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

It will wake up automatically to go into hibernate. Same principle allows Windows Media Center to wake up the computer to record a show and go to sleep again. If the motherboard allows it, it can even wake up from hibernate and go back to it when it's finished recording.

Depending on how worn out the battery is, a battery level that you set (say 2-3%) may be enough if the battery is new, but there's a chance it'll fail in mid disk write on an older battery, so take that into consideration when setting the hibernation battery level. (I have mine at 5%).

 

<START RANT>

I Hate Vaio SA & SB, its Made in China! and looks DULL

I Adore My Z, Made in Japan & Looks DAMN Sexy

</END RANT>

 

Agree 100% I'm even thinking of purchasing a VPC-Z13 (256ssd) upgrading from a Z11 (128ssd). Purchased a VPC-Z125 a few months ago and had to return it because the corner part of the lid was warped. Also, purchased an SC, but it felt too plastic and cheap. So I'm really considering getting a Z13 this weekend, but I need to act fast, there's only 1 left and its been sitting there for a few weeks now...lol. I don't see any other places that sell the current Z. Actually, SonyStyle Store has a couple more Z13's in the back room, which they don't advertise (go figure), but they want regular price for it - $2249.99.

I have to get Silver, because the Black has that wear on the palmrest. So, I'm limited as far as inventory.

 

There are still some Z135 and Z133 in MicroCenter online and B&M stores.

 

Yeah I know, the problem is if you want an additional 5% off (about an additional $100 off), you have to pick it up directly from the store. Some MC's have limited or no supply whatsoever. So good luck with your "local" inventory. Otherwise, they charge quite a bit for S/H plus no 5% off.

 

@Geeee:

eBay is our friend too! actually I have my eyes set on a Z12MGX/X it comes with Premium Carbon Lid - a Must to me - plus a 256 SSD + 8GB RAM + 3G/GPS, its used though! but it looks so okay except that the Lid has some scratch on it. So What? It can be changed!

Its being sold for $1950, with - Make an Offer - If I were you I would hit it with like $1800-$1900, still a sweet deal for a | Fully Loaded Z12, minus Blu-Ray, and FHD!

 

Save time, Link Here!

Sony VAIO Z VPCZ12MGX/X Ultimate i7/256GB SSD/900p/8GB | eBay

 

Willy I don't get what you just said. You said the CF lid is a must, but then complained that it's scratched and said you can change it out?...

 

I am thinking about selling my Blu-ray drive... and you can get a FHD screen for $320 at weblcd.com, they are going for $585 on eBay.

As far as the Blu-ray drive I was thinking about asking $250 for it (half what I paid Sony for it when I had my computer built)

 

Thanks Willy330Ci.

I just made the purchase. Got myself a Z135GX/S today. I had to have Silver and 256ssd. The store I got it had one left. They gave me $100 off, a 30-day trial, no open box fee, plus cash difference if the price goes down any further within 30 days. It sucks having to pay 1899.99 for it, especially with the new Z2 coming soon, but I don't like the way the Z2 looks. Plus, I prefer to have an All-in-one. The Z2 looks too much like the SA and X Series - nothing wrong with it, just no design differentiation. Besides, I like the cylinder hinge. Hopefully, this is a keeper, as long as there are no cosmetic flaws and nothing wrong with the unit itself.

I do prefer the screen size of the SA's 13.3 over the 13.1 - a fairly big difference IMO, but the design on the Z1 was a deal breaker.

That model you posted on Ebay sounds like a great deal, but those scratches would bother me. I just don't want to hassle trying to look for a new CF lid and later assembling it. Thanks for the 411.

 

@Geeee:

Congrats, you made a good investment, trust me, you won't regret it ever!

@xxGenericSNxx:

hehehe, you got it all wrong buddy, I meant this:

I can't live with the black dull Lid, nor the fingerprint magnet glossy CF, that's why the matte CF Lid is a must, though, the posted model on ebay had scratches on it, If I would to buy it, then I would replace it with a new Lid, thats all!

But hey, I'm having my Z1290X already, with mods that include an upgraded 256GB SSD instead of the 128GB, plus the GOBI 2000 daughterboard, which has a 3G SIM card slot, plus a GPS!

