It took me 2 weeks and 150 Euro.
My Old Laptop was a PCG GRT815E bought in 2003 with a fully patched XP2 and tons of installed programs.
The following steps are for experienced users only and can save you a couple of days.
First of all: I could not create a working recovery DVD from the on-disk rescue partition. It failed, when I tried to install VISTA from the rescue DVD.
I called VAIO SUpport, they sent me the VISTA Recovery DVD Set.
The XP Recovery DVD is part of the notebook and it works.
First I gave PC-Mover a try. All I can say is: forget it. Than I gave Acronis
True Image Echo Workstation with the Universal Restore Option a try.
It worked well. I installed it on the old notebook. There is a license server, that you have to install. If True Image wants to connect to it, just type in "localhost". Then create a rescue CD, from which you will boot the new notebook.
If the old notebook has a single processor, you probably have to install the MS patch KB896256, which adds and corrects the multiprocessor support. You install it on the old notebook, no problem.
Then you need to add the following entry to the registry in your old notebook.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CriticalDeviceDatabase\pci#ven_8086&dev_2448
(Standard) REG_SZ leave blank
ClassGUID REG_SZ {4D36E97D-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}
Service REG_SZ pci
Now with True Image you create a backup of your old C: Drive. I added all the downloaded Sony drivers and utilities for the new notebook to the hard disk, where the backup was. Also I copied the XP DVD to this hard drive, so True Image and you has all the drivers to get XP running on the new laptop.
Then you restore the backup with True Image, booted from the CD, on your new notebook.
After booting from HD (your new old XP) you follow step-by-step the XP downgrade instruction from the VAIO-LINK Support site.
I couldn't get the WWAN modem and some other parts working before I switched on the TPM in the BIOS. There was no problem with the TPM switched-off running VISTA. XP2 without TPM doesn't seam to work on this notebook.
Finally I've got a notebook, running sometimes double as fast with all my Software (Video Editing, Music Production).
Don't forget: After Booting Windows XP on your new notebbok, windows requires an activation within 3 days.
And be careful with the antenna. I've lost mine and had to order a new one.
If anyone knows how to get the camera working, let me know.
How I moved my 100GB XP to a new SZ71VN/X-VPPS.G4
Discussion in 'VAIO / Sony' started by lofi, Mar 14, 2008.