Sony Vaio VPCZ13M9E install Windows 10 drivers and software

This post is to help people with the Sony Vaio VPCZ13M9E or similar to help them upgrade to Windows 10, install the original Sony Vaio software, and get drivers working.

NOTES:

• My operating system is Windows 10 Pro build 10586.
• Most commands or applications need to be run as administrator. Be sure to accept when the User Account Control pops up. You can run directly as administrator by right clicking on the exe and choose it from contextual menu.
• The VPCZ13M9E original software and drivers can be still downloaded from Sony. Most of them require to be run in Windows 7 compatibility mode and as administrator. It is recommended to take a local backup of the files. Take them from Sony Support Site:
  http://www.sony.co.uk/support/en/product/vpcz13m9e

ENABLE ADVANCED BIOS MENU

In order to achieve full functionality, is mandatory to patch the BIOS to make visible the hidden advanced configuration options. This Vaio model uses the InsydeH2O BIOS that has hidden features but can be re-enabled. My BIOS version is R3031C3 which is the latest version. The steps are as easy as follow:

1. Read the BIOS and dump it to a file.
2. Edit it with a python script or manually with some hex editor like wxHexEditor
3. Write back the modified BIOS to your computer.

For the specifics go to the dedicated thread:
Insyde hacking - New Vaio Z - Advanced menu in BIOS (UTILITIES)

NVIDIA DEDICATED GRAPHICS DRIVER

To get working the NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M, you need to configure the BIOS for static usage, download the official nvidia drivers and patch them so you can install the driver with control panel:

1. Go go the BIOS, provided that the advanced menu is enabled. Then go to Advanced -> Peripheral Configuration -> VGA Switching Policy -> set it to [Static]
2. The physical Dynamic Hybrid Graphics System switch that is on the corner of the keyboard, set it to SPEED. The green led should light when starting Windows.
3. Disable Windows 10 Fast Startup: http://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/4189-fast-startup-turn-off-windows-10-a.html
4. Disable Windows 10 driver signature verification or enforcement, so you can install unsigned drivers: http://www.howtogeek.com/167723/how...8.1-so-that-you-can-install-unsigned-drivers/
5. Download latest nVidia drivers for the 330m. In my case I've downloaded the file "341.95-notebook-win10-64bit-international.exe" and it's working perfectly.
6. Double click the exe file to extract the contents of the installer. I would suggest leaving it to default: "C:\NVIDIA\DisplayDriver\341.95\Win8_WinVista_Win7_64\International". The installation will start also but will fail when checking the system. This is normal, just hit close.
7. Now you need to download the Vaio Z1 330m INF Patcher: http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/vaio_z1_330m_inf_patcher-exe-v4-8-zip-mirror.794603/
8. Run "VAIO_Z1_330M_INF_Patcher.exe". Choose Enable Test mode -> Restart windows -> Select nVidia folder -> Choose 3D Vision patch or VGA Patch (I think you can only have one of them at the same time).
9. Now you should be able to install the driver with the nvidia control panel. It is recommended to disable the option "NVIDIA GeForce Experience" (related to SHIELD streaming), because can cause issues or high cpu usage.
10. You can backup the "C:\NVIDIA" folder because is already patched or just delete it.

You can switch your graphics card from the discrete nVidia to the integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator HD (GMA HD) whenever you want, but to make the changes effective you need to restart the computer. The only way to do it instantly while the operating system is running is with the official Sony drivers that are only available for Windows 7, either "NVIDIA_Graphics_Driver_8.16.11.9024_x32.zip" or "NVIDIA_Graphics_Driver_8.16.11.9024_x64.zip".

More information:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/latest-vpc-z1-330m-drivers-for-the-bios-hack-people.602497/
http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/my-discoveries-on-vaio-z’s-hybrid-graphics.342947/

SYNAPTICS TOUCHPAD

Go to http://www.synaptics.com/resources/drivers/ and download Windows 10 PS/2 & SMBus Devices v19.0.19.1* version or higher. In my case my downloaded version is:

http://drivers.synaptics.com/Synapt...4__Win10__Signed__MS_Win10_UXUI_PS2_SMbus.zip

and works perfectly. If you are having problem with the update, go to Control Panel -> Device manager and uninstall the Synaptics driver. Probably will reinstall again, so revert it to an older version. Then you should be able to update successfully both synaptics software and driver.

