Official Sony VAIO AW Series 18.4" Owners thread

Only if you are near the Canadian boder, NTSC broadcasts have been terminated this year, it is all ATSC now in the US.

Or are talking about video capturing from some device?

 

Tolick, read through the AW forum and look at my posts because I had the same problems and sent it back to Sony. If it´s in the warranty period they must fix it for you. Some other members in this forum had the same problem and like me they sent the laptop back and got it fixed. Hope it helps!

 

I've purchased my Vaio VGN-AW290J/AH from NewEgg on 18th of July, 2009. While tried to order Windows 7 upgrade kit (as my laptop is eligible for upgrade), I can't find the 290J/AH option in the PC model. All I can see is 390JAH, 290J, 290Y etc. Now my question is, should I select 290J or 390JAH for the upgrade kit? Please remember that my exact model is 290JAH. Here is the screenshot: http://img252.imageshack.us/img252/7562/screenshotx.png

 

As Edgain said, Sony owes you a replaced top (or whichever parts they may include in that repair). Call tech support, describe the problem, they give you a Return Merchandise Auth # and so forth (the usual routine). I too have read posts from those who have sent their AW's in for the same repair. So far that I can tell, no one has reported Not getting theirs satisfactorily repaired.

What I want to add, however, is why not Sony send someone to you rather than you mailing it in to them? That's what I got & I don't even have any of the extended warranties, just the basic that comes standard. And I didn't ask for in-home service, it was offered. Heck, I wouldn't have even thought to ask! So anyway, just wanted to toss that out to you. Hope it makes your repair easier. Nice to not have to wait or have to do without while waiting---not if you don't absolutely have to. Good luck!

 

DERRIDA,
Been meaning to do this for maybe 2 wks now but, for various reasons, didn't get to it. So now's my chance;-)

You replied to my post inquiring about the model AW190JAB I spotted for an xlnt price (comparably). Don't know how come my web searches came up dry---but you supplied me with 4 links for further info to compare the same unit. Thanks so much for taking time to do that for me. Haven't made a final decision on that purchase yet, but each time I think of it, I think of your kindness, too.

 

I've been thinking almost the same thing....

Posted a while back @ applying some material like InvisibleShield in hopes of preventing premature wear. If that can be applied to my cellphone & other ppl's iPods & Zunes, then why not the shiny plastic top of the AW...&/or other AW surfaces? I know that one brand which is virtually undetectable in my small items, comes in precut kits including a list of laptop models -- yet I think maybe it can be purchased in sheets, too. Just plain dumb luck that I didn't get the peeling/chipping/flaking lid that some received (hey, I got other problems but Sony fixed those promptly).

Am highly motivated to Prevent problems like the curse of the shiny black lid.
If anyone's used any kind of protective product on your VAIO's, please post!

 

AHA! So somebody else in the world also sees the mysterious Blinking Cursor (on black background?) at the same time/place that I do (sigh;-) My only real concern about this is that I've never ever before seen it on any computer I've worked with. Always want to Know what's going on----so you suppose it's the BIOS POST (power on self test)? Not troubled, just curious.

 

Yeah, or I suppose analog cable...or a handful of low power stations or that kind of thing. Just about useless. (I no longer have to worry about which quality setting to use on my Tivo HD anymore, since it's all ATSC now )

 

Yup. I had never saw it on another computer before either. It is searching for the OS among other things.

 

I am using the one from the Driver's & Support page for the AW390 on Sony's eSupport site. It is NVIDIA's driver though, not Sony's.

I have not seen a complete guide, but there are several pages on the forum that have all the info. I may be able to write one up if I can find the time.

 

Whoops I forgot about analog cable, my bad.

 

Installing Windows 7 on a VAIO AW390

This guide documents how I installed Windows 7 RC on my AW390. You may have done it a different or better way, but this is how I did it. So, spare me your criticism and write your own guide. If I got something wrong, then let me know and I will fix it.

