AR SERIES - VISTA & XP CLEAN INSTALL & DUAL BOOT GUIDE (With Fully Working Sony Functions)

SONY VAIO – AR SERIES

MULTI-BOOT WINDOWS 7 / VISTA / XP - 32Bit & 64Bit - FULL FUNCTION CLEAN INSTALL GUIDE

Edit 04/07/2009 - Guide updated to include Windows 7 and 64Bit drivers. Install process for Windows 7 is identical to Vista, unless where specified below. Oh, and if you've rocked up looking for 64Bit XP drivers, forget it: 64Bit will only work on Vista and Windows 7. Sony never did any 64Bit drivers for XP, so trust me, there's no way you'll get it working. Yeah I know, it's a bummer.

These days, when you purchase a new laptop, it normally comes with Windows Vista and all the relevant OEM hardware drivers pre-installed. Manufacturers no longer provide you with any separate Windows installation media, or any driver or application discs. Instead, the hard drive will generally contain a 'Recovery Partition' which allows the user, if anything goes disastrously wrong, to restore the entire hard drive to factory settings from an encrypted image. Furthermore, although most modern laptops are built with identical hardware components (the same NVidia graphics chips, Sigmatel sound chips, etc.), the manufacturers of these components do not provide any direct support for them, instead they send you back to your laptop manufacturer for any specific driver updates that may or may not be available for your particular machine.

There are plenty of reasons for this: Microsoft like it because you're forced to buy a new Windows license whenever you buy a new computer, and manufacturers like it because it reduces support costs if everyone's using exactly the same set up, plus it allows them to lace your laptop with all manner of money-making bloatware before you've even switched it on. And I guess it suits most users too: they don't want the hassle of setting up Windows or configuring any hardware, they just want to use their computer straight out of the box. Indeed, they may think the manufacturer has done them a favour by filling up their machine with a load of anti-virus, media sharing platforms, and "added value" marketing bollocks. Sony are no exception, and new Vaio's are absolutely saturated with this type of crap.

All this is really frustrating for the more discerning user, who would much prefer the option to perform a clean installation of their own choice of Windows, along with the absolute latest drivers for their hardware components. And it's not just to be clever: OEM drivers are often cut down versions of the real thing and are rarely updated, so you're usually stuck with below-par performance. And while certain software runs better on Vista, some other software still runs better on XP (e.g. VMWare, Cubase, etc). And if you've already paid for a XP license for your old machine which you no longer use, why shouldn't you be able to install it on your new machine if you want? Or even better, why shouldn't you be able to have both: XP and Vista?

This guide brings together everything you need to achieve exactly that: a dual booting system with fully functioning clean installations of both Vista and XP. It was specifically tested on a Sony Vaio AR71ZU, but should be fine for any AR5, 6 or 7 series model. And I'm sure that with a little tweaking, it could also be used as a starting point for any other Vista Vaios too. Let me know how you get on.


BACKUPS

For this guide, I'm going to suggest that you format the whole hard drive which means getting rid of any existing Windows partitions and the Recovery Partition. As long as you've backed up the Recovery Partition onto Recovery DVDs as recommended by Sony, then there's no good reason to have it hogging space on your hard drive. So make sure you've created the Recovery DVDs, and backed up anything else you want to keep, before you start.


INSTALLATION FILES

Locate the Windows Installation media, and download all the installation files, as listed below. Extract any zip files and save the lot to an external drive or burn them to disc. Note that I've specified where the files apply to XP, Vista, or both, and I suggest you organise the files into separate XP and Vista folders where applicable (such that later on in the guide, when I've put "from your WIFI XP installation files folder...", you know exactly what I'm on about).


WINDOWS MEDIA

Windows XP Installation CD:
Everyone and his grandma has got one of these knocking about

Windows XP Service Pack 2
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...be-3b8e-4f30-8245-9e368d3cdb5a&DisplayLang=en

Windows XP Service Pack 3:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...A8-5E76-401F-BE08-1E1555D4F3D4&displaylang=en

Windows Vista Installation DVD:
It can be a bit tricky to track one of these down. A universal 'Windows Anytime Upgrade' DVD is supposedly available from Microsoft for a nominal handling and shipping fee, or you can build you're own ISO if you can source these 3 files: boot.wim, install.wim, and X13-49120.exe (see http://directedge.us/content/installing-vista-clean-with-no-crapware for full details). If not, your best bet is to borrow a retail edition Vista DVD. Remember you only need the actual installation files, not a Vista license, because you already paid for Vista with your laptop and later on I will show you how to transfer your existing license to your clean install.

Windows Vista Service Pack 1:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...2A-9C9B-4579-B64A-09146A0BA746&displaylang=en

Microsoft .NET Framework Version 2.0 Redistributable Package (x86):
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...cb-4362-4b0d-8edd-aab15c5e04f5&displaylang=en

Intel Matrix Storage Manager Floppy Configuration Utility ('f6flpy3288.zip' for 32Bit / 'f6flpy6488.zip' for 64Bit):
http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Product_Filter.aspx?ProductID=2101

nLite:
http://www.nliteos.com/download.html

ABR Activation Backup & Restore:
http://directedge.us/content/abr-activation-backup-and-restore


SONY FUNCTION SOFTWARE

SONY FIRMWARE EXTENSION PARSER:
Version 8.0.0.1
XP / Vista / Win7 - 32bit / 64bit - ftp://ftp.vaio-link.com/pub/VAIO/ORIGINAL/SFEP_DRIVER_SONY_8.0_09Q2_S_8.0.0.1.ZIP

SONY SHARED LIBRARY:
Version 4.1.00.09190
XP / Vista / Win7 - 32Bit - ftp://ftp.vaio-link.com/pub/VAIO/ORIGINAL/SONY_SHARED_LIBRARY_4.1.ZIP
Version 5.3.0.11240
Vista / Win7 - 64Bit - ftp://ftp.vaio-link.com/pub/VAIO/ORIGINAL/SONY_SHARED_LIBRARY_5.3_5.3.0.11240.ZIP

