How to Install an Xperia Z3 Custom Recovery

In continuing with the Xperia Z3 theme this week, today I’m going to show you how to install an Xperia Z3 Custom Recovery. Specifically, this will get the CWM custom recovery on all D66XX variants of the Sony Xperia Z3.

As of writing this article, this is the only custom recovery that I can find for the Sony Xperia Z3. If TWRP ends up getting released/ported later, then I will be sure to update this article when it happens. This custom recovery process is brought to us by DooMLoRD, from the XDA developers forum, and it has been built from CWM version 6.0.4.7.

This custom recovery will also allow us to gain root access to the Xperia Z3, but I will save that tutorial for tomorrow. This custom recovery has a few requirements that you should be aware of.

The first thing you need before you can install this custom recovery is an unlocked bootloader. If you need help doing this, you can follow the step by step walk-through I did about how to unlock the bootloader of the Xperia Z3. The second thing you need here is a working fastboot setup. Yesterday I did wrote up a quick guide on how to Fastboot your Xperia Z3, so please refer to that article if you need help with this. As of right now, this specific custom recovery is only confirmed to work on the Xperia Z3 with a stock Android 4.4.4 KitKat ROM, or any ROMs based on firmware 23.0.A.2.93 – v01.

You will also need the typical Android SDK tools installed onto your computer. The Fastboot.exe file is usually in the /sdk/platform-tools/ folder. At least that is how it installed/extracted for me. If there are requests for how to download and install the Android SDK, I will be sure to write-up a guide in the near future. You should leave a comment below or shoot me an email if you would like to see a tutorial on installing the Android SDK. Now that we have the prerequisites out-of-the-way, let’s get a custom recovery installed onto your Sony Xperia Z3.

Xperia Z3 Custom Recovery

1. Download the Kernel Image
2. Move the Kernel Image to the Directory with Fastboot.exe
3. Rename the Kernel Image to ‘boot.img’
4. Open the Command Prompt
5. Browse to the Kernel Image/Fastboot Directory
6. Type the Following Command
7. fastboot flash boot boot.img
8. Once Completed, Type the Following Command
9. fastboot reboot

What you have done here is flashed/installed the modified kernel to your Xperia Z3. This kernel includes the custom recovery for your Xperia Z3 and it also gives us a way to gain root access too(this article will be published tomorrow). In order to boot into your brand new custom recovery all you have to do reboot your device. During the boot process, when you see the Sony logo and when the notification light turns pink/amber/orange, keep pressing the Volume Up button. You’ll have to experiment with this. DooMLoRD’s instructions make it seem like you need to press the button multiple times but you might simply need to hold down the Volume Up button until you see it boot into the custom recovery.

Again, all thanks for this modification should go to DooMLoRD. He is a very active developer on XDA-Developers and if you find this useful, I recommend you follow the source link to this XDA forum thread. There you will be able to find a link that allows you to donate some money do him. These developers spend a lot of time doing this stuff and donating is a great way to show your thanks. Even if it is only a dollar, something is better than nothing.

[box type=”info”] The link to the kernel image might change as things progress. If you notice the link is dead or if there is a new version of the firmware released, leave me a comment below to let me know. Failing this, you could follow the source link below and download the new kernel image that he has posted. It would just be helpful to let me know so that I can update the link in this article for the rest of the readers of Android Explained.[/box]

Also, if you experience your CWM custom recovery performing a very slow backup then I recommend you follow these steps. . .

1. Install ROM Manager from the Play Store
2. Open ROM Manager
3. Go to ROM Manager Settings
4. Enable the ‘Quick Backup & Restore’ Option

[Source: XDA-Developers]