Official Sony Vaio Fit multi-flip PC Owners' Thread

came home turned on my vaio and the keyboard and trackpad would not work. Then I noticed auto rotate no longer works. in device manager I get error code 10 for my clickpad.

I have tried restoring to no help. Really tired of this laptops glitchy ways. Has anyone fixed this. Thinking I need to take the battery out. Is there a CMOS battery in these?

Ive done everything to regedits to driver updates. Nothing works at all....

 

Hi there funndamentals,

If a factory restore didn't help, then it is unlikely to be software related (Windows, drivers...). Have you tried the reset button underneath, the one that requires a paper clip ? Here are some instructions from a Sony thread to reset the BIOS :

Source : Vaio Flip 15 not turning on - Sony's Community Site

Good luck...

 

Hello!

I was writing about my problems with a hard drive a few weeks/pages ago, maybe some of you remember.

The delivery time for the recovery DVDs was very long, but I could confirm that the hard drive was broken when they finally arrived. I also went ahead and installed an SSD and despite it being the first time I've been fiddling around in a computer, everything is working fine now!

 

Hi again Siskan

Thanks for stopping by to let us know what happened ! It was merely three weeks ago, so I remember quite well. Did you even bother getting a new HDD under warranty, or did you just confirm the drive had failed and went ahead with the SSD install ? I'm just curious...

Getting something like this done with little or no experience is very gratifying, and a testament to your resolve to getting it done right. Bravo !
Speedier with the SSD, isn't it ? Now hopefully you'll get to enjoy the Flip for a looong time

 

Hi Mark!
You're part of this success, so I want to thank you once again!

I did not bother getting a new HDD, mostly because my studies require a computer with high RAM and preferably pen support, which I have no replacement for. So sending it in right now would cause further delay. But I'm saving it in case something else needs a repair in the future.

Thanks for the praise, but it was rather straightforward. : ) The screws keeping the HDD in place were rather annoying though.
It's indeed speedy. There is no way I could ever turn back after this!
Unfortunately this problem was resolved right in time for another to arise on my smartphone, so it looks like I won't get to rest quite yet...

 

Hi,

I bought my Flip 15 (SVF15N28PXB) in March 2014, and functionally, I love it.

I have noticed however that the battery doesn't seem to hold its charge (with the laptop _off_) for very long. For instance, I can fully charge my battery, shut it down, disconnect the AC adapter, and 2 days later when I power the Flip up, the battery is dead (requiring the AC adapter to boot), or nearly dead (less that 10% left).

What do other people get for battery life with the laptop stored (_not_ in hibernate)? Is this normal?

The battery life while running the machine on battery is in line with what I have seen others getting in this forum.

Are there any settings, either in Windows or BIOS that have a bearing on this?

I am in discussions/testing with Sony support on this issue. I would hate to send it in for repair, but I may have to.

Sincerely,
Duane

 

Mine behaves similarly. Not sure if it did this to begin with or if it's a side-effect of having turned off selective sleep for the touch panel. I've set mine to hibernate after 1 hour which for the most part is satisfactory.

 

Well, The support person last night stated Sony's expectation is that the battery should be above 90% capacity after 48 hours of the laptop being in the 'off' state, so I am sending it off for their Service people to look at.

I have to admit though, the shipping aspect was really painless: I just show up at UPS with the laptop and its power adapter and the Event ID#, and they processed it and had me on my way in 5 minutes.

Duane

 

I, too, have experienced a quick drop of the battery charge if I use "sleep" or "standby" mode. I have no precise benchmarks for that but my gut feeling would be three to four days until a fully charged battery is completely drained.
That - and my usage pattern - made me switch to hibernation mode quickly when I shut the Flip off for a longer period of time (say, more than an hour). Having an SSD surely isn't a disadvantage here...

However, make sure that you set up your energy settings exactly the way you like them. For instance what should happen when you close the lid (there are two settings for it: When running on battery or with the power supply.
Personally, I use standby mode ("energy saving mode" - roughly translated from German) when I close the lid and I'm not connected to the power supply but the machine gets into hibernation when it is connected to the power supply.