SETTING UTILITY SERIES:
Version 2.1.00.14150
XP - 32Bit - ftp://ftp.vaio-link.com/PUB/VAIO/ORIGINAL/A4_UTILITIES.ZIP
Version 3.1.00.09240
Vista / Win7 - 32Bit - ftp://ftp.vaio-link.com/pub/VAIO/ORIGINAL/SETTING_UTILITY_SERIES_3.1_081Q_3.1.00.09240.ZIP
Version 4.3.0.14120
Vista / Win7 - 64Bit - ftp://ftp.vaio-link.com/pub/VAIO/ORIGINAL/SETTING_UTILITY_SERIES_4.3_092Q_4.3.0.14120.ZIP

VAIO EVENT SERVICE:
Version 2.5.00.12210
XP - 32Bit - ftp://ftp.vaio-link.com/PUB/OS/XPDOWNGRADE/BX4/APPLICATIONS/4_VAIO_EVENT_SERVICE.ZIP
VESConfig.ini
XP - 32Bit - 'C:\Program Files\Sony\VAIO Event Service\VESConfig.ini' under your original Sony Vista installation
Version 3.3.00.11200
Vista / Win7 - 32Bit - ftp://ftp.vaio-link.com/pub/VAIO/ORIGINAL/VAIO_EVENT_SERVICE_3.3.ZIP
Version 4.3.0.13190
Vista / Win7 - 64Bit - ftp://ftp.vaio-link.com/pub/VAIO/ORIGINAL/VAIO_EVENT_SERVICE_4.3_092Q_4.3.0.13190.ZIP

VAIO CONTROL CENTER:
Version 2.0.00.11060
XP - 32Bit - ftp://ftp.vaio-link.com/PUB/VAIO/ORIGINAL/A4_UTILITIES.ZIP
Version 2.1.00.09190
Vista / Win7 - 32Bit - ftp://ftp.vaio-link.com/pub/VAIO/ORIGINAL/VAIO_CONTROL_CENTER_2.1.ZIP
Version 3.3.0.12240
Vista / Win7 - 64Bit - ftp://ftp.vaio-link.com/pub/VAIO/ORIGINAL/VAIO_CONTROL_CENTER_3.3_092Q_3.3.0.12240.ZIP

VAIO CAMERA CAPTURE UTILITY:
Version 2.7.03.09250
XP / Vista / Win7 - 32bit / 64bit - ftp://ftp.vaio-link.com/pub/VAIO/ORIGINAL/VAIO CAMERA CAPTURE UTILITY 2.7(081Q)_ 2.7.03.09250.ZIP


DRIVERS

CHIPSET:
Mobile Intel GM965 Express Chipset
XP / Vista / Win7 - 32bit / 64bit - http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Product_Filter.aspx?ProductID=816

RAID ARRAY:
Intel ICH8M-E/ICH9M-E SATA RAID Controller (2 x TOSHIBA MK3252GSX)
XP / Vista / Win7 - 32bit / 64bit - http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Product_Filter.aspx?ProductID=2101

CARDBUS & FLASH:
Texas Instruments PCIxx12 Cardbus Controller / Texas Instruments PCIxx12 Integrated FlashMedia Controller
XP / Vista / Win7 - 32bit / 64bit - ftp://ftp.vaio-link.com/pub/VAIO/ORIGINAL/MEMORY CARD READER WRITER DRIVER TI 2.0R_2.0.0.19.ZIP
Memory Stick Icon
XP - 32bit - ftp://ftp.vaio-link.com/pub/OS/XPDOWNGRADE/MEMORYSTICK ICON.ZIP

VIDEO:
NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT
XP / Vista / Win7 - 32bit / 64bit - http://www.laptopvideo2go.com

AUDIO 1:
Sigmatel STAC97 C-Major High Definition Audio Chip
XP - 32bit - ftp://ftp.vaio-link.com/pub/OS/XPDOWNGRADE/SZ7/DRIVERS/1_AUDIO.ZIP
Vista / Win7 - 32bit / 64bit - ftp://ftp.vaio-link.com/pub/Vaio/Original/AUDIO DRIVER SIGMATEL_5.0Q083QDS_6.10.5921.0_LOGO.ZIP

AUDIO 2:
Realtek High Definition Audio Chip
XP / Vista / Win7 - 32bit / 64bit - http://www.realtek.com/downloads/do...=24&Level=4&Conn=3&DownTypeID=3&GetDown=false

ETHERNET:
Marvell Yukon 88E8055 Gigabit Ethernet Controller
XP / Vista / Win7 - 32bit / 64bit - http://www.marvell.com/drivers

WIFI:
Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN
XP / Vista / Win7 - 32bit / 64bit - http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Product_Filter.aspx?ProductID=2753

MODEM:
Conexant HDAUDIO SoftV92 Data Fax Modem
XP / Vista - 32bit - ftp://ftp.vaio-link.com/pub/VAIO/ORIGINAL/MODEM DRIVER CONEXANT_7.71 VQ_7.71.0.0.ZIP
Vista / Win7 - 64bit - Included with Windows

BLUETOOTH:
Broadcom BCM2046 Single-Chip Bluetooth EDR HCI Solution
XP - 32bit - ftp://ftp.vaio-link.com/pub/VAIO/XPDOWNGRADE/VGN-TT/DRIVERS/BLUETOOTH_DRIVER_BROADCOM_5.5.0.3200.ZIP
XP / Vista / Win7 - 32bit / 64bit - http://update.broadcom.com/downloads/SetupBtwDownloadSE.exe

TOUCHPAD:
Synaptics PS/2 Port TouchPad V6.3
XP / Vista - 32Bit - ftp://ftp.vaio-link.com/pub/VAIO/ORIGINAL/POINTING DRIVER SYNAPTICS_11.2A_11.2.1.0 REUPLOAD.ZIP
Vista / Win7 - 64bit - ftp://ftp.vaio-link.com/pub/VAIO/ORIGINAL/POINTING_DRIVER_SYNAPTICS_10.2A_10.2.7.0.ZIP

WEBCAM:
Ricoh R5U870
XP / Vista / Win7 - 32bit / 64bit - ftp://ftp.vaio-link.com/pub/VAIO/ORIGINAL/CAMERA DRIVER RICOH 6..209I _ 6.1006.209.0_LOGO.ZIP

TV TUNER:
AVerMedia M115S MiniPCI Hybrid DVBT
XP / Vista / Win7 - 32bit - http://www.download.com/Avermedia-TV-Tuner-driver-zip/3000-2110_4-162331.html
Vista / Win7 - 64bit - ftp://ftp.vaio-link.com/pub/VAIO/OR...TUNER CARD M115S DRIVER E 4.5 - 4.5.64.14.ZIP


VISTA ACTIVATION BACKUP

As stated above, this guide suggests that you format the whole hard drive which means getting rid of your existing Vista installation. However, you first need to backup your Sony OEM activation license key so that you can restore it to activate your clean Vista installation later on. Luckily, the brilliant little ABR tool created by Brian Mathis (linked to above) does exactly that. Note: the Sony OEM license key is NOT the one on the bottom of your laptop, it's hidden within the operating system.

