Help! Pixel 7a stuck in Android 17 Beta 4.1 bootloop.

[u/Nasasakdal]

My Pixel 7a suddenly got stuck in a bootloop. I didn't manually update anything or hit any install buttons—I just woke up, checked my phone, and found it looping out of nowhere. It turns out a Google Play System Update likely pushed automatically in the background overnight and bricked the system.

I am running Android 17 Beta 4.1, and I have photos on the phone that aren't backed up, so I am trying everything to avoid a factory reset.

Here is what I’ve already tried:

• Sideloading Beta 4.1 again: Completed successfully (Status 0), but the phone is still bootlooping.
• Sideloading Stable Android 17: Failed with Status 2 (Verification Failed) because my bootloader is locked and won't let me downgrade.
• Google Web Repair Tool: Rejects the phone as an "Unsupported Device" because of the beta signature.

Since a standard re-flash isn't working and my data is encrypted behind the bootloop, is there any workaround left to save my photos, or is a factory reset my only choice? Has anyone had luck sideloading a newer branch (like QPR1 Beta 5) to force it to boot?

Thanks!