 

Same here!
And this comes from somebody who has been badly burned by those crappy SandForce-base Vertex 2 SSDs (second gen SSDs from OCZ). Using hibernation mode on them will eventually brick them and as support for them vanished when OCZ went bankrupt and their remains were bought by Toshiba I only use them as small (mobile) data graves until regular HDDs have become quicker...

 

Looks like the Sony digitizer pen will be available again but Vaio branded instead, as there is info on a prototype Vaio using one here: VAIO | Prototype Tablet PC

 

At first they will be available in Japan *only* so good luck importing one of them...

 

There is a good chance they will be able on Rakuten: Global Market

If not, the best proxy shopping service would be FROM JAPAN LIMITED as they charge 200 yen (almost nothing), no matter how much the item costs. As opposed to others which take 10-15%, meaning they are always the better choice when you spend more than 2000 yen.
This one is a referral link by the way, it gets you 300 yen to shop for, slightly more than almost nothing in other words. : P

 

Thanks Calibrator.
Do you have any feel for how your unit discharges with the laptop _off_?

Duane

 

For those whose battery drains during sleep, check the Vaio control center to make sure USB charging is turned off. Otherwise it outputs power to the USB port even when the Flip is sleeping or turned off.

 

I'd say 1-2% per day in hibernation mode which is electrically the same as "off".
That's a rough estimate, though, as I haven't had my Flip switched off for more than three days or so.

 

Let me just put this in here. I do not know if the current updates fixed this or not, but I experienced some unusual behavior on the Flip 14 I had back in March.
I would literally put the laptop to sleep and watch it turn itself back on around 2-5min later. It would stay on even with the screen closed and no interaction. Very weird
Then I had to put it to sleep a 2nd time to make it stay asleep. After putting it to sleep for the 2nd time, it would stay asleep for as long as I left it alone. Figured this out after the battery was dead every following day.
As far as I can tell there are no settings in the power profiles or Vaio Control Center that initiated this behavior. I can say that it happened consistently every time I used the laptop and then put it to sleep.
I do not have that particular laptop anymore, only the 2 new ones that I have in the boxes. Not going to open them to test, but I thought I would share what I found.

 

If this happens then the responsible electronics of the Flip aren't very efficient -- at least if nothing is actually connected to such an USB port...

 

I just got a Vaio Flip 15. It's a great machine, but the hinge on mine is very stiff. I expect it's stiffer than most since it needs two hands and some effort to open it past 10 degrees, and even more past 90 degrees.

Is there a tried and tested method to loosen the hinge just a little? Maybe WD40 at the pivot points? I don't want to open it up, it's too expensive!

 

I'm having problems with WiFi on the Flip 15 too. I can't get a connection to stay up for more than a few minutes, and sometimes it actually knocks out the router. Is there a way to search this thread to see if that problem has come up before? It's mentioned on the Engadget review so it might be an old problem.

 

I think the issue may be that there is electronics on-board _looking_ for something to be plugged in, which takes energy.
Personally, I wouldn't _expect_ a laptop to USB-charge something with it turned off.

Duane

 

A USB sleep and charge port does just that: it outputs power even when the machine is asleep. This isn't unique to Sony, it's how an always on USB charging port works on all PCs.

 

Welcome to the forum, Xaio

I haven't experienced that with the 14A here. There is a stiffness, but it *feels right* for the design. WD-40 (the original formula - they make many variants now as well) is not the greatest lubricant ; it's more of a penetrating oil for jammed or rusted nuts/bolts. Its lubricating properties wear off quickly and it is known to attract dirt and dust. I would recommend a silicone based lubricant, as it is a much better lubricant than penetrating oil and is more friendly to plastics and electronics. A Teflon based lubricant would probably make the hinge even smoother, but I'm not sure it is recommended for such a job.

Which wi-fi card do you have ? Intel 7260N or Broadcom ?
Do you have access to a USB wi-fi dongle to test with ?

 

Thanks Mark. I have the Intel card and it's working well today. I updated the Intel drivers and associated utility when I saw an instruction to do so in the Notification Centre. I also factory rest my router and the WiFi is nice and speedy now.

