VAIO CR Owners' Thread

Yes i meant 4200rpm, haha... and yes, i know, the speakers are quite disappointing, the review submited for the CR said that it was among the best in its class (speakers) and i now believe that to be a lie. I'm getting some good headphones, i suggest you do the same thing if you enjoy music and movies often.

 

I did (the citogen one from newegg, same as the logitech nano and princeton micro usb adaptors), but I don't care for it. I would still rather an internal solution.

 

I also have a CR120 and was really disappointed by the lack of integrated Bluetooth and still loathe the idea of another dongle to carry around. So in looking for an internal solution I searched Sony's parts site for the CR190's bluetooth module and I found this...
http://servicesales.sel.sony.com/we...archOperation=modelSearch&searchText=VGNCR190

Item 141778611

I have it sitting at home on my desk right now waiting to be installed, unfortunately, I've been away for 2 months. Does anyone have tear-down instructions so I can try getting it installed when I get back home?

 

Has anybody else had a problem with their camera? My laptop is 2 weeks old and the camera worked the first few times i tried it. Now everytime I try, i get a message saying that the camera is in use by another program. There is NEVER anything else open that would be using it!

Help! This is really annoying, as the integrated camera played quite a role in me choosing this model, I wanted to use it for video calls, etc!

 

You probably installed another program that uses it, probably an instant messenger.

$76 is an awful lot for a bluetooth module. If you live in the Washington DC region, I would tear down your cr for you and install the module.

 

Have you guys seen this video on youtube. they show the Cr using windows xp.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qPthGLfA3g

 

here are other links to some nice pictures outside and inside from a korean website. pretty cool. Don't understand a thing but its neat. You can see the real weight and thickness of the laptop. they also test the performance. watch out at the bottom of the pages. there are 10 pages .

http://www.notegear.com/Content/Content_View.asp?TNum=637&kind=2&gotopage=1

http://www.notegear.com/Content/Content_View.asp?TNum=641&kind=2&gotopage=1

 

Ninjanoodles I saw where you said to someone that using XP on the CR there would be driver problems why do you say that?

*Edit* Nevermind I found another forum on it

 

Just got a CR today. Could not stand dealing with lenovo's inability to deliver anymore. Really happy with the pc so far. Very quiet, cool, and comfortable. Still have to get rid of all the bloatware, holy crap their is a lot. A bunch of Sony crap too, not sure what is and is not needed. Any advice?

 

Hey, first time here on these forums seems like a great place. I got a Sony Vaio CR21Z/R last week as I started University and needed to get a laptop. Everything is working great on it except for one problem, The Fn keys do not work at all.
When i try dim the screen or try change the input to my to nothing happens :s
Does anyone why this is or if there is a solution to it, will be very grateful thanks.
Akhil

 

Firstly, I would recommend doing a semi-clean install. See my signature - you won't regret it.

To restore the use of your Fn keys, try reinstalling the VAIO Event Service from the recovery program.

Welcome to NBR!

 

Hi to all..

I am planning on buying tomorrow CR21S/W. At first i was thinking FZ series but then i saw CR and it is just the most beautiful NB. So probably i ll buy this one. It is going to be my first laptop too, so i have a few questions.

I am a little worried about the size of the screen. I am going to use it for university stuff which means office work, surfing and matlab. I usually stick on a PC for hours and i dont know wether the screen is too small and will make my eyes tired or not.Should i go for a 15.4 NB, maybe FZ?

My second concern is the on board graphics card. I am not a game fan but sometimes i want to play some games for a while. I do have a desktop but in a year or maybe less it wont be able to play new games so i was thinking maybe go for a model with NVIDIA (FZ again). Will it be able to play these games or i wont be able to play games anyway so i might as well go for CR with no more thoughts?

Last, as i stated before this is my first NB so i want to ask about the battery problem. I read that if the lock is on there is no problem at all. Is that true? And xhat exactly is that lock? Why would one disable it and have it disabled?

