Sony SZ750 Win7 64bit clean install (should help on other SZ's)

I think Hitachi only offers one 2.5in 500 gig.

 

Hi Everybody,

What shall I do?
1. Since the sz650 can only handle 4 GB (3.2 usable) shall I stick with the 32bit version?
2. I currently have the xp prof. 32bits, since I will need a clean install shall I go straight to w7 or reinstall vista for drivers and go from there.
3. Some of you suggested do #2. Since I am installing new drive (x25 80 GB) what is the easiest and cleanest way to get there.

Thank you all.

 

32bit will be faster and more compatible.
(64bit needs about 4 gigs to equal 32bit with 3.2gigs).

Install Win7 32bit clean. Upgrades ALWAYS bring along extra garbage and problems. The Vista drivers and programs install just as they did with Vista.

The only benefit or 64bit with 4gigs is that you can run 64bit programs and you have a touch more memory (you can access files larger than 2gigs). Other than that, there really is no benefit with only 4 gigs of ram. So why do we use it? It's more "modern" and some of us can use that headroom. Most of all though, because we can and it's a challenge. By the time 64bit becomes THE dominant OS (about 2 years), you will be likely looking for a notebook upgrade anyhow.

So why did I do it? I'm stubborn and wanted my desktop and notebook to match.

 

This thread has been very helpful. Thank you!
Additional question(s): I've installed Win 7 64 on this SZ791N/X, but similar to others, I continue to have problems with several items (function buttons, camera, and most annoying - the lack of a driver for the WWAN Sprint EVDO). The OS is not even recognizing that the Sprint modem is there on the Device Manager. Is it possible to use the Vista restore disk to somehow load the original software for the WWAN, so that I can at least try to use the options that have been posted here?

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

You cannot upgrade from 32bit to 64bit so using Vista restore will not work.

Windows never sees the WWAN because you need a bios switch to turn it on and off. That was the old Sprint wireless thingy that allowed you to switch from wifi to wwan. If you go back a few pages you will see where I was experimenting with this. I managed to get it to start and be recognized. However I was only interested in the GPS properties of it and have no service for it, so I have no idea if it will actually be usable but it appears to. It's not easy to get it going. Basically if you NEED WWAN, either buy a different card (Ebay has them cheap) or get an external card, which is preferable anyway since speeds have gone up since this card was made I think. Otherwise, stick with Win7 32bit and just use the default Sony software.

 

Thank you, LeslieAnn
I checked your prior posting - and you are right, it is scary - especially for an admitted newbie...
It's a good thing my contract with Sprint has run its course, or I would be paying for WWAN service and unable to use it. I've been hoping that Sony/Sprint would issue a 64 bit driver that could work, but I'm not desperate enough to hold my breath. Thanks again for the insights.

 

Here goes, I'm doing my first laptop 'major' upgrade this weekend or as soon as the parts arrived.

As I said before currently I'm running
T7700
3 GB DDR2 PC-5300 (667MHz) [2GB Samsung and 1GB Corsair]
160 GB Stock Harddrive
Vista Business 32-bit

Upgrading to
4 GB DDR2 PC-6400(800MHz) [2x2 GB Kingston]
320 GB WD Scorpio Black
Windows 7 Ultimate 32-bit

I've also downloaded one of those guide to dismantle the SZ laptop. Mine is the SZ-583N.

Any advice on things I may overlook when I open up the laptop? like static, fragile parts of the laptop, order of upgrading, etc... any trivial stuff basically.

EDIT*: I just noticed one of my screws is worn out, and I can't unscrew it. Any ideas?

 

Find a fresh screwdriver and lots of pressure?

If it's not too deep a Dremel can be used to grind a slot in the head, otherwise, drill off the head slowly and allow for cooling every so often. Once you get it apart you can extract it with pliers. I prefer the Dremel method when possible as you can re-use the screw, but it almost always does some damage to material around the screw.

Use a grounding strap.
For what you are changing though, it's rather straight forward. Just don't force anything.

