My variant of semi-clean SZ Vista Install

It doesnt seem to work on my sz650, maybe I am contol-alt-deleting to soon?

There is only a black background with a grey box saying copying software, but when I close the recovery application it doesnt seem to start up correctly.Vista business sucks btw.

 

I dunno, I think I did the ctrl-alt-del at the same time, but mine started up eventually. It did take a little while of 'uh oh, what's happening...' moments, but it got there.

 

I'm not sure if this actually works for the SZ6 series tbh, first it copies a whole load of files to c:\ (including some programs that come with it already), then reboots, and then you can stop the setup...but it seems to me more programs are installed already...

 

Have you tried it on yours yet Synthesia? What happened?

I have a SZ6 too and I havent tried it yet so if you have info, that would be great.

 

Sweet got it to work on my third try, I was actually hitting control-alt delete too late, You need to hit it as soon as the copying software window pops up, then when windows reloads click on the obe window that pops up, open box experience, im guessing?

Anyways thanks for the awesome guide, its amazing all the crap sony pimps out on new 2k dollar laptops, the computer flat out rocks other than all the trash they pile on it, the computer was almost unsable until I did the install, it actually took up to 10 minutes to shutdown before the clean install.

 

i tried the method on my sz640 and with the help of above messages i succeeded. but i have a question. i want to partition my hdd so waht should i do? is it possible to partition the hdd during this semi-clean install? or do i have to do a clean install with a vista cd or xp?
by the way the guide is really helpful, thank you.

 

i have a sz650...i formated C: and i didn't get any dvd's with my laptop...is there any way to make a "restore" to the default install (the one that was when i first turned to laptop on)?
or is it any way to find the dvd's online?

 

Start -> Help and support -> Under "Information from Sony", Backup & Recovery.

 

Anybody actually tried a semi-clean install on the SZ680. I believe the method described in ths post doesn't work.

When I tried it first it used DVD1 to go to 20% of the instalation, then DVD2 until 100%, then it restarts. Then you can take out the recovery dvd's (it will still continue after but then I guess it will add even more junk). But even at this point, already quite some stuff is installed. Roxio, Napster, etc. You guys have the same? And tonnes of links in the Welcome screen...

 

I didn't use the DVDs when I did mine, I used the recovery partition.

 

And which proggies came installed when you tried? At the Welcome screen did you also get 27 links to offers?

 

I just did it on my SZ680. I used the partition as well and everything worked great. Most of the major bloatware was removed including Norton, Office, etc.

I started with 81 processes and ended up with 61. I still have to delete the residual stuff like Napster though.

The Sony Welcome screen tells you about all the bloatware but they are not all there.

What a great method - Thanks Illaman for the method and the people on the forum for the help.

 

How is the loading up of Windows, do you notice it takes a while for Notebook Utilities to load after the welcome screen still or is it immediate. You can check this by testing the brightness function keys and also click in the battery/plug icon in the system tray, whether it loads up immediately or not and whether you can change power settings or have to wait another 30-50 seconds.

 

shalimar, is Roxio installed?

(cos uninstalling that deletes your DVD-RW drive so you have to add some registry entries to get it back)

 

After my semi-install on my SZ6 and running the recovery program, I did not find the SMART WI Utility that Illaman posted in his method. My wifi works fine though. Am I missing something?
Also, there are so many Sony Vaio programs in that recovery program, are any of them important?

Synthesia - When I get home, I will find out for you about Roxio and the notebook utility.

 

I still have Roxio and I have not tried to use its functions but its boot up fine.
My dvd drive plays cds fine but windvd was not installed so I cant play my movie dvds. I am deciding to recover the windvd or not.

I can change my brightness setting almost right after my desktop screen is up. This is the same with the battery icon as well.

Synthesia, is your SZ6 right now the same as out of the box from factory? If yes, can you tell me what programs they gave us are full ones and which one are trials? I forgot to check this and I dont want to recover trial ones.

Thanks

 

Not anymore. I completed a clean Vista 32-bit set up and I think this is about as fast as I'll get the system after having performed some tweaks too. I believe most of the player type programs are the full versions, and the larger programs (Office, Norton Security, etc. are all trial).

Btw all seems to work fine now except that little delay in the Brightness function keys, the Power Options and the rest of the Sony Utils to load up, but Vista is usable by then

 

I found out my sticky fn key application does not work. Is this a result of the semi-install method.

Using the FN key normally is just fine.

 

Just used these steps on my girlfriends sz, excellent guide, Thanks again.

 

you are welcome

 

i dont have any vaio recovery folder on my hdd. i just wanted to know before doing the above procedure that is recovery like installing another OS. can i have the recovery program to install the OS on another partition while the old partition which has windows pre-installed from factory remain as it is.
and yeah if i recover the main partition, should everything will be pre-setted to factory configuration and if this thing will even work if i format my C drive and try recovery using F10 key at boot when there's no OS in system or HDD.

 

hey ctiger, is this cd for all sony vaio that has vista installed? or is it just for SZ series?

 

Hello,
I have partitioned my hard drive, so the partition I am using for Vista is 25Gb. However, when I try to use my recovery disks to do semi clean install it says that there is not enough space to install Vista there? Is there any way around this problem? I really believe that 25Gb is more than enough for OS partition.
If there is no way, then what is minimum partition size for it to work?
Thanks

 

Sorry to resurrect such an old post, but this worked great (with 1 exception ) on my new VGN-AW120J.

The exception being I cannot seem to find the restore program for the fingerprint reader.

Other than that, many thanks for the easy to follow guide.

Charles

 

IIIAMAN, did u get to remove your useless bloatwares?, my laptop is baout to come tomorrow, and i wanna do your method, ima try it on the vaio z

 

I am about to try this on my new AW when it arrives. Just to make sure I'm getting this right; when you talk about using the recovery partition, you mean hitting F10 during start-up at the Vaio logo, correct? Then ctrl+alt+del at that step you mentioned in the process to kill the program. At that point I'm going to get back to my desktop, place that folder back in the correct directory (C:\windows... or C:\program files... "the same place I found it"), then open it and run Launch.exe and choose the programs I want to install? Another questio I have is: would ctrl+shft+esc be a posible alternative way of opening task manager or is that not a good idea at that step in the process?

 

Guys!
I found this thread useful.

I presume if somebody would be able help me out. I have new Sony VGN-CR353. Forgot to prepare recovery cd and original partiton has been lost inadvertantly.

However, recovery partition is intact. And I want to restore my machine without bloatware/trialwares. Is there anyway out?

 

Fanas67 when you press F10 when you boot up what happens?
If the recovery partition starts up then just select to restore your OS and recovery partiton and then burn your discs.
If this is not the case then i suggest that you buy a recovery disc from Sony and then follow the steps in the first thread.

 

When I press F10, recovery center started. And selected Restore C: drive, since I dont have original partition so system restore is out of question. When I ask it to start, it gives the error that "system drive is too small and insert recovery disk 1 to start the media"

I have partitioned C: drive to 50GB and I dont have recovery cd.

I would give up restoring if somebody guide to manipulate fresh vista install to behave just like the brand new machine (I mean theme, menu popup behaviour, functions of all buttons of keyboard). Please let me know the names of all the files needed for the above functionality.
Thanks for your response.