Instructions for a Vista clean install on an FZ190

Darn, won't let me launch that one (says "You Can't Launch"). Oh well, I'll get to it later....

As for the disk problem - I had two corrupted files on my data partition that would not delete. checkdisk was popping up and running a quick mode (did not take more than a minute or two). I went into Properties for that partition and set up a full check disk run that took about 45 minutes, that took care of the corrupted files (they are now gone) and thus I have a "clean" restart now.

Thanks for your continued replies and help. And let me know if/when you try out True Image 11.

 

Hi,

Can you use a VISTA CD (probably OEM) from Dell for this reinstallation ? And just provide a Sony Vista Product ID at a certain point ??

This is new to me... But I have a Dell laptop w/a Vista install Cd and a Sony laptop which I'd like to do a fresh install on (and have NO cds for).

I'd prefer not to have to go out and buy Vista....

Please let me know your thoughts.
I'm just wondering if the Dell delivered CD is equivilent to an Anytime Vista installation disk. Anytime Cds at this point seem to be the same cost as going out and buying Vista itself ($150-250).

Thanks!!!

 

Honestly, I had a Dell for a week and did a clean install, but I don't think the Vista disk they send you is "clean". Go to this THREAD and either dl the files and make your own Vista disk (it is easy, I did it) or go to the 3-4th page from the END of this thread and you will see links from "hendra" that will allow you to purchase clean Vista disks for a small fee (I have done this too for 64-bit versions). But, no, you do not have to buy Vista again just to get disks.

 

Thanks Bubbatex!

I tried some links yesterday, but they didn't work.

This link worked great

 

Gary - if/when I want to do another clean install of my OS partition, all I have to worry about is backing up my personal Outlook files, right? Anything else to consider? I have all of my data on a separate partition.

 

If I were you I'd move the outlook files onto my data partition too. It's realy easy. Move the .PST file(s) to your "My Documents" folder. Open Outlook. It will complain that it can't find it's files and open up a file diakog box. Just navigate where you put the PST file(s) and open it. You must then close Outlook and open it again.

If you have added any folders under the "Favorite Folders" on the far left, you may loose them. So take a snapshot with the Snipping tool before you start this process.

Gary

 

That's a good idea - don't know why I did not go ahead and do that originally. Between the email and the archives, I have over 2gb's. That would also help to somewhat further "compact" my OS partition.

BTW - I never could figure out the S-button/Control Center problem. I even looked at registry entries and the XML files associated with Settings, Control Center and Event Services. "Something" elsewhere connects all of these pieces together - I just don't have the time nor energy to figure it out! Not a big deal, I would practically never use the S1 button anyway.

Thanks for you reply!

 

Gary - I moved my .pst and archive files to the data partition, but Outlook kept telling my it "did not close properly" and it does a data check - all day. I moved them back to the original position and it works. That sems odd - and I have turned off other COM Add-ins that might cause this problem (searched a little on the MSFT Help site). Any other suggestions - or do you think it was just taking an inordinate amount of time to check the file (1.2gbs) across a different partition??

 

Once Outlook did a data check in my work PC and it was for a couple of days.

 

There is no speed penalty of having the file on a different partition. Shut down Outlook and then reboot the machine. Then DO NOT OPEN OUTLOOK, just move the file(s) first and then open Outlook and proceed as I said before. Why the reboot? Outlook sometimes continues to run for a while even after you shut it down and the user interface disappears. The only reason why Outlook says it "did not close properly" is because well it didn't close properly. The reboot will make sure it did.

See if that helps.

Gary

 

As I said before Outlook was doing the data check even after multiple reboots.

 

I wasn't responding to your post, but yes I would expect that. Once the file is marked as needing to be checked it will stay marked that way until Outlook completes the task. What I was telling bubatex was how to keep it from getting marked as needing to be checked in the first place.

Gary

 

I actually tried it again later in the evening after a reboot and all seems to be working now. Thanks.

 

i am wondering if anyone tried a clean install with sp1 integrated vista on fz machine, and had any problems... i am probably gonna have to try soon.

 

The only thing that might be a problem is the original audio driver (Sigmatel) that came with the FZ190 was one of the "problem" drivers identified as having an issue with SP1. I would make sure you found an UPDATED audio driver that is not on the "bad driver" list before you start. Otherwise everything else should be OK.

Gary

 

You should be able to find the Sigmatel driver under a newer FZ - like my FZ4000. I had SP1 installed on mine when I purchased it, did a clean install and then reloaded SP1 from the Recovery partition and all is good.

