Official Sony VAIO F Series i5/i7 owners thread *Part 5*

I don't think that you have the Sony Shared Library installed.

 

Alright, I'm done with most of the basic installations now I think .. I just have these two devices in Device Manager which don't have a driver yet ... Any ideas what they might be:

Base System Device
Unknown Device

I also had another question .. You know when you click on Start, and right click on My Computer and go to Properties .. On the page that shows up, it does NOT say 'SONY' as my laptops manufacturer there .. I know this is probably because I manually installed the OS, but how can I get 'SONY' written over there ... ? Is there any Sony tool/software which I need to install which will do this ?

 

Well I did select it in the application reinstall list ... Should I manually try downloading it and then install from that ?

 

I would uninstall VAIO Care and then download and install the Shared Library first and then the VAIO Care update second.

From here:

Sony eSupport - VPCF1390X - Software Updates & Drivers

 

I have a problem I erased the two partitions on my external HDD. now my computer does not recognize the drive, does not show up in my computer at all or in disk management. Please help

 

My bad, I forgot to mention the next steps:

It SHOULD appear in disk management, but will need to be initialized. I have done this with both my SSD and my HDD via eSATA.

 

I'm going to try not to be to crappy...I gave you pretty good instructions several pages back that would have kept most of these problems from happening and you said you did not want to take the time to make the recovery disks. Had you done that and followed the instructions, little to none of this would have happened. After you installed windows, you could have simply inserted the disks and loaded nearly all drivers, all needed utilities and all wanted third party programs.

The first missing driver (Base System Device) is the "Ricoh PCIe Memory Stick controller" if my memory recalls. Every time I have done a clean install I have had to download this from Sony. It never works with recovery disks either.

The second problem is most likely your wireless adapter...Atheros AR9287. I can't guarantee it, but the wireless card always seems to need its own installation. Check to see if you have it installed in your device manager.

 

No problem.

You simply did not name a path for the drive.

Start/ Control Panel/ Administrative Tools/ Computer Management

On the right side you will find a list...click on Disk Management (if you don't see it, then expand "Storage" and you will find it there).

You will find a list of your disks in the "volume" pane and boxes below with numbered disks. Usually the external disk is Disk 2 (but not always). You can tell by how large the space is. Find the one that is 596GB or so. I would think that is the one you are looking for, correct?

when you find it, simply right click on it to bring up the menu. In the menu, you should see "Change Drive Letter and Paths". Click on this and I believe a box comes up. It should be empty. Click on "Add". Click the circle to "assign the following drive letter".

Hint: I like to use "M" for Music, "P" for photos and a personal letter, such as the first letter of my first name for my data files and folders. Do'nt use anything below "F" because "D" and "E" are already taken by the computer. I also like to name the drive..."Music" for the "M" drive, etc.

Click "OK" and continue to do so until you can close all windows. It should now show up as whatever you named it...such as Music (M .

 

Alright so here's another problem .. So I uninstalled VAIO Care, and I tried installing the Sony Shared Library manually myself ..

The problem is the installer starts, I click next and everything, and when it say "Installing. This may take a few minutes", it actually just disappears after 2-3 seconds with no confirmation on whether it was installed or not .. And I'm assuming its NOT installed because if I re-enable the battery checker application and restart my PC, I again get those nags that I need to reinsert my battery .. This is based on a previous advise I received that such an statement is only made if the Sony Shared Library isn't installed ..

So how do I make sure if Sony Shared Library is in fact installed or not, and if it isn't then how do I install it ??

 

Actually I did make the recovery discs, and I did everything you indicated, but I guess it still turned out different .. But I will try to install the two drivers you mentioned manually and see if that takes care of those two things ..

 

Hi all,

I have had the f13 laptop for 24hr, first impressions it is stunning to look at and performance is good.

Pros :
nice 16.4 display, responsive and a beast

Cons :
noise is akin to an old laptop with a clogged fan
laptop is just full of bloatware
battery life as expected for a quad core laptop with a 16.4 screen is not great.

Is there something I can do about the noise of the fan?

 

Cheers for that. I'll take a look at that thread too. Thank you...just impatient to get it now.

 

Depends on what noise you have: http://forum.notebookreview.com/son...7-owners-thread-part-5-a-315.html#post7161797

IF you mean just loud fan then all you need is to buy notebook cooler or reinstall windows to stop tons of processes and delete unnecessary bloatware.

 

Hi James D, many thanks for the reply. The fan noise is just a hum due to a hot cpu. Nothing more. Still uninstalling all this bloatware!! 92 processes

 

Well known problem of this F series. The best way is to buy larger battery for more air space underneath or notebook cooler like Cooler Master U3 for ~30$ or U2 for 22$.

