Vaio FZ Owners Official Owners Thread

Thanks Ken, I found it!

 

Your Welcome

Ken

 

Guys, this one would work with the Sony Vaio FZ21Z right? And i'm assuming that the Vaio already has a single 2GB one built-in to it (don't have one yet so can't check!), so i would only need to buy one of these?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/ByteStor-PC...tebooks/dp/tech-data/B000V6SLZ4/ref=de_a_smtd

I hope its easy to do as well, never really opened up a laptop before lol..

Thanks for any help!

 

Hellow Every body. Please help me...........................

I have bought a new LapTop Sony Vaio VGN-FZ21M which has Windows Vista but I want to use Windows XP. I have tried a lot to install windows XP in that modell but it can not read the hard disk. Is there any one who can help me. I think at least there is someone who knows the solution of this problem. From which shop I have bought the Laptop they do not want to help me. My email address is [email protected]

I am eagerly waiting for the solution.

Best Wishes Ahammad

 

no need to tripple post mate

 

You have to create a custom XP installation disc with slipstreamed SATA driver. I am sure you can find instruction somewhere on this forum.

 

Hello everyone,

I've been reading this forum since last night, got to the last page ... I want to buy a Vaio FZ21M available where I live, and at sony center directly ( http://www.afterdawn.com/hardware/product_details.cfm/3279/sony_vaio_vgn-fz21m ) . It's the one with BD/DVD combo, 8400M GT 256 mb ( from what i can see ) 2ghz 2gb ram hdd 200gb 5400 rpm

. I keep hearing people with problems regarding the fan and/or heat ... and
I'm starting to feel concerned if I should get this or not, I never owned a laptop before, so I really want to get something good, that's why I wanted to buy a Vaio and not another producer . I need it mainly for office work and some game play so I reached the conclusion that this would be best, and it's also at the limit of my budget ...

My question is,

1 - after what has been said since July and stuff, have these issues with fan/hear and others been resolved in these models ? were there just some isolated cases ? also the cpu heat, ram etc that everyone talks from the tests with speedfan etc ...I am sure if i look at other producers forums I would find some laptops with problems so I am aware of this just ...really don't want to go to trough the hassle of warranty and stuff...and I am surprised to hear these problems with sony vaios expected more quality from them

2 - Also I want to clean Install vista 64 ultimate on it, I heard there are problems with drivers, and I may not be able to install web cam now, and graphics i have to use the 8600m one and change inf file if I recall right, but other then that are there any other disadvantages hardware wise ? I mean using vista 64 stresses the Cpu / ram / whatever more then a 32 OS, am I risking to harm my laptop if I install 64 vista or it's just like 32 and same "usage" of the proc/ram will be ...also with the video drivers will it work well with my card , would I be able to play some games well ?

I have 64 bit ultimate vista on my desktop and I am used to incompatibility issues and such ..but I really love the speed of it, and I can play any game I installed without any issue ... i dont expect that much from my laptop but ...to a certain degree want to be kind of the same

3 - can I partition the HDD like I would normally, when installing vista 64 ultimate ? and will i see there the hidden partition too ? I would like to make 2 partitions at least ..and wonder if I can do that like i did on my desktop when i installed it during the setup ...and if this could harm in ANY way the hidden partition . ( i read and know that i should make the backup dvds from vaio restore etc to get it like it was out of the box, and will do that before any installation )

4 - do I need any other sony drivers/software for the "safety of my laptop" not the usage if I use vista on 64 ... are there any other risks beside driver incompatibility ?

5 - overall is this laptop worth it, I would love to have a vaio as my first laptop rather then other companies i always liked sony, and their vaios so ...all in all the issues we're just some cases and in general these are great laptops and everyone here is happy with their decision to buy them ?

thank you very much for your time, in reading this, and for any answers given, and sorry for the long post, trying to assure myself i'm making a right decision here :| l

 

That is the correct RAM module, but i wouldn't assume that you already have a 2Gb stick in your Vaio. Usually they come with both banks filled, so you'll probable have 2x 1Gb installed. Just open the (center) lid on the back to make sure before you buy anything.