Other than that is there anything else i should consider before buying it?

Mostly my concerns are the lack of a dedicated graphics card and the smaller screen. Are these serious problems or i will just forget them when i get it in my hands? Again i say im not a gamer but i want to buy something that will last and i think it maybe should have a graphics card. The CR model with the ATI card is way too expensive so if i dont get this one i ll get the FZ..

Thanks for your help in advance..

 

@ DaLou
Just to let you know i was in the same boat as you. I needed a laptop for Uni and wanted a Vaio, i too was going to go for the FZ first as i wanted the Blu-Ray player, but then i saw the CR's and was sold on them. Trust me you do not want a 15.4 for Uni they are quite heavy and take up at lot of space on the bench too, I am very glad i did not get one. the 14.1" on the CR is perfect not too big not too small.

Also i have this problem on my CR i was wondering if anyone else had the same thing. When i watch a video file in full screen mode instead of the black bars on the top and bottom i get these grey ones which really annoy me. Does this happen to anyone else? and does anybody know a way to fix this so they will turn to black like on XP? When I play the files via DivX player i get the black bars fine but i prefer to use Windows Media Player.

 

It sounds like a software issue if it only happens with windows media player. You might be able to fix this by going into options and changing a setting (or settings).

 

hi everyone. I need help regarding the BIOS of my Sony CR140E/B. When you enter the BIOS, it has only a few functions in the ADVANCED TAB (2 to be exact). 1 is boot from external drive 2. Network Boot (not so advanced huh?)

When I called support, they said that if you install the bios directly from Pheonix and it screws up -- WARRANTY VOIDED! (Irrelevant, but ill just add it, "If you downgrade to XP, it will VOID warranty .. I dont know if this true, but Sony Support Personnel said it). Anyway, back to the topic, I need to disable my Onboard LAN. I cant do it because there are no options in BIOS. =( Anybody has an IDEA on how to disable Onboard LAN (It should be outside the OS, not within the OS).

THank you.

P.S. I was wondering why Sony doesn't give any stand alone OEM DVDs that contains Windows Vista ONLY on it? They said that they cannot provide me with this DVD for some crappy reason. Other companies give "Restore discs" AND OEM Vista SEPARATELY. I just want Vista and MY OWN software installed in my PC . I dont want the trial bundle that Sony included. Everytime I restore my PC, i have to do a bunch of uninstall and install again. =(

 

To solve your restoration problem, see the semi-clean install in my signature. It's actually a shorter process than a regular recovery, and you end up with almost nothing but the essential drivers and programs.

 

I have a question for you guys. on the canadian sony website they say the computer has intel's turbo memory , but i've read that hp and sony did not get this for their laptops. whats going on.

Is it possible to add it ? I imagine the connector for the chip is there?

 

Hi, just thought i let you know i just got a CR21S/W 2ghz 2 duo, 2gb ddr 667mhz, 160gb hd, bluetooth, wifi b/g/n, i love it i think its great. The white was def the best colour imo. Love the style of the keyboard. Anyway hello all.

 

so anyone can give some feedback on this!

 

Am I alone here LOL.. i can hear my echo haha

 

When I open the lid of my Vaio CR, it turns on. This is odd because I have specifically selected "Do nothing" in Vaio Central under "Settings For the Behavior When Opening the LCD Screen Lid".
Ideas for getting it to obey me?

 

hi. i plan on purchasing a neoprene case online at sonystyle for the vaio cr. i was wondering with model of the neoprene case fill fit the cr. thank you.

 

Hello all, I plan on getting the Vaio CR-290 and am wondering on if it is possible at all to buy it with a dedicated graphics card (either NVidia or ATI). I read from this thread that some models outside the United States have the option, but on Sony's website I do not see it. That is the only hold up on me getting one now, although its not a deal breaker.

 

I thought about that a lot. I ended getting this CR cuz it doesn't have a dedicated video card. This means almost an hour more of battery life (hence why one sony laptop with the nVidia 8400m option has a switch to toggle integrated or dedicated graphics). So if you're looking to spend around $2000 that is definitely the solution.

