Sony Vaio Z i5/i7 Official Owners Thread

I just got black screen of death but with no beeps. It must have crashed while I was sleeping because the next morning when opening the lid it was completely black and frozen and and the fan was pumping out massive amounts of heat. The disturbing part was there was NO flash video being played so it just crashed on its own. I did end up upgrading to the new and latest wifi driver the 13.2.1.5 and I have the crashes.

I'm going to call Sony right now, I've pretty much had it.

Can anyone tell me if anyone with the Z12 is experiencing the black screen of death.

Thanks.

 

Did you update to the latest BIOS version yet? Seems that fixes some standby issues. And also have you updated the Ethernet driver? The standard version is the only one that ''works'' (for me at least). The newer drivers make the PC get the black screen.

 

the black screen of death appears to be more common with the fhd screen can anyone with the 1600x900 screen verify if they have ever experienced the black screen of death as well?

 

I know this is from a few weeks ago and somewhat off-topic, but I just wanted to chime in...

Yeah, Sony Vegas >>> Premiere.

 

@hxkclan, Yes I've updated to the latest BIOS version really hoping that would rectify many problems but black screen still exists. I have the 11.5.4.0 Ethernet driver.

@TigerBone, I own the 1600x900 res screen and I've had this issue from day one at first when I was using Flash video, then I tried a new wireless driver from Sony tech support. Now I get the black screen of death crashing with no flash video playing and especially when I close the lid and re-open it after 30min to an hour or so, even though I have all sleep and hibernation modes set to off. As well, sometimes my brightness function keys won't change the brightness levels even though the bars move up and down.

Many times after reboot I get this error message:



Of all the laptops I've owned this Sony Z had been the most problematic, which I really wasn't expecting for such a high end unit. Of course, there are good points but the bad points are very very frustrating and annoying and unfortunately as of yet no way for me to fix.

 

I received my z1290 CTO today! Dang this thing is FAST!!!

Everything is fast. Plug in my Express Card 3G stick, installs in seconds. Started Outlook 2010 with a 2GB archive file and it's like an instant boot up of the program. I've got to install CS4 later. I want to see how that quick that goes. Now off to check out DAO. AMAZING. If you're on the fence about one of these, get off. This z1290 is a quantum leap over my z555 (and that was hardly a slouch back in the day).

Edit: Playing DAO at native res, 4xAA, highest details and textures, great experience. The fan kicks in for sure, but with noise cancelling earphones this is moot. The laptop is on my lap and it's just fine, warm, but fine.

 

Nice! Congratz! You got a very nice specd Z1290 , it has to be FAST!

Photoshop CS5 takes 3.2seconds to start on mine

Illustrator CS5 takes 6.7seconds.

 

It definitely sounds seems like a driver issue and its sad that something like this can't be fixed by sony or nvidia quickly.. maybe if they received enough complaints they would look into it

 

How could you catch a virus that quick! :GEEK:

 

In autorun.inf? Sounds like a false positive. Unless it was a .sys or .exe; those are the only widely-known USB flash drive autorun infectors (the .sys is a new one).

Oh well; that's pretty strange.

 

This probably isn't the best place to ask, but heck why not.

In Protector Suite 2009 (for biometric scanner), there is an option that says "allow to use finger used in preboot to automatically logon to Windows." Does this mean I can swipe my finger at some time before the log in screen even loads? How does this work? Or do they just mean the normal login swipe. If not, when do I swipe?

 

CS4 is about 3 seconds to load. I didn't time down to tenths of a second, but it's danged fast!

I also only get 1 cursor blink when booting up (just over 30 seconds) and shut down timed in at 15 seconds. I'm actually thinking I need to time that again, as that's unbelievably fast. At any rate, this is one super happy z owner signing out.

 

can someone take a screen shot of there 1920x1080 running at 1600x900 and 125 dpi with a web browser open I'd like to see if the page fills most of the screen or if its centered with white walls around it and can someone with a 1600x900 screen do the same positive rep will be given

 

At first I was pissed that I had one stuck pixel. But I guess I should look at the big picture and just be glad that I don't have this "black screen of death" problem.

 

Sure

1080p @ 125dpi (default):



900p @ 125dpi:

 

Thanks ahsan.mughal rep given! I'm assuming there is no zoom being used on the page? Please correct me if I'm wrong, because in my attached photo i went to download.com and the page seems to be shrunk and sits in the middle as you can see. I'm not sure if its my settings and don't remember if this happened with all sites but I'm trying to figure out why. at first i thought it was because of the resolution but it might just be something else, does anyone know?

 

Re: cursor blinks during boot up...

I have been disappointed that I have 17 cursor blinks when others are reporting 1, 6, 12, etc. However, I timed my boot up last night and it was about 30 seconds to the W7 Log in screen. So, my actual boot time doesn't seem to be different than others, even though I'm getting more cursor blinks than some others. I'm curious if this means that others' machines are spending more time on the Windows start screen or what. Carmien, if you're only getting one cursor blink, are you noticing your machine spending 25 seconds on the Windows 7 start up screen then?