Edit 04/07/2009 - This bit only applies to Vista. Not sure if the same trick will work on retail versions of Windows 7, but I bet it doesn't. Anyway, if you're installing the Windows 7 Release Candidate, you obviously don't need to bother because Microsoft will let you use it for free until 2010. Ain't that nice?

1) Extract the files from the 'ABR.zip' file into a new folder.
2) Run the 'activation_backup.exe' file to backup your activation license.
3) This will create 2 the backup files in the ABR folder: 'backup-cert.xrm-ms' and 'backup-key.txt'
4) It's probably a good idea to write down the license key on a piece of paper too, just in case.
5) When the time comes to restore the activation license later on, you'll only need to run the 'activation_restore.exe' file to do so, but it's probably a good idea make a separate note of the key now, just in case!


XP INSTALL DISC PREPERATION

Some Vaios (including the AR71ZU) have an Intel RAID controller, i.e. 2 physical hard disks joined together as an array, where the array is seen as one big hard drive by the operating system. The original Windows installation discs do not include the Intel driver for this RAID controller, so you'll need to build a new XP install disc and integrate the driver into the new build. This process is called 'Slipstreaming' and also allows you to integrate the two XP Service Packs into the build, so that you don't need to install them separately afterwards. The 'nLite' application (linked to above) makes all this dead easy:

1) Extract the files from the Intel 'f6flpy3288.zip' file into a new folder.
2) Install nLite and start the application.
3) Stick your original XP disc in the DVD drive and point nLite to the disc when prompted to locate the 'Windows Installation', then tell it to extract the XP install files to a new folder.
4) Click 'Next' through to the 'Task Selection' screen, tick 'Service Pack', 'Drivers', and 'Bootable ISO', then click 'Next'.
5) On the 'Service Pack' screen, point nLite to the 'XP Service Pack 2' EXE file and let it extract the install files.
6) On the 'Service Pack' screen again, point nLite to the 'XP Service Pack 3' EXE file and let it extract the install files, then click 'Next'.
7) On the 'Drivers' screen, click 'Insert', select 'Single Driver', and point nLite to the 'iaStor.inf' file in the 'f6flpy3288' folder you created in Step 1.
8) Tick 'Textmode Driver' and select 'Intel ICH8M-E/ICH9M-E SATA RAID Controller' then click 'OK', then click 'Next'.
9) Click 'Yes' to start the build process when prompted, and let it finalize the build.
10) Click 'Next' through to the 'Bootable ISO' screen and choose whether to create an ISO file, or burn directly to a blank CD, and you're done.


PARTITIONING & MULTIBOOT STRATEGY

Unlike XP, Vista is pretty nosey about the other operating systems you might have installed on your machine. Even if you hide any other Windows System partitions, it will sniff them out and attempt to take control of them via the Microsoft Boot Loader. If you want ultimate control of your system, then there are ways to make each Windows partition independent and use a standalone Bootloader like 'BOOT-US' to manage the boot process. This is the best option, but if you're happy to just let the standard Microsoft Bootloader manage it all for you, then you just need to install XP first, and Vista second. You’ll also need to ‘Generalise’ your Vista install if you plan to clone it to another partition. See this excellent website for all the details: http://www.multibooters.co.uk.


XP INSTALL

1) Boot the computer from your new XP SP3 installation CD and wait for the 'Windows Setup' interface to load.
2) Press 'Enter' to perform a new installation.
3) Press 'Esc' to skip repair of any existing installations.
4) On the Partitions screen, delete all the existing partitions and create new ones according to your needs (including any you will be using for Vista).
5) Point Windows Setup to the partition you've designated for the XP operating system, and proceed through the Windows installation procedure as normal.
6) When XP has finished booting up for the first time, remove the installation CD and set your screen resolution to maximum so you can see what's going on.
7) The Sony Function software (which enables the Eject, Mute, S1, S2, and Fn Keys) requires the 'Microsoft .NET Framework Version 2.0' to work properly, so locate and run the 'dotnetfx.exe' installation file to install.
8) Open the 'Device Manager': click on 'Start', right click on 'My Computer', select 'Manage', select 'Device Manager'.
9) Expand the 'Human Interface Devices' section, right click on 'Sony Notebook Control' in the list, select 'Update Driver', and install the 'Sony Firmware Extension Parser' driver using the 'Have Disk' method:

i. When prompted to 'Search Windows Update' for the driver, select 'No, not this time', and click 'Next'.
ii. Select 'Install from a specific location' and click 'Next'.
iii. Select 'Don't search. I will choose the driver to install', click 'Next', and select 'Have Disk'.
iv. Browse to your 'SFEP DRIVER SONY_8.0G_8.0.0.1' folder.
v. Select the 'SFEP.inf' file, click 'OK', and click 'Next', and let Windows update the driver.
vi. Click 'Finish' and let Windows reboot.​