 

I haven't messed around with my Gobi much but I have not been able to get the GPS going. It works great on my P, I just turn it on with SmartWi, on the Z it doesn't show up in SmartWi.

 

@ComputerCowboy:

I wish I had taken a photo for the GOBI 2000 before installation, but as far as I can remember, it was a 2-piece little tiny board, they some how integrate into each other, one holds the SIM Card, the other is the GPS Unit. So are you sure that yours was like this? 2 piece?

If so, then Installing the SmartWi application, found on the Z12MGX (Sony-Support) - which has the GOBI 2000 - will enable you to see both 3G/GPS.

I then installed your Beautiful (OneClickInternet) and I'm Connected where-ever I go, Thanks to you!

 

Yes I have the daughter board and the GOBI card.
I just looked at SmartWi and now the option for GPS is there... I swear it was not there before.

 

Yes, got the last Z135 at OC Microcenter. Unfortunately, they won't transfer one from another store if this one I bought was purchased by someone else. No financial gain for just one notebook. Plus, the guy gave me a great incentive to try things out. 30Days rather than the standard 7Days policy. I'm definitely keeping this. So far, things are working purrrrferctly.

I think so too. I like having the 256ssd. 128ssd was just too limiting. I just hope I don't have issues with the hinge loosening, as my previous Z112 has been very reliable w/o issues.

 

Does anyone recommend these programs called "Drive Scrubber" & "Drive Erase". Are these safe for SSD's. It was recommended to disable defragment, but not sure, if these programs will decay the life span of the ssd's and if they function is any way as defragging.

Rather than placing files into a recycle bin, you can elect to throw files into these programs, and they in return, will erase the file clear off the drive.

Is this safe? Was planning on using it on the Z112, before I let go of it. Thanks.

 

Short answer, yes they do exactly what defragging does and shorten the life of the disk.

Long answer :

They erase the files by writing over them in-place. That works for hard disks but not SSD. If your drive does not support TRIM() then about the best way of guaranteeing the data is gone is to do a SECURE_ERASE. If they don't support secure_erase then you need to run at least one run of zero'ing the entire disk.

If your drive supports TRIM() then in theory when you empty the recycle bin windows will let the drive know those blocks are no longer in use and it will internally disconnect them from the live-data until the next set of writes that wants them (after a garbage collection cycle).

If I were on-selling a machine I'd boot it from a Linux LiveCD and wipe the entire drive with a Secure_Erase using hdparm. Of course you will need to re-install the OS.

 

Recovery Discs Questions:

In Control Panel > System and Security > Backup and Restore
Two Choices:
1. Create a system image
2. Create a System Repair Disc

So, I created a system repair disc, all it took was one dvd-r. Did not create a system image? What's the difference between these two?

However, in Vaio Care (Assist Button) > Recovery and Restore
Two Choices:
1. Restore: Restores Windows w/o affecting saved files.

2. Recovery:
.......i. Reinstall application and drivers. (self-explanatory)
.......ii. Create Recovery Media
.......iii. Recover Computer: Original Factory Settings. (This is the F10 shortcut; I know that.)

Is "Create a system repair disc" the same as "Create recovery media"?

Which here is the disc you need to create that Sony doesn't include? There were posts that it took about 2-3 dvd's to create.

Lastly, did any of you create all the above? Thanks.

 

Thanks for the thorough explanation.

 

@Geeeee:

If you need to Create a Set of Recovery DVDs, that you can use later whenever you have problems or, if You need to Restore your Z to a Factory Ship state, then Do this:

in Vaio Care (Assist Button) > Recovery and Restore
CHOOSE THIS:

2. Recovery:
.......ii. Create Recovery Media

The Process will need 3 DVDs of the same Type - preferably - and You can use them to do what I said above!

UPDATE:

If I were you, I would do this Whole process for 2 Sets of recovery DVDs, if 1 set won't work for whatever reason, then you have your back (Backed-Up) with another set, this means, you will need 6 DVDs, but better off buy a 10-DVD Pack, because you might get a corruption message when creating them, so be prepared, and YES! its a PITA Process, that will require at least 90 minutes

 

Thanks Willy330Ci. I was a 'lil confused between those two locations re: Recovery. plus I didn't want to waste discs. Will do what you suggested. Thank You.

