructions instead

How to do it:

Download GingerBreak v1.2 (older versions are also availablehttp://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?p=13230331#post13230331)
Transfer the apk file to your phone's memory card
Install

Optional:
Download and run BusyBox installer

To get your 2.3.3 bootloader-locked handset rooted using GingerBreak, follow steps 1-3 then...
Prepare your handset:
- Make sure you've got a decent charge or better yet connect the handset to a charger
- If possible, connect to wi-fi for best data speeds and to avoid the signal dropping out
Update your handset to 2.3.3 OTA:
- Menu > Settings > About phone > Software update > Update now
NB: as mentioned in the 'what you need' and 'what you need to know' segments above, GingerBreak will only root 2.3.2 handsets so if you've already updated to 2.3.3 you'll need to revert back to 2.3.2 prior to following these instructions - this can be done using either FlashTool or Wotan
Also, some people have reported issues with the OTA updates if they have modded their handsets, again this can be sorted by flashing back to stock 2.3.2 immediately prior to following these instructions.

Credits:

Chainfire - source thread
kistigun - source thread

Step666 · Apr 26, 2011

Rooting - Bin4ry's flashing method

What you need:

An Arc with an unlocked bootloader
Fastboot and drivers (if necessary)
The appropriate image file based on your handset's firmware version - available from here and/or here

What you need to know:

Only compatible with handsets with unlocked bootloader (obviously)
You must ensure the image file you flash is the correct one for the ROM you're running, if you flash the wrong one you'll end up stuck in a boot-loop

How to do it:

Unlock your bootloader (in doing so, you will have downloaded and installed fastboot and, if necessary, the drivers)
Download the correct image file and move it to the same folder as fastboot.exe
Open a command prompt and change directory to the folder that fastboot.exe is in (in Windows, the easiest way to do this is to hold shift and right-click on the background of the folder and select 'Open command window here')
Connect your phone:
- Switch it off
- Press and hold the Menu key (the right-most of the three)
- Connect the USB cable whilst still holding the Menu key
- The indicator LED next to the USB port should turn blue to indicate your are in fastboot mode
Type the following into the command prompt:
- Windows: fastboot flash system [image file]
- Linux: fastboot -i 0x0fce flash system [image file]
- Mac: fastboot-mac -i 0x0fce flash system [image file]
...where [image file] is the full filename of the image file you downloaded in step 2 - including the '.img' at the end

Optional:
Download and run BusyBox installer

Credits:

Bin4ry and zdzihu - source thread
kanzone - source thread

Step666 · Apr 26, 2011

Rooting - Recovery update method

What you need:

An Arc with recovery
Bin4ry's root zip file

What you need to know:

Recovery is still in beta, not all functions work fully - use of the recovery solution is very much at the user's own risk

How to do it:

Download Bin4ry's root zip file and save it to your handset's memory card
Boot into recovery
Install the root zip:
- Select 'install zip from sdcard'
- Select 'choose zip from sdcard'
- Navigate to where the zip file is on you handset's memory card and select it
- Confirm you wish to install the zip
Optional:
Download and run BusyBox installer

Credits:

Bin4ry - source thread

Step666 · Apr 30, 2011

Recovery

What you need:

An Arc with an unlocked bootloader
Fastboot and drivers (if necessary)
Bin4ry's beta recovery image

What you need to know:

Recovery is still in beta, not all functions work fully - use of the recovery solution is very much at the user's own risk
DO NOT flash the image file, follow the instructions exactly as listed.

How to do it:

Unlock your bootloader (in doing so, you will have downloaded and installed fastboot and, if necessary, the drivers)
Download the recovery image file
Open a command prompt and change directory to the folder that fastboot.exe is in (in Windows, the easiest way to do this is to hold shift and right-click on the background of the folder and select 'Open command window here')
Connect your phone:
- Switch it off
- Press and hold the Menu key (the right-most of the three)
- Connect the USB cable whilst still holding the Menu key
- The indicator LED next to the USB port should turn blue to indicate your are in fastboot mode
Type 'fastboot boot recoveryARC.img' into the command prompt
Your handset will now boot into recovery
To navigate through the menus, use the volume keys to scroll up and down and the power key to select an option

Credits:

Bin4ry and the rest of the FreeXperia Team - source thread

Step666 · Apr 30, 2011

Updating firmware/flashing ROMs - SEUS

Handsets that still have their bootloader locked are able to perform software updates using SE's own updating program, SEUS - Sony Ericsson Update Service (link included system requirements - Windows only).

However, handsets that have had their bootloaders unlocked cannot use SEUS.
Also, obviously, as SEUS is Sony Ericsson's official update program, it can only be used to flash official SE updates - no custom ROMs.

Step666 · May 2, 2011

Updating firmware/flashing ROMs - Flashtool

What you need:

An Arc
FlashTool
The ftf file you wish to flash

What you need to know:

Not much to be honest.
FlashTool is, to the best of my knowledge, compatible with pretty much any Arc.

