VPCZ13M9E

[bonsy25]

We are running a Windows 2003 domain, and have a Xony Vao VPCZ13M9E that we have just purchased.  It has come with Windows 7, and as we use roaming profiles we want to downgrade to Windows XP.

However, I'm struggling to find any information on this laptop.  Can't find drivers, applications.  When I run through the XP setup , it blue screens as it can't find the drivers for the RAID and hard disks that it has come with.

Can anyone help offering step by step, as well as compatible XP drivers and apps. 

Thanks

[Blencogo]

Unlike Vista and Windows 7, XP does not have generic support for SATA Hard Drives.  This means you have to supply XP with a SATA RAID Driver before it can recognise the SATA HDDs.  You can supply this by a USB Floppy Drive or a USB stick.  When XP first gets to the welcome to XP screen, press F6 to load the drivers.

There are alternative ways of doing this - Google for 'Installing XP on a SATA Hard Drive'.

Sony supply the RAID/SATA drivers on the download page for your model here: -

http://support.vaio.sony.eu/computing/vaio/downloads/updates/index.aspx?l=en_GB&m=VPCZ13M9E_B&os=6

You will also see on the same page a complete downgrade installer for XP which installs ALL the necessary drivers etc. for your Vaio to function using XP.  Just run the downgrade installer while on-line and it will automatically download the software you require.