Sony Vaio Z i5/i7 (VPCZ1) Official Owners Thread Part 2

My DPC can go anywhere from 80 to 4500.

 

Reformatting would likely fix the issue, whatever it is. Or if you're lucky/good, you can fix it without reinstalling Windows anew, but I can't really help there. I'd try uninstalling the AV first thing.

It's hardware RAID. You can adjust it from BIOS (turn on "Show RAID" and then press the appropriate key right after POST (when the computer is just booting up).

Reinstalling Windows won't change your RAID settings so feel free to do so. But be careful and don't do it unless you know what you're doing.

 

Be careful installing windows or messing with the raid? I don't want to mess with the raid at all. Do you think adding ram will fix the issue? I'm adding 8 gigs when it comes in tomorrow (changing from 4 to 8)

I've reinstalled windows plenty of times, just never with raid. I just delete the partition and create a new one and install windows on said new one. Anything else I need to know?

Also, I have kaspersky on the alienware I'm using right now, and my DPC is just fine.

EDIT: Okay, I'm downloading the windows ISO and in a few hours, I'll be reformatting. Can you please tell me anything pertinent I should know? Specific order I should download the drivers? Here is the page for the drivers: http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/swu-list.pl?mdl=VPCZ12LGX

What should I / should I not install? I remember in the past if I installed bluetooth before / after (not sure which) the sound driver I would have issues, but I'm not sure if that is still an issue.

Please help me out on this folks. I really need to get this right because I'm supposed to be going on a business trip tomorrow night and I'd really need a properly working machine for the trip (my business is web design / development).

To those of you who have / are helping me - I really do appreciate it and I'm sorry for sounding antsy. I've had quite a few days!

 

Here's a reply i posted for someone in the Part 1 of this thread regarding installation order of drivers, it might be a little outdated though:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/son...7-official-owners-thread-606.html#post6430077

 

Maybe you overclocked RAMDAC for that, I don't think a standard VGA card can handle that much of resolution at 60hz refresh rate.

On another note, I did try the VGA with my 30" LCD and it's a no go, stuck at 1920x1200, no way to change the resolution. I didn't find custom res override in nvidia control panel, Sony prolly removed it.

 

Wow, reinstalling everything the day before a business trip? I would only do that if the machine was unusable. Still, the SSD makes it very fast to install.

You might consider doing an image backup first so you have something to fall back on.

Have you updated the Intel Rapid Storage Technology drivers? Newer versions are available directly from Intel. Also make sure that write caching is enabled on the SSD.

You should also have looked at disabling or uninstalling some of the various additional software packages provided by Sony.

Finally, the SSD does garbage collection in the background, so it does help to let the machine idle for a few hours if you have been using it heavily.

 

Also, maybe my eyes are playing tricks on me, but I swear sometimes there is some slight shaking on the screen. I'll be clicking on a website tab within google chrome and I'll see these faint diagonal lines appear on that tab for just a second. I really hope reformatting works, because I'm worried it may be more than the DPC. My DPC latency was within reason when all of a sudden my machine lagged up to hell.

 

Wouldn't the sony updater update the rapid storage drivers? I wouldn't even know which drivers to download.

 

Intel has newer versions than what Sony provides. I am using version 9.6.0.1014. You can find the version by running the app, either from All Programs > Intel or the task tray, click the Help button, then the About button on the help window.

http://downloadcenter.intel.com

Search for Rapid Storage Technology. Make sure you get the 64-bit version. Also they have a separate download for the drivers you would need to provide during Windows install.

What toolset do you use for web development?

 

I use Adobe tools and I have the same version of intel rapid share you do.

Do you think the clean install will help?

 

I really don't know, and there is only one way to find out.

Check your personal messages.

 

Also, every minute or so its like my screen blurs for just a second. Its barley noticeable but it looks like faint diagonal lines. Any advice?

 

yeah, get a replacement, yours seems to be fubared.