10) From your 'Sony Shared Library 4.1.00.09190' folder, run 'setup.exe' to install, then let Windows reboot.
11) From your 'Setting Utility Series 2.1.00.14150' folder, run 'setup.exe' to install.
12) From your 'VAIO Event Service 2.5.00.12210' folder, run 'setup.exe'. On the 'Setup Type' screen, select 'Typical' and click 'Next' to install.
13) From your 'VESConfig.ini' file and copy and replace the one located here: 'C:\Program Files\Sony\VAIO Event Service\VESConfig.ini'.
14) Restart the 'Vaio Event Service': click on 'Start', click on 'Run', type 'services.msc' and hit Enter, right click on 'Vaio Event Service' in the list and select 'Restart'.
15) From your 'VAIO Control Center 2.0.00.11060' folder and run 'setup.exe' to install.
16) Your Eject, Mute, Fn Keys should now be working correctly and you can use the 'Vaio Control Center' application to assign functions to the S1 and S2 keys.
17) From your 'Vaio Camera Capture Utility 2.7.03.09250' folder, run 'setup.exe' to install.
18) From your CHIPSET driver folder, run 'infinst_autol.exe' to install the 'Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility', then let Windows reboot.
19) From your RAID ARRAY driver folder, run 'iata86enu.exe' to install the 'Intel Matrix Storage Manager', then let Windows reboot.
20) From your CARDBUS / FLASH driver folder, run 'setup.exe' to install the TI-PCI drivers.
21) From your MEMORY STICK XP driver folder, run 'setup.bat' to install the Memory Stick device icon.
22) From your VIDEO XP driver folder (make sure you replaced the 'nv4_disp.inf' file with the modded inf!), run 'setup.exe' to install the NVIDIA driver, then let Windows reboot. Right click on the desktop and use the 'NVIDIA Control Panel' to configure your display settings.
23) From your AUDIO 1 (Sigmatel) XP driver folder and run 'setup.exe' to install the Sigmatel driver and Sound Reality Control Panel.
24) From your AUDIO 2 (Realtek) XP driver folder, run the downloaded exe file to install the Realtek driver, then let Windows reboot.
25) From your ETHERNET driver folder, run 'setup.exe' to install the Marvell Miniport driver, and run 'SetupDIAGwin.exe' to install the 'Yukon Diagnostics' application.
26) From your WIFI XP driver folder, run the downloaded exe file to install the 'Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi Connection Utility'. On the 'Setup Type' screen, select 'Custom' to include the various admin utilities for installation, then let Windows reboot.
27) From your MODEM driver folder, run 'Setup.exe' to install the Conexant driver.
28) From your BLUETOOTH XP driver folder, run 'setup.exe' to install the 'WIDCOMM Bluetooth Software'. Run 'SetupBtwDownloadSE.exe', untick 'I have purchased Bluetooth Software from this website', then click 'Download' to get any free software updates.
29) From your TOUCHPAD driver folder, run 'setup.exe' to install the Synaptics driver, then let Windows reboot.
30) Open the 'Device Manager': click on 'Start', right click on 'My Computer', select 'Manage', select 'Device Manager'.
31) Expand the 'Imaging Devices' section, right click on 'USB VIdeo Device' in the list, select 'Update Driver', and install the 'R5U870FL.inf' driver from your WEBCAM driver folder using the 'Have Disk' method as described in Step 9 above.
32) From your TV TUNER driver folder, run 'setup.exe' to install the AVerMedia driver.
33) That's about it. Your Sony Vaio should now be fully operational under a clean install of Windows XP.
34) Go to Windows Update to scan for and install any Windows Updates, and then proceed to install & update all your favorite software.
35) If you want to know how best to optimize your new Windows XP install so that it runs as blazingly fast as possible, then I highly recommend that you download and follow all of the steps outlined in Koroush Ghazi's simply excellent Tweaking Companion Guide, available here: http://www.tweakguides.com/TGTC.html.


VISTA / WINDOWS 7 INSTALL

Edit 04/07/2009 - The below steps are for Vista, but it's pretty much the same process for Windows 7: just skip steps 10 and 11.

1) Boot the computer from the installation DVD and wait for the 'Install Windows' screen to load.
2) Choose your language and select 'Install Now'.
3) Do not enter a Product Key when prompted, untick 'Automatically activate Windows when I'm online', then click 'Next'
4) You will again be prompted to enter a Product Key. Click 'No'.
5) From the list, select the version of Windows for which you already have a license (i.e. the same version as on your original installation), tick 'I have selected the edition of Windows that I purchased'.
6) Click 'Next' through to the 'Custom (Advanced)' installation screen.
7) Select 'Load Driver' and browse to the Intel 'f6flpy3288' / 'f6flpy6488' installation files folder, then click 'OK'. Windows will automatically detect the 'iaStor.inf' file. Click 'Next'.
8) From the list of partitions, select the partition you've designated for the install, and proceed through the Windows installation procedure as normal.
9) When Windows has finished booting up for the first time, remove the installation DVD and set your screen resolution to maximum so you can see what's going on.
10) From your ABR installation files folder, run the 'activation_restore.exe' file to restore the Sony OEM activation license. Click 'Start', right click 'Computer', and have a look at the 'Windows Activation' section to ensure that your license has been activated correctly.
11) Locate the 'Vista Service Pack 1' EXE file you downloaded, and run it to upgrade your install to SP1, allowing Windows to reboot when prompted.
12) Open the 'Device Manager': click on 'Start', right click on 'Computer', select 'Manage', select 'Device Manager'.
13) In the 'Other Devices' section, right click on 'Unknown device' in the list, select 'Update Driver Software', select 'Browse my computer for driver software', browse to your 'SFEP DRIVER SONY_8.0G_8.0.0.1' installation file folder, click 'OK', then click 'Next' and let Windows update the driver.
14) From your 'Sony Shared Library' folder, run 'setup.exe' to install, then let Windows reboot.
15) From your 'Setting Utility Series' folder, run 'setup.exe' to install.
16) From your 'VAIO Event Service' folder, run 'setup.exe' to install.
17) From your 'VAIO Control Center' folder and run 'setup.exe' to install.
18) Your Eject, Mute, Fn Keys should now be working correctly and you can use the 'Vaio Control Center' application to assign functions to the S1 and S2 keys.
19) From your 'Vaio Camera Capture Utility' folder, run 'setup.exe' to install.
20) From your CHIPSET driver folder, run 'infinst_autol.exe' to install the 'Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility', then let Windows reboot.
21) From your RAID ARRAY driver folder, run 'iata86enu.exe' to install the 'Intel Matrix Storage Manager', then let Windows reboot.
22) From your CARDBUS / FLASH driver folder, run 'setup.exe' to install the TI-PCI drivers.
23) From your VIDEO Vista driver folder (make sure you replaced the 'nv4_disp.inf' file with the modded inf!), run 'setup.exe' to install the NVIDIA driver, then let Windows reboot. Right click on the desktop and use the 'NVIDIA Control Panel' to configure your display settings.
24) From your AUDIO 1 (Sigmatel) Vista driver installation files folder and run 'setup.exe' to install the Sigmatel driver and Sound Reality Control Panel.
25) From your AUDIO 2 (Realtek) Vista driver installation files folder, run the downloaded exe file to install the Realtek driver, then let Windows reboot.
26) From your ETHERNET driver folder, run 'setup.exe' to install the Marvell Miniport driver, and run 'SetupDIAGwin.exe' to install the 'Yukon Diagnostics' application.
27) From your WIFI Vista driver folder, run the downloaded exe file to install the 'Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi Connection Utility'. On the 'Setup Type' screen, select 'Custom' to include the various admin utilities for installation, then let Windows reboot.
28) From your MODEM driver folder, run 'setup.exe' to install the Conexant driver.
29) From your BLUETOOTH Vista driver folder, run 'SetupBtwDownloadSE.exe' to download and install any software updates from Broadcom.
30) From your TOUCHPAD driver files folder, run 'setup.exe' to install the Synaptics driver, then let Windows reboot.
31) From your WEBCAM driver files folder, run either 'DPInst32.exe' (32Bit) or 'DPInst64.exe' (64Bit) to install the Ricoh driver. The 'Vaio Camera Capture Utility' should now be working.
32) From your TV TUNER installation files folder, run 'setup.exe' to install the AVerMedia driver.
33) That's about it. Your Sony Vaio should now be fully operational under a clean install of Windows Vista / Windows 7.
34) Go to Windows Update to scan for and install any Windows Updates, and then proceed to install & update all your favorite software.
35) If you want to know how best to optimize a Windows Vista install so that it runs as blazingly fast as possible, then I highly recommend that you download and follow all of the steps outlined in Koroush Ghazi's simply excellent Tweaking Companion Guide, available here: http://www.tweakguides.com/TGTC.html.


