Official Sony Vaio Fit multi-flip PC Owners' Thread

Good point. Heck, maybe I'll go back to CPM and punch cards!

 

Hy i ve a question i don t know if anyone asked it.
After upgrading to 8.1 is there anyway to use the recovery part in the hard i tried to use reset and it give error ?

 

Just to add, AData doesn't sell 256GB SD cards (yet). They only go up to 128GB.
ADATA Technology,Solid State Drive,RAM,USB Flash drive,external hard drive,Memory Card,wireless accessories,mobile accessories

 

Hi All,

I've been reading this thread for a while now and it has helped me with using my Sony Vaio Multi-Flip .

Anyway, I noticed many of you have considered formatting your drives to remove the bloatware, I haven't read all 121 pages (but a good 75%) but today I was looking in the box and found a note regarding performing a clean installation which was as follows:

The hard disk drvie on your VAIO computer contains a cache area so that the computer can increase the speed of the data reading/writing. The cache area cannot be used as a data area.

If you modify partitions on the hard disk drive with the Windows feature when performing the Windows clean installation, the computer will not distinguish between the cache area and the data area correctly. In this case, data may not be written correctly.

If you have modified the partitions with the Windows feature, start Wipe and Erase Data using the Recovery Media you have created and erase the data on the hard disk drive. After you erase the data, the case mentioned above will not occur.

Nb. Use of your VAIO computer is not guaranteed in case you install a different Windows operating system from the preinstalled one.

Nb. After you erase the data with Wipe and Erase Data, the capacity of the hard disk drive seems to have decreased compared with the capacity at the time of purchase. This is because the capacity of the cache area is not displayed, and the capacity of the data area does not change.

This will only apply to those that have hard drives and not SSD's in their PC, I believe the hard drives are hybrids and contain a section (16GB I believe on the 750GB version) that is used as an SSD (although I may be wrong) and thus 16GB will be missing in addition to the space used for operating system etc.

 

Welcome to the forum, challis1991

First things first : I don't believe we've had a member who has been 100% successful with a clean install yet. Some have come close, but I think none have been able to get all the drivers working for everything. They will correct me if I'm wrong.

That's an interesting note you have there, and I've had to read it a few times to get what they mean.

======

This relates to the NAND flash of the SSHDs (hybrid drives). The 16GB (and 8GB on 500GB drives) is known as "cache" and cannot be manually allocated ; it is run by the drive's controller only.

I'm no hybrid drive expert, but I'm assuming it is possible to mess with the "cache" (NAND) partition if you try hard enough, and that would cause conflicts between Windows and the hybrid drive's controller.

I guess what they mean here is if you've tinkered with the partitions when doing a clean Windows install, then you'd need to start again adn choose the option (within VAIO Recovery) to "Wipe and Erase Data". This would totally wipe the drive and then Windows could install cleanly (if you have a Windows disk or .ISO) and install all needed partitions correctly, AND allow the 16GB "cache" to work correctly on the hybrid.

At first I thought they meant that the warranty got voided if you did a clean install. But reading it again, I'm getting that "Use of your VAIO is not garanteed" means your VAIO may not work if you try to install a different VERSION of Windows (like Windows 7).

Hmmm. Not sure here. I think they are saying that the NAND flash drive shows in Windows disk management originally, but it won't show if you do a clean install following a "Wipe and Erase Data" of the disk. It wouldn't show as a separate 16GB, but would be included in the drive's capacity ? Really not sure here.

Here's a link to the VAIO Recovery options, where we can see the "Wipe and Erase Data" option (look at Step #7) : https://us.en.kb.sony.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/31704/related/1

Thanks for sharing this information

 

Thanks Mark! Hello everyone else :hi2:

I thought I would mention it as I don't want people to mess up their shiny new (and expensive) laptops when wiping the hard drive and starting afresh. I am pleased that I never bothered attempting this, mainly due to needing the laptop urgently for University as my old one cut out a few days after receiving my Multi-Flip as it seems to be a massive headache. Although it must be possible to do a fresh install somehow as Sony offer "Fresh Start" as an option...

 

Don't know what's the criteria for a 100% clean install. But if it's having no issues flagged on Device Manager and clean Reliability Monitor logs, I've attached a TXT file containing the steps I did to do a Win8.1 clean install.

Please note that this is only day 2 after my clean install. So read the doc with a grain of salt (and use a text viewer set to word wrap). I haven't had any issues so far.