Regarding the hinge, it's too stiff to be usable. I wonder if Sony would fix it. Mine is an American model but I live in the UK, so I expect Sony won't touch it?

 

Save yourself headache and money - by the HTC version for about $20 on Amazon. Or for the best N-Trig pen experience, buy the microsoft SP3 pen. It has a softer tip so writing on the screen feels more like paper. Also, besides having 2 programmable buttons (defaults: eraser, lasso) it has the button on top that will automatically launch One Note as long as you set the pen up as a bluetooth device and have the bluetooth radio turned on. Costs $50 and worth every penny.

 

I already have the original Sony one actually, I posted the link in case anyone prefers that one for whatever reason.

 

Guys, N-trig pens are now on sale on Amazon.... Just bought a green one for 39 bucks! :thumbsup:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aag/main?ie=UTF8&asin=&isAmazonFulfilled=1&isCBA=&marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DER&orderID=&seller=A2COCYGVDDIHYH

 

Hi all!

I've just bought a new Flip SVF15N1L2 core i5, 500gb hd (no ssd) and 4gb of ram. Problem with the screen, changed in warranty and now back in my hands ready to be modded a little bit to fit my needs...

I would like to update the RAM from 4 to 12gb, means to buy 8 gb of RAM; no problem, on the Crucial Website there is a auto detect tools that gives me the 8 gb ram model I have to choose. Than for the SSD on AMAZON there is the Crucial MX100 512 gb at 182€. Is it good for our fantastic Sony!?!?

Than another question (maybe more a dream...): I know that the 15N1Z2E was available with a Core i7 and a separated graphic Nvidia GeForce GT 735M... Do you think could be possible to install on muy unit or the motherboard is totally different and I have to wake up from my dream?!?!

Thank you for any help, ciao

 

It is indeed.
Mark here suggested it before because it was the best deal performance/price-wise, so I got it. I've only used it for about ten days so far, but it has been great!

 

You can do that but I actually wouldn't recommend it as it would mean that you have different RAM modules installed (4 and 8 GB DIMMs).
This leads to a slight speed decrease as the hardware is optimized for "dual channel" RAM configurations - which need identical RAM modules!

So get either one additional 4 GB module if you already have one installed or two 4 GB modules if you have two 2 GB modules installed.
If you want more than 8 GB RAM then your best - but most expensive - option would be to get two 8 GB modules (which means you need to replace the 4GB you already have).
My recommendation for regular users - and your machine - would be to upgrade to 8 GB RAM with two 4 GB modules installed.

It should work really well and the price seems to be good - replacing the HDD with an SSD is the best speed increase you can get anyway!

You can't install the Nvidia graphics chip if your machine doesn't have one. Your only choice would be to either replace the mainboard or the whole machine.
I'm not sure if there are actually i5 configurations with the Nvidia chip as I've seen only i7 machines with it which are much more expensive already (especially with the hi-dpi LCD).

Better stop dreaming, upgrade your RAM to 8GB and get an SSD - this is the best you can do to your machine for the price.

 

Thank you guys!

Ok, let's be realistic, I'll stay with the i5 and the intel Card...

Concerning the RAM, I'm a designer and I use 3d modelling with freehand sketching, this is the main reason I bought this machine. I have in my office a Wacom Cintiq to draw and a good pc for 3d modelling and the idea of this machine was to have the same but in mobility; obviously I don't expect to be able to model a 400mb file, neither to render an image at 4000 pxel base, but I've seen that the 4 gb of RAM are really not enough for me.
Now I've only to decide if it's the case to do the big jump for the 16 gb or try a "soft approach" with the 8 gb. I agree with your point on "dual channel" ram module: it's something to preserve!

One more question: my machine has 4 Gb of RAM. Is it removable? How I can see if I have 1 module of 4 gb or 2 of 2 gb?

I have time to upgrade the hd for an SSD, but I really need the RAM upgrade to start to be productive... With the 4 gb, as it start to swap on Hd (rhino 5 3d cad use 1 gb of RAM...) the performance quickly become horrible!

Tanks again! This machine (now that I've a new lcd screen, warranty...) is really fantastic!