 

Has anyone noticed manual brightness changing via Fn+F5/Fn+F6 not working anymore????
I can't pinpoint exactly when it started with me, but I wonder if it didn't happen after the most recent Vaio Update recommendation to update the BIOS? I already have Automatic Brightness TURNED OFF - so that's not the problem.

Any ideas - are there any settings in the BIOS that would affect this?

 

I have that occasionally. But after a reboot it works again.

 

HELP.. Vaio Control Center does not work anymore...
i've tried to uninstall and reinstall but nothing...
it show me only system information...

 

Did you recently install new software or uninstall something? I know a few people were kind of against System Restore, but you could try restoring your system to a previous state, but the problem is that even though it takes you back, it might leave the "underlying" problem unsolved, but if it's because of a new software install, it should fix it(unless it changed something deep within windows or something of the sort)

If not, you can enter the boot window when booting your Z and select boot with last known good configuration, however, if you've booted on and off a few times (which would be normal in a troubleshooting situation) then the last good configuration would probably be not so helpful.

I hope it helps!

 

unfortunately i disabled system restore...
and i restart 2 times the system... :-(
what can i do?

 

Hello all,

I am just about ready to bite on the Z12 on the Canadian store but I do have one trump left. I really do like the higher resolution screen but not enough to drop $500+ for it. Has anyone had a chance to compare the two screens. Just how much more nicer is the high def screen? Whats the likely hood of being able to enjoy it given that I don't plan on getting the blu-ray drive as well?

 

Has any one from Europe (especially UK) actually got an internal GPS to work with their Z12?

Any chance you could give a 'step by step' of what you did?

 

Reinstalled vaio utilities and power management and... all ok!!!
I resolved...

 

I meant be careful installing Windows. You wouldn't have to change your RAID settings. In the Windows setup, you will simply see one hard-drive, since your RAID0 is still on.

In any case, messing with RAID is extremely simple and not dangerous if you're about to reinstall the OS anyway. The user interface is very simple and easy to use. If you can change settings in BIOS, you can just as easily change your RAID settings (not that you have to).

Make sure to install a 64-bit version (not 32) of Windows 7, cuz all the Sony drivers are for 64-bit W7 Pro.

 

No, I didn't do anything special.

You have to understand how VGA works. 2560x1600 is not a very high resolution, because it's mostly the number of vertical lines that matter. Most 21" CRTs usually support 2048x1536 as their top official resolution. 1600 vertical lines is not much more than 1536.

The number of horizontal pixels per line doesn't really matter much, as it's converted to one analog signal.

Yeah, I've never tried 2560x1600 on 30" LCDs over VGA so I can't say if that works or not. But if not, it would be the LCD's fault, not VGA's.

 

Haha nice to see that you got that working, well at least we all know now how to fix that problem =p

 

Are you guys using any hardware monitoring software like HWMonitor? That will cause problems for changing the brightness with the Fn key.

 

Anyone else having Vaio Updater showing old bios (R2074C3) as available update even when having the 3030 already installed? Bugs me to have the update available notice.

 

I use HWMonitor all the time and my Brightness keys still work...

 

Yep, that appeared tonight when booting up.

 

Official Z12 Owner. Took advantage of the big Canadian price drop. I have a friend from there...and I used to live there. I tried to get an additional discount with the extended warranty...no dice.

Component: Standard Capacity Battery
Component: Without Engraving
Component: 256GB (128GBx2) Solid State Drive with RAID 0 Technology
Component: No Fresh Start
Component: Norton Internet Security™ 2010 (30 day subscription)
Component: Microsoft® Office 2010 Starter
Component:
Component: Intel® Core™ i7-620M processor (2.66GHz) with Turbo Boost up to 3.33GHz
Component: CD/DVD Player/Burner
Component: Adobe Creative Bundle
Component: Silver
Component: Microsoft Windows® 7 Professional
Component: 8GB (4GBx2) DDR3-SDRAM-1066
Per Unit Price: $1,820.00
Quantity: 1
Total Price: $1,820.00
Description: VPCZ1290 Configure-to-Order
Ship Method: Express Delivery
Estimated Ship Date: 10/08/2010

 

Nice! that's about $300 less that I paid even with my 15% off... darn you CA taxes! . Well, now all you can do is wait... and while you wait... there's about 900+ pages of posts to read... I suggest you start from the beginning =D. Welcome to the family!

