System Restore refuses the new disk - how to fix it

[YorkshiremanII]

My Vaio PCG-9326 has just had a new disk, so I turn to the system restore CDs to replace w2000.  The warning says it will only retore to the parent system.

Fine

But the old disk is dead.  After hte restore I get 'system disk invalid'  - no use to anyone.  Does anyone know whats going on - the restore CD tied to the serial of he old disk?  How is the customer meant to fix a failed disk? 

Anyone any ideas on how to get this PC working again?

Thanks

Richard Wilson

[Blencogo · Accepted solution]

Hi Richard,

You are quoting an invalid model.  I think you are quoting the chassis type - the actual model is something like PCG-F104K.  It must be about 10 years old - a good age for a laptop!

How many Recovery Disks do you have?  I think there should be 2.

The Recovery Discs should be linked to the model but not the HDD.

What size replacement hard disc have you put in and how is it formatted?

Other things you can try: -

1. Make a copy of the Recovery Discs on another PC and try that.

2. You can try telephoning Vaio Support on the premium out-of-warranty phoneline and see if they still have a replacement set for sale.  0905 0310006 but I'm not confident.

3. Sony do have a number of Service Partners in the UK and you could speak to one of these near where you live but I don't know if they can help or not: -

http://support.vaio.sony.eu/computing/vaio/contacts/asc.aspx?l=en_GB&m=PCG-F104K

4. If you could find an installation disc for Win2000 Pro you could use the Product Key on the bottom of the Vaio - but from experience, I would be surprised if it can still be read!

5. If all else fails, the only option may be to buy a copy of Windows XP and install it and try to install the additional Sony software downloadable from the support website for your model here but the cost may be too much: -

http://support.vaio.sony.eu/computing/vaio/downloads/updates/index.aspx?l=en_GB&m=PCG-F104K

Not very helpful I'm afraid. You can still download the User Manual from here: -

ftp://ftp.vaio-link.com/pub/Manuals/Notebooks/F/F104K/F104K_H_UK.pdf

[YorkshiremanII]

You are quoting an invalid model.

Well it's unambigous on the label I'm looking at. Clear as it can be - MODEL PCG-9326

came preinstalled with W2000, for which there are a set of 3 cd in total - I assume one has Office 2000 on it.

Anyway. You're right.  At last a chance to get rid of Windows c**p and use something like a real OS which doesn't aim to make nothing backward compatible.  How I wish my IBM i series would do some of the PC stuff I need. 

In answer to other questions, I swapped the 12gb broken hdd for a 40Gb that was spare, and when asked, told it to put an 8Gb partion as c: (thinking I could put linux or OS/2 on elsewhere)  After a long., long tme of formatting and installing software, Only then does it come out with its show stopper. 

That's what really makes me grumble about Sony - The error message shoudl come first!  I write software for a living - the real stuff, with real computers, that don't fall over every other day.  Validation of input and required actions just *always* comes first.  It really really annoys users to have no feedback for 15 minutes and then tell them the initial input had a problem. 

But then, the rules are different for Bill Gates.

Thanks for the suggestions- I'll just scrap the CD's and do my own thing...

- where did I leave that copy of OS/2

Richard