Sony Vaio and Windows Vista. EVERYTHING you need in this thread! Hotkeys fix, official patch from MS. Whine fix, make your VAIO run silent!

[loathsome]

Hi all.

I've recently set up my VAIO notebook to fully, 100%, support Windows Vista. Took me some time, but it was certainly worth it

Okay, here's what you need:

- Drivers. Go to the VAIO Vista Upgrade web site to download these. What you'd want to grab from that page:
~ Setting Utility Series
~ Shared Library
~ Utilities
~ VAIO Event Service
These are the most required ones. You MUST download and install these.
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Further, the following aren't necessary, but very useful:
~ Alps Pointing-device for VAIO (for your touchpad to work properly)
~ FlashMedia (if you're using the media readers/writers)
~ MemoryStick Icon Registry patch (nothing important, just a nice icon for the MemoryStick to show up in Computer, like this:



Also, if your VAIO notebook has built hardware such as a camera, bluetooth etc., grab the proper drivers for them as well.

Graphics driver are NOT necessary, as all versions of Vista supports the Intel GMA-chipset. I would neither recommend installing the VAIO Power Management, as Vista also has this built in.
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Hotkeys
Probably one of the biggest "losses" in Vista. I see lots of post asking how to get the hotkeys to work. Here's the SOLUTION with an official patch from Microsoft:

You MUST install the following:
~ Setting Utility Series
~ Shared Library
~ Utilities
~ VAIO Event Service

After installing, reboot your notebook. Then grab the Sony Notebook Control Device update from Microsoft at this link:
http://download.windowsupdate.com/msdownload/update/v3-19990518/cabpool/7816_2_a5db7ce11f55024ce049b...
(sniffed by me, loathsome) edit, added; I've attached a mirror of the Sony NCD. Look at the bottom.

After you've downloaded, open up Device Manager and install them for "Unknown device". Your hotkeys should work immediately. If not, try rebooting.

Whine fix
Some users, included myself, notice a small, high pitched noise coming from the notebook. This is extremely annoying if you're in a silent enviroment. I've come up with a solution to this. Download RMClock, and under "Management" enable "Run HLT command when OS is idle". Restart the program and the sound is gone - for ever. You can also make it start with Windows, so you'll never have to bother with it again. This WILL shorten your batterylife, but only with 3-7%, according to my tests.

That's all, enjoy Windows Vista! If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask me,
loathsome+

[PadGermany]

hey guys,
I have a Vaio VGN-SZ2XP. I installed Vista with the help of this thread and everything works fine without 2 problems:
1.) when I connect my Vaio to an external monitor (e.g. my TV) via VGA and select with the F7-Hotkey that I just want my screen displayed external (not at my notebook-display) it works for 5minutes and then it starts "switching" between the 2 monitor with this typicall "ding ding" sound from vista (when you connect / disconnect hardware). After switching for 2 or 3 times it finally returns to the the external display for another 5 minutes. After another 5minutes the game starts again... what can do? whats wrong? I installed all drivers, I set all power options off (full power, no screen saver, no diplay out after xx minutes,...)
2.) my fingerprint-sensor isn`t working under vista, how can I set it for the Login to Vista, like it was it on XP? ( logging in into vista without typing in the passwort, just use my finger) and I am also missing the "Safe" in "Computer", it was a save folder, also protected over the fingerprint-sensor...
hope you can help me! thx alot,
much greetings from Germany, Pad.

[GurkiMan]

great post
but I got 2 problemsot read the systen information

1- my keybord don´t work normaly, it put the first letter at the end of a word

2- the bios update dont work, it say that cann read the systen information

any help if you can...

