ISBMgr

Thinking about disabling the ISB Utility. I know that this program checks if you have a "real" Sony battery and put the computer into hibernate if it is not.

Does this program do anything else? Are there any other ramifications to disabling this program?

Thanks

 

Jack,

Here is the information you need. Some users say that it is tied to the Sony Power Management software and that disabling it might stop your fan from working.

Type ISBMgr.exe into google.com to get more information about it. The following is just one site I hit upon.

http://www.file.net/process/isbmgr.exe.html

Good luck.

 

Thanks for your reply. I had done some googeling before posting, but was looking for a more definite answer.

Saw some info like "This file is essential to make the Power Management function properly", but wanted more specifics if this were true and what would break.

 

If you search the forums for this, you'll find that some people found that disabling ISBMgr caused the internal clock to not keep time when the computer powers off. Caused some people a lot of confused strife.

Tread lightly!

 

Thanks. Guess I'll keep it running.

 

The only reason you should disable it is if you plan on using non-Sony batteries. It hardly takes up any memory and never uses CPU cycles so leaving it on otherwise doesn't do any harm....also you won't get any benefit from turning it off.

 

I have a 1 month old SZ430n/b and have disabled the isbmgr to see if it would help with a battery I'm trying out. It was purchased from Fry's and is made by APC - NOT the universal battery, this is to be the equivalent of the Sony OEM extended battery. The trouble is, there is something happening before windows even boots, so disabling the utility in my case makes no difference. I'm guessing on newer VAIO's there's a hardware level stop somewhere or something in the bios that is forcing the laptop to reject it -(doesn't even power on w/ the APC battery and the battery LED flashes like crazy).

It actually ran off of this battery until it discharged (turned the laptop on w/ just ac power and then put the battery in after it started). But when trying to charge it again, I've left the battery plugged in overnight and the second I pulled the ac cord out the laptop shut off (no hibernate or anything- just dead).

I'm wondering if I bought one of those externalo VAIO battery chargers whether it would charge the battery or would it ALSO reject the battery as non-Sony.

BTW-I talked to Fry's manager about returning the battery and they would not take it back because they said that batteries are consumable (like printer cartridges). I'm starting to lose my trust in buying from that place.

 

Not to sidetrack, but that seems like a perfectally reasonable response from Fry's. I, for one, would not want to buy a re-stocked battery that someone had returned (or a print cartridge, for that matter ).

 

I understand to keep costs down things like software, dvd's, ink cartridges, etc. need to be "unreturnable". But in my case, I was never warned that "notebook batteries" were unreturnable (and these are not disposable AA batteries). There is no writing on the back of the receipt regarding batteries being unreturnable either - only that their may be a restocking fee. I would never have purchased this over $100 notebook battery if I would have issues returning it. I really wanted it to work, but what's to protect me as a consumer when all I have to go by is the product packaging claiming compatibility?

The manager said it is against their policy to take back ALL batteries and challenged me to find on their sales floor a returned item that had a battery in it. I just had to walk to the battery backup aisle and came back to him w/ an open box Belkin UPS and told him "this is pretty much the same as this laptop battery but for desktop PC's, there's a rechargeable battery inside also - if it's against your policy why would Fry's take it back and re-mark it for sale?". I ended up getting the store managers card and will speak to her regarding this - but I'm still pretty sore from the experience.

 

Just ebay it

 

You're right --- it isn't immediately obvious that a battery should be classified as a consumable. Every (yes, every) time I buy anything electronic from a brick and mortar store, the first thing I ask the customer service floor reps that flock around every browsing customer is "What's your return policy on this?"

Always sucks to get stuck with something you don't want.

 

Yeah, I thought about that, but luckily I have a client that was able to use it (they've bought only Vaio's for their business for years now). I unloaded it for $100, but I still feel bad about my experience there.

The thing is I guess I got too comfortable since they've always had one of the most liberal return policies compared to other stores (which in turn gained my loyalty). With many electronics retailers either closing stores (GoodGuys, CompUSA) or laying off thousands (CircuitCity)- Fry's may have changed into belt-tightening mode for survival's sake.