Backup Recovery Partition

First, I made recovery DVDs and copied the recovery partition to an external drive. For me, the recovery DVDs are purely for backup as they did not work when I booted them. Later, I extract the drivers and programs from the files stored on the external drive.

Install Windows 7

1. Once the recovery files are backed-up, pop in the Windows 7 installation disc and reboot your AW. Make sure the boot order in the BIOS has the DVD drive first. When prompted, press any key to boot from the installation disc.
2. Select your language preferences, click "Next", click "Install Now", check that you accept the license agreement, click "Next", click "Custom (Advanced)".
3. Once Windows loads, Click "Drive Options (Advanced)" to reveal the advanced options. There should be two partitions on Disc 0. One of these is the Recovery Partition, the other is Vista. Delete both partitions. You should now have a single unallocated partition. Select the empty partition and click "New". I created a 40 GB partition for Windows 7. The rest of the disc I partitioned for data files.
4. Format the partition(s).
5. Select the partition allocated for Windows and click "Next". Installation will begin. The screen may flash and the computer will restart a few times.
6. After the last restart, complete the setup wizard.

Download Drivers & Software

1. Download the latest drivers and updates for your AW from Sony's eSupport site. http://esupport.sony.com/
2. Download the Windows 7 driver and software for the fingerprint reader from Upek http://upek.com/support/downloads/windows7/learnmorew7.asp

Extracting the Recovery Files

The recovery files are obfuscated in *.mod files, but can be extracted. Depending on how you follow the rest of this guide, you may need 7zip, Universal Extractor, and/or mod2wim.

1. Download and install 7zip http://www.7-zip.org/
2. Download and install Universal Extractor http://legroom.net/software/uniextract
3. Download and unzip mod2wim.zip http://rapidshare.com/files/147096173/mod2wim.zip
4. Run Mod2Wim.bat. Select option "S: Set Recovery Volume [Z:]" to set the external drive the recovery files are stored on.
5. Select option "1: Copy&Process MOD Files" - This will extract the *.wim files from the *.mod files and place them in the directory "..\mod2wim\wim".
6. Selecting option "5: [Un]Mount Patched Files" will create a directory for each *.wim file and extract the contents. I did not do this. I manually extracted only the *.wim files I wanted with 7zip as there are very few things in the recovery files that I wanted to install. You can open each *.wim file with 7zip file manager. Inside most *.wim files is an setup.ini which should have a parameter telling you what that package installs.

Installation Order
Install items 2 through 4 below in the order specified to get the various function keys and battery management to work.

1. Install the NVIDIA display driver. I do this first because it annoys me when the OS does not use the full screen resolution, but it is not essential.
2. Install the Sony Firmware Extension Parser.
3. Install the Sony Shared Library.
4. Install the Sony Notebook Utilities. There are a couple of ways this can be done. For me, I tried to install this, but I received an error to the effect that my notebook model was unsupported. I used Universal Extractor to get the individual installation files from inside the Sony Notebook Utilities executable. If you do have to install them manually as I did, install them in the following order, rebooting when prompted:
   1. Setting Utility Series
   2. VAIO Event Service
   3. VAIO Control Center
   4. VAIO Power Management
   5. Battery Checker
   6. VAIO Launcher
5. For the rest of the software, it does not appear installation order matters.

Reference Threads
*** AW - x64 Vista & Win7 Drivers and Utilities *** by Mujja
GUIDE : Clean Vista install using Extracted Recovery Image ( On a Vaio CS or Others) by mrhaboobi
extract software new sony format image by RogerSilva

Cheers

 

+Rep for the nice win 7 installation guide. I may need this in a month or two when I install it! Thanks again!

 

I'm planning on upgrading to a sony AW model, top spec. Is this a good time to upgrade, as I heard from a shopkeeper (in Dubai) that a new model is due in october?
Should I wait?

 

Is possible to order a customized AW with 3 RGB chip display? Like if don't need all those SSDs and Blu-Ray...