 

Holly crap! I used to work on a Toshiba CPM word processor. It had two huge 8" floppy drives. Sounds like an a/c unit. Talk about fan noise!?

 

Welcome to the forum, bc4m5 (and fellow Canuck)

Yup, I would consider that a successful clean install. Thank you for the excellent write-up :thumbsup:

That's a gold mine of information for anyone looking at a clean install scenario. I also realize it isn't for everybody, as far as complexity goes.
I will repeat something I said earlier in this thread, as a reminder but also as an *easy* alternative to clean installs... but it'll cost you $50 : it's the "Fresh Start" option, available only in North America and a few other regions on the globe excluding Europe (I think). I paid the $50 and got W8 Pro with virtually zero bloatware. No need to fresh install, the Flip booted in 13 seconds from cold with the 500GB hybrid drive.

One important detail from your journey : you needed a separate W8.1 product key. I don't know how you got yours (rhetorical question, no need to answer), but for the average Joe this means a roughly $100 expense.

Another rather shocking detail : no way to create Recovery disks (or stick) after the 8.1 upgrade ! Really ?? Holy crap this is bad, Sony...
This means a majority of W8 Flip owners will not have the ability to create Recovery media because very few do this right away, prioritizing updates (8.1 included) over Recovery disks. This leaves the Recovery partition as the only safety net, and Sony support (send money for Recovery disks if your hard drive dies). I guess advanced users can image the Recovery partition and make it bootable, on removable media. But anyway... this sucks for a majority of W8 Flip owners.

One thing I'd like you to clarify for me, please, regarding the custom install procedure : you simply allow Windows to install on C:\, right ? I'm asking just as a follow-up on the note found in challis1991's Flip box, which strongly suggests not to mess with partitions when installing fresh. This would be especially important for those keeping a hybrid drive onboard I guess.

Just curious : how did you like (or dislike) the Flip after a Recovery install on SSD ? Mine is great, so far anyway.

Thanks...

Mark

 

Thanks Mark,

I considered the "Fresh Start" but I wanted to see what I would miss. Besides, even with fresh start, I would have ripped it and put it back together again - just me. It's a good thing I have an MSDN subscription.

Install Windows on C:... I actually deleted all partitions during the clean install attempts and also prior to reverting to factory image on failed attempts. That is why I'm sold on the recovery media. It completely restores the drive to factory image. The gotchas on hybrid drives are new to me. Good thing they don't affect SSD owners.

I like the Flip on factory/recovery image and after the clean install. I'm mostly using it for gaming so the "fan issue" is a non-issue for me. Even my Dell M4700 revs up its 2 fans when I game (or when the antivirus does its full scan). But just like my Dell M4700, the Flip is quiet when I do non-processor/GPU intensive tasks. Mine was built Dec 3. So maybe they had fixed it by then.

 

Hi bc4m5, thanks a lot for this howto ! I'll give it a try next week and come back here to report the result. I didn't know I had to save the driver folder...

Btw, sony support explicitly refuse to help you if you say you have done a clean install...

Other news, the last Nvidia driver for the 735M caused a BSOD when you plug or unplug the power to the laptop with the error message : "VIDEO_DXGKRNL_FATAL_ERROR"

Coming back next week !

 

You can reuse your license key by following this process :

"I did my fresh install using a 8.1 USB installation disk, using these keys for installation : 334NH-RXG76-64THK-C7CKG-D3VPT for Core, XHQ8N-C3MCJ-RQXB6-WCHYG-C9WKB for Professional. These keys just let you install, not activate, I replaced it just after install with the one from the original OS and the activation was successful."

 

pTTY,

I tried the plug/unplug on my Win8.1Flip and the screen blanked out for probably 0.5 second but came back up. I checked the Win Event logs and Reliability Monitor and no issues.

The BSOD message was the same one I got during my install attempts. Try swapping out the Intel Graphics with the latest one from Intel - uninstall from Program and Features; install the one from Intel; run the Intel WIDI update tool to get the rest that go with the IGfx drivers.

Keep in mind that audio and video issues may involve the IGfx. With video for example, even with Optimus, the IGfx is still in play even when you're using NVidia graphics. The IGfx just uses NVidia's brains and muscle. But the final/combined render is still IGfx. This is why windowed apps still work when 1 app uses NVidia and the rest use IGfx.

