Sony Vaio VPCZ1 upgrade and clean install to Window 10 with Bios hack

There are many threads about how to make it work, but they are quite antique and too much posts, difficult to follow, so I consolidate everything at one place for those people who want to make it quick and straight right away. It took me 5 hours to figure out all thing need and to proceed the task, hope you guy can cut short and make it within a hour.

Note: There are two critical steps 1 & 2, those prepare the hacked Bios and patched nVidia driver, so I suggest you to do Critical Step 2 first, if successful then continue with Critical Step 1, if everything's okay then start to upgrade Windows 10. If fail either 1 or 2 step, better stop, don't bother with Window 10 until you can find a solution.

1. Upgrade to Window 10:

- Switch the Graphic hybrid button to STAMINA mode to make sure you use Intel chip for the whole process until you need nVidia installation.

- Upgrade to window 10 while it's still free. Microsoft still let you upgrade free at below link for assistive purpose. For those who has missed the official free upgrade period, you need to do it now before they close the service.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/accessibility/windows10upgrade

- After upgrade, if you have legal Window 7 license, your computer ID will be registered automatically then you can do clean install in next step. When doing clean install, you should be able to remove Recovery Partition, System Reserve Partition and let Window 10 create a new System Partition for you.

- Go to this page to down load the tool and Window 10 ISO file, then you use the provided tool to create a bootable USB, from that you can start a clean install

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10#d2784474-fdb0-4e9d-9e47-5e88c0e053ec

- The tool provided by Microsoft may refuse to work with some kind of USB (minimum 4GB), then you could use this RUFUS tool instead, to create bootable USB together with Win 10 ISO file, this tool is very useful for you to use with BIOS hack in next step, cos you will need a second MS-DOS bootable USB.

https://rufus.akeo.ie/


2. Hack the BIOS

- Because your Vaio laptop come with hybrid graphic chip, Intel and nVidia. Intel chip will be taken care by Window itself, but nVidia driver will refuse to be installed, so you need a Bios hack to cheat nVidia installer.

- Here is the original guide from nice member, @paul3000h , for Bios hack,
http://forum.notebookreview.com/thr...anced-menu-in-bios.473226/page-44#post7932873

- It looks complicate, but don't worry, it took me just few minutes to proceed, just follow:

CRITICAL STEP 1:
-------------------------
* Use the RUFUS tool above to create a new bootable USB, MS-DOS mode
* Download a tool call FLASH*T (* = I, remember to replace * = I from now on) here https://www.sendspace.com/file/aplu0n, later you will use this tool to copy your original bios to the USB and also flash your new hacked bios
* Download a tool call PYTHON here http://portablepython.com/wiki/Download/, just use 2.7.x.x, don't use 3.x.x.x
* Install PYTHON onto your bootable MS-DOS USB
* Download advance menu for your hack bios here http://forum.notebookreview.com/attachments/advanced_menu-zip.48026/
* Extract the zip, you get the file ADVANCED_MENU.PY
* Copy ADVANCED_MENU.PY into APP folder in the PYTHON folder

* Use USB to boot into DOS, after booting, at C drive (or any drive), then type dos command:
- C: [Enter] (DOS command, go to driver C)
- FLASH*T DUMP.ROM /G [Enter] (copy you your original Bios into C)

* remove USB, boot into Window and plugin USB again
* Copy DUMP.ROM into APP folder in PYTHON folder
* run CMD from window to open command prompt

* Change (CD) to USB drive, then goto (CD) APP folder in PYTHON folder, then type dos command:
- PYTHON ADVANCED_MENU.PY DUMP.ROM NEW.ROM [Enter] (Tweak your bios into NEW.ROM file)

* If you see any error reported from above PYTHON command, stop here, proceed fail. So, for safety purpose, you may want to proceed this step BEFORE upgrade to Window 10, to ensure you can hack the Bios later.
----------------------

* Quit the command prompt and copy NEW.ROM back to root directory of USB drive

* Reboot using USB drive, after reboot, at command prompt, type:
- FLASH*T NEW.ROM /F (flash your tweak bios)

* After finish flashing, reboot
* During reboot, quickly press F2 to enter Bios setup
* In Bios setup, find the VGA mode (advance menu) and change it to STATIC, you need to do this otherwise window will hang at black screen when install nVidia driver later.


