Instructions for a Vista clean install on an FZ190

Hello,
I am expecting to receive my Sony notebook next week. It has the following configuration:
VGN-FZ4000 CTO Configure-to-Order
WLAN 802.11 a/b/g/n w/Integrated Bluetooth®
NVIDIA® GeForce® 8400M GT
LCD 15.4" WXGA (XBRITE-HiColor™)
DVD±R DL / DVD±RW / DVD-RAM Drive
200GB SATA Hard Disk Drive (7200 rpm)
2 GB DDR-SDRAM (DDR2-667, 1 GBx2)
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium
Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T8300 (2.4GHz) [Estimated ship date 2/19/08]
Norton 360™ All-In-One Security (60 Day Trial)
QuickBooks Simple Start
Video Standard
Photo Standard
Microsoft Works
Standard Battery (BPS8)

I intend to do a clean install after burning the Recovery Discs.
I will use a Windows Anytime Upgrade DVD that I oredered and received from Microsoft.
In addition I will use the ABR utility, thanks so much to Orev for his guide, as I did when I performed a clean install on my HP dv9700t notebook.

My main question is related to the Drivers and programs.
If I understand your very valuable guide, Drivers and programs are found on the recovery Disc 1 and on the Sony website.
Does it mean that the folder SWSetup found in an HP notebook and devoted exclusively to the drivers and programs put in the HP notebook has no equivalent in the FZ4000?
Which version of Ghost do you use under Vista? I have Version 10.0 and the Symantec website does not say if it is Vista compatible.

Thank you again for your guide and all the input you have provided so far.

 

Actually, there is a folder with drivers. Early in my guide I suggest copying it so that you have the SATA driver you'll want to install during the initial install of Vista. I do suggest though that you get all of the drivers from the Sony support site, as some may have been updated from the ones you currently have. I use an older copy of Ghost. Ghost 2003. It works fine with Vista. BUT I always use it as a bootable CD and I always use it to image and restore partitions. I never EVER use it from within Vista. (Actually that was not even an option in the 2003 version, latter ones allowed you to do some things from within the OS, but I never trusted that sort of operation.)

Gary

 

Thanks for your reply.
I'll follow your suggestion.
It never occurred to me that I could use my 2003 version of Ghost!

 

I just received my FZ4000 CTO.
I followed the guide until I was going nowhere which forced me to find a solution to finish the clean install.
I used Orev guide for the ABR program and the general guide lines.
I followed your guide and I found a light difference in my case.

First, I agree more than ever that burning two DVD recovery discs is a must.
Without disc1 one cannot select and re-install the programs.
Second, I copy on a CD the folder C: Windows/Drivers which is an absolute must because in the case of the FZ4000 this is where all the needed drivers are with their "setup" (or launchers) programs including the SATA drive (which means one does not need the "load drivers" sequence to swap CD and DVD during the processus to install the SATA driver.
Third, I use the ABR in order to perform a clean install without activation.
I use a WAU DVD that I bought from Microsoft ($7.00 for S&H).

Disc1 is needed to select and install the programs. As far as the drivers are concerned one will not find the Video driver (Nvidia). It is not there. And this is where I had my issue. After checking Device Manager, Display settings, and few other things I was lucky enough to think about looking at the CD with the Windows Drivers.
After this minor correction it was just a routine.

By the way if somebody is looking for programs and drivers on the Sony website (esupport) there is none, as of today, absolutely none for the FZ4000 with Vista Home Premium. For the other versions of Vista there are few offers if I may say so.

Thanks again to ScuderiaConchiglia and Orev. They really "rock'.

Remember my case applies to a FZ4000 CTO.

 

Gary, thank you for all the work you put in to come up with this excellent guide. I used it to do a clean install on my FZ21Z and it was pretty much flawless, except for some minor differences (AbuTech's post was helpful).

I have one question though. I've reached step 14 where I'm about to install all the applications. I'm looking at the list and I'm wondering if all these apps are really necessary for my VAIO to function properly?