Good Luck. Hope it works for you!

RFE - http://www.radiofreeeurope.net – Last Updated: July 2009

 

Hi,

I could never get the camera to work after I had formatted my Ar 620e, and now after installing your driver it worked, but Im getting a pink/blue blurry image.

Any thoughts on what might sove this?

Thanks,

Fabrizio

 

ps: Im running Vista Premium Home (PT-BR)

 

@radiofreeeurope
Nice collection!
How about x64? (I stopped using 32 bit systems long time ago)
AFAIK chipset should be Intel PM965 Express (GM965 has Intel graphics included - rather useless on an AR).
PWR

 

Thanks mate very helpfull, will try it on my ar51e and let you know how it runs.

 

I created the xp install disk as per the instructions...slipstreamed the sp3 and raid drivers...but it doesnt see my hard drive, and then have to restart or stop installation. Any ideas? Oh...and all im trying to do is load xp, not a dual boot.

 

I found this site very helpful,
http://techtricks.co.in/slipstreamingintegrating-sata-drivers-into-bootable-xp-cd/

 

I am in need of the VESconfig.sys file for my VGN-AR520E XP downgrade. I gleefully deleted the hard drive of any trace of vista before I found these wonderful directions. Any help would be appreciated.

 

Everything works amazingly (If you had a Vista 64bit guide for the Vaio users who don't have sony support for 64bit I'd listen).

The only issue I have is that the USB ports don't work.

I have a Sony Vaio VGN-AR520E Laptop.
Screen: 17inch screen
Memory: 4Gb of Ram
Video: GeForce 8400M GT (128Mb)

IDE Controller: Intel(R) ICH8M SATA AHCI Controller - 2829
Intel(R) ICH8M Ultra ATA Storrage Controller - 2850
Standard AHCI 1.0 Serial ATA Controller
Texas Instruments PCIxx12 Integrated FlashMedia Controller



What I need is the USB Controller Intel 82801HBM ICH8M... I think I just got lost trying to get the Mother Board Drivers from Intel. A helping hand would be appreciated.

 

Fantastic guide, radiofreeeurope. Many thanks for your hard work!

I have been downgrading (or upgrading!) to XP on a Sony Vaio VGN-AR61E and all appears to be working now apart from a couple of things.

The hotkeys and function keys only half work:
The S1/S2 keys do not respond;
The Volume Up/Down keys work
The DVD Drive Eject button does not respond;
The Volume Mute button works;
The Fn + F5/F6 Brightness adjustment buttons do not work;
The Fn + F7 Change Output Display button doesn't work;
The Fn + F10 Zoom in button doesn't work;
However Fn + scroll lock works

I've not had a chance to check that Fn + Pause or Break works. But they're not really a priority - I can't remember the last time I needed to press those buttons!

Is there a solution to getting these working?

Keep up the good work!

 

i have a vaio vgn-fw230j and i need help downgrading to xp 64 bit. currently running vista 64 bit

 

Just did this Win 7 Build 7100. I'll be sure to let ya'll know how it turns out.

 

im on an ar 350e. keyboard stopped working after reboot. function and eject keys not working either. kb works fine in bios. appears to be using the correct driver. ideas?

 

I had to uninstall the Synaptics PS/2 Port TouchPad V6.3 drivers, reboot, reinstall them, reboot, then uninstall them again, reboot. Fixed the problem.

 

I've updated the guide to include all the software and drivers for 64Bit, and a clean installation of Windows 7. All the Sony Functions are tested and working on Windows 7 Release Candidate Build 7100.

 

Pls I need help:
I install windows xp on my VGN ar51su and everything goes Ok except:'VESConfig.ini'
Where can i find 'VESConfig.ini' to replace it in 'C:\Program Files\Sony\VAIO Event Service\VESConfig.ini'??
pls explain it I cannot find this.
thank you

 

Installed win 7 RC 1 (clean install) on mi VAIO AR61E respecting the order of steps as shown in this guide; everything works simply very well. Faster than vista AND xp. Playing games such as PRINCE OF PERSIA (4th episode), Burnout Paradise (with patch 1.01) and Mirror's Edge (have some few issues with this last one, sometimes goes out of the game without reason). The sistem is very stable, accepts for now all software (office 2007, acronis home 2009, alcohol 52%, nero 8, 7zip...). Visually it's a big WAW, with the SHAKE and AERO functions; enormous icons and very good themes (especially ARCHITECTURE).
Thank you very much

 

meksovic: here is the vesconfig file for ar51 (have to sign up in that forum)
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=213580

 

Hi,

Can anyone confirm if this XP Clean Install method will work on a Sony VAIO AR-VGN840E?