 

Just arrived my new VPC-Z12X9E/X europe.
SSD diagnostic shows TOSHIBA THNS064GG2BNAA.
I'm wondering if is possible to upgrade ssd firmware (nothing found on toshiba web site).
I don't know if there are some pics of disassembled vaio z12.
Do you know if it's possible to upgrade or change ssd?
Thanks.

 

Carmien, your config says you have "Metal Mosaic" on your VPCZ1290 CTO. You meant to say "Metal Shield", correct? Because I was under the impression that Metal Mosaic was only available on certain Z11 models, I thought that it was unavailable now...

If you do have "Metal Shield", how does it look and feel? The small pic on the website didn't really give me a good sense of it.

 

I just got the stopwatch out and did a test for you.

Shutdown: 14.0 seconds (I kid you not)
Bootup: 45.2 seconds (which includes the program to get my wireless 3G card app saying I'm ready to connect)
Win7 spash screen: 11 seconds (It started at 16.7 seconds and was done at 27.4 seconds)

I also have fingerprint logon on Professional (which is a security requirement, but I paused the timer at this point). If you're getting to logon in about 30 seconds I think you're in great shape.

 

Is anyone running Solidworks successfully on the Z? If so, please let me know... is it smooth, any features disabled, etc.

Thanks!

 

I actually have Metal Mosaic. I ordered CTO through Canada and it came looking exactly as I'd hoped. The pattern has some light and darker silver, with subtle stands of gold thrown in. Personally, I think it looks sharp, a nice change from the usual bland laptop and good pop-factor for clients. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the carbon fibre on my z555, and was tempted...

I was a little concerned about the comments regarding the silver palm rest and the colour rubbing off. Now that I'm set up I'm less concerned:
- I use an external keyboard and monitor in dual screen. Most of the time I'm not even typing on the laptop's keyboard (which reminds me, need to order docking station)
- The sticker for Sony's VAIO care is really big. Yes, stickers aren't pretty but it seems to be the norm for most mainstream laptops these days. And ironically, when I am typing on the laptop my skin seems to touch that sticker


Side-note: I LOVE the backlit keys!!! Did I say I love them already??? I adjusted the controls so that they stay on. And last night when typing in dimming light I found them coming on perfectly and a real blessing.

I liked my z555 but this z1290 is simply lightyears ahead in EVERY way. It's stunning. It's all the little things. When plugging in HDMI I find the external monitor coming on almost instantly. The Blu Ray playback is amazing. The noise reducing earphones are perfect. I can game with this laptop on performance mode with it on my laptop and I don't need a skin graft (cooling system WORKS). The responsiveness of the system is...well...you get the picture.

People might say that this is not a gaming laptop, but I've not even overclocked my GPU yet and I can play Dragon Age: Online at native res, max details and 4xAA with smooth frame rates. This is hardly the pinacle in gaming, but it's the kind of game I'm playing right now. This is enough gaming for me on the road.

Did I tell you how I really feel yet? Do I sound like a fanboy? Good. I am!

 

There was no zooming done in the screen shots I took. It was all default (only changed the resolution).
I will just double check about the Zoom..

 

Hmmm that's interesting! I wouldn't call it a defect on my end since it has to be software related why it was doing that I guess, but i hope my next one behaves normally

 

solidworks 2010, as well as catia v5r20 and pro/e wf 5.0 works perfectly smooth out of the box on my z11 on 1920 resolution. even with the integrated intel graphics it's running very well when working on simple-semi-complex assemblies. simulation speed of ansys solvers on that machine is amazing.

 

Really looking forward to hitting diablo3 on that device. of you like games like this, try risen or good ol' oblivion on that machine. it's gorgeous!

 

Oh good one. I'll load in Oblivion and Fallout 3!

 

Great. Thanks pyr0.

 

Where is the Adobe bundle installed? I can't seem to find it no matter where I check. I got the 122GX from TigerDirect. I believe it should be on this model.

 

Think mine came with the icons showing up on desktop on start up. Otherwise, go to Start, all programs, and you should see Adobe Distiller, Acrobat, Photoshop, Premier, and Reader listed.

I got mine thru SonyStyle - CTO, no fresh start w/ Adobe bundle.

 

Yup it's not there on mine. Quite odd. Microsoft Office Starter was however.

 

Help! I believe this Wifi driver is causing a problem, connecting to a wifi network with my Vaio Z. How do I uninstall this driver Please?

Any help would be appreciated
Thanks

 

Which driver is causing you problems? If it is 13.1.1.0, you should get 13.2.1.5 instead from Intel here. You should be ok by just updating to that one. If you want to uninstall the other one first, go to Device Manager, under Networking adapters select the wireless card, right-click it and select Uninstall, check "Delete the driver software for this device" and hit OK.