I obviously want all the hardware buttons/camera/etc to work, but do I really need to install things like VAIO documentation, VAIO help and support, SonicStage Mastering Studio, Click to DVD, VAIO Video and Photo Utils, Roxio and WinDVD? In most cases I would prefer to use other applications (i.e. Nero vs Roxio), but I do want all of my hardware features to function normally (on screen volume/brightness and such).

Any advice from the experts? Thanks!

 

You DEFINITELY want 14-a through 14-f. G and H are optional. 14-i you should install but to be honest I rarely use it. It is small and adds nothing to startup or day to day overhead. So load it. 14-j through 14-p are optional. I must say I really like 14-l the SonicStage Mastering Studio stuff. If you do any audio editing it is quite nice. 14-q you are most likely going to want. Acrobat Reader is sort of the defacto standard for PDF reading but the are alternatives if you like. 14-r through 14-t are optional. 14-u you should install. 14-v is optional. 14-w is still in play you should check to see if there are any pertinent updates as it suggests.

Hope that helps.

Gary

 

It turns out that the two packages available from the VAIO support site (in my region) - one containing utilities, the other containing drivers - are quite minimal already.

The drivers and utils in the packages seems to be a bit different from your list. I'm not sure if that is because I have a different model (FZ21Z) or because of my particular region. In any case, I just installed everything in the package and it seems to do the trick nicely. No bloatware and unnecessary software. Just everything to get the notebook working properly.

Thanks again!

 

Great!!! One more thing you should do is go into Device Manager and make sure you have no yellow exclamation marks.

Gary

 

Gary,

In your guide, Section One, No2. you list the selective restore utility from the first DVD, are those program you can select to be included in the Recovery Disc ? because when I trying to do mine, when I hit create recovery disc, it automatically burn 2 DVD

Thanks Gary

zolek

 

No, the burn process is automatic. There are no options at all. It will create two DVDs.

Gary

 

Hi Gary,

As the Vista SP1 standalone and windows update available to general public now, could you tell when to install SP1 in the process of future FZ clean installs

Regards
Raj

 

Good question. Right before step 16 you should probably check the Sony Website (esupport.sony.com) for updated drivers, if you had not already done so in a prior step. Then when you run step 16, you MIGHT get the SP1 as a consequence of running windows update. One thing to note is you should repeat step 16 multiple times until it tells you there are no further updates. (The reason for this is some updates require OTHER updates as prerequisites.) If SP1 did NOT get installed during on of those update iterations, then install it from the standalone. (I would be VERY surprised though, if you did NOT get it during a run of Windows Update.)


Gary

 

Thanks Gary,

just have a question, I tried to create a Vista Install DVD by coolguy post, but mine doesn't have the folder.

so I was wondering if they sell WAU at stores and I can use my License in the back of the laptop for install Vista ??

 

I don't know you will need to ask coolguy. That was his procedure.

Gary

 

I figured it out. Many thanks to all of you. As I'm writting I'm burning recovery DVD using Vaio recovery

Sorry for being noob here, but I was wondering if the Recovery DVD is used to restore the computer to the very first point when we purchase the computer with all the software/crapware from Sony ? Or they used to restore the computer to the point we made the disc ??

PS: I tried to give you rep but don't see it work ?? Is it work ?

 

It returns it to the original "out of the box" state.

Gary

 

I have a question regarding the clean install as I have just completed one but have experienced a few issues, highlighted below.

The issues are :

- when I press any of the multi media key or the Fn keys, there is no display on the screen. Let me clearify, before I carried out a clean install when I pressed the volue key i heard a beep and was shown a small white volume bar on the screen. It was the same for the change display Fn key, before I would get on screen icons, now i don't

- when I press the 'av mode' button, nothing happens, same with S1.


Now for my questions..... has anyone experienced this problem? and do the the drivers have to be installed in order. as per this installation guide?

Thanks.

 

It's not just a matter of drivers, there are also some axillary apps that are required.

A couple of questions.