 

Wow for me that's like paying 1278 more for large batt, ms office h&b, mobile broadband, 2 year adh & to get it about 2 months sooner! I would have waited. lol

 

No HW monitor.

You can 3Year extended Warranty with Express ship and ADH here for $288 +tax/sh: Techonweb.com - SONY VGP3SYLPAD Sony Extended Service Plan P56615 027242244092
That is around $100 less than from Sony directly.
Or look for the part number VGP3SYLPAD in shops.

 

I don't remember seeing this posted yet, but here's the link to the US Z13 drivers:

Sony eSupport - VPCZ1390X - Software Updates & Drivers

 

Okay, how about anyone in the world as a starting point?

 

lol, ok, id try it when I get home ... eight hours

 

Nice.

Noticed that Sony has added the following download in that link:

Original - Infineon® Trusted Platform Module Professional Package

Does this mean that the new VAIO Z refresh for the US market is finally coming with the TPM chips installed? If true, that is indeed good news!

 

anyone notice the max volume on the Z has increased since bios update?

 

Hmm i think there was a post in the old thread about people trying to get the Gobi card to work with just GPS. Maybe start looking in there?

edit: here, i found a post by pfcmmak:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/6294783-post4982.html

 

Anyone else also noticed the video card drivers version has changed from 8.16.11.8880 to 8.16.11.9024 with the new Z13 wonder if any significant changes have been made?, and when i say significant i mean no more crashing and maybe improved for adobe and gaming. Well I'm downloading them now I'll keep us posted.

 

I am now able to run Flight Simulator X on my multi-monitor setup with these drivers. I was unable to do so on the original ones.

 

Ok you need to elaborate Do you mean you can use HDMI + VGA simultaneously? Does it change the maximum resolution of HDMI?

 

As far as I understand, Sony does the refurbishing.

Not sure about the extended warranties--sorry!

 

My setup consists of the laptop screen, a screen off of the DVI port on the docking station and two screens on USB->DVI adapters. This is the setup that wasn't working on the original drivers and is now working on the new drivers.

The game would start up and eventually just go back to its startup page with no particular message. Now it actually plays.

The game restricts itself to the screen on the docking station port (which I have declared to be the main screen at this point).

I haven't tried to expand the number of screens that the game sees yet ... ran out of time!

 

USB -> DVI "adapters" don't work for 3D graphics, they are essentially standalone 2D video cards that are really really weak.

 

Other than the ViDocks and the Matrox units, they are the only solution I know of for getting more than 1 external monitor going with a laptop.

I do not actually use the system much for gaming, rather for development. So the lack of 3D and ultimate speed is a price I'm willing to pay for real estate.

But the good news is that the adapters are workable solutions for a variety of tasks now and will only get better in the future. Think USB 3.0.

 

Hey guys, i'm just noticed that I'm getting the 2 second lag when right clicking on the desktop again... I just updated my video drivers. If i remember correctly this was fixed by an intel patch. does anyone else have this problem or remember the solution from before... i'm trying to scour the old thread... but it's LONG!

 

Thanks....it would probably be pretty dumb to not extend the warranty. I'm seeing $309 on that link.

 

They keep increasing the price. I got it from another seller for $240, but they don't sell it anymore.

 

Are there any updates for the "WebToGo OneClick Internet" application availabe. I have the problem that after a few minutes with an active connection the app utilizes 2 CPU-Cores with each ~50% and app isnt reacting anymore (although network stays online).

I have version 3.1 (Build 20100315173134)

 

To all who updated the bios to R3030C3:

I remarked that after updating the bios my virtualization setting has been switched back to "Disabled".
Also my boot sequence has been reset to default.

Just for the records ...