New Z12 owner, can you guys help me some questions

Hi all,

Just bought a Z12 here. This baby is great. I have some question.

1) After change graphic card, must I restart all app.
2) Where i recovery partition. I think the previous owner has been deleted it.
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3) OS seem to be reinstalled. If i want to manual reinstall, which media can I use (i mean where to get the win7 install media). After reinstall, can i use the key in bottom to active?
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4) Where to verify the warranty online?
5) He gave me 2 DVD for recovery, but the label say "Windows XP Professional SP3". Is it use for windows xp on this Z.
6) I can't find VAIO recovery center. Is it caused by recovery prtition has been deleted?
....

Thanks you all.

 

1) no need to restart apps, only some may need it
2) yep it has been deleted, I don't know how you can get it back unless it is on the recovery disks.
3) you can get the win7 here http://forum.notebookreview.com/win...-7-download-links-just-like-vista-before.html
4) i don't know where to verify a warranty
5) the z is supposed to come with an xp downgrade disk
6) no, it is because he didn't install it after his clean install. You will have to install it if you want to use it.

 

Well, that wasn't nice of that seller not to provide recovery disks or something since he/she bothered to delete recovery partition. Why couldn't the seller just use the recovery partition to reinstall everything is simply stupid.

 

thanks all. do you guys know how to get the recovery partition back?

How tp get the boot menu. now thje only way i know is plug the usb and press F11 continuously after press power button.

 

are warranties transferable in general?

 

i have no idea. that's the thing i'm concerning now.

 

What boot menu did you want, what are you trying to do?

You could order recovery disks from sony for about $30 which will restore your recovery partition, but you really don't need it. It is just a waste of 11GB space on your ssd.

 

about the recovery, think so, just wonder if is there any way to get it back without give money away. Where the recovery partition located. If it locate at the end of disk, i think i can try with recovery utility, but if it locate at the beginning, so no way since it has been overwrite by new OS.
About boot menu, i'm expecting when boot up, press a key (ESC or F12 like other laptop/PC) and i have a menu to choose a temporary boot device.

 

I just got a Z 1190 CTO from the outlet. How can I find if there is a Recovery Partition? there is not another hard drive showing in My Computer, but as this came directly from Sony, I would think it should be there .. no?

 

press F2 to enter the bios, enable boot from external and change the boot order

...
ggold321, the recovery partition will be hidden, if you got it direct from sony it should have one. the easy way to check is when the computer is turned off, press the assist button and see what it does.

 

I heard that someone managed to get free recovery disks by calling Sony and telling them that you've tried to burn the disks, but every time you've failed. It's YMMV though... but better than forking over $30. If not, just get a clean copy of windows, that way, you wont have all the sony bloatware.

 

with power off, pressing the Assist button launched Recovery Tools, thanks, I guess I do have the Recovery Partition. Is there a way from here to only load the Win pro 64 and all drivers without the bloatware? I dont want their office trial, norton, etc.

Thanks,

 

You should make a set of backup disks on DVD right away, then if you want to get rid of bloatware you have 3 options:

1) simply uninstall each application you don't want, this leaves remnants in the system registry if done with the typical uninstaller program, some 3rd party uninstallers attempt to remove everything such as revo uninstaller. That is the easy way but isn't entirely thorough.

2) you can format the windows partition and fresh install the operating system with an oem disk, then install all drivers. your recovery partition will remain and the assist button will still work if you ever need it.

3) you can delete all partitions on disk, repartition and reformat, this way the recovery partition is removed and the assist button won't work, but you saved 11GB space on the ssd disk and you still can recover using the DVD's you created if you ever need to do it.

 

Thank you. I did make the recovery disks (2 DVD-R's) and now I am uninstalling some programs I know I will not use. I would rather avoid the re-format etc... there are just too many drivers etc. and in the end I dont think it made much difference in the performance.

 

Good call there on uninstalling vs. clean install!

 

can you guys give me an advice about the order when installation: which driver/app first and which one later?

 

Some of them are updates, so don't install those before you install the original item. install order should go something like this:

intel chipset driver (for your motherboard)
intel management engine interface driver
intel sata raid controller driver
-->sata registry update
intel turboboost technology driver 1.2.0.1002
-->intel turboboost desktop widget (optional)
sony shared library
sony firmware extension parser driver
sony notebook utilities (this installs drivers too, lots of them!)
-->event service update (was installed by notebook utilities)
-->power management update (was installed by notebook utilities)
nvidia graphics driver
realtek audio driver
synaptics touchpad driver

broadcom bluetooth driver
intel 82577LC gigabit network connection driver
-->intel centrino N6200 driver update
smartwi connection utility

pcie memory stick host controller driver
pcie sd bus host adapter driver
sd cprm memroy card reader writer driver
-->update for sd cprm memroy card reader writer driver
upek protector suite (installs fingerprint scanner)

BIOS update utility R3030C3 (update your BIOS from windows, scary!)


No other applications or drivers are required unless you want them, you can install those in any order.

 

sorry to be a pain but i have looked on the sony site and cant seem to find the sony notebook utilities....is there a link i can download this for my VPCZ12C5E?

 

thanks. my model is VPCZ122GX.

i can't find it on support page
p/s: 2 see 2 entries for touchpad with difference version, so which one is the best?

 

Best to not install the 2 synaptic drivers from sony, you will find a better synaptics driver, and the missing turboboost driver here:

Software & Driver Downloads HP ENVY 14-1110nr Notebook PC - HP Customer Care (United States - English)

Theres a gadget available for the turboboost technology to check how well it is working, it shows when the turbo kicks in and by how much. This is optional and not a driver, its just for testing purposes:
http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&ProdId=3052&DwnldID=19105&lang=eng

 

You have a european model so the drivers are packaged differently,
Sony notebook utilities is a US bundle containing:
battery checker 4.2.0.13150
vaio event service 5.2.0.15020
vaio control center 4.2.0.15020
setting utility series 5.2.0.14250
vaio power management 5.1.0.13200


VAIO : Sony Europe

Sony eSupport - VPCZ122GX/B - Software Updates & Drivers

 

thanks.
About the warranty, how to check it online or register for International Service?
Just want to verify how much warranty left for it.

 

call sony of canada about the warranty
1-877-899-SONY (1-877-899-7669)