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

why does my vaio z refuse to recognise any external hard drive?

i thought at first it was the specific western digital hard drive, but same thing with my new seagate 1.5 TB

any ideas??

 

How is the hard disk connected?

Also, does anybody have an issue where if the power cable is run towards the front of the computer that it seems like the power isn't connected even though it is plugged in? For instance, if I have the power cable plugged in and turn it around 360 degrees, the part where the cable is coming along the side towards the front of the computer, it will say that it's running on battery.

 

I kind of see those stickers as a part of the computer, more so even than original box, etc. Especially if you think you may want to sell it some day, you might want to see if you can pull them off carefully as you say, but then add some soft adhesive ("glue stick" is best because it holds well, but you can still easily peel them off to reposition them if needed and they won't leave a residue that you can't clean off the bottom. Also, if any of the print is fading, you might want to put some very transparent tape over the top to preserve it.

At least that's the "OCD" way to do it, lol.

 

If you right-click on "Computer", select "Manage" and then navigate to "Storage->Disk Management" does the disk show in the lower half there? If you have existing partition(s) on it, you need to right-click on them and assign a drive letter. Need to do only once per partition per computer. It'll work from then on. This behavior is quite annoying. I don't know why Microsoft did it.

 

My laptop won't be sold I carry it to school every single day and it is used intensively, I don't expect it to be worth a lot after the warranty (2y) is over Simply all of the stickers are just getting really loose at their corners, especially the Windows License one.

 

it shows in 'disk 1', but it is shown as 'Unallocated' and 'Not Initialised'.

when i try to initialise the disk it says "The request could not be performed because of an I/O device error"

suggestions??

 

Is it really a new disk? Is it a high capacity one? The recent high capacity disk models require "advanced" low-level disk formatting before they are recognized by the OS. Usually such utility comes on a CD with disk or, if it's OEM packaged, can be downloaded from the manufacturer Web site.

 

Finally got around to doing the brightness registry edit after noticing the ambient light sensor mas adjusting the screen to be a bit too dark.

*cough*
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Sony Corporation\VAIO Event Service\Settings\VESAutoDimmer]
*cough*

Seems to have reset the screen's brightness so it can reach 100% when needed all the way down to 0% when it's dark. Screen brightness as adjusted by the ambient light sensor is now just about perfect.

 

Could anyone point me in the direction of the best place in Australia to get a reasonably priced replacement ribbon cable for upper body to main body?

Mine snapped the surround on the main body end and a quarter of the pins have come of, leaving me able to power it on but without keyboard (and probably other things).

I have a VPCZ126GG.

Thanks.

 

Goodness.... The cheapest I can find on eBay seems to be close to $100... fpc 199 | eBay

There's also spareparts warehouse which comes to USD 95.43. (about half for the cable and the other half for shipping and handling)

You can try a Google search and see what comes up.

The part seems to be called:
A-1769-469-A
FPC-199
Factory Direct COMPL PWB

 

I've got a fairly new i5 Z1390x (less than 1y) that I have not really used all that much, but it has been working beautifully until the other day. When I tried to power it on one morning -- nothing happened. I tried it with both the external power supply in and out, but no luck. I then decided to remove the battery and let the unit stand for several days. When I reinstalled the battery, and tried to power it on - again nothing. I've also tried to power it on with 2 different external power supplies, but came up with nothing. I imagine I'll have to use the Square Trade warranty that I fortunately got soon after I bought the unit, unless someone here has any tricks or ideas that I could try before I send it in.

- da Choge (john)

 

Guys, have you tried Intel® Wireless Display? I'm wondering if it works with VPCZ1290X or we need a separate adapter to support this. Intel says, that laptops with i3,i5,i7 support the tech, I'm confused

 

So it works after all, 720p, I haven't managed to force 1080p yet, there're suspicions about 'compatibility' of Samsung LE-40B653 with DHD-131 ( D-Link TV Adapter for Intel Wireless Display.

CPU goes sky up high to convert the videostream from monitor and to push it over wi-fi, (1 core i7 full stuffed), lag time - ~1,2sec. - no games

It's just a wish to Intel, I believe if software could only transfer already coded video and let DHD (WiDi receiver) and TV-CPU do their job - cpu usage would be minimal for laptops as the latency - ideal for watching movies and tv-shows and not caring about swooshing paper from the burning fan.

Laptop to TV with Intel® Wireless Display (WiDi)

Requirements: Intel® Wireless Display — Software and drivers for Intel® Wireless Display
Soft: Intel® Wireless Display — Software and drivers for Intel® Wireless Display

 

That's nice to hear. As far as I know, a few people asked before but didn't come to any definite conclusion. Officially the generation CPU and chipset that the Z1 has doesn't support transmitting 1080p over WiDi as that is supposed to require a second generation card or chipset of some sort.