Call me old fashioned, but I hate Vista and would like to UnRaid the Raid0(Stripe) to hopefully show the 2x 500Gb hard drives, then create some partitions, then install XP Pro SP3 and perhaps test Windows7 with Dual Boot, but don't want to commence if I can't install XP.

Any comments greatly appreciated.

Cheerz

 

Hi,

Sorry , I meant Sony VAIO VGN-AR840E.

Can anyone confirm if this XP Clean Install method will work on a Sony VAIO VGN-AR840E?

Cheerz

 

After installing Windows 7 Ultimate (build 7600). I had the annoying situation that the Sony buttons (eject, S1 & S2) did not work (volume buttons did work) and an unknown device (which appeared to be the Sony Firmware Extension Parser).
After downloading the software and drivers (FYI; not al links are functional anymore, I had to do some searching myself which is no problem of course) I installed them according to your instruction. When I got at to point 18 the Sony eject button did what it is supposed to do, thank God... eh.. radiofreeeurope ;-)
The S1 & S2 button still don't work but this is not such a big problem for me.

Thank you very, very, very much!!!!!

Unfortunately Sony isn't as helpful (no support for clean Vista, Win7 installation or enabling VT).
This is why I will never buy any Sony stuff anymore.

Enabling VT instructions:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=354360
and
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=189228

 

I have to make a comment on Windows 7.

I have a Sony Vaio VGN-AR520E.
I have just installed Windows 7 64bit Ultimate.
My model only supports 32bit Vista Home Premium.

I wanted to say that all the video cards I have installed from LaptopVideo2Go keep crashing. The screen would flicker and then a pop up would tell me that the display driver for "190.38" has failed and has restarted.

I know that LaptopVideo2Go is the only place I can go to since there are no other sites, and Sony is the most FAIL when it comes to support, but I wanted to know if anyone else has a fix to this issue. In most cases I probably need a new laptop since it's probably a hardware issue, but if anyone has solved it, I'd appreciate a response.

 

I bought a w7 ultimate from msdn gold partner at the price of £50 and installed it on my AR71ZU, works fine, same as vista, but I have to say w7 is not faster than vista, MS sucks

 

You can try this driver (works with my FZ, 8400M GT and 64-bit win 7) http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=415774

 

Thanks I appreciate it, but I found that an older driver works best on this old Sony Vaio.

My Vaio is a Aug. 2007 model (VGN-AR520E). When I was trying to run Knights of the Old Republic my games would keep crashing even with XP SP2 compatibility. Some site suggested I use the NVIDIA 178.24 driver. It's an Oct. 10, 2008 release but you know what, ALL crashing has stopped!! KOTOR works for me now too!! (Had to change sampling to 8 within the game, but I never had to change the game's affinity to single core to stop crashes.)

Link: Drivers | drivers for mobile cards and laptops | laptopvideo2go.com

Anyways, Now that I'm using an older driver, all crashing has stopped. Before I couldn't disconnect my second monitor. When I did the screen would glitch pretty badly and crash the driver. Now I can safely disconnect my second monitor and carry my laptop again.

Still though, I just installed this driver, so if anything goes wrong with it, i'll update on here again. So far so good!


(could others also post their system stats?)


[EDIT Nov. 30, 2009 UPDATE]11am

-Driver 178.24 works amazing for KOTOR and the driver itself doesn't crash every so often like 190.38 did, BUT the newest issue i'm having with it is that when I restart my computer, the screen resolution defaults to 1024x640 instead of the pre-set 1440x900. I've had this problem before when I had Vista, so I know it's a driver problem. I will try other video drivers between 178.24 and 190.38. I think I might try CoolGuy's 186.91 driver and see if that fixes my issues. I'm going to download it from laptopvideo2go.com instead though. I'll update my findings after.

[EDIT 2 Nov. 30, 2009 UPDATE]9pm

-Driver 186.91 for Windows7/Vista Works well. So far, when restarting the computer there are no re-sizing of the display dimensions. Also Knights of the Old Republic only crashed once with really smooth game-play (though the screen was shrunk. Doesn't bother me much). My only issue with this driver is that my color settings were a bit weird. My color vibrancy was a bit strong. I had to fix that since my job of choice is Graphic Design. haha. I would highly suggest this driver, especially since it has been downloaded more than 6000 times. I hope others can post their findings here soon.

Personally, I don't think I will stay with Sony after this current laptop. As much as I love it, physically my AR series laptop is dieing on me. With a broken hinge (that probably broke from metal fatigue) and a casing that has a cheap plastic feel, Sony is basically telling me they don't want me as a customer. The icing to this cake is that Sony only created drivers for Vista Home Edition. Obviously they aren't marketing this laptop to anyone but computer illiterate users.

If anyone has any suggestions for a laptop other than a Sony Vaio, please tell me so. But while I am here trying to make money to buy another laptop, I will use this Vaio as much as I can. It has served me well.

[EDIT 3 Dec. 12, 2009 UPDATE]12am

-I was mistaken. Driver 186.91 for Win7/Vista 64bit is not a good choice for the Sony Vaio AR series. At least not for mine. When disconnecting the second monitor the screen glitches again. I guess it has to do with the Win7 aspect. So I'm gonna install 185.66 for Vista 64bit instead. Since it predates the Windows 7 evolvement, I'm hoping it will work. Will Update soon.

[EDIT 4 Dec. 13, 2009 UPDATE]9pm

-185.66 for Vista 64bit works great. I know I said that before, but my hardware was made for Vista drivers. When I restart, so far the resolution doesn't change. Also, KOTOR plays in full screen. There are no Glitches when I disconnect the second monitor. And just to be sure, I brought it with me to Starbucks to run it and test it. All systems are showing a green light. IF ANYTHING, INSTALL 185.66 ON UR SONY VAIO AR SERIES!!!