7 screws to get inside, pop out any memory sticks, flip the laptop over, undo the 1 keyboard screw and the 3 under palmrest edge (black). While here, undo the 2 for the memory and swap that.

Flip over the laptop, open it as flat as possible, pop the keyboard out (there are two tiny tabs along the top holding it in), I just flip it over onto the screen. Now remove the the 3 chrome screws near the palmrest, slide the tray forward and up, then flip it over onto where the keyboard sits.

Now using a fingernail, pop the drive cable up from the mainboard. Remove the 3 screws holding the drive in and fiddle to slide it out. Remove the sata cable, and place both drives side by side and swap the rails. Now reverse the process to put it back together.

Can you tell I have done this a few times?

 

Please tell me you wrote this thing down somewhere and just copy pasted it. If you didn't then you certainly have done this so many times!

I tried the fresh screw driver and lots of pressures but it just wear the screw even further. >_<

 

Many, many, many times.
It takes me about 5 minutes to swap the drive.

I have 3 drives that I swap in and out depending on what I'm doing with it. It's is faster than imaging and re-installing constantly.

I also have a flash drive dedicated to resetting the bios AHCI setting.

 

Woahh!! What do you use your SZ for ? What are the three harddrives for? Oh and I'm having a little difficulties opening up the keyboard. The two little buttons on the corners of the keyboard are annoying!!!

 

I use it for work and for experimentation.
I do various I.T. jobs ranging from computer/network repair for everything from home users to mega corporations (it's not as glamorous as it sounds trust me).


Honestly, I don't push the little tabs holding the keyboard. When I first disassembled it, they were very stiff and wouldn't move, I ended up prying the keyboard itself instead, it worked fine. The tabs have since loosened up, but it's just easier to pry the keyboard than those tabs. It's tweaked the metal on the keyboard a tiny bit, but it isn't visible and isn't a problem. It is however much easier to pop out the keyboard this way.


One day it may have Win732bit the next it may have Linux, or I may experiment with Mac. I like to experiment with different operating systems and software.

The first drive was the original Fujitsu, it's junk. I had a 250gig Seagate external I was using for work and put that in the Sony for a while as it was faster. I don't trust Fujitsu drives so I bought a 500 gig Seagate, then swapped that with the 250, so the 20 is back being used for backups. Then I bought the Western Digital Black to replace the Seagate 500. which will return to backup duties and the Seagate 250 as a test/temp drive in the Sony.

 

Thanks to this thread I took the plunge. I successfully installed w7 ultimate 32 on my sz650n with 4 GB of ram. Of course it sees only 3 GB. I also installed Intel x25-m g2 80GB. It is fast. Scores 7.3 (ye really). All device drivers installed except some Fn keys (brightness). It took me 3 times but I did it. I decided that since Bluetooth is ?, I just did not install it. I have a new computer. Great Job!

 

I'm so glad it worked for you.

 

Sadly, half of the drivers from your pack doesn't compatible with my SZ583N , so I have to redownload the drivers from sony webpage . I'm doing that at the moment, I hope after I install it there won't be any issues.

EDIT*: I got most things to work and have only 1 unknown device in my device manager which is the fingerprint sensor. It's okay as my fingerprint sensor doesn't always work either static electricity screwd it up or loose cabling inside. I got everything to work except for stamina to speed mode switch. It still switch but it doesn't have the restart popup

 

Right click and update that driver it should work.
There really isn't a whole lot of drivers needed.

No one said this woudl be easy or perfect.

 

It's just that the driver pack and the steps made it seem easy!
In summary:
It works as a Normal generic laptop should but specific features don't work.
Features like:
1. graphic switch. (it still switches but no pop up and no notification)
2. The Sony lan/wi-fi/bluetooth controller. (I can't seem to find the install file for that program that simplify switching these things on/off)
3. S1 & S2
4. I can't seem to get VAIO control centre to appear, behave and function the way it used to be (now it just controls settings that I can easily adjust without VAIO control centre)

The FN-Keys however works perfectly/ I'll update further if I find any more interesting things

 

The function buttons are the usual hangups.
The driver pack was primarily meant for the SZ750, as you work back through the line things become less and less compatible, however it is a good starting point. Not having access to an older model I can only do so much based on feedback and such.


