Sony SZ650N/C owners please help with Clean Vista install

I recently purchased my first Vaio notebook - a SZ650N/C, and I am starting to get very frustrated with it.

After wiping the disk for a clean Windows Vista Business install my nightmare has begun. I have searched at length on this forum for advice on the problems I am having no luck.

If it is not one thing working on this notebook it is another. My first Vista install left me with mostly functioning devices but no function keys and a few other odd errors. I then found information that Vaio's are very picky as to what order the drivers are installed in. I then attempted a reload (again...and again...) and am now getting a constant error in windows that my battery is not properly inserted (it is).

I did not come here to complain about this machine or Sony I JUST NEED HELP!

I am certainly not new to computers or notebooks but this is hands down the most agrivating attempt at a clean install I have ever made. I have owned lenovo's, dell's and so on, and all of them were very strightforward, why the complication with the Vaio's (especially given what I paid for it)?

Does anyone know of a walk through specific to the SZ6xx I found several for other models which are similar and I tried to follow them but I am not having much success.

This shouldn't be this difficult...PLEASE HELP!

 

I also just bought a SZ650N/C but I havent gone about performing a clean install. I just uninstalled all the bloatware, although it took about 45 minutes to do so. I did perform a clean install on my FZ though and it was very easy. I first installed my Vista Business disc, then searched "sony esupport" on Google and it takes you to Sony eSupport. There you type in your model number, and in the left hand column you'll see a link for Drivers and Software. I had to go there for my SZ to download the nVIDIA drivers, but you will find all the drivers there.

Basically that is the main thing, downloading and installing the drivers...it takes about 10 minutes to install all of them..then just restart and you are set.

 

Thanks for the reply...

Sadly I am very familiar w/ the esupport site. I have installed all drivers, but things just don't seem to function properly after doing so, and nowhere on the site have I found the drivers for the Intel graphics, only the Nvidia ones. Vista (with graphics card switched to Intel set - stamina mode) still shows the graphics card as unknown after all drivers on esupport site were installed.

I am no novice at this (although I feel like one currently). I have read on this forum the Vaio is very particular about what gets installed when (ie: install Shared Library first and so on).

I am just having very little luck with this and was hoping someone else may have experienced these problems and could point me in the right dirction.

Any advice is appreciated.

 

I am not sure but I think this is the driver for getting the Intel X3100 graphics card to function properly:

http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/swu-download.pl?mdl=VGNSZ650NC&upd_id=2875&os_id=29

 

Thanks for the link (I really appreciate any help), but no - I have installed the chipset drivers and while they do take care of several motherboard components, graphics still show up as unrecognized...

 

Maybe you should try calling Sony and see what they say.

 

Tried that as well...have you talked to Sony support? - they are pretty bad...

Believe me I did not want to post this here and beg for advice but I am getting really frustrated... I certainly don't want to sound like I am shooting down every idea you throw out...

I really appreciate you trying to help me with this though...I'll let ya know what I figure out...

 

Actually I called Sony Support once, when my DVD drive was not showing up...I called them on a Sunday morning and they guided me to the location in the Registry to fix the problem. Unusual for the DVD drive to disappear but they were helpful.

If possible, can you describe how your Vista installation went, and what drivers you've already installed?

Also...I just opened Windows Media Player to listen to music and tried using the S1/S2 buttons on top but they dont work. I know when I first booted that the S1 button controls volume...but now it doesnt function....neither do any of the function keys although I dont use them much...

Anyone know a solution to this?

 

Okay just ran across this thread and it looks promising...will try tomorrow as I am off to bed...

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=169461

Guess I didn't see this in my searches due to the "SZ6xx" rather than me entering complete model #

Any other ideas please chime in on my thread however...thanks again vaio2k7 for trying to help me out... much appreciated.

Will post back here if I figure anything out...

 

I cheated and got the P1 clean image for $25.00 just email their customer service with your model # and what your after. http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=179038
I even made screen shots of what the install contained.