 

I made the jump and started overclocking my Z13's 330M a while ago. When I first got my laptop I was quite happy with the 3D performance, but after the Assassins Creed Revelations release I got power-hungry

And damn, these are some nice results. I was seriously surprised.

Before: NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M video card benchmark result - Intel Core i5-460M Processor,Sony Corporation VAIO score: 6067 3DMarks
GT1 - Return To Proxycon - 20.87 FPS
GT2 - Firefly Forest - 18.99 FPS
HDR1 - Canyon Flight - 20.13 FPS
HDR2 - Deep Freeze - 26.46 FPS

OC: NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M video card benchmark result - Intel Core i5-460M Processor,Sony Corporation VAIO score: 7710 3DMarks
GT1 - Return To Proxycon - 28.18 FPS
GT2 - Firefly Forest - 24.95 FPS
HDR1 - Canyon Flight - 26.79 FPS
HDR2 - Deep Freeze - 34.66 FPS

OC Clocks: 644/840/1402, and could probably push memory higher but the nVidia CP doesn't allow it.

When my exams are over I'm going to do a full format and go with static switching, wonder if the newer drivers will make a difference.

 

Do many UK or even Europe-based Z1s get sold on the NBR marketplace?

Contemplating selling my Z13 (UK) (for either a Z2 or x220). I know US Z1s are fairly popular and do well.

 

Are there hardware differences between the US and other Z1s?

 

No, I don't think so. Well not from what my novice eyes have noticed, when looking at the specs.

 

No difference except, if you have a Z11 or Z12, you should have a TPM chip which enables BitLocker if you have Win 7 Ultimate. For some reason Sony sold all North American Vaio Z11 and Z12's without TPM chips (and advertised they did have them too, but removed it after they started shipping laptops out and people started noticiing) whereas across the world, they had them... The Z13's in the USA do have TPM though. That's about it for differences though. Oh and the fact that you might have a different keyboard than those here in the States.

 

Anyone know of a good source for a Vaio Z1 replacement LCD screen?

Mine got damaged and has a large block of bad pixels (currently about 1.25" x 1/4" and growing).

Looking around I see them advertised on ebay for about $500 which seems a bit steep for my tastes.

I don't care whether I put in a 1600x900 (what I currently have) or the 1080 if that is what happens to be available.

Any recommendations?

 

Check Laptop LCD Screens from ScreenTek

 

Thanks for that, I followed up on it. Their website lists the VPC-Z1 series alright, and it lists all the screens for them. It says "call for price".

So I called. Unfortunately they indicated they had no screens available for it and that they weren't planning on getting any. I asked them about all the variations of the Z but the answer remained no.

So bummer, no luck on that one but thanks.

Any one else have thoughts on places to check out?

 

For the LT131EE12000 (A-1769-474-A) screen there seem to be a few sellers selling "equivalent" screens (on eBay) for $350-400; genuine for $450 (yar, about $500 :<).

Sony also sells the A-1769-474-A screen for $422.36.. here No clue what postage would be.

I really do not know if you would need a different cable if you wanted to use the LT131EE11000 (1080p) screen - part number A-1769-473-A. There's one seller on eBay selling a "compatible" screen for $350, another around $450 and then the rest.

 

Thx.
As far as a different cable is concerned, I know that many on this forum have done the screen swap and have confirmed it's just a drop-in.

 

I bought
this in June last year and replaced 1600x900 in my VPCZ1 with it. Flawless

 

Thx. Maybe I'll do just that

 

I purchased my Vaio Z1 around a year ago and it has been used lightly since then, however, today when I turned the machine on there is a 1 pixel vertical line that doesn't get as dark as the pixels around it. When the background is black the line is grey, and when I'm looking at the standard windows background the line is a teal. It's not a line of stuck pixels because they change color, just not as dark as they should be (if that makes sense)

The line appears regardless of what graphics option I have selected, and it also appears in the BIOS. I'm thinking the line is due to a damaged ribbon cable, though I can't image how it was damaged. The alternative is the 1080 display is damaged which would really stink...

My model is VPCZ1290X and I was wondering what part would have to be replaced to get the monitor back to how it should be working. I do some color correction work on the panel so the line is very distracting :-( Also, if you can think of a way to determine whether the display or cable is damaged that would help too. I love the computer, however, I need it working 100%

 

Hallo to All! Please tell me do I need any additional cable or any part for replace 1600x900 to 1920x1080 display?

 

No, it's a simple swap. You need only the display. Connectors are the same.

 

Thanks, pyr0!

 

I was about to suggest that the cable was slightly lose but it's unlikely in that case to result in a perfect vertical line. Usually lose cable causes a lot of horizontal and vertical "rainbow." My guess would be that one of the vertical control lines in LCD itself got stuck. That would be bad. But I could be wrong.

 

Stepped away from my Z11 for a few minutes and this happened.



The snow was animated but the keys and mouse were unresponsive. I has it set to "speed" but the light was lit for "stamina". I had to hold the power button to turn it off. It restarted just fine.