I have a vgn-c1z/b

tk

[ZHQ]

hi i have a ar31m with preinstalled vista.......it has suddenly decied there r no audio ouput devices installed even though it was working fine before.

can u plz tell me what i shoudl do to change that and get my sound back

thank u

[macladd]

hey guys,
I have a Vaio VGN-SZ2XP. I installed Vista with the help of this thread and everything works fine without 2 problems:
1.) when I connect my Vaio to an external monitor (e.g. my TV) via VGA and select with the F7-Hotkey that I just want my screen displayed external (not at my notebook-display) it works for 5minutes and then it starts "switching" between the 2 monitor with this typicall "ding ding" sound from vista (when you connect / disconnect hardware). After switching for 2 or 3 times it finally returns to the the external display for another 5 minutes. After another 5minutes the game starts again... what can do? whats wrong? I installed all drivers, I set all power options off (full power, no screen saver, no diplay out after xx minutes,...)
2.) my fingerprint-sensor isn`t working under vista, how can I set it for the Login to Vista, like it was it on XP? ( logging in into vista without typing in the passwort, just use my finger) and I am also missing the "Safe" in "Computer", it was a save folder, also protected over the fingerprint-sensor...
hope you can help me! thx alot, 
much greetings from Germany, Pad.

Hi,

I also have the SZ2XP running Vista, I have quite a few issues. I also had problems with the fingerprint sensor, you need to check if you are running Protector Suite QL 5.6.0, I would also suggest reinstalling the software to see if that rectifies the issue. I have my fingerprint scanner working ok(ish) but it is quite often not recognised on bootup. The "Safe" folder that you refer to, I'm sorry to have to tell you that it is gone! The company that supplies the software for the fingerprint scanner released a new version for Vista and decided (in their wisdom!!!...NOT) to remove the "MySafe" feature and replace it with "filesafe" which is similar, but now encrypts all the files stored so that accessing them is slow and you cannot view thumbnails of pictures etc due to the encryption. I have contacted both Sony and UPEK (who manufacture the software) and they are not interested. The other issues that I am having are:

Internet Exporer: webpages will sometimes not load, displaying the DNS error page if I refresh the screen a few times then they load but eventually the whole thing locks up and I have to reboot.

Wireless: This will often fail to log on during boot as the laptop appears to "forget" the security key, I have to reboot and suddenly the laptop remembers the key and logs on. I find that under Vista, wireless is less sensitive and displays only 3 bars of signal even if right next to the router, under XP it was full strength all the time. It also drops connections, or will no longer allow me to connect to signals further away in which XP had no problem.

Bluetooth: Even though I have bluetooth turned off as default, it continues to be ON during boot up. Once booted into Vista, bluetooth then turns off,on,off,on,off....Vista beeps accordingly which is annoying and can cause other programs starting up to fail.

I have contacted Sony Support, got nowhere and ended up speaking to Customer Relations at the UK Head Office. They have tried their best albeit in a rather convaluted and slow fashion, and just as I finally got to enter into some dialogue with a technician in Brussels Sony decided to offer me a refund "as a gesture of goodwill" I will admit to asking for a refund, although this was in the hope that they would perhaps take me a little more seriously and actually offer a decent level of support...however just when I did not want them to they came up trumps lol. Typical Sony, everything back to front....anyway, I declined the refund and now they want the laptop back to they can look atit, except that when they do get it back they will roll it back to XP, then test it. Except that the issues are in Vista!!! Sony do support a clean installation of Vista however not if it is returned where the firt thing they do is to restore the laptop back to factory condition (XP) and then do some tests. So, the upshot is that I am going back to XP, which is a shame as I quite like it but its definetely nowhere near being ready for everyday use especially on a Sony machine!!

[PadGermany]

Hey macladd,

thank you for these informations. I will check that with the fingerprint software. did you ask sony if this will works better in future? (cause you said often it is not recognized in reboot) maybe there will be an update available for the software... *hope*

The thing with the "my safe"folder is bad... how does the new feature works? I can click on a folder with the right mouse-button and click encrypt, after thats its written in green. but i cann easily access the folder and all the data in it, without being asked for a password or whatever ?!

Did you tried to contact your Laptop via VGA to an external display? Do you have the same problems?! its interfering when you want to hold a presentation with the help of a beamer and the picture switches and switches...

for which problems did sony paid a refund to you?? how much?
thx alot, Pad.