 

Hi,
I did a clean install on my VGNNR260E. The system came with a single 200GB C: partition. I partitioned it into the C: (60 GB) for OS and Rest in D: for data. I did not delete the recovery partition. I was wondering if needed, Can i restore the Vista to factory conditions from this recovery partition. Will it automatically make a single 200 GB partition from existing two partitions?

--Thanks
Kuldeep

 

This thread is ONLY about a clean install on an FZ model. Please ask this in an appropriate thread elsewhere, or start a new thread if you can't find one.

Thanks,

Gary

 

Gary - in your instructions, you placed pagefile on your data partition. Does it really matter where you place it? Does location effect performance in any way? Now that I have "settled down" with my configuration (C:\OS, D:\Data), I have 17-18gbs of free space on my OS partition and figured I might as well move pagefile back to he OS partition.

Thanks, bt

 

I only moved the pagefile to the data partition to cut down on my disk images of the OS partition. It cuts down the size of the image by a significant amount.

I never image the data partition, I copy the folders to an external drive, skipping the root directory which only has the pagefile in it.

With this scheme the pagefile NEVER bloats either of my two backups.

Gary

 

Less BU image bloat - that makes sense. Thanks.

 

There is one downside to moving it from the OS Partition, i.e. Windows is unable to make minidump files if you get a BSOD.

Gary

 

Clean install of Vista 64bit on fz?

 

Sorry, no specifics for 64 bit. But it should be pretty much the same with the exception of needing to seek out the 64 bit drivers. No idea if the auxiliary apps (only 32 bit) will work or not.

Gary

 

Hi,

I'm trying to repartition the hard drive into C: 60% D:40%, and I just created the recovery disks using sony recovery center couple mins ago. My question is, do I burn BootIT NG into another CD/DVD first, then use these recovery disks to install Vista after I format and repartition my hard drive? Thanks!

 

No you can't use the recovery disks to do a clean install at all. However, you DO need them for the drivers and apps they contain. To do a clean install you need a Vista install DVD. There is another thread here about creating one of these disks yourself from files already on your laptop, IF AND ONLY IF your laptop has the any time upgrade files on the hard drive. Other wise you will need an actual Vista install DVD to proceed. All of this is spelled out in my document.

RE: Boot IT NG, yes it need to be on its on CD. And it need to be a bootable CD.

But you do NOT want to proceed until you get the Vista Installer DVD.

Gary

 

Hi Gary,

I don't have WAU folders after i searched the whole hard drive. (did the hidden system files and folders part too)

I just borrowed a copy of my friend's windows vista. Is it possible to reinstall the windows vista using this DVD after reformat the hard drive? Thanks.

 

Yes. Use the license key on the bottom of the laptop (make sure that you install the same version off your friend's Vista disk that you purchased with the laptop) and I suggest you go ahead and install without activation. Wait until you are finished (and everything is working corrctly) and then activate. Vista will work for 30 days w/o activation.

 

It should work just fine.

Gary

 

For automatic activation of Vista go to this thread

 

I have auto-activated two different laptops in the past 2 months with the license key on the bottom of the laptop w/o any problems.

 

No, the method in the other thread is different. You don't need even the product key on the bottom.

 

But you still need a product key, right? That is a multiple step procedure: download app, load on USB stick, plug it into the laptop, capture license key - and orev suggests you write it down too - then you load Vista, attach USB stick, launch program and hope it works.

I like the my method - turn laptop over, write down license key, click Activate Vista after clean install, enter key.

"Different" does not necessarily mean "better" in this case, IMHO.

 

Thanks for all the info. I was able to reformat and repartition my hard drive using the Sony Recovery Disks. I did not even put in the Vista DVD that I borrowed from a friend.

Insert the Recovery Disk 1, restart your system, then choose the option "Recover the system". It did everything automatically for me, and I was able to stop the launch.exe when it started to install bloatwares. Maybe this isn't a clean install, but just let you guys know if you want to reformat and repartition your HDD. The Recovery Disks do this for you too.

 

I have a FE series laptop and did all these steps up to 11. However, I'm having trouble running the recovery disks to install the drivers and plugins.. just wondering what I'm doing wrong or what else I have to do. I do have the drivers on an extra USB flash drive as well and I tried installing the Sony Shared Library from there first but it refuses to install?

I can run the disks only if I restart and boot from there and I could always just do a complete system restore, but I'd really like to do just a clean install without all the Sony bloatware. It seems like it must come to that though - any ideas?

 

If you are doing a clean install, you need to load all of your drivers on a USB flash drive and then load them from there. I did not use the Recovery disks at all After I loaded Vista and all of the Sony drivers, I used the Recovery partition to load some other apps (and SP1).