 

Hi there, I'm back with my new 13A I sent the old one back with some lighter patches on the screen, and SONY sent me a new one in two weeks time. Well, a bit more because of the holidays, but that's not their fault. Fortunately this one has no screen issues (so far), though I've noticed that the fan has a certain pitch to it, which the old one didn't. But I'd rather have that.

But there's something else that intrigues me in this new machine, and it's the flip mechanism. I distinctly remember laughing at qualms voiced by other users who said their flips flipped too easily and they couldn't get the screen remain stable at a certain angle. While I still don't understand the point in that second issue(?), I've noticed that the new flip has a shorter rubber band as the pic below shows, meaning that the two little plastic nibs are visible on the top. The old one had the rubber band extend all the way, which made the flipping motion somewhat clumsy, as it was a bit difficult to make the top budge. That might have actually caused the screen damage...

I was just wondering what other 13A owners have to say about this, since I'm wondering whether this might actually be a version 2.0... or another defective unit...

Thank you all very much for your feedback.

[picture]

 

Did some digging and found that the Sony UK site has a Win8.1 patch for the Recovery partition. Here's the link to their update page. It shows up as "Rescue Data(x64) Update Program - 2.7.2.10290/2.8.2.10290/2.9.1.10290/2.10.1.10290" in the 8.1 updates. I can't try it out because I wiped out my Recovery Partition. But it may help those who did the in place 8.1 update.

Sony : SVF15N15STS updates | Download updates for SVF15N15STS

 

I am loving my 14A. No real fan issues. Sometimes it is a little loud, but not deafening.

I have noticed, however, a couple of times my touch screen would stop working.

Has anyone had this issue and what is the fix?

 

Have you tried a double tap? Solved it for me on my previous 13A. (Haven't had any issues on the new one yet, but it wasn't that common there either.)

 

Just purchased the flip 14, i5 processor model a couple weeks ago. Love the machine, but it is freezing up constantly since I completed both Windows and Vaio updates a few days ago. Any ideas on how to stop the random freezing? Nothing works when it freezes, not the touch pad, touch screen or keyboard. Control-alt-delete doesn't respond either. Only choice so far is to force shut down and restart.

 

Hello guys,

I have recently purchased a Vaio Flip 15A as well and so far I'm loving it. I have one very annoying issue though:

Every time I accidentally push a button of the digitizer when holding it above the touchscreen, VAIO Paper or VAIO Clip want's to start. However, I have uninstalled both of these apps, so instead a dialog box appears telling me that one of these apps wanted to start, but that that was not possible as they are not installed. So whenever I am using my digitizer for whatever purpose, every once in a while this dialog box appears, and its driving me nuts... It is basically making the digitizer useless
I have explored every possible setting I could think of on my laptop; have tried to reinstall both apps and then uninstall again; have googled for this issue, but I cannot seem to find a solution. Below I attached a screenshot with both dialog boxes.
So I was hoping any of you might have had the same experience and might have come across a solution? It would be very helpful!

Regards,
Wim

 

Hi guys!! New here. I ordered a Flip 15A via Canada's Sony Store one week back, and got it today.

Everything is good and running, no fan issues, no touch issues, none...the screen (I got the super hd 2880 x 1620 screen) is superb EXCEPT there is 2 dead pixels....one of the top right...and the other one on the bottom right...

I am still debating if I should send it into repairs since everything else is perfect....I was so excited to get this laptop to replace my 5 year old dell

I am using those unstuck pixel programs online to see if that fixes it...as I hope they are not dead pixels.....but stuck only...which is unlikely since the 2 pixels is black no matter what is on the screen....sighhhh

I called Sony Support and I told them about the dead pixel and they told me to send it into repairs...

Does anyone know if there is any other way to fix these 2 damn dead pixels....or should I ignore it and just keep the flip for now?

And also does anyone know the dead pixel policy of Sony's?...like how many dead pixel you will need to have in order to have them issue a repair...the sony support guy says he doesn't know....so I don't want to drive all the way to sony store just to be refused a repair...

Anyone else having this issue?

Thanks!

 

Did you try to put a dummy .exe (which does nothing) with the same name and in the same folder than the original Paper and Clip app ? That should probably make it.

 

Hello! First of all, I'm sorry if this problem has already been posted, but my router is currently not working so I'm tethering myself using mobile data, thus it'd be quite expensive to sift through over 100 pages.