3. Install drivers for Window 10:

* After clean installation of Window 10, remember to Create Restore Point, just in case you need to re-do the process.

* Here is original guide from nice member, @anytimer , to install drivers
http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/vpcz1-bios-hack-windows-10-clean-install.779677/

* After install Window 10, window will install some drivers for you, included:
- Intel graphic driver
- Realtek Audio driver
- Pointing Synaptics driver
- Bluetooth driver
- Wifi/Lan driver

* IME - Intel Management Engine Interface, get from Intel https://downloadcenter.intel.com/do...r-Intel-5-Series-Chipset-Based-Desktop-Boards

* Go to Sony support page, depend on your model, to download necessary Window 7 drivers, here is minimum list of necessary drivers:

- Ricoh MS Card drive
- Ricoh SD Card drive
- SFEP - Sony firmware extension parser
- Setting Utility Series
- Sony Shared Library
- VAIO Event Service (and/or) update (if necessary, using Compatibility mode, Win 7 when install)
- VAIO Control Center (and/or) update (if necessary, using Compatibility mode, Win 7 when install)

* Check point: After install these drivers, now you can use Function (Fn) key normally, even Fn+F7, but you will not get HDMI-out work until finish the nVidia driver installation.


4. Now the most trouble some step - install nVidia driver:

* Some people report error, doesn't work here and there, but I'm lucky, it works right away, so just try your luck.

* Here in original post for nVida tweak from nice member, @ComputerCowboy:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/latest-vpc-z1-330m-drivers-for-the-bios-hack-people.602497/

* Link from Cowboy has gone, so go to here to download the patch from nice member, @Paloseco
http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/vaio_z1_330m_inf_patcher-exe-v4-8-zip-mirror.794603/

or direct link https://mega.nz/#!wYMRQTpJ!7ncg3vdKh7WkD15j9AEL8i3MsI6l1ygfkE2wlJJ_vHQ

* Extract zip file, you will use the file VAIO_Z1_330M_INF_Patcher.exe to tweak nVidia driver later

* Goto nVidia page to find driver for your card http://www.geforce.com/drivers
* For me, I use Geforce 300M series (Notebook), Win10x64, Version 341.95
* ComputerCowboy stopped update new patch from 341.74, but i don't know, still work until 341.95, you may want to try the latest version 342, maybe it's still work.

CRITICAL STEP 2:
-------------------------
* After you have all necessary files, then proceed step by step:
- Install nVidia driver, it will fail, but you will have the folder C:\NVIDIA with all the files to use
- Run VAIO_Z1_330M_INF_Patcher.exe from ComputerCowboy patch
- Patch the driver in C:\NVIDIA with either VGA or 3D Vision option, whichever you prefer (me is VGA).

* If you proceed this step at first, even before upgrade to Window 10, then you should move/copy the whole C:\NVIDIA folder to your data drive (which will be NOT FORMAT and/or re-partition during window installation)
* If you fail this step, better stop window 10 installation until you find a solution to patch NVidia driver

Here is a post from nice member @NuShrike for another solution to use pre-patched file, but I don't use it so I don't know if it works or not

http://forum.notebookreview.com/thr...ivers-for-the-bios-hack-people.602497/page-78
-------------------------

- Enable TEST MODE in ComputerCowboy patch
- Switch graphic button to SPEED mode (nVidia mode)
- Reboot
- After reboot, goto C:\NVIDIA\....\International folder, run SETUP.EXE
- If you don't have 3D Vision, De-select it when install driver
- After install nVidia driver, run Cowboy patch again and disable TEST MODE, then reboot.

