My discoveries on Vaio Z’s Hybrid Graphics

Complete uninstall? You mean uninstall Nvidia driver in "Programs and Features"?

The issue I have now is:
1. Boot into Speed mode = normal - switch to Stamina = blank - switch back to Speed = normal
2. Boot into Stamina mode = normal - switch to Speed = normal, switch back to Stamina = blank

 

Yeah sorry that is what I mean you could try just replacing them and run setup right away it might work on yours.

 

Thanks. I uninstall the Sony drivers then install your set of drivers (with the updated inf). Still the same issue with switching.

 

I have uploaded the complete set of newest test drivers which I have used on my Z.
http://www.mediafire.com/?iyzwgggiztd

I will do a clean uninstall of the nvidia drivers and will then put mine back on to see if it was a one off when the switching worked.

 

Downloading... fingers crossed

 

False alarm looks like what was working now is doing the same as before!

 

Has anyone tried connecting to VGA and checking it on stamina?

 

I think I got a vga lead somewhere let me try that now.

 

Success Nautis with a vga lead into the back of my tv we get a display out when on stamina mode.

 

Ok so it IS the same issue. We are on the same page now.

 

Can we just change the output by pressing Fn+F7?

 

No joy on that but very good idea.

 

One thing I have noticed is that if I boot up in stamina mode and right click the desktop I cannot see anything apart from the standard windows stuff no display properties to get into the Intel stuff.

Going to try installing the Intel drivers manually now to see what happens <-- didn't do jack!

 

Just for kicks, I emailed Sony support about new graphics drivers and... of course, got the runaround saying that they "do not provide Device Drivers, support or troubleshooting for the installation, configuration, or compatibility issues of third-party Hardware or Software"

Not too surprising... I'll have to say that if not for this thread, I would be looking seriously at returning my Z. Thank you for your efforts into getting newer graphics drivers working daleski75, Nautis and everyone else here!

 

I took a quick look at these files and they do basically all the same (the posted ones and even the 197.16). The binary difference you see are just different version strings (and the corresponding digital signatures).

I haven't seen x86 assembler for a while but nvBridge.kmd does nothing more then branching to igdkmd64.sys (which is part of the intel drivers) when some condition is met (couldn't figure out the corresponding symbol in igdkmd64.sys yet).

Nevertheless this condition is all the same through all file versions, so imho nvBridge.kmd can be eliminated from the list of possible causes.

x86 geeks, assemble!

Code:

.text:0000000000010300 ; =============== S U B R O U T I N E =======================================
.text:0000000000010300
.text:0000000000010300
.text:0000000000010300                 public hybDriverEntry
.text:0000000000010300 hybDriverEntry  proc near               ; DATA XREF: .edata:off_104A8o
.text:0000000000010300                 mov     rax, cs:igdkmd64_1
.text:0000000000010307                 test    rcx, rcx
.text:000000000001030A                 jz      short loc_10323
.text:000000000001030C                 cmp     dword ptr [rax+68h], 1C8C35Eh
.text:0000000000010313                 jnz     short loc_1031C
.text:0000000000010315                 mov     dword ptr [rax+68h], 0FFFFFFFh
.text:000000000001031C
.text:000000000001031C loc_1031C:                              ; CODE XREF: hybDriverEntry+13j
.text:000000000001031C                 jmp     cs:igdkmd64_1
.text:0000000000010323 ; ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
.text:0000000000010323
.text:0000000000010323 loc_10323:                              ; CODE XREF: hybDriverEntry+Aj
.text:0000000000010323                 mov     [r8], rax
.text:0000000000010326                 xor     eax, eax
.text:0000000000010328                 retn
.text:0000000000010328 hybDriverEntry  endp

 

Thanks, pmfcmmak.

@Nautis/daleski75: If nvBridge_int.kmd is not the culprit what do you think is causing the switching issue? I wonder if the switching process could be mapped and investigated.

 

I think the switching is working fine but for some reason when it switches the intel drivers seem to default to an external display over vga only and doing fn + f7 has no effect either.

Going to try a slightly more recent 189 driver set from Nvidia to see if this issue is only related to the more recent 197 set of drivers.

 

Yeah I checked the same thing pmfcmmak. I wasn't sure about the extra stuff being the digital signature but that makes sense. Glad to get confirmation on it.

I don't know. Before I thought that it must be something in the 2000 series Intel drivers but your Z uses a 2000 series driver in the official package, and that does not work on 197.16.

My conclusion still brings me back to the mux. But that doesn't explain why the 188.80 drivers are working with it. I have been investigating the settings on it and I was given some registry exports from a new Vaio Z but I haven't found anything super interesting. What is happening is for some reason it is setting the VGA connection as the primary display for Intel.

 

Yep, looks like we are on the same page.

Another thing to try would be using a different set of Intel 2000 series driver with the official Sony 188.80 and see if it still works.

Now for experiments sake. The following are a few critical key areas of the registry to export for comparison.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\NVIDIA Corporation (This is where most of the nvidia service, hybrid and control panel settings are located)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E968-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318} (This is where most of the general settings are)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\nvlddmkm (This is the main nvidia display service, there are extra settings here sometimes)

 

Hi Nautis,

Just finishing trying the 189 drivers out but it looks like the same issue as before.

When I have rolled back to the Sony ones I will export all them keys to see if there is anything missing when we try the modified drivers.

And like you said as an experiment I will try the other Intel ones to see if they work with the factory Sony ones.

Let's see how it goes.

 

I am happy to offer a hand, too

 

No go with the 189 drivers after a reboot the 330GT disappears off device manager!
Now trying the intel 2000 series drivers (i think they are right) with the stock Sony ones

 

Can you switch the display from external to internal using the control panel on the external display?