 

Have you already tried the sonystyles web site?

 

Well, I've tried, but the US site only allows to configure the VGN-AW390 and there is no RGB 3 chip option there at all! It's just LCD with XBRITE-FullHD.
And the sony-europe only has some preconfigured (in quite a strange way, to my sense) laptops.

 

Hi,

one question: Did you remove the stickers from the palm rest? I don't mean the small ones (FullHD, NVidia, blu-ray...), but the larger ones from Sony.
Tried very carefully, but they seem quite sticky, so I worry I could damage the palm rest or have some nasty leftovers which I can't get rid of.

How did you succeed?

Cheers

 

Just removed them and used rubbing alcohol to remove any residue. Worked fine, looks fine. If you wait to pull stickers on ANY laptop, you'll have wear differences that show after removing them.

 

chaddle77
Can you extract Click to DVD Editor 2.0 and Click to DVD from your Recovery Partition and upload here. Thanks.
Sorry for my English.

 

I agree with tbNB. The sooner you remove them the better. Try rubbing alcohol or perhaps lotion to remove any residue, just nothing abrasive. I find that these kinds of stickers on any product is quite annoying. Why stick advertisements and features list on a product I have already purchased???

 

Those two apps are already available in my AW drivers post. See first link in my sig. If you need more let me know.

 

The utilities had to be extracted and installed in the above order, which I guess you got from my post. Running the setup.exe doesn't work.

I've got an updated set of utils now which work a lot better with Win7 (x64 RTM), responsive with no lag. I'll zip and upload in the next 24 hours in my thread.

Edit : Drivers now updated in *** AW - x64 Vista & Win7 Drivers and Utilities ***

 

I know about those two apps from your post, but their version number Click to Disc (1.4.00.06190) & Click to Disc Editor (1.2.00.06240). Sony presented version number 2.0 and Click to Disc Editor Update Program version 2.0.01.05270 from support not installed on version 1.2(1.4).
If you can upload this apps, please do it. Thank you!
Sorry for my English.

 

Hey guys, how do I connect bluetooth devices to my AW290? I have installed bluetooth drivers for the WIndows 7 x64 that I am running but I don`t know how to connect my BT Stereo Headset.

Also, how can I get the function keys to work on Win 7?

 

Take a look at this post under "Installation Order".

 

I could not find Click to DVD or Click to DVD Editor in my recovery partition files.
I did find Click to Disc and Click to Disc Editor.

If you meant Click to Disc, then according to the download page for the Click to Disc Editor Update:

In other words. You install whatever version you have of Click to Disc Editor from your recovery partition and then upgrade using the update from the linked page above.

 

Does anyone know what the recovery program MOD-CSUP.exe installs?

 

Sorry if it has been mentioned before in this thread or another but I saw on Sonystyle.ca that notebooks bought after June something (rats!) can get a free upgrade to Win 7. Also the RGB LED AW had a big price cut.

 

Yes, I meant Click to Disc & Click to Disc Editor. But I have Click to Disc & Click to Disc Editor version 1.2(1.4) and this Click to Disc Editor Update Program version 2.0.01.05270 from support not installed on version 1.2(1.4).
My laptop older your so my Recovery Partition has only version 1.2(1.4).
Please if you can extract this apps and upload do it! Be grateful!
Sorry for my English.

 

Hopefully someone can help here - I bought a Vaio VGN-AW11XU a few months ago and all is great. Managed to sort out the colour settings so colours now look less oversaturated.

The problem seems to be with video. If I play a CD/DVD (film, etc) it is really poor quality - pixelated and looks as though it is playing in very low res.

Where do I go to change settings? Is it video settings or something else?

Thanks in advance for any help here!
Pat

 

might be the DVD. Good displays sometimes bring out the worst in poorly-encoded videos. how do Blu-ray playback look?

 

No it's definitely not the DVD - it is poor quality with all video whether CD/DVD/Bluray or online content.

