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.
-----
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.
-----
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+

[bigw]

Hi,I've upgraded to Vista as well but I just can't get the Motion Eye Camera to work,can't even see the Icon under "Computer",I've tried everything...Help...Please. Thanks

[7hil]

I've given up on instaling Battery Checker. It keeps causing my system to crash and switch to hibernate.

[LeonWinter]

Hi all, and thanks loathsome for the excellent advice

Spent 3 weeks killing all Sony add-ons on my brand new SZ5 so I'd have a clean/fast VISTA system. VERY frustrating exercise; whatever I tried, I ended up with a system that crashed every time it went to sleep or hybernate. Got *very* *unhappy* with my VISTA, my VAIO and Sony, though I found one (1) helpful helpdesk staffer who could identify some processes that I'd better not kill.

But . . . . Vista's Crash Analysis came to rescue: it reported that there was a solution to these problems and suggested that I'd visit Intel to load updated network drivers!!! Did as suggested: loaded the new drivers this morning and since then no more crashes when VAIO goes of to sleep! Am Happy Again - VAIO seems healthy. Kudoos to Intel !

Intel rewrote their drivers because of bugs (see list on their site) so there should be plenty of unhappy (VAIO) users out (t)here. So I informed Sony helpdesk of the new releases. Disappointment! They do not want to know!

Initial reaction (on my note that new drivers cure crashes) was to recommend that I recover(!) my system! Two pages boilerplate text on how to do this. In response to my answer that this was bad advise, they flatly denied(!)that there were any updates for this Intel driver available! While these better drivers (for a series of Intel network chips) have been waiting for download for weeks!

So, if your VAIO suffers from sleeping problems, don't wait for Sony or this site. Check the Intel site directly:
http://www.intel.com/support/wireless/wlan/pro3945abg/

And lets see how long Sony will continue to recommend System Recovery, when a simple driver update suffices.

The update is for a range of Intel® PRO/Wireless Network Connections. The Intel site mentions: 2100, 2100A, 2200BG 2915ABG and 3945ABG. Besides new drivers, they also have a utility that tells you which type of chip you have, together with the version of the driver that's been loaded.

VAIO is awake within seconds now.
Let's enjoy Vista!
Leon

PS:
--- from VAIO helpdesk ---

Op dit moment zijn er geen updates voor de intel pro wireless utility beschikbaar, en hebben op dit moment ook nog geen bericht gekregen over mogelijke updates van dit programma voor de vaio's.

We kunnen dan enkel aanraden om regelmatig onze website na te kijken voor eventuele updates.

[LordMelchet]

My FE41Z came with Vista installed and the current R0200J3 BIOS. For the premium price that Sony charged, I felt I was entitled to expect that the drivers loaded onto the laptop would be fully compatible with the Vista OS. Clearly, that is not the case and I am bitterly disappointed that Sony have left their customers to sort out this mess for themselves.

For two weeks now I've put up with painfully slow bootups, shutdowns and broadband wireless speeds around 20Kbps. In all honesty, I have a PIII system with 256MB RAM running the dreaded Win ME which easily outperforms my FE41Z. But after reading the previous post, I updated my wireless driver from V 10.6.0.29 to V 11.1.1.1 and am pleased to confirm a vast improvement in download speeds. However, there now seems to be a file transfer problem and the built-in touch pad is very unpredictable in operation.

Can anyone advise me which updates from the Sony support website might improve things further? There are no adequate descriptions telling users what these updates do or what problems they are supposed to address. The initiator of this thread did their best to come up with a foolproof procedure for getting Vista Vaios to work properly, but it would have to be translated into muppet language for this IT nooby to understand!

[Thalamus.]

Hi Lord Melchet,

welcome to Club Vaio..

Once your connected to the internet go to Start > All Programs > Vaio Update > Go to Vaio Web Support..

A web page will launch, click Accept, then install the first automatic update, once done continue with the next one. etc. once all the automatic updates are installed move onto the manual updates. To do this download then follow the installation instructions..

[LordMelchet]

Hi Thalamus,

Thanks for your reply. I will certainly follow your advice and let you know how I get on! I still feel strongly that Vaio customers with pre-installed Vista should rightly expect everything to work properly out of the box. I find it disappointing that Sony are prepared to release Vista laptops containing incompatible driver software.

The initiator of this thread was primarily addressing Vaio customers who wanted to upgrade from Win XP to Vista. Sony appear to have little confidence in this upgrade path and have made it clear that customers who choose to upgrade must accept all the consequences:

"Please note that when installing either of the Windows Vista™ versions you might no longer have access to some preinstalled software. Sony does not warrant that Windows Vista™ meet your requirements or that the operation of any Sony or third party programs (whether previously or subsequently-installed) will be uninterrupted or error free. Sony disclaims and excludes all other warranties, express or implied, with respect to Windows Vista™ including, but not limited to, any or all implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose or non-infringement of any rights. You install Windows Vista™at your own risk. Sony will not be liable and you will have no remedy for damages for any claim of any kind whatsoever concerning your use of Windows Vista™ and any subsequent inoperability of any Sony or third party programs (whether previously or subsequently-installed), regardless of legal theory, and whether arising in tort or contract. In no event will Sony be liable to you for any special, indirect, incidental, or consequential damages of any kind, including, but not limited to, compensation, reimbursement or damages on account of the loss of present or prospective profits, loss of data, or for any other reason whatsoever".


Presumably the above disclaimer does not apply to pre-installed versions of Vista. http://esupport.sony.com/perl/support-info.pl?info_id=138 contains a list of 52 bundled software modules which Sony accepts have issues with Vista. I'm assuming that this applies to Vista upgrades as well as pre-installed versions of the OS. Given all this, it's hardly surprising that Vaio users are having such a torrid time getting their laptops to work properly with Vista. Let's hope it will be worth all the pain in the end!

Melchet.

[jumpsuit]

Hey Nonny No Lord Melchet!

Welcome to CV

[LordMelchet]

Hi Thalamus,

Did as you instructed, but no updates either auto or manual appear. The initial Vaio Update Options screen shows V 3.0.00.13220 but when I get to the list of available software updates, it says FE41Z Vaio Update Version V 3.0.011250. Can you make any sense of this?

Thanks, Melchet.

[juffe]

Hello!

I have Fn and S1, S2 buttons problem. My laptop is VGN-S5HP/B.

Im do everything that first post say, but hotkeys dont work. My nvidia drivers is from http://mgratzer.topmind.at/category/Windows%20Vista/ (nvidia_geforcego_98.12-vista32.exe)

and device manager list is something unknown decvice, what is it?

[teq]

hi, i have a sony vaio ar41L, i had to install vista business over vista home premium so i reinstalled all the drivers from the recovery disks.
So i don't know if is it correct that vista shows me that i have a generic plug 'n play monitor. The nvidia drivers seem ok, i can use a resolution of 1440x900, but the refresh is available only at 59 or 60 hz.

thanks for any suggestion.