[macladd]

Hi Pad.

I have never connected my laptop to an external display. The filesafe must be configured to work with a fingerprint or password, however the updated software is bad and very confusing, I have no idea why they changed it to this as it is worse than the old version. Sony blame Vista, Microsoft blame Sony...I ended up going round in circles, Sony's support is an absolute DISGRACE!! I upgraded my laptop with the moduslink discs whic worked well. I do think that Vista is far from ready to be released to the public and Sony do not care and are recommending Vista unless you have a problem when they decided to only support XP. I complained bitterly and after much debate Sonly offered to refund the purchase price of the unit except that I do not want a refund, I would rather this laptop that works!...so I'm afraid its back to XP for me. Sorry I could not help you further.

Note to Sony......GET YOUR SUPPORT SORTED, IT IS NOT WORTHY OF THE NAME SONY!!!!

[PadGermany]

hey macladd,
what is a moduslink cd? damn, yeah the sony support bugs me too! nevertheless, if on my 2000€ Laptop is a sign with "vista-capable" on it, I want that ALL the features, I paid for, work!
Did you installed the drivers and the utilities in the correct order? (exactly like they are written down on the sony website) ? because i did, and I do not have these problems like you with bluetooth and the wireless connection...

@SONY : I am still waiting for an updatet graphiccard-driver for my SZ2XP for Vista, that I can plug it on an external display!!!!

Why to have a BUSINESS-LAPTOP for so (!!!) much money, without business-features ??? AND external displayes (beamers) is one of the MAIN business features.

[nftallon]

HI There,

Great post - really helpful.

I have a VGN S5-VP.

I've completed a clean install of vista and its great.

The Realtek audio device is not compatable with vista.

Sony does not have an updated driver.

Also can't get the ALPs pointer installed. Says it is not compatible.

On the link with all drivers listed the S5vp is not listed.

Can you assist please

[vaiosgr]

Hello.
I joined this forum because I am experiencing some technical problems after installing windows vista ultimate.
Well my laptop is a FE series (FE-21M).
First of all, from the first time my computer loaded vista, i got a message saying: "The battery you are using is not compatible..." and i had to hibernate the system and get the battery removed.

The second problem has to do with Processor Bus Speed. I opened the VAIO Control Center and i realized that in Power Management->Performance, the FSB Speed was set to 400 MHz, so I selected 533 MHz. It normally asks for a computer restart, so I did restart the computer, but when the time comes to load the windows the computer does not do anything, so i have to turn off the computer by the hard way..I reopened VAIO Control Center and still 400 MHz were ticked. I keeped on trying to change the FSB Speed but the same thing happens when booting win vista...

Any Ideas ?

[Madferrit]

macladd & padgermany

I have a SZ2XP/C which i installed Vista onto after following the instructions here and here are my findings so far;

1 - Fingerprint sensor. I find 90% of the time, on boot up it will be fine but occasionally i'll get the error telling me to connect the finger print sensor. A reboot usually sorts this problem. I'm guessing this will be sorted with future updates.

2 - As mentioned, the wifi is a little disappointing. In a way i'm glad i'm not the only one who has had problems with security keys causing errors to connect. However my scenario is a little different.

When i start up, my connection says i have "Local and Internet" and so i can start FF or IE only to find some 20 seconds later it tells me i dont have internet access, only local. My work around is to disconnect from local, select the wifi connection again and then reconnect. After that it will work fine, but this happens 99% of the time. I can't seem to narrow down why it might connect and stay connected that 1% of the time.

3 - My fan is constantly running on high. I guess this has been covered in the previous pages, but i'm a little reluctant to try anything that isn't an official fix.

4 - Battery drains too quickly. I'm guessing this is linked to fan speed.

I am disappointed with the upgrade and I'm a little reluctant to move back to XP. I might just give Support a call and see if they'll do something.

If i'm lucky I might just get that refund :smileygrin:

ps.. Pad.. the modus disc that was mentioned is the free upgrade to vista that was offered earlier in the year.