* That's all, now you can HDMI-out (Fn+F7) as normal
* Limitation: the MODE button will not work on-the-fly, you have to reboot to switch mode


5. Final step to enable the finger print:

Original post from @anytimer , post 3rd, http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/vpcz1-bios-hack-windows-10-clean-install.779677/

* Window 10 will install the biometric driver, so you don't have to install it, just do something to enable it as bellow:

- If you have installed the old software and driver, uninstall it.
- In device manager, uninstall and delete the fingerprint reader driver and let Windows reinstall it.

- Press Win+R to bring up the 'run' box. Type gpedit.msc and click OK to bring up the group policy editor.
- Navigate to Computer configuration -> Administrative templates - > Windows components -> Biometrics.
- Double click 'Allow the use of biometrics' and select 'enabled' and click OK.
- Double click 'Allow users to log on using biometrics' and select 'enabled' and click OK.
- Close Group policy editor. Reboot.
- Start menu -> Settings -> Accounts. Click 'Sign in options'.
- Scan your finger print and Set up a PIN

* My computer original:
- VPCZ128GXX Asian model
- Windows 7 Professional x64

 

you are very nice member....so thanks Great man

 

special thanks for cimarien+paloseco+paul3000h+ComputerCowboy..clever nice mans.....

 

please tell me this Bios hack is Reversible? if any error occur..

 

Yes, you have the DUMP.ROM, it is your original BIOS, and can FLASH*T it back with above DOS command.

In my opinion, flashing BIOS is not very critical, because laptop has battery backup.

 

thanks how about gt330 patching? is critical?

 

Sorry if I make you misunderstanding, "critical" that i said is just to prepare the files to use later, such as, to mofify the bios file, it doesn't change anything in your laptop until you flash it, to modify the nvidia driver, also will not install anything yet.

Since the errors are mostly repored when modify the files (bios/nvidia) then i suggest that you cook them first and put them aside, then follow the 5 stage instruction as usual, until you need the tweaked bios/nvidia, then you already have, ready to serve.

 

Thanks

 

What ... no thanks for me?

 

Thanks too..

 

This will be a very helpful guide, for anybody now or in the future wishing to upgrade his/her Z to Windows 10.

I have been running it for nearly a year. My Z performs faster, and I enjoy the new features, and state of the art protocols working much better than in Windows 7.
I would have postponed upgrading at first, if I had been aware of the initial bugs there were (mainly third party drivers and how Windows handled them).

But since the anniversary update version (1607) available, I can absolutely recommend it, to get the full potential out of your dear old vaio.. still a beast!

 

Thank you so much.
I have tried 342.01, working fine.

 

Cimarien (post: 10382532, member: 682325)
The process still works like a charm! The BIOS hack took a bit more time but NVIDIA driver update was a 20 minute affair. Beauty! BTW works with NVIDIA's latest driver set for Tesla (342.1).
Many thanks to all the people involved, spending your time and effort to help. A bit of light in these otherwise dark times.

 

Does my program still work?

 

Yes, it works on latest version of graphics drivers.

Thank you so much!

 

Today my old VPCZ1 get bricked because of my mistake to play around with the hacked Bios.

I go to BIOS, Advance Menu and change the IDE to AHCI instead of RAID.

Cannot boot, of course! But now I can not enter BIOS again to change it back to RAID, F2 doesn't work.

Please help me to enter BIOS!

 

First of all, don't panic!

BIOS entry shouldn't be affected by this, I've tried the same. Remove the laptop battery, and try again. Hit F2 fast and many times when the H2O bios screen is displayed.

 

Thank you, I even open the laptop cover, i saw a small round piece in black, size is about a shirt button with a connector to the mainboard, suspect that is the CMOS battery, disconnect it, wait for 25 minutes, then plug-in, no help, still hang at Vaio logo and H20 logo screen, F2 doesn't enter BIOS.

Also tried to disconnect the power, laptop battery, press power button for 30 second with expectation that could help to clear the CMOS like an old trick, doesn't work too.

I also don't think that a change in Bios menu could brick the laptop that way, maybe i did it in coincident with the death of my mainboard, but it is so weird.

 

weird, indeed. One last thing I could think of is to disconnect the HDD, SSD connector and try again, with and without disk connected