VGC LV1S - Recovery Partition / Screen Brightness

[stebird96]

Hello everyone,

I have a VGC LV1S that I have inherited. It has Windows 7 installed and seems to have only a few basic Sony applications installed.

I have two questions:

1) Sony Recovery Centre is not installed. There is a Recovery Partition on the hard drive but I don't know what is on it or if I should somwhow attempt to recover the system or not.

2) I am unable to adjust the screen brightness. The Sony Keyboard controls do not work and I would estimate the screen is set to full brightness - it is  very bright. Does anyone know how I can reduce the screen brightness?

Any help greatly appreciated.

Stevie

[rich912]

Hi Stevie,

Your model came with Windows Vista pre-installed so the chances are that someone has clean installed Windows 7.

If you recover to factory settings using the recovery partition (tap F10 at boot) this will return the machine to ‘As Delivered’, i.e. Windows Vista with all Sony software and utilities.

The pre-installed software is not available to download but the utilities that control the keyboard functions that include screen brightness are. Have a look here:

http://www.sony.co.uk/support/en/product/VGC-LV1S/updates

One solution, to retain all pre-installed software, would be to return the machine to factory settings and then carry out an ‘in place upgrade’ to Windows 7.

If you can live without the pre-installed Sony software then just install the utilities. These need installing in a given order – if you need guidance on this then let us know.

Rich

[stebird96]

Hi Rich,

Thanks for your reply. I apreciate it.

I have established that the Sony Recovery Tools are indeed intact on the hidden partition available through F10 access when booting.

However I have a working desktop with Windows 7 ultimate and I am very pleased with it and the Vaio in general. The only issue is controlling screen brightness as the screen is on the highest setting which also produces the most heat. I would prefer not to restore the Vaio to Vista and lose my installed programs although that is a last possibility.

I have intsalled the following:

Setting Utility Series

Vaio Event service

Viao Power management

Viao Control Center

Vaio Smart Network

Vaio Update

I beleive I have all the latest versions but I can't remember in which order I installed them.

If there is any way I can get the Screen Brightness control working, all would be well.

Another couple of minor niggles are that the Sony Control Center and the Menus access via the Menu button on the right side of the VGC LV1S both work in a very minimalast way with quite a few options not visble or not working. I had assumed this was because they did not work with Windows 7 ' but there may be another reason. I also get a message from time to time telling me there is not a driver installed for the Multi Media Video Controller, but Windows is unable to find a driver for this.

Any further help greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Stevie

Message was edited by: stebird96

Message was edited by: stebird96

[rich912 · Accepted solution]

Hi Stevie,

To get the Fn Keys working try installing the following Utilities IN ORDER: -

• Setting Utility Series
• Sony Shared Library
• VAIO Event Service
• VAIO Control Center
• Also, as you have installed your own OS, the SFEP driver needs to be correctly installed (first) in Device Manager.You will find this driver in the Original Drivers section (Vista). You may find that Device Manager is listing this as an unknown Device or that it doesn’t have the correct driver installed. You will need to update the driver for this device using the ‘Have Disk’ method.

·        

·         Extract the files from the installation package to a known location.

·         Click Start > Control Panel.

·         Double click Device Manager.

·         Right click the device and select Properties

·         Click the Driver tab.

·         Click Update Driver.

·         Click Browse my computer for driver software.

·         Click Let me pick from a list...

·         Click Have Disk....

·         Click Browse and navigate to the folder where you placed the extracted files.

·         Click OK.

·         Click Next.

·         Click Finish.

·         Reboot your system if requested.

There is no reason why the brightness control should not work with Windows 7 if the utilities are correctly installed. If there are no Win 7 utility upgrades available on the Support site then the original Vista versions should work.

If the above doesn’t sort out the other couple of niggles then let us know

Rich

[stebird96]

Hey Rich,

Should I uninstall the following before reinstalling

• Setting Utility Series
• Sony Shared Library
• VAIO Event Service
• VAIO Control Center

Although Sony Shared Library is installed it is not appearing in my list of installed programs. Not sure how I can unistall it.

Stevie

[rich912]

Hi Stevie,

Just install over the top of existing – no need to uninstall.

Rich

[stebird96]

Hi Rich,

Main problem solved. Screen brightness controls now fully functional. Thanks!

Moving on to the driver issue:

Device Manager indicates that a Multimedia Video Controller is without a driver. Windows cannot find one online.

I have dowloaded the SFEP driver and saved it on my desktop.

When I try to install the driver in the Multimedia Video Controller option in Device manager, following exacatly the steps you described, I get a message saying:

Windows was unable to install the Multimedia Video Controller.

I don't know what a Multimedia Video Controller is or if I need it! Just housekeeping Device manaager that has the dreaded yellow exclamtion mark.

Any thought on this-

Thanks,

Stevie

[rich912]

Hi Stevie,

This may possibly be part of the Video driver install (not sure on this) certainly not the SFEP driver. Have you installed the Intel Graphics driver from the Support site?

To be sure on this can you let us have the device ID?

Right click the device and select properties > Details > on drop down menu select Hardware Ids. It may possibly be something like PCI\VEN_4444&DEV_0016&SUBSYS_813D104D

Alternatively click Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Information > Expand Components > Problem Devices – Hardware ID should appear there.

Rich

[stebird96]

Hi Rich,

Here is the device ID:

Multimedia Video Controller

PCI\VEN_1033&DEV_0165&SUBSYS_65011461&REV_0B\4&19C800C3&0&00E1

The drivers for this device are not installed

Stevie

[rich912]

Hi Stevie,

This is the TV tuner card. Install the original Vista driver.

Rich