 

I keep getting an Error: 506, Task failed with error: -1 when I'm trying to run VAIO Recovery Center to reinstall programs from step 14 onward. I can find *some* of these drivers online, but the rest I do need to get from the DVD. Any ideas? I put in disk 1 first, then it tells me to insert disk 2 in at 43%. Once it hits 50%, that error pops up.

 

This is what is known here as a "semi-clean" install. Discussion of this technique is in another series of threads here.

Gary

 

You mean you used the recovery disks, not the recovery partition, right? The instructions I gave only use the recovery disks to reload apps just like you said. All of the drivers are obtained from the esupport site on Sony.com.

Gary

 

This makes no sense to me. The recovery disk should never ask for disk two unless you are doing a restore of your system. If Vista is running and you insert disk one it should offer a menu of options. One of which is to recover individual drivers or apps. This is what is required for step 14 on.

Gary

 

I insert disk one and it does nothing - I've tried running it both under a complete restore with Vista, and a clean install, as per coolguy's instructions. The only time the Recovery Center launches is when I boot up my computer and the DVD is in the drive, or if I click on the launcher I have on a USB (I copied the recovery folder onto it). When it launches from booting up, I don't see a Reinstall Programs or Drivers option. From the USB, it's there but once I start installing from it, it asks for disk 1, then disk 2, then the same error I mentioned before.

 

Did you do a clean install? Then why are trying to restore with the recovery DVD's? The recovery DVD is only used to install select programs per Gary's instructions. You will have to insert DVD 1 and wait for the auto launcher to pop up. This is a one time process and you can invoke "launcher.exe" in the future from the hard drive. Do not copy anything from the DVD.

 

I did do a clean install, but once I get to the step where I install select programs, the auto launcher will not load from the DVD. It sits in the drive and does nothing. From his instructions, I know it's suppose to install itself onto the hard drive and I should be able to install from there, but it doesn't.

I only tried the complete restore to see if it does anything with the DVD in the drive, but it doesn't.

 

It sounds to me like your recovery DVD set is faulty. You need to remedy that if you need any of the apps that are mentioned in step 14 and after. The only way I know that you can do this is to restore from the recovery partition back to the out of the box state and recreate the disks, or buy a set directly from Sony.

Gary

 

can i just check something - has ny1 successfully performed the clean install on an FZ2 series (or specifically the FZ21M) and managed to get the WinDVD for BD installed? or does anyone know of any way to get it installed? I am worried I won't be able to play any BDs if i perform the clean install :S

 

First a couple of "procedural" things. Please don't use text speak on the forums and second don't cross post the same question to multiple threads.

Now that that is out of the way, I am pretty sure if you search through THIS thread that you will find that folks have done a clean install on a FZ2 series. And I am fairly certain that the BlueRay drive worked just fine. As for WinDVD, you should find that the installer for it will be on your DVD restore set that you make.

That DVD set will serve two purposes, first it gives you an easy fallback position in case you try the clean install and find that you CAN'T get the WinDVD Blue Ray combo to work. Second, if you put disk #1 of the set into the DVD drive of a machine WHILE Vista is running, it will popup an installer app that allows you to install drivers or applications. My clean install guide spells this out, but suggests you use it for the apps only and use the Sony Web page to get all the latest version of the drivers BEFORE you start the process.

Gary

 

Sorry - just wasn't sure which thread to post to and after posting on once - I noticed you replied to another so I thought maybe it may be more appropriate.

The reason I made the post was following on from this

He states that he could not reinstall WinDVD for BD and had to use other software. I was enquiring as to whether anyone else had similiar problems or was it an isolated incident. If everyone has the same problem, could you advise me on any free BD playing software?

Thanks
Si

 

I've also now made the backup DVDs and can confirm that WinDVD is not on the list when you start the recovery software either from the DVDs or from within Windows. Am I missing something or is it just not on my discs?

Would it be possible to get it from the hidden backup partition on my laptop - I don't know how to access this without booting to it for a full system restore :S but that definitely puts the Win DVD software back on.

Could someone possibly upload the installation software? and if they did would I need a Key of some sort to install it? and if so is there a way I could extract my key from my software?

That was a lot of questions but basically I'm just trying to figure out a way of doing a clean install on a FZ21M (UK) and install some software to watch Blu-Ray Discs (BDs). Any help would be great thanks!

Si

 

There is no way to access the hidden recovery partiton, but there is no need to. The DVD's you made are made from the recovery partition. Are you SURE the WinDVD software is not on the DVD set??? See the attachment.

Gary

 

yes - lol - im 100% sure it's not there - see attached.

any ideas? is it maybe a UK thing? or an EU thing? or an FZ2 thing?

any thoughts/advice?

si