Official Sony VAIO AW Series 18.4" Owners thread

Mujja
Hi
Sorry about that .. I was paranoid that you said --- >>> Is it just a cable or connector too?
There is nothing disconnected about whole connector everything is in one piece the sata port is soldered with flexible printed connector .. and connector which will be connected the port on motherboard ...
I know and yes I have ordered this sata cable for right side ..
I just find out on the left side what am using for now , is HDD/SSD-slave on the right side is HDD/SSD-master ... and you can have third drive but you need different connector
this is mine :


you can have :

on left side is double connector on the right is basic slave connector for left side bay
What I ordered is the same what badboy ordered and what you have .. more expensive aw series have that double cable ...
as you can see on that sata port on double there is less power pins dunno why ...

 

Hi Evoss-X. Could you please share the AW disassembly manual? Thanks.

 

yeah sure how do you want post it ?

 

Can you put it on rapidshare?

 

Is there anybody with AW11Z/B with raid0 ???

 

Hi must tell you unfortunately we will not be able to have or enable raid on our aw series ... these aw series AW11xx was first and they dont have implemented
raid feature if you want raid you will have to replace south bridge ..and that's impossible

 

Or a right bios , there is a bios patch for that series but i dont find.On a other forum i had seen the same modell with Raid0 funktion. He had Phoenix bios.

 

Hi,

Have you been able to add these yet or do you have the reference to the ftp site handy?

Thanks,

Jon C

 

The thread for Win7 drivers is on page one of this forum. Typying this on phone so difficult to paste in the link. I'll upload them later to RS. In about 6 hours.

 

unfortunately, the color settings did not work on Win 7 using the software for Vista. didn't even list the options. now they're back, but the DVD/BD color mode is just way too contrasted. it crushes blacks in a very noticeable way. the blacks under x.v.Color are perfect.

Everything else I've installed worked well. only thing not working is the auto-selection of Color Mode. not a big deal, but I did like it when it worked. hopefully the officially release of the color mode driver will correct that. or maybe I just need to update my video driver. we'll see soon enough.

 

You could upload it to any one of the file sharing sites (rapidshare.com, depositfiles.com, megaupload.com, etc.). Thanks.

 

That is not true. All AW series notebooks are capable of RAID 0 or RAID 1. They all have an Intel ICH9M-E controller configured either as SATA RAID or SATA AHCI. This setting is controlled by a hidden three-choice option in the BIOS: AHCI, RAID, or AUTO. When the laptop leaves the factory SONY normally sets this to AHCI or RAID, depending on what you paid for.

That's the reason why switching from AHCI to RAID does not appear to be possible even after the second HDD or SSD is added (at the appropriate port) to a notebook with AHCI default.

The above applies to other VAIO series, not just AW (e.g. Z, TT, etc where RAID may be available). Making it difficult to for the customer to upgrade or customize the final product as delivered has been a policy of SONY for as long as anybody cares to remember.

 

You know guys what I was thinking ?
We could manage have that RAID maybe , if will be possible to make backup BIOS from higher aw series , what have RAID enabled save backup files and then apply and flash BIOS on ours AWs ?

 

The BIOS in RAID-enabled AWs are the same as in the AHCI-enabled. It's the default settings that are different. For example, AW1xx and AW2xx all have BIOS R1052Y2, whether RAID or no RAID.

 

Hi are you sure ??
That will be so cool if it's like you saying ..
because I been on another forum here : what I opened thread and there
guy Agent (probably moderator ) said I will never have RAID on my laptop
so .. don't know ..
I still belive yes but sometimes I say to my self forget it .. and then again no I must find out
http://forums.hexus.net/hexus-hardware/173331-how-enable-raid-sony-vaio-aw-series-laptop-2.html

 

Yeah I know that doesn't matter of BIOS version
But all settings might be there saved ?
I had Fujitsu-Siemens laptop before I had there VIA RAID and I flashed Alienware BIOS on it and before they said make all settings to default ect.
And one guy on forum was crying he didn't put all settings to default and his lappy hunged ..

 

Hi, Evoss-X. Take a look at this image:


It is from a TT thread ( http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=422183). The author, ylezy, used the EFI hack (see for example, http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=345282&page=3) to open SATA controller mode option in the BIOS. Then he was able to set up RAID0 in his TT.

The EFI hack works for the Z and TT, we need a similar hack for the AW AMI BIOS.

