Issues after clean install

First, is there any way to uninstall the Sony driver and programs once they are installed? I installed some out of order and it may be contributing to issues I'm experiencing. Read on...

1. When I do a windows search, Explorere.exe crashes after a bit and I'm receiving an error with the Broadcom Bluetooth driver in the event log:

Faulting application name: explorer.exe, version: 6.1.7601.17514, time stamp: 0x4ce7a144
Faulting module name: btmmhook.dll, version: 6.3.0.5600, time stamp: 0x4c0f3943
Exception code: 0x40000015
Fault offset: 0x000000000001a3ee
Faulting process id: 0x1b20
Faulting application start time: 0x01cbd5ebfeacdd5a
Faulting application path: C:\Windows\explorer.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Program Files\WIDCOMM\Bluetooth Software\btmmhook.dll
Report Id: 80c4c9d5-41e0-11e0-8b4d-0024bed90b09

I reinstalled the Sony Bluetooth package and the error still occurs.

2. I noticed the SmartWi tool wasn't installed so I installed the non-WWAN version first not knowing I should have only installed the WWAN version (since I have WWAN). So I installed the WWAN version, which made SmartWi go away completely. I then installed it again and it appears but somewhere during all of this, when I boot my machine up, it takes about a minute to log onto the home WIFI network, whereas it used to be instant on reboot. It almost makes everything else wait as it spins and spins to obtain the wireless signal. Has anyone else experienced this or any ideas on how to clean up the Sony packages? I hate to have to clean install again after I have setup all my apps and migrated everything to this machine.

 

Normally I'd default to the more experienced users, however, I just did this myself a few days back for the exact same model (Z1390X) and it was a royal pain in the . Some of the threads covering this correspond to different models of the Z, which seem like they differ slightly.

This is the best way to do it from my experience. You are probably better off starting all over again from scratch (I know , but it's better to do things right from the start!). You have probably already done some of the steps below, but I'll include for completeness.

1) Make the recovery disks.
2) Download all the drivers from sony online and put them on a usb thumb drive for convenience.
3) Determine the windows key using a utility (do a google search for an application that does this), the one on the bottom of your laptop is NOT the key you need (very annoying).
4) Burn an iso of a windows installation disc (just search with google for one).
5) Restart and install from the windows disc, wipe out everything (but leave the hidden recovery partition, I'd keep this around in case you lose the DVD).
6) Install the chipset and display drivers from the usb key.
7) Put in the recovery disc and run the driver installation program, this will install vaio care (important, since afterward, you can run the driver/application installation utility without the recovery DVDs, I assume it now gets the drivers from the recovery partition).
8) Install the drivers *using VAIO care* in the order specified by this thread, and restart after installing each driver:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/6155868-post96.html

(note that the person who wrote this in the EU I think, so the drivers may be named something slightly different)
9) For an unkown reason, some of the drivers will not install correctly with VAIO care (I think one of the SD card controllers for me), so fix those with the usb drivers you downloaded.
10) Make a system image before installing the applications, some of which I found caused problems.
11) Install the sony/included applications with vaio care.
12) Make a final image of your system so you don't need to do this again!

Hopefully this helps! I found that windows restore points didn't work when I had driver/application problems. The first time my wifi card didn't work, second time the graphics switch didn't work...

Good luck

 

Wow, really appreciate the indepth reply. I had no idea the reinstall applications and drivers option existed in VAIO Care. Thanks for that tip! I have accepted my destiny and have started a clean install again. I will document all my steps here for the VAIO Z1390X so that maybe it will benefit someone else. They will be pretty much identical to what you suggest only specific to the U.S. and with some changes.

1. Made the recovery disks from VAIO Care
2. Downloaded all drivers to USB drive
3. Started a clean install of Windows 7 Ultimate, 64-bit with Service Pack 1 already installed (the laptop came with Windows 7 Home Premium, 64-bit)
4. Installed Intel Chipset Driver from USB Drive (rebooted)
5. Installed NVIDIA video driver from USB Drive (rebooted)
6. Inserted recovery disk 1 and installed VAIO Care stating to update it
7. After it launched, installed the Realtek Audio drivers (rebooted)
8. From here on out, launched VAIO Care from windows since it is now installed. Go to Recovery & Restore -> Recovery -> Reinstall Applications and Drivers. I only selected one option at a time and reboot after each installation.
9. Installed Ethernet driver (Intel) (rebooted)
10. Installed Memory Card Reader Writer Driver (SD CPRM) (rebooted)
11. Installed Memory Card Reader Writer Driver (SD) (rebooted)
12. Installed Memory Card Reader Writer Driver (MS) (rebooted)
13. Installed Pointing Driver (Synaptics) (rebooted)
14. Installed SATA Driver (Intel) (RAID) (rebooted)
15. Tried to install Sony Firmware Extension Parser Driver and it failed (rebooted)
16. Installed Devices and Printers (Ricoh) Registry Path (rebooted)
17. Installed ME Driver (Intel Management Engine) (rebooted)
18. Installed IPS Driver (Intel Turbo Boost Technology Driver) (rebooted)