With the Vaio vgn-cr220e it has 2gb of ram and the Santa Rosa X3100 integrated graphics chip. This is in no way dedicated, but it is fully DirectX 10 compliant, and can do some less intense 3D. I've only played Half-Life 2 on it. Which plays quite nicely (1280x800 works smoothly. you must turn the sound down to medium quality, i also turned shadows down too).

So it really depends on your gaming desires. Keep in mind that the nVidia 8400m is only a 128mb card, so it's not like you can play really new games. If you really want decent performance look for the 8600 series with 256mb ram.

And hi everybody! I just bought a Vaio CR220E/R. It's doing a great job of putting my ol Compaq Presario 2565us to shame!

 

hey guys. something weird happened to my cousins's CR 125 EB

its not even one week old and when he went to start it up for the 3rd time and it didn't work. its dead. i tried with without the power supply and its just dead.

brought it back to SONY and they said they will give him a new one , but first they said they have to know what happened . Why the hell do we have a warranty for? My cousin even got the 2 year warranty. The manager of the sony store said its to verify that it wasn't user's fault like liquids etc... duhh its brand new and it was stored more than used lol. Anyways the laptop just shipped yesterday. they said they should know by the end of the week. will see.

 

Hey CR owners, think your sound is too 'tinny' sounding? Try an equalizer setting in the control panel for the sound card.

1.Right-click on your speaker icon in the taskbar, select 'playback devices'
2.select 'speaker/hp', click 'properties'
3.select the 'enhancements' tab
4.check the 'equalizer' option
5.in the 'sound effect' properties select a 'setting' (i recommend 'dance')

So give that a try, try all the settings. But if you need to rock, 'rock' is not the right setting

 

I think I will go for the Sony CR-290. Its got everything I need to do my work, although I wonder on the games I play. Here's a list of games I currently play and am wondering if any would not run that well on it:

* World Of Warcraft
* Call Of Duty 2
* Battlefield 2142
* Starcraft (a classic; I'm 1000% certain this will run with no problems whats-so-ever)
* Half-Life 2 (firefoxussr says it runs pretty well)
* Counter-Strike Source

 

i just bought sony vaio VGN-CR23 (region : Indonesia)
and i've downgrade it to XP... (previously : Vista)
somehow i just need my drivers.. i can see many exclamation mark on the device manager. and i also need the preloaded vaio software... ugh i forgot to backup the software before

where can i get the preinstalled/preloaded software and drivers ? (download links)
many thanks

i've check the esupport.sony website but dont find my CR series

 

Counter-Strike Source is also fine.

Starcraft is cake.

I'm sure Battlefield 2142 will not play well. (I tried running that on my Althlon X2 desktop which kicks ass in any of the HDR (see below) Half-Life 2 Games).

Not sure about the other two.


*The HL2 games that won't play smooth are the ones with the HDR (high dynamic range). I only have Lost Coast, and it just doesn't handle the HDR well at all (even on lowest settings), so forget about Episode 1 & Orange Box.

 

My CR seems to have shipped with Home Premium 32bit... isnt the core 2 duo capable of 64bit? am i missing something?

 

Lots of computer manufacturers ship processors that are 64-bit compatible, but the driver support for hardware has yet to catch up. 32-bit software is fully compatible with 64-bit-capable machines. You *can* get Vista 64-bit, but then you'd have to locate the 64-bit drivers for each hardware item installed on your system. This means scouring each part manufacturer's websites to see if they have 64-bit drivers available.

One semi-quick tip: If you choose to, you can get the Vista Anytime Upgrade Disc for a low, low price of $10 from Microsoft and convert your machine to the 64-bit Vista, so long as you have the product key available. I've done this and it works well.

Hope that helps.

Edit: Forgot to mention that I believe Vista 64-bit won't allow unsigned drivers to be installed, so you'll have to get the WHQL certified ones.

