To access, simply dial:
*#*#7378423#*#*
And the lines you see there are my DRM keys. :-) How's that for a definite answer? Our friendly little experts in the 'droid community get NO credit for this find. Google, however, does. What makes this find even sweeter is that is comes directly from an official Sony Xperia Z1 document: The "Sony Test Instructions" for the Xperia Z1. I'll happily take an official document over any discussion forum, tyvm.
How It Was Found:
I Googled many different combinations of terms, none led to any useful Android site. However, the terms "sony" "service menu" led me to an official Sony service document for some old strange Sony phone. But the text that Google found in this document also showed a menu very similar to the Z1 service menu. And, it clearly defined the SECURITY menu option as DRM keys. I knew the Z1 also had a SECURITY menu option. So, I then searched for this same type of service manual for the Xperia Z1, and there it was, in black & white. I kept a copy of this document. The image above is comes from that document.
Additional Confirmation:
Furthermore, to reinforce my confidence, I used the Walkman app to play my music. I also used this app to download album information and art for my music. Walkman performed perfectly. In fact, I now realize that it's a nice little app. If the DRM keys were missing, Walkman should have crashed. And it certainly should not have downloaded ANY information or art work.
Backing Up The TA Partition:
Additionally, I rooted again so that I could back up the TA partition [TA backup requires root]. I successfully made a backup of my TA partition. At this point, that doesn't mean much, by itself. It's still unclear to me of what happens to the TA partition after the bootloader is unlocked. The DRM keys would be lost for ever, but is the partition itself still exist or is it deleted? Since my TA backup was successful, I know that some form of the TA partition still exists. So, if [a big 'if'] the existence of a TA partition is also means the existence of DRM keys, then it's more reassurance for me. I probably won't be doing much more research on the TA partition, so it will remain a question.
My next step is to upgrade the Z1 to the new FW. My current FW is version 4.2.2, and this version will lose camera operation if I unlock the phone. The newest version has remedied this problem.
To be clear:
I'll put it steps in order to demonstrate the danger of just partial information:
#1 Backup all data, use Sony PC Companion, it's amazing
#2 Back up your apps & data, use Moborobo, it's also amazing
#3 Root the device
#4 Backup the TA partition, use TA Backup
#5 Make a Nand Backup, use Nandroid or other
#6 Which firmware will you be flashing?
A: Custom FW: Unlock the device & flash the CFW
B: Stock FW: Flash the Stock FW [use Flashtool]
Out of those six steps, 4 include important backups. Four separate, exclusive backups, and omitting any one of those could potentially be an unfortunate loss. This isn't really a HOW-TO, but this is a group of information that should ALWAYS be posted together, unfortunately it usually isn't.
What has taken me weeks to piece-together could have been easily obtained in a few well written paragraphs. It's such a waste of time. Handing one piece of information out at a time like these people do, is often worse than ignorance, and it can never better than ignorance.
I often joke around about serious topics, but I know how fortunate I am to even have such a device. Family changes everything in life. And my conscience wouldn't allow me any peace if my flippant behavior caused the loss of such an expense [or any other for that matter]. That's where the patience comes from. :-)
Do you have any idea how to identify which key does what? All of my keys are OK and Active, with the exception of MARLIN and WMLA, which both read Unknown Error and Active
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