It sounds like notebook controls or another utility didn't install properly considering what is and is not working. try re-installing them, but watch because some when installed a second time will actually uninstall. if it asks to uninstall, then you know it was already in and working (or should be). If all this fails, try the links at the end of the guide, and start with the latest utilities and work backwards hoping one will work. Don't expect it to be easy. If you can, pull an image with a fresh install as you may be doing a lot of installing and uninstalling. And keep notes! I did tons of installs to get where it is.

If all else fails, read back from page 1, there was a lot discussed about tips and tricks others and I used to get as far as we have but what i mentioned should suffice.

 

Just wanted to offer a big thanks to Leslieann and all the others here who's months of hard work allowed me to stumble in here this afternoon, read a few posts, do a few downloads, and then easily and quickly install win7 64on my SZ-760n this afternoon.

As nice as the new 64 bit OS is, I gotta tell you that the addition of an Intel SSD and a little extra memory is really what makes this laptop scream. It's almost unbelievably fast now, and will now last me a couple more years until the next big thing comes around.

Everything seems to be working fine at this point, despite a few early issues and head scratching with the Nvidia driver, which took a little time to sort out.

On behalf of us lurkers and johnnie come lately's, thanks for letting us reap the benefits of all your hard work. Good job, everyone!

John

 

Congrats!
I wish everyone had it so smooth.

Wow, are we really nearing 500 posts in this thread?!
Anyhow, if anyone is reading this and unsure about it, please, don't be scared, give it a shot and let us know how it went, if you find a stumbling block or a way to help earlier SZ owners more, let us know.

 

I seem to have encountered the brightness problem and I tried installing the registry patch and for some reason I think it deleted my boot manager and I was unable to boot untill I booted from the DVD and then repair it.

The problems I'm encounterig is still the same, VAIO control centre lacking in functions, S buttons and graphic switching pop-up.

 

A simple registry line (that is well tested) relating to a function button is not going to destroy your boot manager.

The brightness isn't working because some of your utilities that work with it has not been properly installed.

 

Hi there I have the same problem on c190, before I see your help, I solved the the texas instrument card reader and Fn keys problem but the display brightness still doesn’t work. My display adapter is intel945 express family. I tested windows update, the latest version from intel site and other version from vaio link. Sony esupport didn’t help chating with analist about 2hours as I realized they don’t know more than me. First they your model is out date and isnt compatible. The second way was to find a new vaio with the same diplay adapter but this also didn’t work as the analist said I hve to use 32-bit one.
So any body has any idea on this,
please help me.

 

Sony support is useless.
Using another model's utilities likely will not work either since Sony changes the commands on occasion (thanks!). Which is likely why the 64bit utilities Sony posted on their site isn't working.

All of the Sony utils used here are 32bit running on 64bit, however I spent a lot of time finding out which programs from Sony would and would not work with 64 bit, not all would.

If your model is a C series, I suggest finding a thread specific to your model. Despite having similar hardware, the bios interface, which is what the function keys and such need may not be identical.

By the way, cross posting as you have done (4 of the same posts in different threads) is usually not allowed on forums like this.

 

Do you guys have a annoying problem with some connect / disconnect sound every 30 min with your sony (like u're connecting a usb device or something) ?

 

I did, but it's gone now.

If I remember right, when I had the problem, it was something in power management.

 

Hey leslieann hey everyone,
if you have a prob with a sz, this is the place.

So i need help on this one, I did install the driver for the nvidia, im not sure which one is newest, i did try to follow your links, d-loaded the driver and in the set up i get the message, my video card is not compatible with the driver and the setup ends.
I run win7pro 32bit on SZ750N.
Im trying to play some new games, but no way with this driver, i get 3.1 windows experience score, with the old driver I got 4.8 score I think.
Can you direct me to the latest/compatible driver?
Cheers

btw Leslie, im heading to the west, I hope soon

 

Laptopvideo2go has changed how they handle their drivers so the guide is once again out of date.