 

anyone got any ideas?

 

What's the best external hard drive for our FZ. Using Acronis, so it should have backup software installed. Can be portable, but I use it only at home, so it could run off external power. I would prefer using internal, if I don't lose speed or functions. Not expert enough on all the terms used with them to make a good decision. I'll mainly be saving full images and restoring if needed. Not into extensive music, video etc. Only user. I have firewire and usb connections on my FZ if that matters. Would like 500GB. Acronis should work with most external drives and supports FAT32 and NTFS, see below.

Thanks,

Ken




I have read about eSATA, but I don't think we have that option.

 

Thanks for your help mate! Hope it all goes well when I get it!

 

1. I never had any fan/heat problems on normal use neither on Windows nor on Linux. Fan does kick in loud and left side gets quite warm when playing 3D games, though.

2. AFIAK Sony does not provide 64bit drivers for their laptops, like many other companies, so you will have hard time finding them. Finding GPU driver won't be difficult, but things like Audio/Bluetooth/Keyboard extra function will be.

3. Yes, there is not so "hidden" partition for recovery. You can delete it or keep it. It also has some semi-useful utilities with it.

4. Check my answer on 2.

5. I am happy with mine, after having it for about 4 to 5 months. It is relatively well built, has great screen (make sure to get a model with Xbrite, not Xbrite-eco), decent 3D performance. It also has useful multimedia keys and the quality of headphone output is impressive for non-HiFi products.

 

I dont know what prices you are mentioning and what specs are you using.... according to my knowledge the blu-ray models were never sold below USD 1800.

 

here what you can do:


you can download bluetooth driver from vaio website and do a complete fresh installation.

restart your computer & browse to following location from explorer

C:\Program Files\Toshiba\Bluetooth Toshiba Stack

locate file TosBtMng.exe and run to see that bluetooth is enabled along with wireless

usually the bluetooth manager is placed in startup items to load automatically when windows starts.

 

New european FZ models : http://www.pcevolution.it/download/SonyVaio.pdf
(also new TZ, SZ etc. )

 

Ive noticed problems with the Marvell Yukon network card on my FZ290. Downloading from internet or from my FTP I get a Much slower (50k) speed on the Marvell with a cable connection than I do if I use the wireless card connection (175k)!
Tried removing anti virus and disabling the firewall as a test. Also updated the driver from the Marvell website. Still same slow speed!

Anyone out there found the same or know how to solve this?
Cheers!

 

Depends if your are connecting through network, or direct to cable/adsl modem, go to network card properties and force 100 MBps full duplex instead of auto-detect.

 

I see, well thank you for answering, I bought the vaio afterall...only one was left, and it was powered for presentation, but not very much used, ( hopefully ) yep i have the xbrite ( not eco ) also saw the dual lamp which looks better no words, but didnt have the $ for that now ...im really really happy with my choice, i dont have any weird sounds from the fan, listend to it in the store just to make sure , it runs very quietly also doesnt get very warm ... all in all I LOVE IT ! ....

 

Nice to know about your vaio purchase, yep no doubt FZ model with hi-brite lcd is something worth falling in love.

i have noticed that it matters a lot where you place the laptop. The left side of FZ where fan is located should be open and without any blockage so laptop dont get hot. FZ models with heavy graphic cards usually get hot after a continous use or gameplay.

Its better to give your FZ little rest after some use.

I have personally compared FZ hi-brite screen with different HP/acer and dell models... and no one stands near to FZ hibrite screen in terms of clarity, brightness and contrast ratio. Even one can feel a notable difference between FZ single lamp & double lamp screens.

Other accessories that i love to use with my FZ are

1) bluetooth mouse.
2) usb powered 160 GB HDD to keep all media and backup files
3) neoprene case

 

Thanks for the reply Centaurius. Ive changed those settings and still no increase in speed! Any other suggestions?