Not too happy at this point cause I still show 5 items left with exclamation points and some should be installed from my steps above:
Base System Device (Ricoh® PCIe Memory Stick® Host Controller Driver)
Ethernet Controller (Intel® 82577LC Gigabit Network Connection Driver)
Fingerprint Sensor (UPEK Suite)
Network Controller (Intel® Centrino® Advanced-N 6250 AGN Driver)
Unknown Device (Sony Firmware Extension Parser)

19. Installed Wireless LAN Driver (Intel) (rebooted)
20. Tried reinstalling the Intel Ethernet Controller again and it failed due to the Sony Firmware Extension Parser already being installed...so it looks like that gets installed at the same time (rebooted)
21. Installed Gobi2K driver package (only applicable if you have WWAN) (rebooted)
22. Installed TPM Professional Package (Infineon) (rebooted)
23. Installed Ricoh MS Driver again (rebooted)
24. Installed Protector Suite 2009 (UPEK)

Okay, now I still have these in my Device Manager:

Base System Device (Ricoh® PCIe Memory Stick® Host Controller Driver)
Ethernet Controller (Intel® 82577LC Gigabit Network Connection Driver)
Unknown Device (Sony Firmware Extension Parser)

Clearly, VAIO Care isn't working for these so I'm going to grab the versions from Sony eSupport and use them at this point.

25. Installed Ethernet Network Driver (Intel) from USB Drive (rebooted) (Ethernet Controller is now resolved in Device Manager)
26. Installed Ricoh® PCIe Memory Stick® Host Controller Driver from USB Drive (rebooted) (Base System Device is now resolved in Device Manager)
27. Installed Gobi2k Drivers from USB Drive (rebooted)
28. Installed Sony® Firmware Extension Parser Device Driver from USB Drive (rebooted) (Unknown Device is now resolved)
29. Installed Sony Shared Library from USB Drive (rebooted)

At this point I installed DriveImage XML and made an image of the computer.

30. Installed Broadcom Bluetooth from USB Drive (rebooted)

I did some searches in Windows and no more crashes from the Bluetooth dll so that's a good sign.

31. Installed Sony Notebook Utilities from USB Drive (rebooted) - This installs:
* Battery Checker 4.3.0.05310
* Setting Utility Series 5.3.0.07231
* VAIO® Event Service 5.3.0.05310
* VAIO Control Center 4.3.0.05310
* VAIO Power Management 5.2.0.06210

32. Installed Webcam Companion from VAIO Care (rebooted)
33. Installed VAIO Location Utility from VAIO Care (rebooted)

Connected to the Internet and downloaded any required updates for Windows. KB2488113, KB2482017, KB2393802, KB2425227, KB2475792, KB2479628, KB2485376, KB2484033, KB915597, KB971033) (rebooted)

34. Installed Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 SP1 Redistributable Package (x86) per Sony's instructions before installing the SmartWi tool for WWAN ( Sony eSupport - VPCZ1390X - Software Updates & Drivers)
35. Installed VAIO Mobile Broadband from VAIO Care (rebooted)
36. Installed SmartWi Connection Utility from VAIO Care (rebooted)
37. Installed VAIO Update from VAIO Care (rebooted)

Everything seems to be working absolutely perfect to this point. The computer connects to the WIFI network instantly and no crashing when searching anymore.

That wraps it up for the Sony software I will install so creating another image of the hard drive and going to start customizing it.

 

Good job! Looks like you got it right. More or less exactly the same as me. Looking at your post reminds me that the two drivers that did not install correctly with Vaio care were the ethernet device (wired, not wireless) and the Memory stick controller. I didn't have the problem with the Sony firmware extension.

I remember being really annoyed at how long it took to get it right, but once everything is working, you'll be loving your Z!

 

Thanks! It is working great now. I wonder how important it is to reboot after every install, even when it doesn't tell you too. I didn't do that the first time.
I also installed nothing from VAIO Care and all the packages from eSupport the first time.

O'well, it is all working great now and hopefully this will help someone else, even though the Z is no more!