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Root Help?

Download the xionia recovery from here. Rename it to xionia_recovery.img for easier typing.

Place it on your sdcard, not in any folders.

Install Terminal Emulator from the market if you haven't already.

Open Terminal and type the following:

su(enter)
flash_image recovery /sdcard/xionia_recovery.img(return)
reboot recovery(return)

This should boot your into xionia recovery, which should allow you to wipe, format, and install any ROM.
 
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This means you don't have the flash_image executable installed.

Download the flash_image executable from here. Next download and install ES File Explorer from the market and go into its settings and at the bottom choose Root Options, then make sure both checkboxes are checked for Root Explorer and Mount File System.

Next you need to copy and paste the flash_image file you have downloaded from the /sdcard to /system/bin
You copy by long pressing the item, and choosing copy. Then go to the directory you want and press the icon at the bottom of the screen that pulls up the clipboard, and press the copied file to paste it in the directory.

Exit ES file explorer, then use the Terminal Emulator to first set the permissions on flash_image:

chmod_755_/system/bin/flash_image

Next, flash the recovery (replace name_of_xionia_recovery with the file's name):

flash_image_recovery_/sdcard/NAME_OF_XIONIA_RECOVERY.img

If you get no errors, reboot into recovery:

reboot_recovery

You should boot into a screen with a white title and a blue menu. From there you can go on to backup, wipe, format, and install.
 
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ok then, so should I use these directions posted earlier by JerryScript?
Download the xionia recovery from here. Rename it to xionia_recovery.img for easier typing.

Place it on your sdcard, not in any folders.

Install Terminal Emulator from the market if you haven't already.

Open Terminal and type the following:

su(enter)
flash_image recovery /sdcard/xionia_recovery.img(return)
reboot recovery(return)

This should boot your into xionia recovery, which should allow you to wipe, format, and install any ROM.

any further directions I should need to know to do this?
 
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You don't have the flash_image binary file.

Download the flash_image file from here. Next download ES File Explorer from the market, and go into its settings and at the bottom choose Root Options, then maker sure both checkboxes are checked for Root Explorer and Mount File System.

Next you need to copy and paste the flash_image file you have downloaded from the /sdcard to /system/bin
You copy by long pressing the item, and choosing copy. Then go to the directory you want and press the icon at the bottom of the screen that pulls up the clipboard, and press the copied file to paste it in the directory.

Exit ES file explorer, then use the Terminal Emulator to first set the permissions on flash_image (replace red underlines with spaces, not the black underlines):

chmod_755_/system/bin/flash_image

Next, flash the recovery:

flash_image_recovery_/sdcard/xionia_recover.img

If you get no errors, reboot into recovery:

reboot_recovery

Then follow the steps to backup and wipe cache and finally install
 
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You don't have the flash_image binary file.

Download the flash_image file from here. Next download ES File Explorer from the market, and go into its settings and at the bottom choose Root Options, then maker sure both checkboxes are checked for Root Explorer and Mount File System.

Next you need to copy and paste the flash_image file you have downloaded from the /sdcard to /system/bin
You copy by long pressing the item, and choosing copy. Then go to the directory you want and press the icon at the bottom of the screen that pulls up the clipboard, and press the copied file to paste it in the directory.

Exit ES file explorer, then use the Terminal Emulator to first set the permissions on flash_image (replace red underlines with spaces, not the black underlines):

chmod_755_/system/bin/flash_image

Next, flash the recovery:

flash_image_recovery_/sdcard/xionia_recover.img

If you get no errors, reboot into recovery:

reboot_recovery

Then follow the steps to backup and wipe cache and finally install
There is a typo in the code: flash_image recovery /sdcard/xionia_recover.img(it should read /xionia_recovery.img or whatever the exact name of the recovery image is on your sd card. Don't know if you had caught that or not. Hope this is of some use
 
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yup i tried and it says "unable to chmod /system/bin/flash_image: Read-only file system" what does that mean?
chmod 755 means that you are going to modify file access rights to rwxr-xr-x The first three letters represent the owner of the files permission(the first # in the command,that being 7 in this case),read right execute(rwx). The second three represent the permission of the group associated with the owner of the file(the second # in the command,that being 5 in this case),read - execute(r-x). The third three represent the permission of everyone else(the third # in the command,that being a 5 in this case),read - execute(r-x). If you are getting "read only file system" and you have root access,and have Super Manager,open it up. Go to ROOT section/Enable ROOT function,make sure box is checked. Then click on Select Busybox file,select where busybox is installed(you will need to double check it's location).Scroll down to File Maneger and make sure Top Toolbar is checked and Show Hidden File is checked. Go back to home page of Super Manager and select File Explorer. Hit back button twice and scroll down to system. Click on it, when you do a box will open up,click on r/w. It will say ok.Then scroll down to the flash_image file you installed(make sure it's the correct one by looking at the date/time,it should correspond with the date/time that you installed the flash image. Click on it ,making sure the box has a green checkmark. Go up to the icon's at the top(they scroll right to left and back again.),scroll right to left until you see three red sevens,click on it. A box will open up with the items previously discussed.Click on each box to change it from checked to unchecked.Make sure Owner:all three boxes are checked. Group:read and exec are the only boxes checked. Other:read and exec are the only boxes checked. Then select OK, and you have just changed permission of the flash_image. I had to use this method a couple of times because I or the Terminal emulator was messing up when entering the commands. Using Super Manager was less stressful.
 
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Hey guys. I've been trying this and getting a few issues with it. I rooted my phone and installed the clockwork mod recovery, but whenever it boots into recovery it just gives me a black screen and nothing comes up. Also when i try to move the flash_image file to install it I don't have a system/bin folder. Any suggestions?

EDIT: I got the recovery to finally work using andiopie150's steps from a different page

(line #1) su(return) [If using a command Prompt type in: adb shell (return) instead]
(line #2) mount_-o_remount,rw_-t_yaffs2_/system_/system(return)
(line #3) cat_/sdcard/flash_image_>_/system/bin/flash_image(return)
(line #4) chmod_755_/system/bin/flash_image(return)
(line #5) flash_image_recovery_/sdcard/recovery.img(or however it's named exactly, on the sd card) (return) If you get a # after typing all that in, continue with the sixth line of code. If you did not, or got an error anywhere, start over.
(line #6) reboot_recovery(return)

I used the xionia recovery and got to the menu and hit backup, except the screen went black again and the phone is unresponsive. Help?

EDIT: So i got to the recovery successfully, and i clear the cache and the dalvik cache and format the system, data and cache. Then I try to install the zip file with the new ROM and it gives me an unkown error and aborts the process. Any ideas what I'm doing wrong?
 
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You might need to check the md5 sum and make sure the download didn't get corrupt. You can do this with AFV(Android File Verifier) from the market. When you select "select file" it will then take you to the root directory of your SD card. Scroll down to the download folder and longpress the ROM.zip you downloaded. Select the first option. It will generate the md5 sum of the downloaded ROM.zip. Check it against the md5 sum posted in the dev's site. If they match it's good, if they don't match it is corrupt. Download another and make sure your on a WiFi network.
EDIT:The Xionia recovery's work's for installing the Froyo ROM's but the CWMod recovery and it's variations are best for the CM-7 and CM-9 ROM's
 
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