 

Maybe you installed a new codec that is causing this? Search and download the codec tweak tool to see what is installed.

 

The versions in my recovery partition files are:
Click to Disc: 1.4.60.13210 [45.6 MB]
Click to Disc Editor: 2.0.00.13222 [91.2 MB]

I'll pass them on to Mujja as he seems to be the maintainer of x64 Vista/Win7 drivers and utilities around here. [Update: Done.]

 

Is anyone using a keyboard protector with the AW? I can't seem to find any of these for 18.4" lappies.

Talking about these: http://www.allfreeship.com/images/full/cat-194-adv2.jpg

 

Hi everyone, first post in these premises although I have been following the Sony section for a while (knew I'd get a new Vaio in September). I did get that Vaio, the European AW31 ZJ/B, which I am having a couple of problems with. I'd appreciate it if you'd put in some of your experience on these Sony lines.

First of all, I know how the screens of certain Vaios are supposed to work and the differences in display technologies that different models use, but I'm, afraid that mine could be faulty no matter what that technology is.

After installing Win7 I noticed a "zone" of about 10 pixels in height at the bottom of the screen, which appears to be discolored - that is, colors in that area are washed out. There is also a kind of dark "shadow" at the bottom right corner of the screen. Has anybody else come across this? Is it a hardware defect for sure or is there anything special I should know about e.g. overscan in these models? The top of the screen does not suffer from this.

Second, for the life of me I seem to be unable to install the Sony Firmware Extension Parser. Win7 installed without a hitch but when I try to install the SFEP from the drivers mentioned in this forum, a system notice appears noting that "I cannot install this .inf in this way" and does not do anything. Any ideas? Is it absolutely necessary to install this? Is there a possibility that it's already installed? Can I find out somehow?

Third and last one... is the Dolby Center absolutely necessary to install in Win 7 x64? Can't I watch hi-def movies without it? And, BTW, has anyone found nVidia drivers newer that 176 that work with the Vaio BD player?

Thanks in advance!

 

It is called a light leak or bleed and is common with all laptop/notebook displays that are not RGB LED. It is not a defect (unless it is really bad) nor is it fixable from the notebook and although you maybe able to reduce it, but probably at cost of comprising the non-light leak areas of the display.

Are you using the AW primarily at home?

 

can anyone confirm that the 1000 gb wd scorpio blue fits in the AW?

 

Im having trouble installing Viao Notebook Utilities on a fresh install of windows 7. I get to the install and it asks to restart so i do. After the restart it continues but then automatically restarts in the middle of the install. Please help.

 

I am sending mine back to Sony for the second repair at their repair station, I have also had another mother board installed on location, and another onsite repair of the keyboard plate. I've installed the drivers five times, reformatted twice, and my volume up, down, mute and eject button don't work. I'm in my 2nd month of trying to get Sony to replace the laptop but they want to keep wasting time with repairs and putting my business behind schedule. It's my first and last Sony laptop, their customer service sucks.

 

I've also been following the forums. I just got mine today and it's the exact same. I would say that the light bleed is normal, but the dark areas aren't. Mine has a dark area over the start menu that extends all the way across. Then at the very bottom in the corners the backlight doesn't extend all the way so the corners are dark. Plus I have a stuck pixel. I'm going to try to get a replacement from Sony.

The funny thing is... I tried the new Alienware laptop before this, and it had the same uneven backlighting in exactly the same places. I even got a replacement and it was the exact same. Those were Samsung panels, but I'm guessing Sony makes their own panels?

If I can get a replacement and it has the same problem, I don't know what I'm going to do. The screen is amazing other than that, but I can't live with dark areas on the screen.

 

Primarily, yes - but it was supposed to be taken around on presentations and meetings and the like very often. Although, I have to tell you, I do not see how this has to do with anything. No matter what the viewing angle, it's clearly visible. And it's one of those things, you know, that once you notice them, you simply can't ignore them in everyday use. It's extremely frustrating.