 

Alright, **finally**, after several attempts, I've finally done a Windows 7 installation with everything installed in place and everything is working fine ... phew .. Finally, I can hit the bed .. But here's some questions which I would like to see answered by the time I wake up ..

1) How do I get 'SONY' to be mentioned as my laptop manufacturer in the My Computer -> Properties window .. ? I know, its a weird request probably, but I want it to say SONY over there if possible ..

2) I feel that sometimes my laptop gets a little too warm at the area just on the right side of the mouse pad ... Is it normal .. ? I mean its not *very* hot, but its a little uncomfortable .. Can something be done about that ?

3) What is the 'Thermal Control Strategy' thing found in the special button function assignment place in VAIO Control Center ?

4) Can I use VAIO Care to make any set of recovery discs now, since I've managed to install all my drivers and a clean Windows 7 install .. ? This will really come in handy in future if I ever need a reset .. I won't have to go through the pain of manually formatting/installing windows7 and the drivers, etc ..

5) I took a peek inside the BIOS of my machine, and the BIOS options are very very simple ones .. Like setting time, date, boot priority, etc .. The only 'advanced' thing I saw was the virtualization option and some option regarding C3/C6 something ... Aren't there any other functions available here regarding fan speeds or overclocking or something ?

 

1. No idea

2. Normal, but lessened with U2 cooler and fans placed in correct places. Also, hard drives get very hot. Switching to SSD will lower this temperature a lot.

3. I don't use it...in fact, my F11 stays plugged in, never sleeps or hibernates, only shuts down to reboot after a software installation or when moving to another location, and is set at max performance in all areas. I use the cooler and have no heat issues.

4. Yes, I always do this. After spending the time to set the computer up once, I want to do it the easy way if I ever have a problem. Also, if you create a new set, you have the option of going back to factory original or your own preferred setup.

5. Sony does not want anyone screwing with their product then sending it back when it fails, so they limit access. C3/C6 will change your fan settings, making it more quiet, but I would guess that there would need to be a reduction in processor power so that less heat is created. I am not all that familiar with it because I don't use the setting, but I would sure guess that for every change you would need to compromise. If not, then they would simply create these settings as normal at the factory.

 

Can you tell me specifically which cooler are you recommending .. ?

And with this cooler you F13 is cool at all times ? Are you using an SSD ?

Also, are there any quick shortcuts on the VAIO which can immediately set the fans to low or high or something ... ? So that its kinda like an exhaust; if it gets warms then you press the button and the fan starts blowing the heat out till you slow it down again ..

EDIT: Also, can I create another set of recovery discs using VAIO Care again, or should I use something like CloneZilla or Macrium Reflect or something ? VAIO Care is the easier option for me, but I fear it might just create recovery discs based on the recovery partition and not the custom Windows installation I've done .. Or does VAIO care create recovery discs on the particular Windows installation you're running it from ?

 

I got up today and saw my laptop. The only thought I had was: "I finally must take that sticky label OFF my laptop". It makes it hotter. Also it makes your big finger of right hand lil bit uncomfortable when other 3 fingers are on the arrows. Also there is written stupid information about PMB which I don't use. BUT My laptop looks more beautiful with that stick so that is why it is still there Also it reflects so both labels on both sides of touchpad looks pretty.

Thermal control strategy makes your fan work faster to lower the temperature. Very good when overclocking. Not because it will cool better, but because it will start cooling earlier.

You can overclock GPU without BIOS. I heard that overclocking CPU is blocked on our VAIO laptop. So even setfsb tool will not help you.

PS I can recommend you which cooler will be good

 

Buy Cooler Master U3 (~30$) or U2 (22$ but it is smaller little bit than you need).
No shortcuts, just use the cooler or disable C3/C6 but I don't recommend you to do that
Recovery discs will copy your Windows and write on DVDs. Recovery partition will be changed if you use DVDs for recover

 

Won't the U2 be a better fit for my 16.4" laptop .. ? Or quality-wise is U3 better ? U3 is meant for 19" laptops according to Amazon ..

 

Trust me, U2 is too small. I wish it was 5 cm. wider and 1-2 longer.

ImageShack Album - 8 images its mine U2

 

Trust me, the U2 is just fine. The U3 has 1 more fan than the VAIO has vents and is wider than the VAIO. It comes down to which you prefer. Larger lappy than cooler or larger cooler than lappy.

Photos:
Flickr: jasonedward's stuff tagged with notepalu2

 

I done it by hand using regedit...



Search for the key OEMInformation then add a new string value called Manufacturer. Right click on it and select modify and add SONY.

I then just did the same for Model and URL.

 

Just to wrap this up, I assume that you discovered the hidden window during the install of the Shared Library and proceeded successfully with the install, correct?

 

Thanks Paingiver, it is good to know! +Rep from me.

The registry key is:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\OEMInformation\
And you can also add the “Logo” value with a local path to a BMP, if you want to add a logo image.