 

Falang
Woooooow Maaaan That Actually Looks Amazing !!!
GOOOOD impressive falang !
You know what I was trying to do ??
I went to BIOS in that blank Advanced menu and I was typing everything if there is no some key password hahaha ''like show menu'' or ''appear''
but nothing ..
Maine got ..!! this REALLY look amazing maan !!!
When I first spot these pictures I tought is AW

 

Evoss-X, I am glad you liked it.
By the way, are you gonna upload that AW disassembly manual, please?

 

I have sent you message already
I don't like using file hosting I will rather send it via email to everybody

 

That's the problem TT and Z uses InsydeH20 utility
AW uses Aptio ...

 

Hi,

I just bought a vaio aw190 and I'm really excited about it, it seems great! Sorry if my question has already been asked... I want to add a ssd in there since there is only one 5400 drive and I think that would boost the speed quite a bit.

My question is, where can I find the mounting brackets for a second hard drive? I openned it earlier and there is no screws and no brackets in the empty bay. I would appreciate some help as how to correctly install a ssd.

Cheers

Edit: Oh my god, there is no sata connector too for the empty drive bay!?! Ouch that sucks for sure... Any idea/reference showing how to add one?

 

Just read back this thread and you will find out ...

 

New bios upgrade for AW series on Sony official site

 

What is the version number? Could you provide the link. Thanks.

 

The version number is BIOS R1054Y2 http://support.vaio.sony.eu/computing/vaio/downloads/updates/index.aspx?m=VGN-AW11Z_B&l=en_GB

 

Yeah that is just for VT what we have flashed ages ago .. nothing else .. bag of ***
Ye could actually open this bios and edit it that will send command to advanced menu to appear ?

 

How do you unlocked the bios in that laptop ??? It has insydeH2o bios soon..."unlocked"

 

with wich program can you edit R1052Y2.wph file for example?

 

Damak
that's NOT AW series that is TT

 

I just downloaded and flashed BIOS latest
and in advaced menu appeared VT enable /disable ( there must be some way to make all functions Visible ...!!
I tried unpack this latest BIOS but they now using protective PAK system basttards ...
I downloaded old one and I unpacked that with uniextract soft ..

 

i know but look on the net what the insideH2O 3.5 setup utility does with efi bios.../all sony vaio has efi bios/ tt aw...

 

I really don't know other vaios but some have phoenix you know ..

 

Evoss-x i try to unpack the new one but i need a program to edit the wpf.file.can you help me?i will see the different betwen new one ond the old one.i have with the old bios too VT and enabled too, without patch

 

I tried but it won't unpack new one
I don't have any program

 

Here is the new bios unpacked.;
http://rapidshare.com/files/295661384/R1054Y2.RAR.html

 

Yeah but What do you need it for ?
this is windows mode installation not DOS mode

 

Which program did u use to unpack it ?
I tried with universal extractor 1.6 but it didn't work

 

All right I read the thread and I found which part I would need. Do all AW models have the same mobo? I openned my aw120d earlier to see how it is set up and I could'nt see a second sata connector for the cable that I would have to order...

Here is some photos of the mobo where the first sata cable is connected to the mobo. That would be nice if someone could confirm that I can put a second hard drive before I begin this "process" since it will cost me a bit and they don't have the parts anywhere here in Canada (4-6 weeks backorder)







I don't want a complete tutorial here... I just want to know if it will work or not before I order the parts

Thanks for your help

EDIT: Ok sorry, I found my answer here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=4927186&highlight=sata#post4927186

 

charlesg99

Hi take look here :
http://www.nexttronics.com/catalog/sony/1/173023011.htm
and here:
http://www.nexttronics.com/catalog/sony/X/X23201541.htm

are u in usa ? ?

 

I haven't posted here in months. Generally been happy with my AW290 a couple of issues however one involves a criminal stalker who's been trying to install all kinds of damaging viruses on my computer and has succeeded in some cases-detailed here:

www.myspace.com/370392338

in the kidnapping blog (yes-I'm serious.) I have done two fresh installs in the past few days and hopefully that will be enough-I recognize a lot of his tricks when they show up either as a disguised install or through E-Mail viruses I rarely click on, but sometimes he fools me into thinking they are actually from people I know-not very often though and I've gone as far with this install as changing the name of the computer in hopes that will help (if he knows what the computer is called generally based on my name out of the box) it's absolutely maddening and highly, highly illegal the crap he's been pulling.

The second issue is far less severe and probably has no known cure-the Terminator 2 Skynet Edition BluRay will simply not play past one of the menus.

Thanks and if anyone wants to speak to me privately about the first issue please E-Mail me at [email protected]

Thanks

Rodney Peterson

 

Hi How he was able to install damaging programs on your pc ?
what exactly damaged on your aw ?