How to do it:

Download and install FlashTool (for those of you who don't speak French, you want to click the 'Extraire' button)
Download this file, rename it to LT15.sin and place it in the /loaders sub-directory of where you extracted FlashTool to
Download the firmware you wish to flash to the /firmwares sub-directory
Switch your handset off
Run FlashTool
Press the 'Flash' button and select the .ftf file you wish to flash
When prompted, connect your handset in 'flash mode' - FlashTool should explain exactly how to do this but just in case, press and hold the 'back' button while connecting the USB cable
FlashTool should automatically detect your handset and start flashing it - if it doesn't however:
- Disconnect your handset (it should remain switched off)
- Close FlashTool
- Go to the /drivers sub-directory and run/install ggsetup-2.2.0.10.exe
- Now go back to step 6 and follow the instructions once more, everything should work ok this time
When FlashTool finishes, disconnect your phone and switch it on - don't worry if it's a little slow the first time it boots after flashing

Credits:

Androxyde and Bin4ry - source thread
itskapil
Nimche

Step666 · May 14, 2011

Updating firmware/flashing ROMs - Wotan

What you need:

An Arc with a locked bootloader
Wotan Client
A Wotanserver account

What you need to know:

Whilst it is free to register a WotanServer account as I am writing this, that may change in the future.
Honestly, IMO, you're better off using FlashTool (which is a free, community-developed program) but I've included this in my guide for the sake of 'completeness'.

If you are flashing back to 2.3.2 so that you can root using GingerBreak then update OTA, obviously you'll have to flash a 2.3.3 firmware.
Prior to doing so, check that there is a 2.3.3 firmware available for the same CDA otherwise you won't be able to update OTA after rooting

How to do it:

Download Wotan Client
Register a WotanServer Account
Run Wotan Client
Connect your handset as per the on-screen instructions
Check 'Enabled advanced settings'
Select your preferred CDA/firmware combination and click 'Next'
Login with your WotanServer account and click 'Next'
Wotan Client will then download and flash the necessary file(s)
When Wotan Client is finished, close it, disconnect your handset and switch it on

Credits:

PhyzX - source thread

Step666 · May 20, 2011

Theming using UOT Kitchen

Foreword - I never really quite got round to writing this bit up as nicely as I'd hoped, my apologies for not revising this to match the rest of my guide.

NB: this more than any other part of my guide you do at your own risk as I cannot guarantee which parts of the kitchen are compatible with the Arc and which will result in boot-loops.

One of the easiest ways of theming/customising your Arc (beyond the basic wallpaper, widgets etc) is to use the excellent Ultimate Online Theme Kitchen - a brilliant free site that allows users to change battery icons, status/notification bar icons, the status-bar/notification area background amongst other things.

First you need to extract the framework-res and SystemUI apk files from your handset.
framework-res is found in the /system/framework folder and SystemUI.apk is in the /system/app folder.
To extract both of these you need a file manager program with root access, for this I strongly recommend Root Explorer - unfortunately it's not free but it works where others fall down, so it's well worth the money.

Once you've extracted the two files, you need to upload them to the Kitchen ('File upload' tab, second from the end).
The third file is for CM7 handsets only so as of writing Arc users should just leave it blank.
As for the settings down the left hand side, everything should be left as is:

Edify scripting, not Amend scripting
Type MTD (default) not Type EMMC
Use script to flash files... - unchecked
Use automated images fixing - checked
Generate preview... - checked

The Kitchen will eventually spit out a zip file for you to download from the pick-up page - don't worry if this takes a while, when the Kitchen is busy it can take nearly an hour for files to appear.

This zip file is designed to be flashed using recovery but since there is no recovery solution available for the Arc just now, we have to resort to 'ghetto' measures...
If you extract the zip you'll find a number of folders which will contain, amongst other things, your modified framework-res and SystemUI apk files.

You then need to manually copy these files back into the appropriate directories on your handset, being sure to change the permissions on each one.
For framework-res.apk, the permissions need to be rw-r--r--. I'm pretty certain they're the same for SystemUI.apk but I'll check this.

This is where apps other than Root Explorer start to fall down - I tried a couple such as Super Manager and none of them were able to correctly set the permissions on the apks, leading to my handset boot-looping.

It should also be possible to flash the zip files using Bin4ry's recovery for the Arc

stevencxr · Aug 16, 2011

Hi guys, I have a question about the term "sim-free" phone.

does the unlock-code purchased from anywebsite gives you the "sim-free" phone, which will enable the fastboot mode?

Thanks!

stevencxr · Aug 16, 2011

stevencxr said:
Hi guys, I have a question about the term "sim-free" phone.

does the unlock-code purchased from anywebsite gives you the "sim-free" phone, which will enable the fastboot mode?

Thanks!

sorry for the question post in here =( don't know how to delete this ....

Step666 · Aug 17, 2011

stevencxr said:
does the unlock-code purchased from anywebsite gives you the "sim-free" phone, which will enable the fastboot mode?

No.
If your handset won't enter fastboot mode, then as things stand there's no way to enable that - having the handset unlocked makes no difference.

edit: scratch that. it seems there is a way using SEtool but that requires purchasing specific hardware.

Step666 · Aug 18, 2011

prathaban said:
The command 'fastboot boot recoveryARC.img' boots the phone into recovery, right? How do I install it then?

Yes, that command boots you into recovery.
You don't install it, you can only access it by using fastboot to boot into it.

Step666 · Aug 18, 2011

It's not possible, if you try and install it, you'll end up with bootloops.

But to be honest, how often do you need to get into Recovery when you're not at your computer?

hectorrai · Aug 18, 2011

not working for me plz help !!!!

hey man this whole thing is not working for me.........i tried on 2.3.2 and also on 2.3.3 but it aint worked......actually my command prompt open fastboot for a second then close down automatically.....is there any problem with my command prompt or fastboot program.....m using windows xp media centre edition.....

Step666 · Aug 18, 2011

Does your handset even connect in fastboot mode?

SiL3nTKiLL · Aug 18, 2011

thanks for the tut!

[TUT] THE guide to modding and tweaking your Arc

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