 

what i personally do, for all my laptops, is:

burn 1 set of recovery dvds, then use imgburn to make iso images of each as a digital backup. that way if your dvds are scratched i can still burn new copies using the iso images, and i wont need to waste 6 blank discs

and for added redundancy, i also do a clonezilla backup image of the entire hard drive under its "just-factory-restored" state (even before windows sets up for the first run and ask you to create a primary username). it doesnt really apply to sony but i simply do this because some manufacturers (such as acer) recovery program doesnt create a recovery partition for you when you do a factory restore

 

@chroma_cg:

I LOVE your Logic

Digital ISO Image is really nice

 

Wow, that's amazing. Is clonezilla a free program? Is it easy to do this?
I followed what Willy330Ci suggested, so I'm good to go as far as 2 sets of recovery discs, but I like your suggestion on that "just-factory-restored-state. I always wondered how to get it back to that state. Never knew how to do it.

 

So l have had this Z135 for 7 days now. Last night I was charging it up to about 97% when I felt the charger (the brick) it was so hot, I had to let go of it from my hands. I never noticed it on my Z112. Is this normal? Anything I should worry about. I still have 3 weeks to do an exchange or full return w/o fees. I know I definitely want this model. Only issue is it was the last one, so if there's further issues with the power brick, I may need for them to do a store transfer. Thanks

 

I have searched high and low - but have not found an answer to my problem - so please excuse me if these are known issues:

Often when I start up my Vaio Z11Z9E/B - the wireless network is not available. The green light is on - but it is only when I turn it off and then on that I am given the option to enable the WLAN again. Any solution to that ?

A more serious issue is that often the entire system will freeze - and I manually have to turn off the laptop on the green power button. It doesn't always happen - but has happened to me quite a few times - and is making me not use it as much as I would like to (because I can't count on it)!

Is this a known problem - and if so, what to do with it ? My laptop is still under warranty so I guess I should let Sony take a look at it - just wanted to know if this is a known problem among other users.

Otherwise - it's a superb laptop - with a killer resolution (1920x1080) so I really would like it to be rock stable too... Too bad about the battery issue - but I guess that's still unsolved...

 

Which issue is the unsolved battery issue?

 

The fact that the battery discharges - although completely powered off. I.e. when I leave my Vaio in a bag for a few days - it has lost a considerable amount of the power it had... I haven't followed this thread closely - but it was a known (and unsolved) problem for a long time, assume it still is...

 

Clonezilla is free, yes, but the problem is that it doesn't work with RAID0 arrays because it literally images drive-by-drive and not the entire array... if you follow this guide by Pyr0 (uses Hiram's bootcd + ghost) it'll work (i've done it a few times)

http://forum.notebookreview.com/sony/512180-how-make-full-backup-your-vaio-z.html#post6625769

 

as a person who just bought and sell at least 10 laptops for the past 2 years via craigslist etc, its important for me to be able to wipe the hard disk of all data securely and restore to original state before selling

both imgburn and clonezilla are free programs, google them. imgburn is a ISO-burning software in windows. clonezilla is a dos-ish linux program that you need to boot from scratch (not a windows program)

for your sony, u can restore to factory state anytime you want in 3 ways (all your data will be erased though):

- just run sony recovery center in windows
- boot with your recovery disc, u can do that by changing the boot order in bios or press F10 or F11 when you see the vaio logo when you boot
- jump into sony recovery center at boot by pressing F10 or F11 when you see vaio logo when you boot

i forgot which does what, F10 and F11, but one will boot from your dvd drive and one will bring you to recovery center which will allow you to restore to factory state

 

very often when using my Z, the trackpad puts up this little round circle with an up and down arrow, which stops me from typing until I hit the escape key. Can someone please tell me how to disable this function? Its very annoying. it is some kind of scroll, but it pops up by itself very often without me wanting it. Has something to do with my palm touching the edge of the trackpad (I think ) while typing. I would really rather disable this function altogether, as I ususally use the Arc mouse from MS which has a great scroll built in.

thanks

 

just wondering why it seems my z12 isnt able to detect any of the western digital external hard drives i attempt to hook up to it

any ideas from anyone who has experience with their vaio and external hard drives?