 

Hi, I think I'm going to be buying a CR220 or 290 in the next couple of days, and had just a few questions before I did, that I was hoping someone here could answer for me.

1) Does anyone have any pictures of the Champagne/gold colour? I think that it looks incredible, but would like to know what it actually looks like (not just in stock photos). Is it more of a pale gold or dull beige colour?
2) What are the major differences between the 220 and 290? It looks like the 220 doesn't have the bluetooth, is that the only major difference?
3) I'm currently waffling between buying my laptop in a brick-and-mortar store vs buying it custom-built from sonystyle.ca (since I'm in Canada...) Does anyone have any insight into the various pros/cons into either of these options?

Thank you!

EDIT: one more question: Should I shell out for the extended battery? It looks like the standard battery and the extended batteries are different shapes, and I'd rather not have lumps hanging out the back of my notebook. I haven't found any photos of the CR with the extended battery in (or if I have, I haven't noticed...) any suggestions?

 

Hi, this is Nef and I saw that you have the same Sony notebook pc (VGN-CR70B) I bought this pc and I did something unwise by formating it and installing Vista ultimate in enlglish without creating the recovery disk that you can create when the computer is in japanese using the recovery center program that sony has intalled.. anyways I found the way that you can change this computer to english keeping all the drivers and all the devices working properly but I need those disk that you can create from the recovery center when you have it in japanese.. if you can create those 2 DVDs (fits in 2 DVDs) and send me copy I can pay for that or I can help you change your pc to Vista Ultimate Original en english... this Disk has to be made from the same exact notebook model..in this case the VGN-CR70B..
Please reply to this message and let me know what do you think.. thanks a lot.
anyways you can always contact me at my cel. 090-2660-7576 (softbank)

 

Thanks dbam, you're correct, for the x64 version, youd need the signed drivers, which sony doesnt provide, i guess i'll stick with x86!

 

Hello all, I am considering to buy this laptop because of its keyboard and its style. I have gone to some reseller and tried this laptop but it fells slow if you want to open some programs like photoshop, it is because of the RAM which is only 1GB?

 

Hi again. I finally got a CR21s - really happy with it.
But i would like your help to solve if possible a problem I face..
I cant connect it to a TV. Everything appears black and white. I tried all the different configurations but nothing fixed this problem. My tv is a sony trinitron (old model, 7-8 years old - PAL_B) but i tried it in other TVs and had the same problem. Trying a different cable didnt help either.. Is there any way that i can see colours in my tv?? Maybe some settings i dont know, a program for that case or any modified drivers for the graphics card??
Thank you..

 

Hello everyone,

I just got hold of my first notebook, a Sony CR22.

Two days into usage and I noticed its giving out a slightly high pitched humming/ringing sound.

Have you guys experienced anything like this before or should I send the notebook back?

Thanks

 

This was actually a common problem on the previous model, the C series, and was noted by a few people (I am one of them) on the 2 year old 14" FJ....

I'd send it back, personally, since it really started to bug me after a while.

 

Thanks for the prompt reply.

Will call up dealer and hopefully they will give me a replacement since its only two days old.

The constant whine is very irritating especially if I'm in a quite place.

 

I am getting one for Christmas.... I cant wait! I am getting the Indigo Blue, I wanted black but could not find it (did not want online)

 

I just purchased a new CR203/n from bestbuy for the whole sum of $699.00 + tax couldn't believe it was so inexpensive, the build quality rivals my Dell XPS1210 if not better the webcam is a lot better and the gold finish looks really impressive the only setback is the slow processor a T2310 but 2 gigs of memory helps a lot. I thought I would drop a line and tell everyone bout it my only gripe is that the keyboard takes a slight learning curve to touch type but its coming along
thanx
jim

 

Did you buy it online?
Could you kindly provide me the link for that deal, I have been looking for a Vaio CR and couldnt find a deal that damn good.