Thanks

 

This week i've finally had some time to open up my FZ, clean it out, and take some pictures for you all. I've also created a small how-to tutorial for everyone, if you're curious:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=2883271#post2883271

 

Hey guys. I have had my new FZ290 now for about a week. few days ago the lights were off in my room and I was using the laptop and I noticed that when there was a solid black background that I saw many stuck or dead pixels all over the screen. They are very hard to see but I have over 50 or 60 of them. I never see them unless I make the background solid black.

I looked at my two year old Sony and it doesn’t even have one. Is my new notebook defective? Can you guys please try to see if you have a solid black background on the FZ290 you can recreate the same thing? Thanks.

 

Do you have an Eco screen or the HiColor version, and how do those damaged pixels look, are they blue, red, or....?

I've tried to recreate the circumstances, but i can't see anything wrong with mine. 50 or 60 are a bit much to repair i think, if you are sure they are damaged i would definitely contact Sony about it and demand a new screen.

 

If anti-virus and firewall is disabled, could be any malware or a process running in conflict with the network card (hope when u tried the network card the wireless card was disabled of course). If you know the processes that you should have running, take a look at this little program, it might help isolating the issue: http://download.sysinternals.com/Files/ProcessExplorer.zip

Still if the above doesn't work I can't really tell, if not in front of the machine, what could be :\

 

I think some manufacturers say that 5 or 6 is acceptable, but 50 or 60 is certainly considered to be defective.

 

Good hear that someone else has seen this too. My FZ 290 is only 2 weeks old and I noticed the same thing with the solid black background only. Since it's not noticable under normal operation and you noticed the same thing, I don't think it's a defect, or at least I hope.

 

So what do you guys think this is? I really dont see anything other than when the background is solid black.

 

Well, if you'd answer my questions in the post above i might be able to tell you a little more....

You think you could capture it in a screenshot perhaps?

 

I noticed that now it only says 12months no interest no payment. Does anyone know when the 18 months no interest no payment offer ended?


I purchased an fz over the 877 number on january 3rd with 18months no interst no payment (realistically i wouldnt beable to afford it otherwise) but today i got a statement from sony financial requiring a monthly payment and definately has interest. So tonight i called sony financial and am now waiting for a response from sony style, because they will have to send paper work or something over to sony financial. just making sure they cant dispute i did get 18months.

 

EDIT: I deleted this post and instead created a new thread and poll on the FZ "ocean wave" fan cycling issue:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=209653

 

Oh no, please don't start that crashing wave discussion again......


It's a myth, it doesn't exists, lol


It really isn't clear to me exactly what sound people mean by that, if you really want to start this discussion again i think you should make a recording of the sound you mean available to us to avoid any confusion.

I personally think it's just the normal fan sound that all Santa Rose notebooks make, witch is exaggerated by a bunch of naggers. Try working behind a HP Pavillion P4 notebook for 3 years, 60 hours a week, then you can talk about noise

 

Okay. So as to avoid burdening this lengthy thread, I created a new thread and poll:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=209653

 

Yep I am gonna buy a bluetooth mouse always wanted an MX logitech even for my desktop so thats what im gonna get, also a better backpack then my current one ...

Hmm after using it for a while, at home and work....and having no probs with heat or fan sounds .... I have some doubts about some aspects...donno if it's just me or is there something not right...

