Is the Sony VAIO K series really defective/buggy?

[Kei]

This is totally serious here! Is the K series really defective?!

I can't stand it anymore. My PCG-K215B suddenly restarts itself. And also after my ultimate clean recovery (wiping every trace of past data and any viruses if there was any), the system after 1-2 days freezes itself. JUST FREEZES, and when with sound playing at back, the sound simply halts and keeps stuttering repeatingly.
I mean I absolutely cleaned it, a total wipe out, and not installing any other program onto it (just Ad-aware, Winamp, Nero, Spysweeper, and Netgear wireless card).

Seriously, is the K series bugged up?

[TygerTyger]

I'd like to stand up for the K-series, having bought one and being pleased with it. In fact I was about to, but then I remembered my one has had problems as well, I believe the graphics driver it was shipped with is defective but I never did quite work it out. It doesn't freeze, it just gives a blue screen about 50% of the time I start up. Next time I get the message I'll post it back in this thread actually.

As for your problem, have you installed all the Windows updates, and also visited www.vaio-link.com and installed all the software updates for your computer? In this case I'd recommned doing the BIOS as well, if you feel confident. Don't if you aren't. Are you using a standard version of XP rather than the Sony version it's shipped with? If you are I'm sorry to say it but you should install their version, it might help. I'd also recommend a chkdsk scan just on the offchance you're installing onto a corrupted HD area.

[Kei]

As I've posted here about this many times before:
http://www.club-vaio.sony-europe.com/clubvaio/mvnforum/viewthread?thread=8994

I've done everything I can. All Windows updated to the max. The system was completely recovered using their Sony recovery discs. Hence it's their XP.
Checkdisk I've done also, nothign wrong.

I bought this K215B from Technoworld.co.uk. I've recently checked on Kelkoo again, and I found that their entry for the K215B is gone. Could it be that their K215Bs are defective, because that's where I got it from in the first place (via Kelkoo directory)?

[kee-lo_]

I think a lot of signs are pointing to yes, and even some members of the design team behind this site have had to send their K series notebooks back to the VAIO Link, so that speaks volumes really.

I have read a lot of complaints about the K series crashing for no reason, and to me that does point to defects.

To get Sony to admit it is going to be very hard.

[William]

Kee-Lo,

Assuming the design team got Sony to take notice, lesser mortals will get the same response whilst under warranty.

William

[kee-lo_]

True, the design team still haven't admitted that the GRX has that memory issue.

[TygerTyger]

Apart from getting a refund/exchange Kei I don't really know what to suggest. Sounds very much like defective hardware to me.

[Kei]

Argh! I'm in dilemma here. The thing is, is that if I do return the darn thing back to the shop, which I can because I know the address, they may take it back and then look at it after I refund it.

Their terms and conditions state that if they do not find anything faulty about the laptop they'll charge me 20% of the cost of the thing. But the thing is that I've tried my best to diagnose the problem if any problem is present. I've found that there's nothing to do with the software aspect of the machine (I've carried out a full recovery from scratch), it's nothing to do with overheating/power supply (I've checked), and it's nothing to do with external hardware attached (I've onloy got a mouse and a network card plugged in).

So I suspect it could be some weird tiny damaged component deep within the notebook or something like a tiny fractured part that triggers random restarts and freezes. But the damage isn't that big enough to trigger repeated and in succession loops of restarts and freezes in one string, they only trigger an ocassion/now-and-then spontanenous restart and/or freeze.

So if the god-damn shop doesn't find anything wrong within like the first 3 hrs or 40 hrs or so, they could say: "Hey you! There's nothing wrong with it, that'll be 20% of the total- thanks."

The bloody does so itself so randomly, however(!),: it never happens within like the first 3 hrs of running. It happens like, well, at the earliest within the first 4 hrs after booting up the notebook, and it could vary between 10 hrs to 2 days.

Also, I'm not sure, but all the times that this restart/freeze has happened during when I'm online. There wasn't one incident when it happened offline. However (!), the thing is is that I rarely go offline, so it's really hard for me to tell exactly if my network card is triggering it.

After my complete recovery on the Wednesday 25th August 2004, it only froze up once on the Saturday 28th August 2004 at around 12:40 AM. It's different to before I did the complete recovery (from CDs), because before it; it was freeze-for-1-second and then restart. For now after the complete recovery it's only froze up once, but that freeze was permanent, I had to manually restart the thing myself.

So you see, it's not an easy thing to decide on here. They could easily charge me 20% of the price if they like don't find any problems within like the first day. Plus, I'm moving onto my final year in university soon too, so I'll be needing a laptop.

[nick_pan]

yeh guys i have a k115..and although ive had no problems with it, ive heard countless issues of the model messing up. Its badly designed with regards to cooling, part of a reason for its restarts and it has numerous other problems. I believe Sony have silently admitted it which is represented by their release of the k21..series arriving in the shops soon after, tho i hear these models are problematic aswell.

[robpaxton]

I've been in the same situation as you in the past. I finally decided to 'bite the bullet' and go for the refund.

I think you should do the same as me if you are sure there is a fault, after all you don't want to be burdened with a faulty notebook for the next couple of years.

Hope it all works out for you.