 

Oz could you try different versions of the Intel/Nvidia drivers to see if you have any better luck than me?

 

Did not try that let me 'break' it again in a minute or two and I will give that a go.

 

@Nautis the stock Sony drivers worked fine with the Intel HD Graphics ones I downloaded after a reboot.

 

Comparing registry

I notice the following section is missing after the mod drivers were installed:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\NVIDIA Corporation\Global\Hybrid\Action]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\NVIDIA Corporation\Global\Hybrid\DPFINFO]
"Nv_DPFastLinkInfo"=hex:00,00,00,00,01,01,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
00,00,00,00,00,00

 

Could you try importing that key into the registry with the modified drivers and see if switching works after a reboot?

 

Unfortunately when you use modified drivers you lose all the Intel stuff for switching displays etc.

 

Nope... still blank in stamina mode.

 

I tried importing all the differences already.

HOld on there is a DFP setting. Gimme one sec.

EDIT: HKR,, DFPAsDefaultMonitor,%REG_DWORD%,1

 

Is that within the inf file?

 

Where is that setting?

 

sorry guys. Yeah that can go in the inf under the misc area that corresponds to your gpu or you can manually enter it in the registry yourself. let me get the location for you.

I think that setting ends up in
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E968-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}\0000
or
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E968-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}\0001
depending which is nvidia.

So you should be able to add a dword value with that name and a value of 1

Always make sure to reboot in order for these things to take effect.

 

Well....... no miracle yet

 

@Nautis could it be that when we use the modified drivers you cannot launch the intel GFXUi utility when in stamina mode and connected to an external display?

I get the feeling that the Intel side is not installing properly with the modfied drivers.

To test this I downloaded your test optimus ones and added in the custom inf for it and I could get the intel and nvidia control panel open at the same time.

Bit bizarre seeing that!

 

The power of Optimus

 

I am going to modify my first post with some better info. This may help.

The reason you can see both control panels in Optimus is because both services are FULLY running and coinstallers were used. This isn't the case with Hybrid Graphics as shown above. If the 2000 series Intel drivers are installing and working fine with 188.80 then they must be installing correctly since there really isn't anything else different.

EDIT: I was originally thinking the same thing. There must be something different in these new Intel drivers or something not installing properly but that doesnt explain why they work when installed with 188.80.

EDIT2: Since I am talking a bit about the differences between Optimus and Hybrid Graphics.
In the above code you can see the differences between how the Intel portion installs with Hybrid Graphics (marked in red) in comparison with Optimus (marked in green - since optimus are standard nvidia drivers). You can see that in the Hybrid Graphics code the intel service is replaced with the nvidia one. This is the one and only reason Hybrid Graphics drivers need to be packaged and installed together. The standard Intel drivers do not have a nvlddmkm.sys file.

 

Nautis,
Does your 197.16 shows both control panels on stamina mode?
My 197.41 does and now I am very confused.
I remember that this never happened on 191.xx drivers.

 

Yeah I have had this happen before. I have even had two Nvidia control panels appear. Not exactly sure why. I believe there are a couple places where it puts the control panel files depending on the driver version, so it might be left overs from a previous one that is still there. It could also be related to our switching problem. (I don't have 197.16 or 197.41 on here right now. so I cant say if its every time it is installed.)

The coreavc cuda thing I haven't seen. Who knows how they detect cuda though, it might just be a if file exists thing.

 

Thanks Nautis, daleski75 and Dreamliner.

The quest is still on

 

I have the same feeling as you. Something's not quite right with the Intel drivers.

 

I am beginning to think it's a combination of the Intel drivers not switching to the correct display (external vga only) when going into stamina mode and maybe an issue where some parts are not installing properly when used in conjuction with the 197.16 drivers.

But like Nautis said the stock Intel ones I downloaded (WinVista7_64_15173) installed fine with everything working when used with the stock 188.80 drivers so that kind of rules out the Intel ones straight away which is confusing.

 

Are there even official 188.80 nVidia drivers (at least i cannot find them at guru3d)? Maybe this is a special build for Sony, which would explain that newer intel drivers work with the 188.80s, but nothing works with newer nVidia drivers.

 

I think the official one finished at 184.

I am afraid pmfcmmak's suggestion is right. 188.80 is a custom made version.

How about Optimus? Is the driver used different from 188.80?

 

I think the optimus drivers are completely different again, I have had some luck getting the 197.16 to work from Nautis but there is still the overlay about confidentiality, battery life takes a hit (mine went down from 4 hours to 2 hours 30 on a full charge)

But the good thing is it does seem to work very well just wish I could actually test out if it switches to intel and nvidia dynamically.

Also the right click choose graphics processor context menu does not work either.

I might put my efforts into helping out Nautis and the other guys with Optimus as this looks to be easier!

 

Done a lot of playing around today with inf's and drivers and I think I have tested, hacked and beaten pretty much every Nvidia driver going and none of them so far work to my liking.

 

Well I think I got switching working on the old Vaio Z with 197.16. I am running through some tests right now but so far it works every time I switch.

 

Yaaaaay, I wouldn't expect that with so much rush about new Z there will be any good news about our "old" one. Hopefully it'll work fine, thank you Nautis for your hard work/hobby again

 

I am stuck on an old Z so most progress from me will be on it.

I am going to test 197.44 & .45 along with some other ones now. Also going to test the newer Intel drivers and try to get it working. I will be packaging up some 197 series Hybrid Graphics Master Set drivers for us soon. For those of you wondering the secret I am almost embarrassed to say it is indeed a simple setting.