Sony Xperia 10 II bootloader unlock fails

Devices
#1

Hello ,

like many others I stuck with unlocking my phone. Following the procedure which Jolla gave, my journey derailed after:

7.12 Enter the following command into the Windows terminal app (see 7.13 for an example about the actual command):
fastboot oem unlock 0x[inserting my received unlock code]

to

FAILED (remote: ‘unknown command’)
fastboot: error: Command failed

instead of
OKAY [ 1.716s] finished. total time: 1.720s

My upfront check for an unlockable bootloader said yes. The Developer options and USB debugging have been enabled whilst connected to an mobile network. Fastboot-Driver is installed as described and apparently working. The command fastboot getvar all prompts all the device related data. (e.g.: product:XQ-AU52, (bootloader) unlocked:no, (bootloader) secure:yes)

I tried two different cables (one being the original Sony one) on two different computers (Win 10 with latest updates & Ubuntu 20.04) on all their USB ports. I used different versions of fastboot on Windows. I restarted the computer and the phone several times.

Trying and googling for five hours hasn’t brought any changes nor given any further ideas.
I remember it was already a f@#µng hassle on my Xperia X, but it finally worked. But this time I have to surrender and accept that I’m not computer savvy enough to install SFOS again.

My conclusion/advice is that it is better trying to install SFOS (free version) on a new phone first and then buy the license! Don’t be as dumb as I was :cry:

Installing SF4 to Xperia 10 II stops at unlock stage - "waiting for any device"
#2

Presumably you came across this Jolla resource in your travels which goes a bit deeper?
https://jolla.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/115003840273#Windows

1 Like
#3

Ciao!
I left the parentheses away:

fastboot oem unlock 0x your number

I got the equal warning …fastboot error. But then succeeded in.

#4

It might be no fault of yours at all.
Many USB3 connectors just doesn’t work because the bootloader and fastboot application goes out of sync somehow.

TL;DR Try another port, preferably USB2, or a USB2 hub.

3 Likes
#5

Thanks for the link. My search didn’t hit this page, but many advices there I found likewise elsewhere. But nevertheless that’s a comprehensive, detailed and helpful tutorial.
But in the end I don’t have a clue what layer from 1 to 8 bears the solution. Everything is just random trial and error (which I’m feed up of).

#6

Thanks for your moral support.
Like I said to @aspergerguy I don’t have a clue what layer from 1 to 8 bears the solution. Everything is just random trial and error. Feel like wasting my time.

#7

Sure, the parentheses aren’t needed for the command. After a perceived 100 times of sending this very command with still no success I was about to rampage.

#8

It definitely sounds like you have everything set up correctly.
If a simple fastboot getvar product only works intermittently, you are hit by the issue i mentioned.

#9

Ooh. I’m sorry. Strange. I did not follow Jolla instructions for unlocking. If I remember, I installed Android tools or something.
from the net. I loaded the instructions from net ‘how to unclock bootlockloader of Xperia 10 II’ As I always have done with Xperia X and XA2 earlier, after unclocking I returned to the Jolla instructions. Damn, I always do it but do not remember not anymore how.

#10

fastboot getvar product worked always. That’s why I was pretty sure nothing’s wrong with my “physical & data layer”. As a family man I had to shrink my computer pool to two only. Also my still working USB C cables are limited. With kids the amount of misplaced things are incredible high. By luck I could get hold of two. Thus my possible USB-ports and cables variations are limited.
I was pretty sure my Linux box has USB-2 ports (may I should recheck later on this week). But as I said this whole thing is like fishing in murky water.

#11

I succeeded in bootlockloader unlocking with these:

https://developer.sony.com/develop/open-devices/get-started/unlock-bootloader/how-to-unlock-bootloader/

No problems. I do not know any usb problems. Just did it.

#12

One thing that worked for me was switching cords. I had a pretty long one, and switched to a different one and it worked instantly.

#13

As usual,

P.S.: I think I have dropped that link >> 10 times at FSO, which also implies that this thread (“topic”) is the N-th duplicate one!
Still HTH.