Just download the newest driver they have on the main page and replace the INF that they include. You no longer need to specify the model of our video cards as they are placing it in all of their INF's now.

Download the newest driver on their page.
Download the INF
Run the driver to extract it.
Copy the inf into the created directory.
Go into Device manager and update the driver, pointing to this folder. You will have to use the drill down to where you select "have disk" since it's an unsigned driver.

This gives you the latest driver.



Have a good trip.

 

Thank you so much for the guide. I can get the 64-bit windows 7 working in my SZ730E/C except bluetooth.

I tried the Toshiba driver suggested but it did not allow me to install. It was searching for the bluetooth device forever.

Did someone get the bluetooth working in 64-bit win7?

 

If you are not using an official retail disk... there was a release candidate with severe bluetooth issues. Some disks have been found to be patched release candidates claiming to be retail disks.

This applies to disks you pirate, as well as unscrupulous retailers.

 

Hey guys, i have updated my sony vaio sz791n/x to win7 64bit several months from now, and i am experiencing several problems:

1) when i did the install of the video driver, everything was working fine both in stamina mode and speed mode, but after some time, in speed mode when windows freezed, at the beginning i had to switch it off and restart it, and after many times it happened i wasn't anymore able to boot the computer, so now i have to use it in stamina mode. Now that i use it in stamina sometimes it freeze again, expecially when i take the power off and use it with just the battery. i don't know what's going on with this computer! Even if i do another format, after some time, it does the same thing. Can it be the nvidia 8400 broken?

2) i can't make the webcam to work i tried with all the drivers i possibly find both here and on the web, but there is no chance i can actually do it!

PLEASE HELP

 

Could be the video card, but sounds more like a dust problem. Clean out your heatsink. Sony made this a very simple process, just pull the cover from the bottom.

On the webcam, were you telling it exactly which driver to use or just hoping it would find it. You have to tell it exactly which to use since they are not signed. Technically you can force the Vista 32bit to work, but it only works until you restart.

 

Leslie, that driver worked, finally. I get 5.x on games, and 3.x on aero, for which I dont care. I cannot believe the difference it makes on the games. I just finished FEAR2 with all settings on max, except fsaa on 2x and antialising 2x. The graphics are just unbelievable good.
Hows with the SSD btw, is it worth the investment?
cheers and respect as always

 

I'm glad you got things sorted.
Be careful abusing the Nvidia, make sure the heatsinks are free of dust and mind the heat output, we are starting to see some video card failures.

I don't have an SSD yet but I can tell you the stock drive is junk. The access times are on the slow side and the transfer rate is simply pathetic.

Taking a cheap external USB drive and sticking it in there is an improvement (which is what I did at first). If you can't swing an SSD or need the room, look into the 500gig Hitachi (next best thing to an SSD, they go for about $65), or a Western Digital Scorpion Black, either will do quite well.

 

You are right about that, the fans just go crazy, i think the laptop its going to start to levitate! On the contrary what nvidia would say, i dont think it was meant to be used like that, it simply burns.

As for the HDD, we talked about it, Ive updated to seagate momentus 7200rpm 320gb, it was the best at the time for around $80, and im fairly satisfied, as for the SSD, i think there might me some industry deal here, it cannot be that they are still that expensive, that slow and low in capacity. We'll wait for a year longer.
Cheers

 

a query I have the model of my laptop sz650n do not know if this guide will serve me for the drivers for my laptop said it because when I read the installation steps in the second step is needed in the control panel and drivers from the sony web paguina not this and do not know if is possible to install the control panel that put in the guide because it is another model and do not think it right
Someone please help me?

 

SSD's and flash were falling, which was when the first SSD craze started, manufacturers saw this and decided to cash in and drove the prices up. They are slow to come back down. Some items are back to those prices, some are still higher (thumb drives are still higher). The industry has done this every time they thought they had a sure thing, DVD and LCD included. They were a year later becoming the thing because companies decided to increase prices and cash in.

