How do I reinstall the OS on a locked phone?

[AC Question]

how to reinstall the os on a locked phone

A little backstory on this: so i always lock my phone with a pin whenever im in school or amongst other people and the other day i apparently wrote incorrectly the pin code i always use to lock my phone with. I tried everything i could think of to try to unlock it but it didn't happen and im sitting here feeling like a total *****. I don't have neither my 3g or wifi turned on so i can't unlock it with google remote control (or whatever) and the only solution i think is the reinstall. I would be greatly thankful to anybody who is willing to help me with this.

 

[B. Diddy]

Re: how to reinstall the os on a locked phone

Welcome to Android Central! Which phone?

 

[acrid placidity]

Thanks for the reply! Im using the Sony Xperia E4.

 

[B. Diddy]

If you fail the unlock enough times, does it ask you for your Google credentials?

 

[acrid placidity]

Well so far i haven't gotten such thing. How many fails does it take for it to ask me for my Google credentials? I've tried over 50 times and only the 30-sec lock pops up.

 

[B. Diddy]

It's usually after around 10 fails, so it's not going to happen for you.

The Sony support site says the following:

"If you forget your screen unlock password, PIN or pattern in step 6, you can use the device repair feature in PC Companion or Sony Bridge for Mac to erase the security layer. By running the repair feature, you are reinstalling software for your device and you may lose some personal data in the process."

 

[acrid placidity]

Okay, thanks! I will try that and see if it happens. I appreciate your fast answer!

 

[acrid placidity]

Thanks alot mate, it worked. I got my OS reinstalled and everything works just like before, except the mobile data. I don't know if i got to change something in the settings or go to my service provider and ask them what's up. Else everything is just fine. Thanks again!

 

[B. Diddy]

Great! Check your APN settings and make sure they match your carrier's. You can search for the correct settings by Googling "[your carrier] APN settings."