I am greatly dissapointed by this and I sure hope Sony does not tell me that it's "normal" to have that kind of a defect on a 2200 euro laptop. I was using a Vaio 297XP with a 17 inch screen from January 2004 up to now and it served admirably for 5 freaking years. I only upgraded its RAM to 2 GB and used it for work and fun all the time. So yes, I like the Vaios a lot and I based my choice on the last one. Poor choice it seems now.

If you really want to get down to it, it's just unacceptable to have a top of the line brand new laptop that has a problem in an area that it should excel (the AWs are supposed to be targeted at photographers and power users after all). I'll call them on Monday morning to see what my options are. As I live in Greece, the best thing I can hope for is a delay of 2 weeks for a replacement. I do not even want to think about the bad scenario.

Talking about problems, is it normal for the AW to dissipate so much heat from its left side? I mean, I know the graphics subsystem on this is powerful and needs cooling, but man... we are talking about HEAT here. You can feel it three hand widths away from the laptop. I would not put this on my lap for more than five minutes. Anyone else wondering the same thing?

 

Hi,

this is normal, depending on what you are doing with your AW. When I'm doing extensive picture editing, play games or anything else which needs a lot of power, the air from the ventilation also becomes quite hot, and everything which is lying around on my desk in this area is nice warm, even when it is like 20cm away from the notebook.
But it was pretty much the same on my old Dell 9400, so i wouldn't worry about it.

Cheers

 

I know all that, sure. The old Vaio did that too as a lot of other laptops I have used all these years. But the thing that surprised me is that the cooler for the 9600M GT is working ALL THE TIME. Constantly. Even when I boot and just stand there on a static desktop it is generating heat.

I was under the impression that the graphics subsystem of the AW line was like the one in the MacPro equivalent line - that is, when needed the 9600M GT would kick in, but for pure desktop use that does not require a GPU, the basic functions of the Intel IGP would suffice, conserving energy in the process.

I was either wrong with this or for some reason my Vaio does not do any switching between the two. Can anyone confirm this? Also, could it be a matter a newer set of nVidia drivers would solve?

 

I have read some refuting of the switching to Intel IGP claim, has this been confirmed by professionals?

As for your light leak display, any replacement will be similar. If you want the best notebook display to use on the road you need a RGB LED, I believe it has better angles views as well but not by much.

The reason I asked what you are going to use the AW mainly for is that at home it's faster, cheaper and easier just to hook up an external display and external keyboard & mouse.

 

Oh, that. Well, it's a nice thought, but it would just complicate things even more. It would also add another 300-350 euros in the whole bargain as well (a decent 1920x1200 monitor plus decent keyboard would cost about that).

The only Vaio model available in Europe at the moment that has the LED screen is the very best and most expensive one, I think. The one with the dual SSDs. Man, I'd love to get that, but at 3600 euros we are getting WAY out of my budget.

I still think that I should be getting a screen without defects like this for a 2200 euro laptop. I really do. After all, the aging 5 year old A297XP I am posting this with right now does NOT have a single problem. Color uniformity all around.

By the way, checked about the graphics switching. Apparently the 9600M GT DOES support the hybrid function but only if the motherboard of the notebook has an nVidia chipset. I do not know whether the Intel P45 in our AWs offers that as a supplementary IGP or not... and Sony does not detail anything, as per usual. Well, that's why the Vaios cannot hope to have more than 1.5 hour of use on the standard battery, I guess.

 

without a doubt, the AW display blows away most external, desktop displays. spending anything under $270 is a quality downgrade.

 

Unless it is really bad it is not a defect. If you cant stand it you only have two choices, get the RGB LED or an external monitor.

It is a flaw that seems to show up on all current notebook/laptops plus a lot of the other displays have awful dithering.

 

Did you install Sony Firmware Extension Parser and Sony Shared Library prior to installing VAIO Notebook Utilities?