 

If you're not strapped for cash, I would just go directly to 16GB - even if you might be able to get by with 8GB it's nice to not worry about it.
The 4GB is removable (no soldered on RAM). To find out how many modules are installed open up Task Manager, go to Performance and click Memory. On the right hand side it should say how many slots are in use.

Edit: Forgot to mention, make sure you get low-voltage DDR3L RAM.

 

Hi guys. I've been having problems with my wi-fi ever since I updated Wireless (LAN) Driver for the Intel 7260 wi-fi thing recently (update was a few days ago). The update was done via Vaio Update. Every time I start the laptop from boot/or from sleep mode, it says there are no connections available. I've been working around it by going into device manager and then disabling and re-enabling the wireless driver which fixes the problem. I was wondering if any of you guys came across this problem or know of a permanent fix. If not, I'll just have to roll back the driver update. I have the Vaio Flip 13.

Help would be much appreciated, thanks!

 

I have the same problem, but I'm on a Flip 15 which I think has a different wireless card. It keeps knocking out my router too.

 

Have you tried downloading the driver directly from Intel? I think for the most part what you get from Sony is a bit behind.

 

I also have a problem with the intel network adapter wifi. It stopped working about 3 months ago and I've been using ethernet since then since I've not had time to troubleshoot. I've tried using the Sony updates for driver, I've used the intel website drivers. I've uninstalled, reinstalled, rolled back, etc. Cannot get it right.

Basically, the wifi only works for a minute and then no dice. Most of the time, in the device manager, the Intel Wireless-N 7260 driver appears only after selecting "show hidden devices", in which case I see it greyed out. Properties on the Wireless-N 7260 driver says: "Device status: Currently, this hardward device is not connected to the computer (Code 45). To fix this problem, reconnect this hardware device to the computer." Sometimes it's fully in Device manager and not grey. Sometimes it says "This device cannot start. (Code 10)." I cannot get easily replicatable results.

Please see

Re: flip 15 Intel Wireless-N 7260 not working - th... - Sony's Community Site

and then

Is anyone else having a problem with the wifi netw... - Sony's Community Site

I would be very appreciative if someone could help me solve this. Seems I am not alone, there is probably a simple solution.

 

Hi JP. Boy, it must be so frustrating dealing with these wifi issues! I once had a laptop whose wifi malfunctioned constantly for a very different reason - not relevant here - but I mention it only to say I developed empathy instincts for this kind or problem. As I read all of the posts from people experiencing the problem it strikes me that everyone seems to be looking to software - principally drivers - to solve this problem. I know this approach is always the recommended first step(s), but I don't think I've read of anyone checking the hardware, principally the wifi card. I'm assuming everyone (including you) who have these problems have the Intel 7260 card. I have a Flip 13A and my 7260 is a dual band but has no AC. I've read in many places that the 7260 card with AC has been problematic - at least there seems to have been a "crop" of them that were defective. Just curious as to whether that's what most/all of you with the wifi problems have the AC version of the card. Though it might be that the hardware is more likely to be the culprit if you do have the version with AC, it doesn't change the remedy I would propose trying: 1) inspect your wifi card; is it well seated in its slot? are there any bent pins? are there any frayed wires that could be intermittently shorting out? if you see such physical damage, order a new card, I suggest you get the version without AC even if you have an AC router and was very psyched get the fastest speed out of it. The N version is more than fast enough for any Internet connection and should be capable of 300 mb/s transferring data within your LAN.

2) If you don't see any physical damagecarefully remove the card and even disconnect the wires and re-install the card physically and carefully re-connect the wires. Boot up and go right to Device Mgr. If it appears to fully recognize the card now and provides consistent service, it may have just in improperly seated.

3) If there is no improvement, I would order a new card (you can sort out with Sony later if they will pay for this, but the card is not very expensive - under $50 or around there? See if the new card fixes the problem. If it does, a) congratulations! b) seems pretty clear there was a batch of bad cards. Again, you can choose to fight it out with Sony or even Intel, but I imagine for the cost of the computer and the near uselessness of it with such irregular Internet access, it's well worth eating that cost to have everything working properly.