1. Were the AV and S buttons functional before you did the clean install? I ask this because the AV button in particular is NOT functional on some of the FZ models. Specifically early FZ models with BlueRay and/or Nvidia hardware. (I have heard anecdotal reports that it is functional on some of the latter models with this hardware.)

2. I realize you used my guides. I need to know which steps you followed and which ones you skipped. Just reference the step numbers. Something like "I did step 4 then 9 then 8" will suffice. You needn't detail what each step was.

3. Finally, what model FZ do you have?


Gary

 

Thanks for the reply Gary. To answer your questiosns.

1. All the multi-media and Fn functions where working, this includes the AV and S button. When i would press AV button a large horizontal bar would drop down from the top of the screen and give me various media options (cann't remember of the top of my head what they were)

2. Steps I followed were from section Two specifically step 8. I had all the drivers etc. before hand and also burned the restore DVDs. I didn't install the drivers as laid out in your guide.

3. I have the FZ21Z

 

OK.

1. That functionality can be restored, but what happened if the machine was OFF and you hit the AV button. On a non-blueray non-nvidia model it would invoke a dvd player WITHOUT booting windows. We may not be able to restore THAT sort of functionality. (I can't say for sure as my machine never had that anyway.) But that sounds like it is not an issue for you.

2. Step 8 only talks about installing Vista, is that where you stopped in my guide? If so I am sorry to tell you I think you need to start over again. You need to do step 8, of course, 9 and 10 are optional. 11 is EXTREMELY important you positively MUST do these in the right order. Then you need to the first sentence in step 12, followed by step 13. (This step may be different for you you should check www.esupport.sony.com for your particular model and see what updated drivers are there.) Finally you need to do steps 14a through 14f. 14g through 14v are optional. 14w is a requirement.

Follow that and you should have functional AV and S buttons. (You may need to configure what they do, however.) Also your visual display for volume and brightness will work.

Gary

 

Thanks for the info Gary. I've just got one last question, how do I install drivers like the SFEP Driver, as these don't have an executable setup icon?

Thanks.

 

Why does it NOT have a setup icon? Where did you get it? Remember step suggests that you get ALL of the drivers directly from the Sony esuport.sony.com website. If you did that ALL of the drivers would have executables for installing them. Also note I suggest that you initially load the ones from the website marked as ORIGINAL and then apply any updates afterward.

Gary

 

I downloaded it from the Sony website and the SFEP Driver has no excutable in the folder, i've searched it a number of times.

 

Huh? I have NEVER seen a driver installer on the Sony site that was not an executable. Give me an link to the EXACT spot where you downloaded it an let me see what is there.

Gary

 

Link below.

http://support.vaio.sony.co.uk/downloads/preinstalled/preinstalled.asp?site=voe_en_GB_cons&m=2822

Bare in mind that this is the UK site so there may be a difference. I have managed to find a way to install those driver that don't have a setup icon, and that is to use the Recovery Disks. However I could not find the 'Sony image filter'. I'm looking to complete the rest of the installation today.

 

You are right there was a difference, I downloaded the ZIP file and looked. The image filter is in that zip file "Windows Image File Mini-Filter Driver 6.0 - 6.0.6000.16386". As for the ones without the setup icon, you need to do it through device manager. Start > Computer > right click > properties > Device manager > Right click a device > Update driver software > Browse my computer for driver software. That will allow you to use what you downloaded which MIGHT be more up to date than what was on your recovery DVD.

Gary

 

Hi Gary,
I am thinking to clean install my notebook soon. I am thinking to below order clean install.
1) Install Windows Vista OS
2) Install all sony drivers from Sony Download Site.
3) Intall required sony utilities and softwares from Recovery DVD.
4) Install Windows Vista SP1

Could you suggest is it better to use standalone sp1 or WU sp1 for clean install ?
Please let me know if the order is wrong in clean install.

Thanks
Raj

 

Raj,

The order looks fine. Make sure you look at my clean install document for the correct order of installing the Sony stuff. It is VERY important that you do them in the order I specified.