I purchased my Vaio Flip 13A instores (Canada) 2 days ago and the model number is SVF13N15CDB. I'm loving the laptop so far and the flip mechanism is absolutely gorgeous. However, the bottom half of the touchscreen is extremely jumpy and seems to be broken. If I were to draw a single-stroke vertical line from the top of the screen to the bottom, the top half of the line would be continuous, but the bottom would be a dotted line due to the jumpy-ness.

I have tried to calibrate the screen through Tablet PC Settings but cannot tap the bottom eight crosshairs. I have also tried downloading the Panel Calibration Tool, but it either failed or didn't help. The following text file was created after running CalibG4:

0)Error ayloadLen len is too small =0 while it should be 3
0)Error:Failed to HandleResponse. ParseResponseToCall() failed.

I'm not sure how to attach pictures onto this post, but I have uploaded the following to Imgur to show the problem with the screen: VAIO screen test. 1 shows single-stroke vertical lines, 2 shows single-stroke horizontal lines, 3 shows single-stroke squiggles, and the blue line shows an approximation of where the screen goes "bad".

I am using Windows 8.1 if that matters. Should I exchange this laptop or is this problem fixable? Any advice would be very much appreciated!

EDIT (some extra details): This problem was present right out of the box, even before upgrading to 8.1. Also this problem is present with both stylus and finger touch use of the screen. Also, the screen test image was created from the laptop using VAIO paper.

 

I am having the same issue. I use this thing plugged in most of the time. If the touchscreen stops working, unplugging the charger will fix it.

 

Hey, I think I solved the issue! I determined via taskmanager wich file was responsible and deleted it. (VaioClip.exe) First I tried renaming it, but that didn't have any effect. So I decided to delete it and that worked. I neither noticed any issues with other Vaio programs due to this file missing. So I'm happy! Oh, and as it turned out, both the starting of vaio clip AND vaio paper was controlled by the same file named VaioClip.exe

I can finally start enjoying the digitizer. Downloaded a trial of Clip Studio Paint (maga studio) and it works amazing! I dont know why I ever wanted pressure sensitivity to work in Photoshop, it is great at a lot of things, but for actual drawing CSP is 10 times better!
So my last concern about PS not supportg ntrig is also releaved

 

Sorry about the delay.
VAIO Control Center > Hardware > Hard Disk Protection

It's easiest to use the search bar to find it (start typing from the start screen), there's a few other settings in there too that you might want to play around with.

 

Hey, does any of you have experience with Clip Studio Paint on the vaio? In my last post I was really happy to have found the program and its pressure sensitivity with n-trig. So I decided to buy it (37 euro's, no money!)!.
Now, the pressure sensitivity worked absolutely perfect in the trial version, but now I opened my brand new licenced version and the pressure sensitivity is gone! How did that happen?! I'm very disappointed of course... Does anyone know if there is a specific setting I have to switch on or something?

Regards,
Wim

 

Hey everyone I have a custom Flip 14" on the way from Sony. I have spent reading through the various threads here, on sony community and on tabletpcreview.
I just wanted some clarifications on the following:

1. After I do all the Sony updates and BIOS updates is it safe to upgrade to Windows 8.1? What are some of the issues being experienced after updating the BIOS and Sony then going to 8.1?

2. Has the BIOS update definitely fixed the fan noise issue for 14" users?

3. Do you guys have any other suggestions for me? After reading this thread I also bought a 32gb transcend usb flash drive to do the recovery. Also planning on imaging the drive.

I am a little disheartened at the NUMEROUS problems associated with this model but I decided to give it a go since I saw satisfied users here and there. The thing is only this model currently suits all my computing needs. My last Sony laptop over 3 years ago was somewhat a disappointment it has smears and dead pixels out of the box and roughly 9 months later the left speaker stopped working. So I am praying that this Sony delivers since I am upgrading from a laptop that is nearly 3 years old that I love but now has a bad hard drive. I think Sony has great designers but are seriously lacking in the technical engineering department. They must seek to emulate reliable brands e.g. Toshiba and Apple in this respect if they are truly to be considered good laptop manufacturers. Sony to me if threading dangerously close to the moniker of "Beautiful idiot" like a handsome man or beautiful woman who is really stupid.

Thanks in advance for your replies.