Of course, this is just a different approach to resolving the problem and I realize it may be a long shot, but especially if many of you have the AC cards (I'm referring to Intel 7260 \only, but assuming that's what everyone has in the Flip 15). Even if you have the N only cards, I still thinks it's well worth looking at replacing it.

Sorry, but that's all I got! Sometimes we get so focused in on one kind of solution (drivers, etc.) that we don't see another obvious. I hope that for perhaps some of you this might do the trick. Of course, another way to skin the cat is by getting a USB dongle - either as a test or for your semi-permanent solution. Unlike the 13, which only has 2 USB ports, you have 3, do you not? I surely don't mean to gloat, but I have never had a lick of trouble with the wifi in my 13A. I bring it up only to suggest that it would be highly unlikely that some units just have totally screwed up circuitry.

Good luck, one and all. This is such a fine piece of kit when it is working, and I went through countless hours to tweak it and get drivers right, but I can't imagine how crumby it is to do all of that and still have a nearly useless computer.

Best, Jeff

 

I upgraded from the N version of the 7260 to the AC. Have had no problems with it. Connecting through an ASUS AC66U.
Previously had an HP laptop with a Intel 6300 card which worked flawlessly at home, but when I spent a few months at my parents I had nothing but trouble. I think they had an older Linksys router. Compatibility between routers and cards could be an issue - but a bit hard to diagnose.
Lovelaptops recommendations sound good though. Check your connections, perhaps the antenna plugs are loose?
I was actually going to recommend just getting the AC card if the driver update didn't help - but if other people have trouble with that card, perhaps that won't change anything.

 

Hmmm. I guess the entire 7260 line has had big problems at some point in time. lovelaptops went with the assumption that most Flips have AC cards, but they don't ; it is mostly single band N cards while some 13s (depending on where you live ? refresh model or not ?) have dual band N. Some of course have Broadcom cards, but that's a different issue altogether.
As far as the single band 7260N card goes : many here have complained about random disconnects. Some seem to have solved it with Sony or Intel updates. Some have also installed dual band 7260AC cards with succes (KjetilV being one of them).

Just a thought here : opening the Flip's case is a rather delicate operation for most of us, and not something we should be doing often (plastic clips can break, scratches, etc...), so if it were me, I'd just buy the ~$30 dual band AC card and replace the single band card. That's what I'll be doing next time I open the 14A for more RAM. I have to believe Intel has fixed the bugs by now..

 

Yep, I downloaded drivers from both Intel and Sony and uninstalled/installed them separately and still no luck. I eventually just rolled back the driver update and everything is fine now. Although, Vaio Update does prompt me with the driver update still.

For others:

I rolled back the Intel PROSet/wireless software thing (which I assume is the wireless (lan) driver) from version 17.1.1 (Vaio Update version) to 17.1.0. I also have the Intel Dual Band Wireless-N 7260 card on my Flip 13.

Won't update until it's recognised by either Intel/Sony so they can push out a bug-free version hopefully or help resolve the issue.

EDIT: It happened again. So this time, I completely uninstalled the Intel PROSet/Wireless software under applications and things are ok for now. Will update if it reoccurs.

 

My Flip 13A does indeed have the 7260 dual band N. Just to repeat, I have never had a moment's trouble with it - range, speed, stability. That said, I had the AC version in an HP Spectre 13T and it was also flawless but anecdotally I have seen more reported about the AC version. Your call. You may even want to buy both, keep the AC if it works fine - since it's also AC - but have the N to try if the AC proves problematic. Returning the card that doesn't work out should not be a problem - nobody knows if it's your machine or the card. I don't advocate doing deliberately dishonest things (though if you buy from Amazon it's one giant machine doing dishonest things, IMO! ) but you will be returning a card which is either entirely defective or defective for any number of computers, including yours. Good luck.

 

Hi

I have a Flip 14, I was very happy with the laptop until tonight. The Laptop was left running and may have gone into sleep mode. When returning the laptop was off so I turned it on and windows failed to load and went to the assist page. I am unable to run the recover program and if I go into BIOS there is No Hard Drive Recognised. There have been no suspect noises coming from the hard drive, and there is no sign of the hard drive trying to run when booting the computer.