Thanks

 

no bought in a store in my hometown
they had 3 new in the boxes marked down to $799 and then added $100 instant discount when i grabbed one and went to pay for it they claimed it was mis marked at first until they checked the puter and it came back as the right price
so we were all happy
thanx
jim

 

Dealer told me let them have a look first without mentioning anything about replacement, can't afford the trouble and downtime. They will probably give some lame excuses as well since this is is an intermitten problem.

Been using the notebook the whole day and the constant high pitched whine is really getting on my nerves, it seems to be coming from the keyboard and the right wrist rest.

Suddenly I regretted not getting the Y410 instead ....

 

Hi there,
I was interested in a CR21Z/R laptop with this spec,

Intel® Core™2 Duo processor T7250 (2 GHz and 800 MHz FSB)
200 GB Serial ATA 4200 rpm
2 GB DDR2-667 SDRAM (2*1024 MB),
ATI® Mobility RADEON® X2300

Could I play newer games like call of duty 4, gears of war ect...
Could I upgrade the graphics card if need be...
Any help would be greatly appreaciated

 

Hello everybody, first forgive my English ...

I have seen the video youtube where instand mode and av mode, operating in xp, I wanted to ask if sabeis where to get these drivers, if possible take another ladtop Vaio, and tell me that ..
Best regards and thanks for everything.

 

I have ordered a customized Sony Vaio for my wifes Christmas present, specs are below. I'm pretty sure I wont be tempted to appropriate this one for my own use, at least not out of the house . I am hoping it will do the job for her, email, web browsing, media storage and viewing, possibly some Office apps if she decides to take it to work (manages a credit union). I have seen the Sangria red model, and it is a real beauty, possibly the best looking notebook I've ever seen. Also took advantage of the customized engraving option. Should be here tomorrow. I am curious as to the performance next to my Toshiba which has a T7200 processor that also runs at 2GHz but with a 4MB L2 as opposed to the T7250's 2MB L2. But the T7250 runs at a higher FSB (800MHz) than the T7200 which runs at 667 I believe. Of course I realize that with graphics the Toshiba will win handily as it has dedicated graphics. But for the basics mentioned above, I hope they will be comparable.
Specs:
WLAN 802.11 a/b/g/n w/Integrated Bluetooth®
Mobile Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator X3100
LCD 14.1" WXGA+ (XBRITE-ECO™)
SuperMulti DVD±R DL / DVD±RW / DVD-RAM Drive
80 GB SATA Hard Disk Drive
2 GB DDR-SDRAM (DDR2-667, 1 GBx2)
Cosmopolitan (meaning Pink!)
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium
Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T7250 (2.0GHz)
Norton Internet Security 2007 (60 Day Trial)
QuickBooks Simple Start
Video Standard
Photo Standard (Good old bloat ware, I know there is more than this to be gotten rid of, thanks to all for the great info in this thread)
Microsoft Works
Engraving
Standard Battery (BPS9/S)
Final Cost: $1,345 thats with S&H, tax and the $75.00 matching case.

 

Upgrading the Video card is next to impossible in this type of laptop, unless you are an expert and want to spend more than its worth. Laptops in general, off the shelf ones, are just not great for gaming. Especially those that now ship with Vista. "Downgrading" to XP is possible, but its a real chore and not entirely succesfull. Sony/Toshiba/ and other notebook manufactures dont want you to do this and dont supply the drivers for you. See this post I made on the subject(on another forum). I'm not saying you cant game on the laptop, no, its entirely possible, but with Vista, it really sucks. imho.

 

Hey guys,
I browsed through this thread and seems like there r quite a few alike posts, but still wanna ask for your suggestion:
I guess I am having some fan problems with my VAIO CR220E... It is turning on literally as soon as I start up the laptop, then it goes off and on every 15 seconds, for 5-10 seconds being on, and after some time it is on for a longer time intervals... is it something that should make me return the laptop, or is this a common thing? (initialy I was thinking this was due to 2 Ghz processor, but now I am not so sure about it...)

 

Just how exactly do you disable the LEDs on the front of the laptop???