 

Ok, I got my pressure sensitivity back! Turns out there is a setting for WinTab mode or Tablet-PC mode. Should be tablet-pc mode. Only thing is, I now lost the ability to zoom in or out or rotate my canvas with my fingers. In the trial that was possible, but I could not draw with my fingers, which was in my opinion very convenient... well I guess I will have to look for a setting for that as well...

 

Hi there Mezzi

I purchased a 14A and played with it for a few weeks, because we wrapped it up for X-Mas (gift to daughter). Loved it, miss it, daughter absolutely loves it.
I've said this before : I think the 14 has had the least problems of the 3 model lines, but that could be a flawed statistic because the 13 and 15 models seem to sell a lot more, so more problem reporting due to numbers.

About the updates : do all the Windows 8 updates (not 8.1 yet), do all the Apps updates from the MS Store and do all the updates offered by the VAIO Update program (the update for the Update program itself should be done first, at least that's how it was for me about a month ago).
You must create Recovery media BEFORE the 8.1 upgrade, because 8.1 seems to break that program and you can no longer create Recov. disks/stick after. There may be a fix for this but it hasn't been tested yet.
For me, the BIOS update fixed the fan noise ; I did it under W8 and all was well after the 8.1 upgrade (same as before). I had one problem arise after the 8.1 upgrade and it had to do with the touchscreen : when the screen was sitting upright (laptop mode, 90 degrees give or take a few), the mouse cursor would randomly start jumping around, and/or I would see *touch* circles onscreen popping up all over. Disabling the touchpad didn't help. What cured it : the screen calibration tool offered in VAIO updates.
I also didn't like the *adaptive brightness* feature that lowers brightness to 30% at night automatically, even on AC power, so I turned it Off and now we have regular manual control over brightness. When adaptive brightness kicks in, you simply cannot manually Up the brightness as it shows 100% already, which is false.

If the Transcend stick doesn't work for Recovery, try to find a cheap USB 2.0 Lexar, which has worked for a few of us here. Imaging the drive is a good idea, too ; one member suggested imaging W8 and then W8.1, to be on the safe side.

No dead pixels here.

Sony seems to have chosen features over quality, and short product cycles. The Up side of this is that their Flips are leading edge. The Down side... well, we have a lot of examples here in this thread : slightly warped screen hinges on some machines, poor fan choice, some fans grind against the chassis, possible CPU throttling on some machines, some unusual keyboard warping/flexing, sharper than needed edges, etc...

A lot of lucky buyers in Europe have been offered free 4 year warranties ; lucky them, I only have the one year, but anyway...

Daughter has been intensly testing the Flip 14 for over a week now : not one complaint. Because she's on holidays, hardly no work in laptop mode so it's been all fun in tablet mode for her. She loves Classic Shell for Desktop mode and switches seemlessly to Metro when needed. I told her the fan was blowing one night, and she replied * really ?* There you go

 

Sorry about the late reply...

MSDN subscription : ah yes... sweet ! I need to get me one of those soon. I have a few different Windows systems set up for different things but getting licenses can get... well, expensive.
Someone has posted here about using the original Flip W8 product key for a clean 8.1 install, so maybe that is an option after all.

About wiping the drive before a fresh install : I agree it is a non issue for those with a regular (non hybrid) HDD or SSD, but for anyone looking at fresh installing 8.1 on a hybrid, it would likely be best to wipe thoroughly first. Doing a complete disk image prior to wiping would be a must, with Recovery media creation done prior as well.
You like to tinker, do/undo and I can relate to that, though you seem to have the enthusiasm edge on me at the moment lol.
Your experiences will benefit others here I'm sure.

 

Hey Mark thanks for your detailed reply I appreciate it
I am typing this on my new Flip overall I like the machine but the fan noise and pitch reminds me of a plane. Despite the multiple reviews I read I was still unprepared for just how much flex the keyboard exhibits.
As the computer booted and I went to desktop I did all 6 updates including the Bios i.e. BIOS version R0230DD when it reached 100% it shut down but did not restart itself so I restarted it and the fan noise is still here. Should the machine have restarted itself after the update was complete? Should I reattempt the update by downloading the file from the Son website?

I am glad your daughter loves her laptop, you sound like a great dad. Question for you how do I get the touchpad to scroll up and down. I have to be using the pg up and pg dn buttons.

I think I am going to hold off on the 8.1 update until Sony actually starts shipping the Flips with 8.1.