Has anyone come across a similar issue? I've only recently purchased the laptop (second hand) but with a years warranty. However I Have not (stupidly) backed up yet and really want to get hold of my data if possible.

It is a 1tb SSHD

Thanks

 

Hi there Chris and welcome to the forum

I may have read about a similar problem before, though I can't be sure it was exactly the same symptoms.

There is one quick thing to try if you haven't already : the "battery Off" button. Sleep/suspend/hibernation has been known to cause weird and unpredictable issues with Windows systems and Win8/8.1 are not immuned. The battery Off button allows a power-off reset if you will, and that can sometimes bring a laptop back to life. It's easy :

Source : Vaio Flip 15 not turning on - Sony's Community Site

Now if that doesn't help, you could have a bad SSHD on your hands.

Did you get a chance to create the Recovery USB stick (or DVDs with external burner) ? We had a member in here recently with a bad HDD, no Recovery stick, and the Sony service center told him to purchase the media from Sony online because they needed it to troubleshoot (they didn't have it in-shop). Without the Recovery media, the service guys were going to charge him a bunch of extra time to troubleshoot even if the Flip was covered under warranty ; the reasoning there is if it's a Windows problem and not hardware, all time spent on the laptop is billed to the customer. And if the drive is dead, you need the Recovery media to reinstall Windows on a new drive (Recovery partition is of no help if located on a dead drive...). But anyway... you can cross that bridge if/when you get to it.

Good luck...

Edit to add : about recovering your data : it all depends on what the problem is. If you can't get it going with the battery Off button trick, then we can explore your options. If the hybrid is cooked, your data could be permanently lost (worst case scenario). Some companies offer data retrieval from damaged drives, but they usually charge an arm and a leg and success is never garanteed. It all depends on how badly you need the data and finding the right people for the job. If you end up sending the Flip in for warranty work and they replace the hybrid drive, they won't even offer to try and get your data from the original drive. But let's not get ahead of ourselves just yet

 

I have a SVF15N1C5E and i would like to know what the BIOS update R1140DD that Vaio update Software is showing has to offer but cannot find anything about it.
Im running 8.1 and Sony Support/Download Website only shows BIOS Update - R0270DD.

 

Hi sonywalker,

Tu es en France ?

Sony : SVF15N1C5E : Touchscreen Registry Setting

If your model matches the one in the link above, then it seems R0270DD is the BIOS you need. So the question that begs to be asked is this : why are you being offered R1140DD via VAIO Update while the support site says 270 ? I can't answer that, sorry. Sony has never been really eager to discuss BIOS updates. Your best bet is to contact their support, either via chat from the website or by phone, and ask them about your BIOS.

Good luck

 

As Mark mentioned, that BIOS update should be for the newer version of the Flip. From their Chinese site it says they have fixed the following issues: "After you press the power button, the system may sometimes fail to start".

 

Hi, I have this too! Damn annoying, switch on - no wifi, restart wifi again! Hope this is fixed soon.

 

Hey, I uninstalled the Intel PROSet/Wireless Software application after no luck trying to find a fix for the new driver update. The wi-fi is still going strong without it and hasn't been problematic so far. Hopefully another update is released soon addressing the problem!

 

Hi everyone, I have a question to the throttling problem.
Ich have read that Mrkazoo in previous posts has found a solution using ThrottleStop and Nvidia Inspector.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/son...vaio-fit-multi-flip-pc-owners-thread-235.html
I did exactly what he wrote.
But when I use Nvidia Inspector to adjust the memory and core clock, the graphic card is failed to run and about 10 minutes later I get a "dead blue screen" error.
I have the Flip 15 with 2 Gb Nvidia 735m, windows 8.1 and both Nvidia Inspector and Graphic Driver the latest version.
i will be very appreciated when anybody could help me with this.
Just want to play Fifa 15 but it will never be smooth for more than one match.

 

I have just solved the problem but with just 540 MHZ Core Clock is Fifa still too laggy
What a pity for a thousand euro Laptop!