The Sony Shared library is technically NOT a driver, but it must be the first thing you load after Vista. Some of the drivers depend on it.

As long as you have all of the current drivers from Sony and none of them are on the SP1 "watch list". See this Knowledgebase article for a list. You should be able to get SP1 through Windows update.

If I were doing this I would use Windows Update. It will first install some prerequisite updates before it offers SP1. It will also check to be CERTAIN your drivers are all OK. (The standalone does NOT do this.) And finally the WU file for SP1 will be MUCH smaller than the standalone. WU gives you a version specifically targeted to your instance. The standalone one is a "all things to all people" type of offering, hence it is MUCH larger. The end result using either one will be identical on your machine.

Gary

P.S. If you do use WU do NOT expect it to offer SP1 immediately. It will offer the prerequsities first. It may be a bit of time after that before it offers sp1.

 

I clean installed mine and for some reason, the FN brightness and hibernate keys aren't working. The FN+Mute works just fine though. I did install the "Sony® Notebook Utilities"

Any ideas?
Thanks,

 

Did you use my instructions? Did you install things in the order I specified? Did you use the Sony driver for video? Which video chip do you have, intel or Nvidia? Is hibernate enabled in the power scheme?

Gary

 

Yeah, I missed a step, the Sony Shared Library. That fixed it.

 

Did that fix the hibernate too?

Gary

 

hey gary,i found updated intel graphics driver for my fz which are released in 2008 and sony driver is still 2007.so is it advisable to use the driver from intel site?

 

I just did a similar thing with my Nvidia driver, but ONLY after I created a Ghost image of my C: partition!!!

Gary

 

ok. boss understood the deal.

 

Yeah, it sure did.

 

anybody tried on fz4000?

 

Not so far. But the process should be pretty similar. If you do try it, please keep notes as to where you see differences. Then report them back here in a message. I will then add a link to the first message in the thread to any FZ4000 notes you make.

Make sure you read through my document before you start and make sure you gather all the files BEFORE you do anything. Most important is to have made the Recovery DVD set before you begin.

Gary

 

Not so far. But the process should be pretty similar. If you do try it, please keep notes as to where you see differences. Then report them back here in a message. I will then add a link to the first message in the thread to any FZ4000 notes you make.

Make sure you read through my document before you start and make sure you gather all the files BEFORE you do anything. Most important is to have made the Recovery DVD set before you begin.

One more thing. The SEQUENCE in which you install things is VERY important. Do not assume you can add the apps and drivers in any old order.

Gary

 

I just did this on my FZ4000. I am not a good note taker, but here's what I remember - I looked on the Sony site at the other FZ models and found one that closely matched mine and dl'ed all of the Drivers (which are pretty much the same across the board). The only one that would not load that I got from another FZ was the Alps Pointer/Touchpad. I ended up going back into Vaio Recovery to load that one (after Vista was loaded - Vista gives you one that works, you just don't have all of the options the Alps version gives you). I did not load the SATA driver during the initial Vista install - that really only seems to be needed when you go to 64-bit from the research I did.

As far as following Gary's list - I did the partitions with the Vista disk, partitioned 40gb for OS and remaining for data. Formated both from the Vista disk before continuing with the install. I did not enter a license code, because the OEM one from the bottom of the FZ did not work AT THIS POINT - it did work later when I activated online. The Toshbia BT driver is now Broadcom. In Step 11, I did it as listed, but there is no "Sony Image Filter" as I could find. In step #14 on Gary's list - there is not a d. "Powersetting update", I installed "Vaio Power", then I installed "Java Runtime" which was not on Gary's list, I skipped "f. Bluetooth utility" as it was installed earlier and I did not have "u. Microsoft COA Patch" cause that is probably not important for us now.