Weird.

 

just got a VPCZ2390X and tried to do a clean install of windows. failing after first reboot with error "Windows Setup could not configure Windows on this computer’s hardware."

any ideas?

 

found solution to own problem. if you have a newer sony vaio z(2x ssd in raid), you need to load the intel rapid storage technology raid driver during windows setup.

link below
Driver

 

Ahh, good to know daniel . That'll pertain to a lot of people here since ALL vaio Z's sold in the US came with at least 2x SSDs

 

I just wanted to update everyone on my laptop's condition. I tried everything from a pixel unstucker to light pressure to restarts to reinstalling the graphics drivers and nothing would get rid of the single line of lighter vertical pixels... Then, about a week after the problem began I started the computer up and the line was completely gone. The screen is back to normal and, for now, the laptop is operating as it should again. I wish I could tell you what caused the problem to go away, however, all I can think is the line of pixels unstuck itself while off and now it's working as well as it ever has

 

hmm that's interesting... maybe it's the connector problem? In any case, glad yours fixed itself, quite possibly the first person i heard who's z has done that (don't berate me for my use of who's vs whose vs whom's... just for all your grammar nazi's out there )

 

Just wondering, do you guys have the "Write-back cache" enabled in Intel RST settings? http://puu.sh/gQA2

Anybody experienced issues with having it enabled? (e.g. significant data loss after BSOD)

 

Yes, I have had mine enabled since I got the laptop (a couple of years now...).

The main concern would be a loss of power with a cache not yet written. Like say if someone kicked the power cord on a desktop system.

But that is really more of a problem for desktops than it is for laptops (seen' as how they got a battery and all)

 

Quick question. Is $800 a good price for a standard Z12 with a 1600x900 screen and a 2 year warranty?

 

That's a very good price.

 

So I just bought it a few minutes ago. It actually came out only $733 (about $500 for the Vaio Z and $140 for 2 year accidental damage warranty) from Microcenter. I just have a few questions (sorry if they've already been asked).

1. What is the first thing I should do with it?

2. What start-up stuff should I do?

3. How much does the 9 cell battery add to the battery life (i'm getting about 1:30 at 57% right now) and where can I get one? Same question for the sheet battery.

4. Whats the best way to clean it (screen, keys, lid, etc.).

 

Congrats, I paid €1800 for mine a few months ago!

1. Make VAIO recovery disks (just in case). Then, do a full clean reinstall of Windows, use our own baked nVidia drivers (newer), and install as little Sony bloatware as possible.

2. Start-up stuff? One thing I'd do is set the Battery Care function to 80% in Vaio Control center.

3. I have the 6-cell battery (the one that looks like two cilinders, 9-cell is three cilinders and 3-cell is one cilinder), and I get 5 hours on Intel graphics (charging only to 80%). 7 hours on 80% with low brightness and no wireless connections.

4. Keys: still haven't found something that works properly Display: Just a very slightly damp cloth (VERY slightly damp), perhaps with just a little bit of simple dishwashing-type soap. Then again with a slightly damp pure-water cloth, then dry with microfiber cloth. And do not touch the display, it smears very easily.

Have fun with it! Best laptop you'll ever get!

 

Slightly damp sponge works for me on the keyboard (don't go over the touchpad with that).

 

OK, I've been looking at this thread for hours, but I need to question about one last thing.

Are there 3 default antenna for 3x3 support, or are there only 2 antennas?

I ask because range is important for me and 3x3 always seems to bring better reception range.

EDIT : Found my answer by searching for threads.. 2x2 only.

 

Oh, hey Ryan, you've got a Z1 as well! Yeah, last time I opened mine up I only recall seeing 2 wires going to the Intel 6200 card in mine. How is the Killer wireless? Worth it for super duper a lot of tabs opened web browsing or more just for gaming?

 

Yup, I got a Z1. Modding it a lot, as I'm planning to keep it for a few years.

I've been using the Intels for a few years, but I just switched over to the Killer 1103 when I started using my P150HM a year ago. Reception, speed, range, stability.. Killer was better at everything and superior to the Intel, I can't use the Intel WiFi any more..

To be honest there's no reason to not choose the Killer 1103, other than the price! You should get one too!

 

I thought the Z does have three antennas, but one of them is used by the 3G? Or am I mistaken?

You have to admit though that the Intel WiFi is pretty good too. At school almost all my classmates have Atheros stuff built-in to their laptops, and I completely own their network speeds with my Intel 6200, let alone the superiority of the 5Ghz network speeds.

Difference between the Intel and the Killer card can't be that big then?

 

Well I've done speedtest.net results in the Sager/Clevo forum with both the Intel 6300 and the Killer 1103, and pretty much the Killer 1103 was better in terms of signal strength and connection speed.

That's why I just keep on coming back to the Killer.

 

Where can I find these drivers? Thanks for answering by the way.