Z3 dead after trying to update

[Bennyfromtheblo]

I tried updating my Z3 this afternoon, downloaded the PC companion and the update. I connected my phone as instructed and it started to update. PC companion came up with a notification that there was no internet connection, although there was as web pages were loading normally. I clicked retry on the pop up box, but to no avail. The PC companion restarted and ever since my phone will load the initial Sony Xperia black page on start up and stop there. 

The phone won't let me turn it off using just the power button, I need to hold both the power button and volume up to get it to power down. When the Sony screen is showing, PC companion wont detect the phone, saying no phone/tablet connected. When I turn the phone off using the power + vol up buttons, PC companion then recognises the phone, I try to go into phone software update, a screen pops up instructing how to connect, I press ok and the screen doesnt go away, when I press cancel it takes me back to the PC companion selection screen. After a minute of the phone being powered down and still connected to the USB port, the phone turns itself on, displaying the Sony Xperia black start screen and stays there. PC companion then doesn't recognise the phone.  

Please help, its driving me mad

[Hampus]

Hi,

I'm sorry to hear that the update failed. In this case, it sounds like you need to perform a software repair on your phone via PC Companion.

In PC Companion you press start on Support Zone > Start on Update the phone/tablet software > Repair phone/tablet (the blue clickable link in the message) > Follow these steps without having your device connected to the PC.

Follow the instruction that appears in the program and do not connect your device until this guide tells you how to connect it. Note that the phone should be powered off while doing this, hold the ON/OFF + volume up(+) for 5-10 seconds and the phone should shutdown.

[Bennyfromtheblo]

Thanks for the reply Hampus,

When the phone is turned off and is plugged into the computer PC companion shows that the phone is connected, when I press on Support Zone > Start on Update the phone/tablet software > a new window appears, showing how to connect the phone by disconnecting the USB cable, remove and reinsert the battery. I click OK on the page and the window keeps popping back up again. After a minute of being plugged in, the phone starts up, goes to the Sony screen and freezes there. When the phone starts, PC companion says there is no phone connected.

[Tanke_MD]

Hi, I had EXACTLY the same problem than Bennyfromtheblock. Sony PC Companion notified me about new update, I started to download the update following the steps that companion showed me and at the end, the installation fails saying "no internet connection" (Why?? I spent a lot of time downloading all before, and after installation needs to access again??).

The Z3 is blocked, no way to start it. With "Repair" option I have the same problem, I start to download and install all (with companion) and at the end... "no internet connection" again!.

What we have to do??

[Curnow1]

Hi,  try powering the device on and wwhen the sony logo shows press the yellow OFF botton next to the nanoSIM tray. Then try turning the device on pressing the power botton and volume down or up. If nothing will change,  the only thing i can do is tell you to contact sony local team

[Bennyfromtheblo]

Just tried it then, no change. 

[Bennyfromtheblo]

Buy a Samsung! I'm guessing that because we can't connect the phone to the computer, and the phone won't start it will need to be sent away for repairs. Its such an inconvienience considering all we were trying to do was update the phone via a Sony program

[Hampus · Accepted solution]

@Bennyfromtheblock, to me it sounds like you connect the phone to early. When you are going to perform a software repair you should not have the phone connected until PC Companion tells you how to connect it.

Do the following: Force a shutdown of your unit (ON/OFF + volume up(+) for 5-10 seconds) > Without connecting the phone, press "Start" on Support Zone > Press "Start" on Phone / Tablet Software Update > Now you'll get a message that says "Could not find phone / tablet" > In this message you should press the blue clickable link "repair my phone / tablet" > You will now start a step-by-step guide that takes your through the repair and this guide will also tell you when and how to connect the phone.

@Tanke_MD, do you have an internet connection all the time when you try to repair or update the phone? You need to have an internet connection through the whole update/repair process. If you do, are you using any Proxy or similar for your connection? Or perhaps you have a firewall/antivirus that is blocking PC Companion.

[Tanke_MD]

In my case, I solved the problem performing the update using another different laptop. In the first one, the updating process began and for some reason, Sony PC Companion lost the connection, and YES, I had connection, HadI lost connection in any moment? how knows, I was not checking the connections continously... Should your software brick phones for lose the connection for a second, two o ten? What do you think?

With a different laptop, the whole process finished successfully, and I just lost all my data....games saves...configurations.....Please, fix that PC Companion, it is a huge issue for your company. I wont use it again. NEVER.

[Hampus]

Glad to hear that you solved it! If an update fails, it can cause the phone to not work correctly. And when you perform a software repair via PC Companion, it will reset the unit to factory settings. But if you cannot start the phone correctly, you are unable to backup any data.