Now you can enable the advanced gestures in the Synaptics pointing device that is in the system tray, and for example allow to scroll with two fingers up and down and to the sides like in mac, and scroll with one finger too.

RICOH PCIe MEMORY STICK HOST CONTROLLER
RICOH MEMORY CARD READER SD
RICOH SD DRIVER

There is no setup.exe to install directly those driver, you have to go manually to Device Manager and choose to install driver from local path. Download from sony and extract those files, then choose the directory where the extracted files are:

Ricoh_Memory_Card_Reader_SD_6.13.3.2_x32.zip
Ricoh_MemoryStick_Driver_6.13.3.3_x64.zip
Ricoh_SD_Driver_6.13.3.4_x32.zip
Ricoh_SD_Driver_6.13.3.4_x64.zip

SONY FIRMWARE EXTENSION PARSER DEVICE

The same as the previous post, extract the following archive and select the extracted folder from Device Manager:

Sony_Firmware_Extension_Parser_Device_Driver_8.0.1.2.zip

RECOVERY PARTITION

If you have deleted the recovery partition to completely install Windows 10 as UEFI, don't run those programs. They will notify you that the recovery partition is missing.

Rescue Data Update Program - v. 2.6.3.07240: EP0000322186.exe
Rescue Data(x86) Update Program - 2.6.2.13080: EP0000320626.exe
VAIO Care Recovery - 1.1.1.13230: EP0000321150.msi

SONY PMB PICTURE MOTION BROWSER

Picture Motion Browser (Sony PMB) can plays back AVCHD M2TS video files on most computers. You can automatically organise pictures and movies into folders or according to the date that they were shot, simply by importing them into your VAIO with PMB.

Apparently Sony PMB Picture Motion Browser has been discontinued. Sony Picture Utility is required to install this software. The files available from sony for this software are merely updates, those ones:
PMB VAIO Edition Guide update 1.5.00.03020: EP0000244498.exe
PMB VAIO Edition addon- 1.5.10.06150: EP0000250759.exe
URL to download SOAOTH-70186741-US.EXE: https://esupport.sony.com/swu/5134/LA/EN/
URL2: http://support.d-imaging.sony.co.jp/www/disoft/jp/pmb/download/info_e/update3005_e.html
Mirror: http://www.qweas.com/downloads/graphic/viewers/downloads-picture-motion-browser.html
Sony Picture Utility 4.3.03.07070:

Newest software to replace it is the Sony PlayMemories Home version 5.2.01:
http://support.d-imaging.sony.co.jp/www/disoft/int/download/playmemories-home/win/en/index.html

Forum post: https://community.sony.com/t5/Cybershot-Cameras/PMB-Sony-Picture-Utility/td-p/554171

In any case, I wasn't unable to get Picture Motion Browser working. Sony PlayMemories on the other hand installed correctly so it is the recommended.

VAIO SMART NETWORK

To install VAIO Smart Network - 3.3.1.08110: EP0000229020.exe
Extract the exe with Winrar or similar, and enter the extracter folder.
Run setup.exe with compatibility mode with Windows 7. This will allow you to uninstall previous version if already installed or even this latest one, and reinstall again.
If you try to uninstall from Control panel it will faill because the uninstaller doesn't work with Windows 10.

INTEL RAPID STORAGE

If you still have the SSD drives set in RAID 0, it's advisable to download the latest Intel Rapid Storage Technology (Intel RST) driver: https://downloadcenter.intel.com/product/55005/Intel-Rapid-Storage-Technology-Intel-RST-
The version available today is the Intel RST 14.8.0.1042. If the RAID the driver may fail to install.

BRIGHTNESS CONTROL AND ADDITIONAL VAIO SOFTWARE

In order to have in Windows 10 the same software and functions were present in Windows 7 stock, it is required to re-install the proper Sony software. All of the software is available for download at this moment from Sony support Site. Remember to run the executables as administrator and with Windows 7 compatibility mode. To uninstall one application run the installer again with W7 compatibility, if you try to uninstall it from Control Panel directly may fail because the uninstaller doesn't work with W10.