 

Uh .. no .. I didn't find any easter eggs ..

Although, I sort of know the Sony Shared Library is installed because I found some 'Sony Shared' folders after running the installer which weren't there before .. Also, the battery checker isn't giving those false messages anymore .. so I think I did it correctly this time ..

Lastly, I talked to their Support line regarding this as well last night for an hour, and she tried running the Sony Shared Library installer on another VAIO computer she had access to, and she said even on that there was no Finish window ..

 

+1 rep from me also. Nice!

 

Sony Style USA has the new VPCF2190X CTO on site!

 

Hey guys. So I bought my F series back when they were first released in early 2010.

I have the VPCF115FM.

It has been having major overheating issues (Yes, I updated the BIOS) for a LONG time, and I have recently been given the opportunity to send it back to Sony, as I have a laptop to use in the mean-time.

My question is: How does Sony usually deal with an issue like mine? Will they fix the issue and give me back the same messed up laptop? Will they provide a refund? Will they give me the updated version of my laptop or screw me over and give me an inferior one?

I know there is no telling what they will do, as you are not Sony reps, but if anyone has any experience with this, please let me know how it was handled. Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

They will tell you that they changed heatsink, maybe even motherboard. Cleaned everything and other. Perhaps you will even get some microfibre LCD clean cloth. I doubt that they will give you new model. Maybe they will help you after all

 

Most likely, they will clean out all the dust and debris inside and replace any part(s) that may seem to be causing a problem and send it back to you. If it really is overheating excessively, that is something that can be fixed and will almost always be able to be fixed without replacing the entire laptop but with replacing one or two parts - could be the fan/thermal unit, the cpu, the gpu (soldered to motherboard), the motherboard itself or some component like power - could be just too much dust/debris in just the right places.

 

Thanks for the reply and help. I would be completely satisfied if I received the same laptop back without the current issue.

I expect the box from Sony to come on Monday, and assuming I send it in its current condition (without a reformat) do you think I would receive a fresh install of Win7 or will the files remain on the computer? I know this is a fairly specific question that you may not know. Figured it's worth a shot asking

 

someone not long time ago told how sony tried to repair his laptop from whistle sound and they brought it back and changed many things inside. And I guess he told that he was surprised that HDD was wiped and he had clean Windows install. But maybe I'm wrong

 

For your own sake, you should err on the side of assuming they will wipe the HDD/restore to factory settings and back up all your data and preferably make a system image if you don't want to have to re-install and re-configure everything. They may not do anything with your HDD, may not do a factory recovery, etc, but it is one of the techs' favorite things to do for any kind of issue and it's an easy way to eliminate software as a cause.

Maybe I'm more cautious than most, but anytime I've had to send my computer to anyone, I've always wiped the hard drive first myself and
restored to factory settings. I don't like strangers having access to my data. But most people don't do that. You should definitely backup your data though.

 

Are you sure about this ? I thought that when you create recovery discs through VAIO care, the recovery discs are created based on the recovery partition, and NOT on the Windows installation through which it is running ... Are you ABSOLUTELY SURE that VAIO Care creates recovery discs based on the Windows installation .. ?

Also, does VAIO Care create recovery discs based ONLY for the Windows partition (of the Windows through which VAIO Care is running), or does it create recovery discs based on the WHOLE system disc image .. ? That is to say, if I removed ALL partitions from my HDD (including the Recovery and System Reserved partitions), and tried recovering my PC through these recovery discs based on my custom Windows installation, will it restore ONLY that one Windows partition or will it restore ALL partitions (including the Recovery and System Reserved partitions) ?

 

Why don't you just create a system image through Backup and Restore and you can choose for yourself what drives it copies.

 

The Recovery Discs are created based upon the information in the Recovery Partition. It's essentially that partition being written to discs. If you wipe all parititions from your HDD and then try to install the OS using your recovery discs, the Recovery Partition and System Reserved partitions will be written to the HDD again. You'll have the option of allowing the Recovery Partition to contain the bloatware files and, more importantly, the OS.

If you keep the full Recovery Partition, then you'll be able to do a full system restore at any time w/o the need for the discs. If you opt for a small Recovery Partition, you'll only be able to launch the Recovery Center, but will need the discs you've created in order to restore the OS and/or install bloatware.

Long story short... the Recovery Discs contain ALL of the information necessary to make the HDD look EXACTLY as it did when it arrived from Sony.

I agree with jpride, make a system image. It's so much easier than starting over by reinstalling the OS.

 

Hmm ... I guess your advise contradicts what James D said .. He said that recovery partitions are created based on the Windows installation itself, and NOT on what is in the recovery partitions ..

Anyways .. I have no problem is creating a System Image from Backup and Restore .. My only issue with this is I don't know if it will backup EVERYTHING or not .. That is to say, if I wiped my entire hard drive, would I still be able to restore ALL partitions AND Windows installations (I have two of which: 7 and XP) using this system image I created from Backup and Restore ?