You have made some good points and I could not agree more. Sony has chosen features and cutting edge designs over quality which is sad. Despite all the issues I have read about I had to take the gamble because there was literally no machine on the market except the Flip that suited my needed.

So far my screen is flawless and the machine is super fast I have the i7, 1tb, 8gb version. I did have a phantom touch awhile ago while typing this post and the laptop was suddenly on the tiles.

Thanks again for your reply Mark.

 

I have the 14", and no issues. Had no trouble doing a USB recovery backup, and a set of DVDs just for good measure (8.1). Have cloned the disk (500gb sata) but have yet to test it. Keyboard feels fine. Fan noise no issue. Actually, I have no complaints so far.

 

If anyone cares, my 15A which I ordered on December 27th and was custom built has the latest bios, so no fan issue from the get go for me,

But still deciding if I should return this to my local sony store to get my 2 minor dead pixel repaired.

 

Thank you soo much. .. This almost drove me mad

Sent from my SM-N900 using Tapatalk

 

The plastic nibs are visible on mine too. And I don't have any issues with the fan or anything else

Sent from my SM-N900 using Tapatalk

 

So I reverted back to my factory update Win8.1 image and applied the Rescue Data Update from the Sony UK site ( Sony : SVF15N15STS updates | Download updates for SVF15N15STS | SVF15N15STS)

Applying it restored the ability to create Recovery Media from Vaio Care. It's a few hundred MBs smaller than the one created from the factory Win8 image. But that is probably because of that extra 360 MB partition that was created during the update.

Also, tried out the Recovery Media that was created. It produced a Win8 base install I guess it was too much to hope for a set Win8.1 recovery media. So now, I have 2 sets of Win8 factory Recovery Media. At least owners who updated to Win8.1 can create Recovery Media.

So now, I've restored back to my clean Win8.1 system backup image. Technically, everything was restored, the green progress bar went all the way to the end. But I got an error when it did. Didn't have my phone with me so I didn't get a screenshot. Anyways, decided to try what it restored and everything seems to be working fine despite the error. So I'm sticking with it.

 

Before you decide what to do re dead Pixel try software such as http://www.jscreenfix.com/as it may be a 'stuck' pixel as opposed to dead! Hope this helps!

 

Good news for those looking for pressure sensitivity in Photoshop.

http://community.sony.com/t5/VAIO-H...zer-Adobe-Photoshop-Hotfix/m-p/260087#U260087

Better than nothing i guess

 

Ok so I have spent a couple hours with this machine so far. Some questions why do I have to shake the screen to autorotate and why is it when I tap an entry field the virtual keyboard does not automatically come up? I have to tap a field then select the keyboard icon.....very annoying.
Also why is there no off/on switch for the sony pen? Is there a way to turn it off when not in use?

 

I think its the location of the sensor in the screen... I've noticed that *sometimes* if I put the laptop in tablet mode I have to hold it vertically for the screen to rotate.

The tap for virtual keyboard only works in metro apps (its a windows thing)

And the probably uses very little charge but you can always remove the battery! Sony have provided you with 2 batteries though so I guess see how long the first lasts? Then the second one is free

 

Thanks for your reply challis1991
Just found a dead pixel :-(

 

I think that due to the large number of complaints regarding the keyboard not popping up automatically in non-metro apps, it may be fixed in a later edition of windows (8.2 maybe?) but I cam appreciate it's a difficult problem to solve as it's impossible with laptop/tablet hybrids to tell whether the user is in laptop or tablet mode as obviously it differs depending on device. An ideal solution would be an on/off button in the taskbar for the on screen keyboard to appear automatically or not, obviously only requiring the user to switch it on once.

Sorry to hear about the dead pixel try the software I suggested in a few posts prior to your previous and see if that helps!

 

Hey challis1991, I tried the software but it says I need to pay for a license to use it.

 

I just tried it and it worked fine... on the home page I just scrolled down and clicked "Launch JScreen Fix" a black screen came up with a box that you hover over the broken pixel for 10 minutes...

No worries there are loads others out there... just Google "how to fix dead pixel" another is UDPixel - udpix.free.fr

What colour is the pixel? As generally white or black means dead but a colour is just stuck...