[EDIT 5 Apr. 10, 2010 UPDATE]
I think my Vaio VGN-AR520e has reached its limit . Upon re-installing Windows 7 with the same drivers as before I now find that I'm getting the BSOD(blue screen of death) once a day.

Upon running WhoCrashed Home Edition 2.10 it told me this:

On Sat 4/10/2010 8:02:08 PM your computer crashed
This was likely caused by the following module: ntoskrnl.exe
Bugcheck code: 0xA (0x0, 0x2, 0x0, 0xFFFFF80002A21477)
Error: IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
Dump file: C:\Windows\Minidump\041010-30498-01.dmp
file path: C:\Windows\system32\ntoskrnl.exe
product: Microsoft® Windows® Operating System
company: Microsoft Corporation
description: NT Kernel & System
The crash took place in a standard Microsoft module. Your system configuration may be incorrect, possibly the culprit is in another driver on your system which cannot be identified at this time.

I'm guessing that my Video Card isn't compatible with Windows 7. (i'm sure if Sony took the time to make a driver it would work).

My Graphics Card:
Generic PnP Monitor on NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GT
1920MB GeForce 8400M GT (Sony)

My Driver is still: 185.66 Vista 64bit

It's already running at a warm/hot 72°C.

I think it's about time that I get a new computer, but I'll have to make this last as long as possible. I'm waiting for laptops with max memory support of 16GB and an included 8GB.

To all who still have their Sony Vaio VGN-AR520e's I hope yours is faring better than mine and doesn't have a broken hindge.


[EDIT 6 Oct. 06, 2011 UPDATE]
It finally happened. My Sony Vaio is showing its age. There is now a lot of glitching on the screen. It is like a light blue curtain has covered my screen. That's proof enough of the GPU dying. I'm not mad. I bought a MacBook Pro in April 2010 and have been happy to duel boot on there, but I was hoping that my Vaio would be in better shape than my really old Gateway. Sony has been a bag of disappointment for me for a long while now. Both my CyberShots have really bad glitching where the picture mode would switch itself; my Sony Alpha just stopped taking pictures and will cost $200 to fix after a couple years; and my Sony Vaio has been giving me trouble ever since Vista. Sony, if you are reading this, your company is stretched out way too thin. This is why your Walkman line isn't even a competition for today's MP3 players. Start making quality products.

To describe to community what the problems were on my Sony Vaio:
> Leprosy. Plastic pieces started coming off of the sides. Screws would disappear without being taken out.
> Left Hinge broke. Hinges should NEVER break from metal fatigue. Poor workmanship.
> Battery only really lasted for a year at 1.25 hours maximum.
> No support for Windows 7 64bit when everyone knew that Vista was a piece of .
> No BIOS update when the battery started acting up.
> Video Card dying after 5 years. (5 years is good, but there really shouldn't be a reason for hardware to fail at all if it isn't being abused)

I know it's an old notebook now, but it would have been a better experience if it didn't start breaking down after the first year. As a rant, PC manufacturers produce crap. I expect my hardware to last 5-6 years before it shows any sort of ware. If that's impossible then there should be a 3 year warranty. If they did this I would have been a Sony fan for life. But alas, it wasn't just the notebook. Having all your Sony products die on you is a horrible horrible experience. Today, Steve Jobs has died. I hope Sony learns a thing or two about customer service from his company because by the end of the day, people are going to choose quality, or they will buy the cheapest product out there that they would only need to last for a year. For example; If I want a computer that is cheap and will last me for at least a year, I'm only willing to way $400 or less for a notebook, but if I want a computer that will last me 5+ years and still have good resale value, I'm going with an Apple computer for at least $2000. Even if no one wants to use OsX, Windows can easily be installed. I know I still use Windows 7 and it's been great.

I hope this helps others. If you think Sony has been treating you like crap as a customer, vote with your wallet. Call them and tell them what you want changed. With enough people doing this, change can happen and Sony could be #1 again. Thanks for reading.

[EDIT 7 Nov. 29, 2011 UPDATE]
Fixed the GPU issue. Watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GJ0e_O2EhU and do what he does if you are getting weird lines or your screen stops working. You have to open up your notebook, pull off the fins that pull heat away from your GPU and let it cook itself for a minute. It over heats and re-solders the connections.
This vid is specifically for the VGN-AR520E Vaio.

I really am having too much fun messing around with my old vaio. It's like a science experiment. I can't believe I paid $1600 when it first came out, only to have it be frankensteined.


Computer Stats:
Vaio: VGN-AR520e
OS: shipped w/: Vista Home 32bit -- installed w/: Win7 Ultimate 64bit
CPU: core2duo 1.80Ghz
Video Card: Nvidia GeForce 8400m GT
NVIDIA Drivers tried: 178.24 Vista 64bit, 186.91 Win7 64bit, 185.66 Vista 64bit
Harddrives (double): 200GB 4200rpm, 500GB 5400rpm
Memory: 4GB(maxed)
Weight: 8.4lbs

 

Thanks "ravenrue" to keep Updating ! i following your work

I have the same laptop and i am so glad to trow away Vista

 

----------

 

Is anyone having Blu-ray issues? I did a Win 7 upgrade and my BR player doesn't work (to be honest, I'm not sure it ever worked...can't recall trying a BR disc in the past). Win DVD just hangs. I tried updating it to the most recent version Sony has provided via eSupport (8.0.20.89), but no luck. Before I blow $50-70 on BR software, I was wonderring if someone here had a fix.

I have an AR760U/B with Win 7 32 bit. Any help would be appreciated. To clarify, I can't play blu-ray discs. Reading and writing CDs and DVDs works fine. I have't tried burning a BR disc.

BTW, this may or may not be related, but my Windows Experience rating went down after the upgrade. The only thing holding it back is the video card. Did the Win 7 standards change or could that be a hint that my video drivers are bad? Even though outside of the blu-rays, the laptop works flawlessly.