 

Hi all.. my apologies here if this question has been posted but I have been a regular visitor to the Sony forums here and do not remember ever seeing any prior discussions so i thought i'd ask on a new post.

I just bought a new Sony Vaio Z129GG some two weeks back. It comes with 4x64GB SSD drive configuration. I notice that there are times when i restart or boot up the computer and that the Intel RAID drivers did not 'start' (under the icon on the right side of the task bar, it does not have the 'tick' mark) ... does any of you have such a problem? Are there any solutions for it?

 

On my Z the service is set to delayed start so it takes some time for the tick to appear.

 

Thanks for the reply. I ask this because i ever encountered windows telling me 'so and so' is not a valid windows program etc which is solved when i manually open the Intel Raid program....

 

Hi everyone, I'm new to this forum as I just ordered my CTO Vaio Z. I have a couple of questions which are pretty basic but I cannot actually find a clear answer in earlier parts of this very large thread, despite searching.

I ordered a machine with an HDD but no optical drive. Can I simply buy a standard SSD (e.g.128gb), unplug the HDD and replace it with the SSD using the connector/cable already in the machine? Does the SSD have to be a particular specification?

Also, what would be the best way to transfer the OS from the HDD to the SSD? Would it be best to do a fresh install of Win7 via USB stick?

Many thanks in advance!

Stu55y

 

(a) Yes (b) No, besides having SATA connector and at most 2.5" (c) Imaging the HDD and transferring to the SSD is one option (d) Depends on how much bloatware is on the HDD and how hardworking you are .

 

I noticed the same thing. Haven't looked into the "delayed start", however it sounds entirely plausible since it fixes itself after a minute or so.

 

Could you describe on which side Sony has replaced usb with firewire?
Usually there are two usb on the left and one on the right side.
Thanx!
Jon

 

I have the firewire option & its located on the left, it replaces a USB.

Cheers,
T

 

Hi friends,

I'm thinking about to buy a VPC Z12 from Sony-Style.
I dont like the SSD option because of raid 0 and propritary ssd solution from sony. Therefore I want the hdd version (also without dvd) and replace the hdd with a normal ssd.

Here my questions:
1. What ssd do you recomand?
2. What sata connecter does the hdd version have?

Thanx !

Jon

 

For the sake of completeness, it's the left one that's closer to the user

1. Depends on your budget. I think the Intel X-25s have gone down in price somewhat. Newest ones are SandForce drives. At least, get a drive that supports TRIM.

2. The usual one that comes with 2.5" drives. It's not micro or slimline SATA.

 

1) Let me ask you this, I´m thinking in buying the VPCZ122GX/B for 1799 in newegg. Is there any better deal out there? is it a great machine?

2) I can´t find the docking station for this model, what´s going on? is this the right one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...647&cm_re=vaio_docking-_-34-996-647-_-Product ??? or the version for Z11 is different to the one for Z12?

3) http://newmodeus.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2_39&products_id=293

will this work with the Z12?

4) is it possible to replace the SSD with a regular 2.5'' HD in the Z12?

5) I heard about a cheaper model with no SSD and a regular HD in the optical disk bay, is it available?

 

According to sony site:

VGP-PRZ10 | VAIO® Z110 Series Docking Station | Sony | Sony Style USA

Compatibility

Only compatible with VPCZ110 Series VAIO® notebooks. AC Adapter included. For docking stations compatible with other Z Series models, please see the VGP-PRZ1 docking station.

What the hell, which one if for new Vaio Z21 and which one is for the older vaio???

 

The point I'm making is why would you turn on fingerprint logon ? Because you want more security right ? But if you can still input your windows password after pressing "esc" during fingerprint logon, it makes all this biometric security pointless. I just don't get it...

 

It helps in the sense that if I'm in an unavoidable situation where people refuse to look away, I'm not compromising security by scanning my fingerprint. On the other hand, depending on the complexity of the password, it may be retrieved by the onlooker as I type it in.

 

doh ! I haven't thought of that. my bad

 

Thanks for your feedback, TofuTurkey. Am looking forward to taking delivery of my Vaio and immediately voiding the warranty

 

Hi guys

Got my Sony Z12 - i7/6GB/128GB/Full HD - US CTO version


Well the HDD shows just 80 GB of free space

I was randomly going thro the pages in this thread but cudnt find solution to this prob.(Cant go thro all of them its too much!!!)

Anyways- i found an utility Vaio application remover -in Sony website but it was mentioned only for vista.

Can u guys tell which s/w to remove- i dont wanna mess with some of the s/w bcoz it might be linked with touch mousepad or the Wifi etc.
Is there any thread which tells which s/w can be removed safely?
I mean there are tons of crap- like gobi, media plus, movie story etc etc etc

I just need a pdf reader(adobe) and MS office (I hav original disc). Nothin else.
So it wud be helpful if someone helps me out. Thanks

Will be trying out games in this beautiful machine next month...

Thanks