First off ...my brightness was set to maximum when I bought it, how do u keep it ? checked with Fn and F5-F6 etc ...

and second, when i look at my display, and there are black images ( like the start bar in vista ) or a movie, and i go just abit to the right or the left, the dark starts to "shine" don't know how to explain, I thnk you understand what I mean, for example now, my start bar which should be black, looks like it has more brightness, if i move abit down i see it blacker, same with movies, I find it hard to view a movie, and not see some parts either up or down with black that "starts to shine" and becomes mirror like.... is this normal for this laptop? i checked with 2 of my friend who both have toshibas and a friend with a fujitsu siemens and I did not see any problems like these, i could see a movie from a very high angle very well, and at my laptop I really can't ....well it's true they dont have the same image as mine but still don't know if this is normal or not, also if the brightness at max is normal for view, and shouldnt it be abit at medium or something. ..


sorry if this is sounding weird, just wanting to make sure everything is great here ... thank you very much for any info ... , in rest love this laptop

also great forum here


here is an example of what i talked, made some more pics, sorry for bad quality, but just to get the main idea ..thx
http://img147.imageshack.us/my.php?image=photo0049ay7.jpg
http://img134.imageshack.us/my.php?image=photo0046xd0.jpg

 

It's hard to answer. The jpg's you include look strange, but they were taken from an angle and you shouldn't expect good images from an angle. The image should be perfect only when viewed straight on.

However, if you were viewing the movie straight on, there should not be any areas where black becomes a shine. The screen should be uniformly bright and the colors should be correct everywhere. It ceretainly should not be difficult to view the movie indoors unless there are reflections.

I think you are probably the best judge of the screen. If your screen is worse than two Toshiba's, that is suspicious. I suggest you bring your laptop to a computer store (perhaps even a Sony store) and compare your screen to the ones there. Compare them both straight on and at five degree angles to either side. The side angles may be worse than straight on, but the Sony should be no worse than the others. If the screen on a Sony FZ looks worse than other brands, there is something wrong. The Sony screen should be a bit better, not worse, than other brands.

 

Sorry Fuzzy, maybe i sounded a bit harsh but i didn't mean to scare you a way from this thread. I just gave my view on the matter, but no doubt there are others who disagree with me. I'll be keeping my eye one your thread anyways

 

Hmm I see, well thanks for answering ...well the screen is better as in contrast , brightness etc but the viewing angle with black that shines is really worse then those 2 toshibas ...

Thats what I thought too, I should be able to see image perfect...atleast with dim light, or etc, indoors .... I'm gonna go take a look at some stores, where they have this model to check if it's just me or is there something wrong...

thank you for helping

 

I tried looking at the pic's you took too, but like Fuzzy said it's hard to make anything out of it. Is the 'shining' you talk about on the screen in the movie, or does it look like a reflection of light on the top layer of the screen?

The later is a normal side effect for glossy screens, and if the Toshiba's you compare it to have mate screens i'm sure it would stand out a lot, especially with the black being as black as it is on a Sony screen.

If it's really inside the screen it sounds like a major defect, but then you'd probably notice at least something with other background colors as well.


Oh, and btw; if you were revering to the MX Revolution i have to disappoint you, it only comes as an RF mouse normally. There is a bluetooth version of it but it's only sold in combination with a few keyboards and there pretty pricie.

 

hi,

i recently bought a sony vaio 290. my system gets warm on both the left and right palm rest, scroll surface and to some extent the keyboard area. the bottom is pretty warmer/hot.

left palm rest is more warmer than the right

also the screen also warms up in a few minutes.

is this normal or do i need to worry? all your help will be greatly appreciated

my system config:


Component: Keyboard (Black)
Component: WLAN 802.11 a/b/g/n w/Integrated Bluetooth®
Component: NVIDIA® GeForce® 8400M GT
Component: LCD 15.4" WXGA (XBRITE-HiColor™
Component: SuperMulti DVD±R DL / DVD±RW / DVD-RAM Drive
Component: 120GB SATA Hard Disk Drive
Component: 2 GB DDR-SDRAM (DDR2-667, 1 GBx2)
Component: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium
Component: Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T7500 (2.2GHz)
Component: No Engraving
Component: Standard Battery (BPS8)
Description: VGN-FZ290 Configure-to-Order

 

Congrats with you new Vaio and welcome to the forum Aadic.

It doesn't sound alarming to me; the areas you describe are the places where the FZ gets the warmest.