 

Go to control panel into the mouse settings, go to the last tab with a red synaptics logo, hit settings and turn off those scroll features.

Is it powered via USB or does the HDD have an own power supply? Does it show up in the safely remove hardware icon in the taskbar when connecting? Does the HDD spin up?

 

i read in many OLD (z11 / z12) posts/reviews that the PRZ10 dock has DVI max output 1080p...

i want only 1920x1200 ...
i can do it today with/without any tweak?!

Thanks!!!

 

I have also heard that it does not support higher than 1920x1080 which is really lame (not sure tho since I don't have this expensive brick which is nothing else than an expensive USB hub). At least spec-wise it indeed should support 1920x1200 (the dock's DVI port is connected to the GT330M which supports reduced blanking and up to 2500's resolutions). IMO, this dock is a real waste compared to what the Z is cabable of.

 

yes it's waste...

but i only need 4 usb, DVI, Lan ... so if the DVI supports 1920x1200 i ll buy it

i read also that PRZ10 DVI is not Double so teorically max resolution = 1920x1200 (which is also lame but confirmed by sony tecnical support)

but someone's review said that it can't do better than 1080p (which is super lame)

i need someone who got it and have a 1920x1200 monitor plugged

 

1920x1200 is no problem

 

I had a similar problem. Once you connect your WD, a pop-up appears. I ignored it for while until I realize I had to "allow" it. So, my question is, do you see this pop-up, when you hook up your WD via USB? If so, click on it, and allow it to open, so that you can type in your password, and use it to your content. By the way, I have a WD external so I'm familiar.

 

do u have PRZ10?

thanks!

 

Al also have the PRZ10 dock. It does 1920x1200 just fine, but that's the max, no dual link.

 

GUYSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS:

The new Z is on Sony UK, Goooooooooo Have a Looooooooooook

I don't FEEL it though! and Still Love mine!

 

ok now i want the power media dock instead of PRZ10

 

Unfortunately, you wouldn't be able to plug in the Power Media Dock into your VAIO VPC-Z notebook, given that the cable attached to the dock is fixed & the other end of that cable has this proprietary USB & power port combo plug.

 

i know i know..
i just bought the prz10, for my use it's enough

 

I think the new Z kind of defeats the point of the whole Vaio Z series, which is having an ultraportable laptop with the power to perform any task you throw at it. The new Z will need to be pinned down to a desk with the dock if you want to play games or burn or play discs. I think this is a bad idea and I personally would still pick the my Z over the new one for functionality, as I like to have all the features both when going mobile out and about as well as at home.

The new Z definitely does look amazing though and still looks like an amazing laptop.

 

I agree! I have no regrets with upgrading to a Z135.

Agree as well. This should have been the X2 and not the Z2. It does look good. I didn't think so at forst. Before those photos surfaced last night at the Z2 speculation thread, I never imagine the Z2 to look good at the slightest bit, but one photo caught my attention - the one where the Z2's are floating on air describing the "Hexa" design. Now, I think its going to look pretty amazing, just not as amazing as the Z1 though. I still don't like the thought of that external unit.

 

Question on number 1.
What was the purpose and advantage of this driver? If I decide not to install this, what exactly happens? Thanks.

 

The only thing impressive with it is that the RAM is 1333 but the screen resolution is just 1600x 900 and not full HD....? or is it scalable to full HD...?

There is even no USB3, Just intel HD graphics,,, where is the discrete graphics from AMD or Intel?.
There was no detail about the docking station...etc..
Am I missing something?
VPCZ21V9E (VPCZ21V9E, VPCZ21V9E/B.CEK) : Technical Specifications : VAIO & computing : Sony

 

i got the prz10 as well. its hooked up to a 24" eizo at 1920x1200. works well!

 

I agree that I need the GPU and optical drive as internal Z components.