By the way, ONLY use software to try and fox the pixel DO NOT apply pressure to the screen as some articles suggest, as you may risk cracking the screen which will not be covered by Sony. If the software doesn't work then you will have to send it back or take it to a Sony Centre if there is one within sufficient distance and living a short period of time without your laptop is much better than a cracked screen and thousand pound repair fee!

 

Also to those looking for a way of attaching the stylus to the laptop, I like TS's idea but I don't like that it stops the laptop closing properly. As my stylus got delivered today I cam understand the frustration as I myself don't know where to put it... another alternative (probably one I will use for the time being) is to use those headphone jack charms that you can purchase for your mobile phone and attach it to your pen.

Something like this Dust Plug Cell Phone Charm Holder by HobbyTimeDesign on Etsy where you can plug it into the headphone jack of your Vaio and attach the metal ring to your pen clip

Just an idea anyway... desperate times = desperate measures...

 

Hey challis1991, it's black and I will be sure not to apply pressure. Thanks for linking that program. More than likely I will just live with it, I can't afford to return it because of a dead pixel but Sony needs to do better.

I am thinking about buying a good ole leather slim pencil case for the Sony pen. I was looking into the Targus one that was attached in this thread but I think it makes the laptop look too unattractive and it is not a permanent or even semi-permanent solution in any case.

 

I agree, the least Sony should be doing is checking the screen for dead pixels! That is a VERY BASIC quality test right there...

I like your idea also especially if I get a pink case that matches my Vaio

 

Sony is a joke challis1991. This will be the last Sony I buy.

Everyone please check out the fan noise below, I recorded the fan noise using a recordpad software. Yes it is THAT bad, please listen before you make your purchase. The noise is unbearable like a jet plane with a pitch like a mosquito.

Vocaroo | Voice message

 

You're quite welcome

About the BIOS update : I don't remember if the machine rebooted by itself afterwards. There is however one thing you can do : run the BIOS update tool again and it should tell you if your current version is up to date or not. If not, then run the update again.
I clearly remember that the fan quieted down immediately and noticeably after the BIOS update here though ; like night and day.

8.1 has not created any problems on this Flip, other than the touchscreen calibration going haywire, which was easily fixed with the calibration tool. I do have a message in Windows Maintenance about needing to reinstall some Bluetooth drivers because 8.1 apparently broke them, but I haven't had any problems pairing a set of BT headphones so I haven't done anything about those drivers.

Myself and the daughter aren't big touchpad fans so we use a wireless mouse, a lot. I did play with the touchpad a bit and remember doing two-finger scrolling quite easily (up and down the middle of the touchpad). I hadn't changed any of the default settings either.

Sorry to hear about the possibly dead pixel ... Hopefully you can bring it back to life without a return.

Edit to add : I was writing this when you replied with your fan noise sample. It does sound like what I heard before the BIOS update. Please just make sure you have the latest BIOS...

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Thanks for the update on that fix, which seems to work :thumbsup:
Hopefully Sony will get this information out on all sites for all models affected, soon.
I am not surprised about the W8-only factory install from Recovery, even after Recovery media creation under 8.1. When Flips later ship with 8.1, then Recovery will be to 8.1 because Recovery media is just a copy of the Recovery partition on the machine, which never changes no matter which system version is up and running at the time of media creation. By keeping Recovery static, so to speak, manufacturers also make sure you reinstall everything that shipped with the machine, including bloatware. I can't explain why your 2 sets of Recov media are not the same size though, because the purpose of Recovery, to my understanding at least, is to reinstall everything per factory settings, including all partitions. So this means I am a few details short of fully understanding the process

Glad you got a successful re-image

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@naughtynazgul : thanks for that link. It is a start and I'm sure Sony won't stop until they can offer full Photoshop support. They seem committed to give Wacom some serious competition, and Photoshop support = bragging rights.

 

I am anxiously waiting for my flip 14a which will come to me on 7th according to the tracking info. I have been looking for a skin so I can protect it from scratches since I will be carrying it around for school. So far, this is the only I found. Do you guys know if there's any other companies that offer skin for flip?

Amazon.com : Decalrus - Sony Vaio Fit 14A Flip "FLIP" with 14" Touchscreen BLUE Texture Brushed Aluminum skin skins decal for case cover wrap BAvaio14AFlipBlue : Decorative Laptop Skin Decals : Computers & Accessories

And do anybody use screen protector? I am worried I will scratch the screen overtime since I will take a lot of notes. TIA