And now that I have gone back over the list - my question about Vaio Control Center has been answered! I have to go get it in the UK, it is still not in the Recovery list. I imaged the OS partition after I got to a Vista updated install with drivers and Sony apps. I ended up using it twice b/c I had problems loading my personal info and I started over. The best suggestion Gary made in this was the fact that you should image as you go. I then installed my primary programs - Office, CCleaner, Spywareblaster, Avast, etc. with all of the Windows updates (but no SP1 yet) and imaged that as my "Ready to Go". Gary - it is easy and sweet to have my personal data on another partition. This is the first time I have done this and it is definitely the way to go!

One last thing, I did not have a Vista disk with SP1 and now, 2 days later, it is still not in my Updates. SP1 is in the Vaio Recovery - should I load it from there?? Or wait to see if WU brings it to me?

 

Make an image first, then run it from Vaio Recovery.

Gary

 

I did and it seems to be working just fine. Now I'll wait another day or two and then image it again as my "core" BU.

BTW - I ended up using Acronis TI 11 during this entire process - I ran everything (BU's and a few Restore's) with the Acronis Boot Disk and an external USB drive and it has worked like a champ so far. I don't think I'll even install TI 11 on the laptop.

 

Wow that is great to know. My old Ghost 2003 is a bit long in the tooth, so I just might look into this. I know there is/was a free version for users of Segate hard drives.

Gary

 

Wait - until TI 12 comes out before spending $$ (try out the free version as you said). If I had read the Acronis Forum before I bought it, I would not have (got in on sale at Fry's, so I can not return it). They have some problems now and a lot of long time customers are not happy. I could not make an image right after I installed it, so I uninstalled. That's why I am running it from the disk (for which I tested it a few times before relying on it) - which in a way seems to be a good thing. I am not into scheduled backups, I do it weekly as it fits into my schedule, so having it installed is not a big deal for me. I would have probably bought Paragon if I was doing it over.

 

By "running it from the disc", I assume you mean running it from the CD/DVD, right? That's the ONLY way I would ever use it anyway. I don't do "scheduled" backups either. I keep a current image of my C: partition and sync my "documents" folder to a desktop machine and a server in my office which then gets backed up to tape.

When you said, "I could not make an image right after I installed it" does that mean you were trying to create an image while running it under Vista? I will NEVER EVER EVER trust any app that claims it can image a partition while booted from that partition. That's why I stuck with an old bootable copy of Ghost 2003.

Gary

 

Yes on both questions above - I think I read your comments ("NEVER EVER....") in another thread on this subject when I was doing some homework. Thus, yes, it makes perfect sense to me that a CD-booted disk directing the backup is a much cleaner way to go - then Vista is not involved.

With that said, then I do suggest you try TI 11 for free. They have a lot of maintenance options as well as dirve and BU auditing.

Now I guess I need to make a backup of the CD!

 

Gary - I forgot to install Vaio Control Center during my clean install and installed it yesterday. However, I do not have all of the "controls" previously in the service. Particularly, I do not have the special buttons control panel and thus have a useless S1 button. All I have in Control Center is Sys Info, Power Mgmt, Keyboard/Mouse, Network Connections and Display. There were at least 3 or 4 others before clean install. I have installed the Settings Utility and Vaio Event Service. However, I can't figure out what else I might install to get these back. Any suggestions?

 

Below is a picture of the items I have in mine. Where did you get the installer for Vaio Central? In my document I indicated that I had to go to the Sony FTP site to find it. It was not on my Recovery DVD. You might try that source. I would uninstall what you have and reinstall from that source.

Gary

 

I got it from your link on the FTP site. Maybe I need to install the wireless utility. All of these exe's seem to be in the Settings utility folder, but Central Control is not loading them. Not a big deal as I rarely use the S1 button anyway, but it would be nice to get it working.

OK, another one. On start up, Windows is doing a CHKDisk on my data partition - it has done it a few times. Should I do something to that partition?

 

If all the items are in that folder, you can just run it manually. Open the folder and double click on the one labeled "VCCSpecialButton.exe".

RE: Chkdsk on the data partition at startup that is odd. It only does it occasionally? Anything of note right before the shut down prior to it running on reboot?

Gary