Setting Utility Series needed

Hi guys

I recently bought an AR51M and followed a couple of guides on these forums for a clean Vista install. I had a couple of problems but now things seem to be working OK. My only problem is that I can't use either the S1/S2 buttons or any of the AV Mode buttons above the keyboard. The Fn functions and the volume/mute/eject buttons (by the S1/S2 keys) all work fine.
I've read that I need to make some changes in Setting Utility Series but it seems as though my Vista re-install did not include this. The Sony support site for my model doesn't have the install for this and the only link I can find for it for other models (an SZ model I believe) points to a dead link.

If anyone could help me with what I need to do, especially if they have an install for Settings Utilty Series, I would be very grateful!

 

Can't really help you but here are some pointers:
Yes, Setting Utility Series is supposed to provide S-Button functionality.
Sadly, as in many cases, Sony won't provide all files. They rather spend $ for marketing than software engineering or real support.
Settings Utility Series is definitely missing in AR5 support downloads. Even worse, it's already installed in the Recovery OS image, so you can't even extract the installer from recovery files. I extracted the files from the image but these alone won't help – registry keys are needed as well. Haven't tried a full recovery myself (currently busy with Vista64) but you could try this as a last resort:
1)backup all your data, create an image of your current installation
2)do a full Sony recovery
3)backup all files from C:\Program Files\Sony\Setting Utility Series\
4)backup registry subtrees (should be something like HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Sony Corporation\...) using regedit.exe (right click on subtree->Export). However there might be more registry settings in other places.
5)pull in your former OS image, inject those Sony files, import reg keys, pray and reboot...

Note: AR6_Utilities.zip for AR61 models is available on ftp://ftp.vaio-link.com/pub/VAIO/ORIGINAL/
I've sucessfully tried utilities from AR6, many are slightly newer versions, but again no Setting Utility Series in there. Utitlities for e.g. AR41S has it but didn't really work on my machine (might need INI file hacking).

 

Thanks for your reply PWR. I know that SUS would be in the recovery disc I created before the clean install but as you say I was under the impression that with that disc you can only redo the whole lot - not just certain apps/utilities/drivers etc. I really hope that someone can help me out as I don't think I'd be comfortable with messing with my registry (but thank you for suggesting it).

I tried getting SUS from the AR41 models but no luck. In fact, I think it might have done some damage as now my Fn buttons don't work! Any help for a new Vaio user in desperate need? Anyone?!

 

Sorry to hear that.
I can assure you: getting Fn and eject buttons to work on a clean Vista32 on AR51 only requires 3 installs:

1) SFEP (Sony Firmware Extension Parser) driver
2) Sony Shared Library
3) VAIO Event Service (crashes without step 2)

Fn-Brightness keys only work after graphic driver installed – order does not matter for graphic.
As you probably know, volume + mute keys work without any driver software, even in Linux - maybe hardwired to sound chip.

So maybe you get your Fn-keys back by uninstalling the bad SUS, maybe in addition to reinstalling VAIO Event Service...

 

Thanks for helping me out PWR, I really appreciate it.
I've downloaded SFEP but when I right-click and select 'Install' it comes up with an error message ("The INF file you selected does not support this method of installation"). How else do you do it?
Also, how can I uninstall the bad SUS? There is no uninstall file in ...Program Files\Sony\SUS.

 

That's normal. In your case you probably don't have to re-install SFEP but here you go:
On a FRESH Vista32 you would launch Device Manager and in this case look for "Unknown Device" – under subtree "Other devices". There might be more than one "Unknown Device". To know beforehand you can double click Unknown Device, go to tab "Details" and check out properties for some hints. Mine says "ACPI\SNY5001" for property "Hardware Ids". So if it's something like that it should be the Sony SFEP device. Driver->Update driver... and point it to your files – it will find the INF and install sucessfully). Immediatly after install this Unknow device becomes "SFEP - Sony Firmware Extension Parser" under Human Interface Devices.

Even quicker: right-click on the appropriate device node, choose "Update Driver Software..."

Have you checked "Programs And Features" (Control Panel or type it in search) – at least some Sony tools show up there and should support uninstall?

 

OK, I found the SUS uninstall via Control Panel. Removed it and tried your three steps to regain my Fn keys. Nothing happened so I uninstalled my NVidia drivers with the aim of then reinstalling. It flat-out refused to reinstall! I used System Restore to go back to just before I tried SUS (yesterday). Now my Fn keys are back - yay! So that's sorted then.

Ref. the SFEP install. In Device Manager, there are no "Unknown Device"s. However, in Human Interface Devices there is nothing that says SFEP either (the only Sony device listed there is Sony Notebook Control Device). Does that mean that I don't have SFEP? Do I actually need it?