 

Here are various ways that he managed to compromise my PC:

Disguising a virus as an HP update (probably a carry over from my old computer, an HP, which was destroyed. I can probably do a reinstall on it as long as I don't have to remember the password-it was only $600 brand new so it's not an AW by any means.

I clicked on this accidentally thinking it might be real because I've seen it so many times (real HP updates-for my printer-look only slightly different.) When I allowed it I immediately saw a really quick generic download and knew I shouldn't have allowed it-but it was too late. From there it infected other things, including files I was burning to DVD and BluRay. I could tell because the files took an abnormally long time to write at the end, being stuck on 5 seconds or 0 seconds left for a long time until they actually wrote. I threw out the disc which was a DVD. I burned a BluRay before that but it didn't work for other reasons-mainly because click to disc doesn't actually work for BluRay even though while its burning it looks like it does, so pretty much burning BluRays is more trouble than its worth until they can fix that.

When that happened I immediately realized I needed to do another fresh install.

The other thing he did was send an update through MySpace E-Mail pretending to be someone who knew him (to the best of my knowledge, he's wanted for a felony warrant in Santa Barbara County) so I naturally asked some questions-when I got a reply several days later there was no text at all but it immediately opened a new window which I closed right away but again I'm sure it was too late. I have both SpySweeper and their anti virus program and Windows One Care as well. He brags about this trojan being stronger than my anti spyware programs think he called it botnet or something like that.

Hopefully he won't be able to continue with this as it must be getting more difficult to find ways into the computer.

He's also stolen money from a girlfriends bank accounts and his friend used to work for Bank of America's customer service department, which recently was busted by the FBI for hacking into customer accounts-he probably wasn't part of that since he was fired before those arrests but he definitely was doing that and I'm sure they were phishing regularly people at random-guy is really bad news and so is his friend.

I don't think there's any damage to the AW after the fresh installs, but he sure tried.

 

Thanks for the link, I'm unfortunatly in Canada so I would have to pay custom fees and such...

I did order the parts from MTCservices in Canada but they were out of stock and I will have to wait for 2-4 weeks (4 most likely I guess) . That's too bad since I would prefer to get the parts quickly and pay a little extra but if I cancel my order at MTC they're gonna charge me 30% of it...

Anyway, I'll try to be patient, thanks for your help

 

geez man, sounds like you've been through a lot!

 

Yeah Rodney How it's possible you fell into this abyss ?? just bad coincidence hm ?
the quickiest way is to pull the LAN cable or turn off wi-fi
OR
have personal files/data on external HDD ..
virus developers are a bit stupid .. they always attacking C:
never browsing ext peripherals
I had spotted one virus called CODEC by blinking mouse cursor so often ..
but I was laughing only because someone vas doing in c: and there is nothing confidential ...
I went to task manager and ended process ...
but of course I reinstalled win 7 ...

 

If you really want to know the complete story is here:

www.myspace.com/370392338

It involves a girl I met at a pysch hospital which also happens to be a good story so I started writing it as a book and movie-looking for an agent now and polishing the screenplay. I don't know for sure if she's part of the problem-I do know that she apparently likes to wallow in misery and has repeatedly turned down any offers for help-that's the way she is and she either has a really good imagination or she really has been kidnapped etc. by this idiot. The stuff they do is deranged and she's actually smart and I know she's constantly victimized by these guys-so now I've just given up on the real girl-and met another one I like that doesn't want to live in misery and actually appreciates when someone tries to be nice to her-but the fictional girl in the story is another matter. But these idiots are also endangering me so that's the reason for posting their antics online-self defense-the latest ploy is a threat to take my fingerprints off some sign I made ages ago and plant them at a crime scene-since this idiot's father is a homicide detective-with not one, but two sons who are convicted felons-I'm taking it seriously enough that I'm making a preemptive strike online even though it is utterly ridiculous. The idea they would even be able to think of such a thing in addition to their ability to damage computers indicates they're clearly dangerous and I wouldn't doubt they learned some of this crap from their father-unbelievable. Makes for interesting writing, however, and I wonder if I'm right about this detectives challenged ethics just how many people may be incarcerated right now because of him? I also E-Mailed several Los Angeles Times reporters in case they feel like digging-and again as a preemptive strike.

I'll bet this is a first for this board.

 

Wait, what!?

Must've clicked the wrong link. Was looking for the Sony forum..

 

wowsers. what is going on in here.

 

We have entered it for sure!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzlG28B-R8Y