Traditionally, each year the prices for parts will fall to a low in Sept./Oct., the exception is Black Friday or a few Christmas deals. Nov and Dec. will not be as cheap and it will be Mar. or Feb. before prices come down to pre-holiday season rates.

By years end most of the enthusiast crowd will have made the jump to SSD. By end of next year most decent new consumer systems will have them.

 

Try it and see if it will work.

If it will let you install, it should work.
If not, use Universal Extractor and then install from the subfolder, this bypasses the model check.

 

You tell me to treat you with universal extractor but to my knowledge is only used with notebook utilitys no pq control panel is not really like the control panel do not want to kill my laptop by installing the wrong things

 

Universal extractor just allows you to bypass the model test Sony puts in.

The only difference between your model and mine is the processor and possibly the webcam. You won't hurt it.

 

Hey i'm back, i did format the pc and put the WIN 7 ultimate 32bit to solve the webcam problem with the driver, but as for the video card, i don't manage to fix this bug. I downloaded the last driver for my card on laptop2go as the guide tell.

On speed mode again sometimes it freezes and i have to shut it down by pressing the power button, and when i restart it at the beginning of the bug, it worked but now that's what it happen and it doesn't boot up, i made a video to let you understand better, just press the youtube link

width='425' height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/nj6DjDbW8IM&hl=it&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/nj6DjDbW8IM&hl=it&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width='425' height="344"></embed></object>

As for the stamina mode in which i'm working now, i had again the problem of freezing when taking off the power cable (using with just the battery), so i had to shut it down again by pressing the power button and when i restart it it seems to work fine...!

PLEASE GUY HELP ME TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM!

 

Wow, that is odd.
Windows is fine but but bios are weird.

My first line of attack would be to unplug the bios battery (under the touchpad) and check that my fans are working.

 

Thanks buddy, i just bought a new keyboard (i have the international and got the italian) so i guess that i'll try to clean it up when i will put it on! i keep you updated

 

sorry to bother again but in your guide ods are things that do not quite understand
The first step is the one on the mass storage say look at me in my computer but that driver does not put a few steps above a point on texas instrument cunadot driver and try to look does not get it I could do
otherwise in step 6 you say that you install the Notebook Utilities install the program but no more so I do not use universal extractor and if so in what order or which will install files

 

Sorry, I don't understand.

 

sorry my English is not very good what I'm trying to say is do not quite understand some parts of the guide
In the party and referred it to update all andministrador question mark devices do not like me not to leave the question mark in mass storage you mention making instrument texas driver installed but not how to do
and after the part of utilities to install the notebook is not whether to install all the driver like this in the sony website or use universal extractor to do with the files separately to get out and in what order to install it from the case

 

For the storage device...
In Device Manager, right click on the mass storage device (with the exclamation point) and select update driver. In the new window, select "Browse my computer", then click "Let me pick from a list...". Click next.

You should see a new window, and a button that says "Have Disk", click that, now where is says browse, find the Texas Instrument driver folder in the pack and pick 32bit or 64bit. You don't have to pick a specific file, just click the open button and then click okay. Now follow the directions from windows to let it finish.

All of the other drivers should go in automatically.

 

ok I understood a little but in that part of the notebook other unzip utilitys not install so nothing like this without the need for universal extractor

 

hey i did substitute the keyboard, but i haven't opened up the rest, because i discovered the video card of my laptop, the geforce 8400M GS is defective from fabrics and all of them after some time kind of break down... i read many articles about it and even Nvidia has been sued because of this...

Did you know anything about it?

 

hi
I upgraded vista 32 to win7 64 on my sz7. All ok, exсept 2 bugs.
1. Trouble with windows sleep mode. After a while in sleep mode the laptop joins and hibernate. In vista, laptop stay in sleep mode long time, while battery > 5% (customizable). In w7 64 on full battery and 5% settings laptop leave to hibernate after 5-10 min sleep.
2. Trouble with Vaio Power Management. In Windows Advanced Power settings Vaio Power Management tab don't show. But if I launch this window from Vaio Power Management Viewer, Vaio tab is present. Version: 2.3.01.10310