But my original point remains: what can I do to use my S1/S2 and AV Mode keys? Any help by anyone out there would be wonderful. And thanks again for everything so far PWR.

 

IMHO Sony Notebook Control Device and SFEP are just 2 different names, they do the same job. My 3 year old Vaio lists SNCD as well, even has same ACPI\SNY5001 info in it.
As I suggested – Unknown Device only on a clean Windows – no driver yet. Once you've installed a suitable driver, the device shows up with its correct name.
I thought you did a clean Vista install – how did you get this stuff installed in the first place then?

 

Yeah, I kinda thought it might be the same thing, which is why I wanted to check if SFEP was something I needed if my devices listed SNCD already.

I did a clean Vista install, then installed the pre-installed utilities and drivers packs from the Sony Support site. However, that is evidently missing SUS/whatever I need to get S1/S2/AV Mode working.
It's a bit misleading for Sony to say that those packs are everything you need (in terms of what's on there when you receive the Vaio from them new) because as we finding out you can't get it all back just using those two packs.

 

I got it to work on Vista32 using AR4_DRIVERS.zip and AR4_UTILITIES.zip from Sony's FTP ftp://ftp.vaio-link.com/pub/VAIO/ORIGINAL/. Works for AR51SU at least.
These were my steps, starting from CLEAN Vista32 with nothing installed yet:
1) SFEP driver (via Device Manager)
2) Sony Utils DLL
3) Sony Shared Library
4) Setting Utility Series
5) VAIO Event Service
6) VAIO Control Panel
7) VAIO: AV Mode Launcher Utility
8) graphic driver to get brightness control (might want to install before step 1)

Fn, S, AV buttons working fine!

Since I'm a 64bit guy I won't do much Vista32 testing. So maybe not all of my steps are required. Also I'm not sure how mixing AR5 and AR4 stuff works out. I think using AR5-stuff and just installing SUS from AR4 didn't work for me.

Someone knows why $ONY only provides full utilities for very few models? I checked lots of other model downloads and most Utility-ZIPs have many things missing.


EDIT:
I applied the Sony OS image manually and found a few interesting installs within C:\Program Files\InstallShield Installation Information\ (hidden folder, GUID subfolders, check setup.ini's for info):
VAIO Location Utility
SigmaTel Audio Driver
Intel(R) Matrix Storage Manager
ISB Utility
VAIO Control Center
VAIO Power Management
Setting Utility Series
VAIO Event Service
Realtek High Definition Audio Driver
Sony Shared Library

EDIT:
These folders don't contain all installation files - won't work!

 

Thanks for pursuing this issue with me PWR.
I followed what you said and we're halfway there! I can now use the AV Mode (although, as an aside, is it possible to make Winamp recognise the AV Mode pause/play/skip etc buttons, not just WMP?), so that's really encouraging.

However, no luck with S1 and S2. When I press one of them, a little cog icon comes up in the notifications in my taskbar (bottom right) and then disappears after a while. I can't right- or left-click on this icon. I've set up the S1 and S2 buttons to launch Firefox and MS Outlook respectively, and allowed my firewall (Comodo) to let the application run. Even tried turning off the firewall and still nothing. So the buttons are clearly trying to launch the applications as instructed, but something is holding them back. Any ideas?

 

That's a good find PWR, thanks. Unfortunately, the version of SUS that is in C:\Program Files\InstallShield Installation Information\ seems to be the AR41 version I just installed! I'm not sure how to tell you which version number it is though...

Do you think you could zip up your SUS folder and upload it somewhere for me (RS, megaupload etc)? If your folder is anything like mine, it will contain a setup application which I might be able to install...?

 

It turned out those files in \Program Files\InstallShield Installation Information\ folders are incomplete – Data2.cab is missing, so these won't help.
So far the only way I know of to get S-buttons working is to use utility installers from other model ZIPs.
You can mix some stuff but SUS and VAIO Event Service are picky – better use both from AR4 otherwise S-button action will fail as you described.
My experience tells me Sony Utils depend a lot on registry settings therefore messing with it or uninstalling/reinstalling versions may lead to bad reg entries and stuff not working.
So here's another sucessful method, starting from a CLEAN Vista32:

1) AR5 SFEP driver
2) AR5 Sony Shared Library 4.0 (already contains SnyUtils.dll vs. AR4)

3) AR4 Settings Utilities Series 2.1.00.14150 (same as in FZ1_UTILITIES.zip)
Note: SUS depends on VAIO Event Service but installing before means you don't have to restart VAIO Event service later
4) AR4 VAIO Event Service
S-Buttons (incl. configured action) now working

5 optional) AR5 VAIO Control Panel
not really necessary since launching \Program Files\Sony\Setting Utility Series\VCCSpecialButton.exe works – might want to create a shortcut on desktop.