I mean is this better or some third party tool like Macrium Reflect .. ? I would prefer the Windows Backup and Restore process, provided it backs up EVERYTHING ..

EDIT: I've actually never used Windows 7's Backup and Restore before so I don't know the extent to where it backups up stuff from ..

 

yes, if you choose that.

 

Okay I just fired up the Backup and Restore thing ... One problem though .. On the screen where its giving me options on which partitions to backup, I dont see the Recovery Partition there .. I only see the C: (Windows 7) and D: (Windows XP) partitions, and the System Reserved Partition .. So how do I make it backup the Recovery partition as well ? Can I not tell it to just backup the entire hard drive, instead of choosing individual partitions ?

 

Yes, I am saying that James D is wrong.

If you were to use a completely wiped HDD, insert the Recovery Discs and let them run their course to a full OEM installation of the OS/software, the partitions will be the exact same is when Sony shipped it out.

A System Image is a wonderful backup method. You choose the partitions to image. The default will be the Recovery, Windows System, and C:\ partitions. You'll be able to manually select your other partitions on the drive, or partitions on other drives connected as well. Windows then makes an EXACT copy of everything on the selected partitions. You can use a system image to completely restore.

What some of us recommend is to get your OS/programs set to exactly how you want them, make a system image and set it aside. Then, as a regular backup, make system images. This way, in the event that system restore does not do the trick, you can go back to your most recent image and restore. Or, if you want to just start over, you can restore from your very first image and not have to worry about re-installing your important programs and drivers.

It's a little try how this works. When WinBackup makes an image, it creates a folder on the destination drive called "WindowsImageBackup". The next image to be made will write over the data in this folder, each image replacing the one before it. If you want to create an image of your OS like I mentioned, you'll need to make the image, then rename the folder. I chose "clean install - backup". This way, your regular system image backups will not write over your worse case scenario backup.

Now, when you want to restore from a system image, the Windows Repair Center is going to look on all drives (not the OS drive) for folders called WindowsImageBackup. So, if you want to restore from a recent backup, you have to do nothing. But... if you want to restore from your very first image (the clean install or whatever), you have to do some file renaming. First, you'l have to rename the existing WindowsImageBackup to something else. Then, rename "clean install - backup" to WindowsImageBackup and perform the restore. Once restored, you'll need to name the folders appropriately so as to not loose the original image.

Here's a BIG bonus to a system image backup vs standard windows backup, which does files instead of the entire system. If you make a system image today, then are playing around on your lappy tomorrow and permanently delete an important file... you can go into Disk Management, Attach VHD, navigate to the WindowsImageBackup folder, select the .vhd associated w/ the partition you want to browse, and that drive will be mounted virtually and you can explore and copy/paste/delete any files you want. It's very handy.

 

One partition should read "system reserved", another for C:\, and another for "recovery". Then, of course, your D:\ appears as well.

 

Are you sure you didn't delete it? On mine it automatically chooses the recovery position. I'm not at home - posting from my phone - so can't post a screenshot but I know this for sure and just made a new system image.

 

Nope its not deleted .. I was very careful with that .. If I look at the Disk Management section in Windows 7 (under Computer Management), I do see the recovery partition there ... First is the Recovery Partition, then the System Reserved partition, then C: and then finally D: ... Maybe the reason why the Recovery partition is not showing up is because its not NTFS format (in fact, there's no file system listed against it) .. All other partitions are NTFS, including the System Reserved partition ..

EDIT: Alright, I may have found something .. In Disk Management, it says the Recovery partition (size = 14.21 GB) is 100% empty .. :S .. I dont know maybe this is why its not showing up in Backup and Restore ... Although, I've been reinstalling apps using VAIO Care all night long, without having inserted any of the recovery discs I created .... Maybe Windows cannot read the partition and Sony VAIO can .. !?

 

Why don't you do this... make the system image, then explore the folder and see how many .vhd files you have. You won't know what they are directly, but should be able to guess based upon their size. Report back.

 

That's how they always appear. Mine is the same.

 

Alright, there are 3 of them .. One is 55 MB, and is 12 GB, and one is 1.34 GB .. I'm guessing the first is the System Reserved (Since the partition size is 100 MB), the second is Windows 7, and third is Windows XP .. So no Recovery partition ..

EDIT: Attached are pictures showing the scenario ..

 

Now, even more fun. Mount all 3 of those in Disk Management and figure out what's in them just to make sure. That's interesting that the Recovery Partition didn't come along for the ride.

 

I'm thinking this has something to do with it being a clean install from a Windows disk instead of from the Sony recovery disks. Could be totally off but I think that may be the difference in why your Windows backup won't recognize the recovery partition for backup.