 

We won't be much help since this is pretty much a thread on the older AR series. Take it from me, Sony Vaios are horrible laptops. When I have the money I plan to buy those nice and new Toshiba Qosmio. But I can't hate my Laptop too much. It HAS lasted me for 4+ years and only the casing itself is falling apart. (Sony needs to build their laptops w/ better quality plastics) The Hardware runs fine, but there are those lemons.

If i were you, I would have waited till more people had BlueRay Players. I'm taking a guess but your hardware might just be bad. If anything, try installing an older BD driver. Also keep searching the forums, I'm sure that if it IS a driver issue, more people will have it.



:edit: since this is a Thread on Dual Booting Vista and Win7 I suggest you search through the Sony area. http://forum.notebookreview.com/forumdisplay.php?f=8 If anything, Post a topic there asking for help.

 

I think my Vaio VGN-AR520e has reached its limit . Upon re-installing Windows 7 with the same drivers as before I now find that I'm getting the BSOD(blue screen of death) once a day.

Upon running WhoCrashed Home Edition 2.10 it told me this:

On Sat 4/10/2010 8:02:08 PM your computer crashed
This was likely caused by the following module: ntoskrnl.exe
Bugcheck code: 0xA (0x0, 0x2, 0x0, 0xFFFFF80002A21477)
Error: IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
Dump file: C:\Windows\Minidump\041010-30498-01.dmp
file path: C:\Windows\system32\ntoskrnl.exe
product: Microsoft® Windows® Operating System
company: Microsoft Corporation
description: NT Kernel & System
The crash took place in a standard Microsoft module. Your system configuration may be incorrect, possibly the culprit is in another driver on your system which cannot be identified at this time.

I'm guessing that my Video Card isn't compatible with Windows 7. (i'm sure if Sony took the time to make a driver it would work).

My Graphics Card:
Generic PnP Monitor on NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GT
1920MB GeForce 8400M GT (Sony)

My Driver is still: 185.66 Vista 64bit

It's already running at a warm/hot 72°C.

I think it's about time that I get a new computer, but I'll have to make this last as long as possible. I'm waiting for laptops with max memory support of 16GB and an included 8GB.

To all who still have their Sony Vaio VGN-AR520e's I hope yours is faring better than mine and doesn't have a broken hindge.

 

FYI, Sony FINALLY released an update to Win DVD that fixed my problem. Still not sure why my Windows Experience rating dropped, but at least I have my blu-ray player back!

 

Hi there.

I just registered to say thank you.

Friend's laptop HD died (originally came with Vista) on her AR31S.

Trying to find Windows 7 drivers was a PITA.

You must have put a lot of work into this thread, and it's definately appreciated here! Thanks.

 

To fix the problem with Fn buttons not controlling brightness, you have to install:
Sony Shared Video Library 3.3

It is in "Original Utilities Package" 2008Q1 Utilities.zip file on sony support website.

It worked for me.

 

hi. i have an ar61e and im desperately in need of a display driver.downloaded from latpopvideo2go before but now i cant seem to find one anymore.keeps saying its not compatible when i try to install them.am i doing something wrong?

 

you can check here for nvidia driver:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/sony/429745-windows-7-64-bit-clean-install-guide-fz-190e.html

good luck

 

Have to say a big thank you as I've been searching for a guide like this for a couple of months however I'm experiencing a problem getting started on my Sony Vaio VGN-AR71J (UK model) with upgrading to Windows 7 Home Premium via a clean install. I quite literally can't get past Step 13. The 'SFEP' download contains a .sys file rather than a .inf or other typical driver update file and when I try to 'Update the driver' for the 'unknown device' in Device Manager it simply states that it cannot find a driver file to update in this folder. I've manged to get some of the functionality working without this step however this would appear to be one thing stopping my nice new Windows 7 clean install from giving me access to all of the hard keys on the laptop. Does anyone have any idea how to help or am I missing something obvious. Thanks for any assistance.

 

Perseverance is definitely a good thing. Had to choose the 'Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer' and then select 'system device' from the drop down list. Then had to select 'Have Disk' and browse to the 'SFEP' folder. Once there I had to select 'Setup information' file. This allowed me to proceed. The only thing not working is the Brightness Fn keys but I never use them anyway. Hope this helps anyone else who gets stuck.

 

Thank you so much! I have Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit on a Vaio AR51J. I could not find anything to get all the buttons working til I saw the drivers and guide here. I have not enough hair to spend tearing it out!

 

Hi there. I tried to get this information from the Sony website so i'm asking here.

I need a replacement for my AR series laptop. MUST have 2 physical hard drives. 64bit, blue ray and TV.

I already have a vaio with most of these specs except it is not 64bit, my new software is 64bit only and I process very large data set using mathematica ( >1Tb) hence the specs.

Thanks guys

 

Joined up just to say an EPIC THANK YOU to radio free europe for the awesome post!

 

Thanx a lot for everything Radiofreeeurope!!
I now have a very nice clean installation of win7 x64 on my ar51j!
I have a prolem though..
I press the s1,s2 button and they respond, but i cannot configure them neither from vaio center nor by keep pressing them...

any ideas of what should i do?
thanx

 

Thank you!!!!!! I had been looking high and low for some of these drivers found some on on Sony's site and other thread sites but the drivers didn't work, they did from the links here though thanks!


Thanks again and Happy Halloween!

 

Unable to find XP drivers/ VAIO VPCEE31FX/T modelPCG-61611L for a clean instalation with xp sp 2 , 75% of my programs don't work with win 7 please help tank's!!!!

 

Sorry Kid, you aren't going to find XP drivers easily nowadays, now that Windows 7 is that much better.

Let me ask, what are you trying to run that it won't run on Windows 7? So far Windows 7 can even run old software with XP computability mode. If 75% of your programs don't run then you are better off buying an old used laptop that ran Windows 98/XP. Might just cost you <$50.

 

I registered to give a Huge Unqualified Thank You for the OP - absolutely brilliant, it has solved a long standing intense irritation and could not have been done without the OP's help.

I have no idea if the OP still frequents the Board, but I hope so - a massive Thank You, I could not have done the changes without your marvellous 100% spot on accurate guide.

I cannot thank you enough ..... hopefully you still frequent the Board to see this, but if not, well, it will serve (I hope) to give others the reassurance that the information in the OP's marvellous guide is spot on - go for it

Kindest Regards
Zy