If you want to make sure that your temperatures aren't off the scale you could install Speedfan and Rivatuner -or any simular programs- to monitor them. There are plenty folks that posted there temps in this forum to compare yours with.

 

Yes, I have the same feeling about the screen. Black brightness depends a lot on viewing angles. I assumed it is normal in a glossy screen. I couldn't compare with other FZs since the bastard who was working in the only Sony shop here in my town didnt want to turn on an FZ for me to compare. But it is a little disappointing.

It just disturbs when there is a black background, otherwise it is not noticeable and colours look great. And the effect is very easy to see just watching a 16:9 movie full screen: when you compare the black strips in the upper and lower borders of the screen you see clearly they are different, there is always one with a brighter black. They look equal just in a extremely narrow vertical angle range. Horizontal angle doesn't affect that much.

Let me know what happens if you compare with other FZs. By the way, I own an FZ19VN with normal (non-eco) x-black screen.

 

I would recommend you to try adjusting and fine tunning your display settings

right click on desktop and click NVIDIA Control Panel, then click DISPLAY, here you can > Adjust desktop color settings.

I moved my brightness to 40% (because at default 50%, light hues on websites almost appear white)

you can also try different values of gamma and increase contrast slightly to get best viewing experience.

Please tell me if it resolve the problem

 

Personally, to settle my worries about it, I would go back to the Sony store and hope that the bastard is not there, or else go to any big computer store, They usually have a dozen laptops already on.

 

Yeah, and file a complain with that jackass' boss, i'm sure thats not the way Sony wants it's costumers treated.

 

Yes, you're right. The question is that surprisingly they had just an FZ on exposition. It was turned off and the guy didn't want to turn it on, the reason was something like "i can't turn it on because i have to sell it..." I decided not to start a discussion with a guy with that rethorical abilities

I was looking for more FZs in big computer stores, but i couldn't find a single one. This model is not very common here, maybe due to Sony being comparatively more expensive in Spain than in USA or northern Europe.

Anyway, while I believe that this "shining black" effect is usual in glossy screens, i'll keep looking for some other x-black screens to compare. I'd like to have a look to the double lamp as well.

 

Just walk in and turn it on. What's he gonna do, slap your hand?

Gary

 

Hehehe, probably not needed. The electric adapter wasn't there! Most likely they haven't sold a single computer, probably they sell manly TV screens. Thank you for your support, but anyway I don't mind much about looking an FZ work, I've already one and I think it works as it should. I'll wait for Uqoreimo conclussions anyway

 

thanks Storm.

i have installed temp monitor, and it shows temp of abou 44-65C depending upon use.

is it normal?

 

You're welcome. If that 65 degrees is for the GPU then it's ok, but if it's for the CPU then it is quite high.

 

Hello all. I am a new user of notebookreview.com and a new owner of a custom Sony Vaio FZ290 with Blu-ray. First off, I would like to thank everyone for posting such great reviews and discussions on this site. They all really helped me decide on which laptop to get. I love my FZ290 but I have a problem with my bluetooth audio. I bought with my laptop, the Sony DR-BT50 Bluetooth Stereo Headphones and whenever I pair them with the laptop, the audio quality is terrible. However, when I pair them with my iPod (using the Sony iPod Bluetooth adapter), the audio quality is amazing. I tried multiple applications and the sound quality is still bad no matter if i'm watching a movie or listening to music. I tried updating the SigmaTel Audio Drivers using Sony's website but it says the update is not meant for my machine, even though the update is for my model number. I tried looking for SigmaTel drivers directly, and they seem to have been bought by IDT, who referred me back to Sony for driver support. Does anyone have this issue or know how to fix it? I appreciate any help. Thanks.

Ash

 

Does anyone have any advice on how to upgrade the hard drive on the FZ290? Mine just isnt quite big enough and I want to replace it but am unsure about how to go about this since the OS is preinstalled and sony does not give you any CDs. I emailed the Sony support but they basically told me it can't be done and told me to buy an external drive. Obviously this is possible so I am wondering if anyone has done it?