The original Vaio software will allow you to recover the proper functions, like: set screen brightness directly with Fn+F5 or Fn+F6; view the WAN status from system tray panel, extend or proyect the screen over HDMI or VGA with Fn+F7, and in general use all the functions associated to the Fn keys among other things.

The software is: Vaio Software Update, Vaio Care, Vaio Control Center, Vaio Smart Network. Prior to get this software working all the other software and drivers need to be installed first, like: Setting Utility Series, Shared Library, Firmware Extension Parser Device driver, etc. Reboot as many times as necessary before confirming that the buttons don't work.

Additional links:
Not working Fn F5 and F6 keys for brightness control on my Vaio VPCF125FX

ENABLE DUAL BAND (2.4GHz + 5GHz) FOR WIFI

[TIP] How to enable 5 GHz on Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6200 AGN

KNOWN ISSUES
Known issues:

• When the computer is suspended, after trying to resume it crashes to a blue screen of death with the message UNEXPECTED_STORE_EXCEPTION. Disable fast startup on Windows, and after that pretend to reinstall the drivers for all the storage devices. This video explain how to prevent the issue from happening: Fix Blue Screen of death on Microsoft windows 10/8/7
• When running ssd benchmark software on the "Delock Express Card > 1 x USB 3.0 item 62425", after some seconds the computer freezes and a blue screen of death appears with the message: WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR.

USEFUL LINKS
Vaio Z1, anyone got ExpressCard /34 working?
Read and replace Sony Vaio VPCZ13M9E internal SSD RAID drives
AzureWave Broadcom BCM94352HMB bluetooth driver for Vaio VPCZ13
Sony Vaio VPCZ13M9E upgrade CPU from Intel 460M to 640M
Sony Vaio VPCZ13M9E upgrade screen from 1600x900 to 1080p
Sony Vaio VPCZ1 USB hard drives over ExpressCard
Sony Vaio VPCZ13M9E/B fan replacement part
Vaio VPCZ13M9E/B very high fan noise, almost out of warranty
Sony Vaio VPCZ1 Teardown

 

How about fingerprint is it working in win 10 ???

 

Yes, the Fingerprint on the Sony Vaio VPC Z13 is working using the drivers provided by Sony. The driver is provided by Authen Tec, version 1.6.1.341, date 8/8/2012.

In order to set one or more fingerprints, Windows 10 requires you to set both password and pin previously.

 

Thank you

 

Paloseco, Can you tell me more something, I do not know how to set "ASSIST Button" working

 

Do you want the button to work while running Windows 7? It basically launches Vaio Care, that you can do manually. Install all the drivers and software in Windows 7 compatibility mode and it should work.

 

No, I just wannna to run win 10. Honestly, Sony support website has not provided prefect all software to support win 10 *_* ......
"ASSIST Button" is blank, not any function in Win 10. this is disappoint news

 

The Authentec driver is fine, but avoid using the Authentec software. I read somewhere that it has security issues.

 

Sony never said it would support Windows 10 on Vaio Z1, but quite the opposite. It's not fair to say that. Why they didn't update, that's a different matter. My guess would be the involved costs that won't be returned. Heck, even 2010 and 2011 macbook pros will stop receiving macOS updates, not to mention that in this case differences between updates are much less notorious.

On Windows 10, for me the ASSIST button opens Vaio Care.

 

Not sure if I have the Authentec software, but the driver for sure. How can I tell?

Been looking for related news, and it looks like Apple bought Authentec to make the fingerprint sensor on the iPhones the best. Bad for Sony, they can't come with a new notebook with that feature.

http://venturebeat.com/2012/10/10/a...is-making-dell-samsung-lenovo-pcs-vulnerable/

 

How to set the ASSIST button opens Vaio Care??? Paloseco

 

http://blog.elcomsoft.com/2012/08/upek-fingerprint-readers-a-huge-security-hole/

This is what the Z1 shipped with, afaik. By software I am referring to the application where you register your fingerprints, save your passwords, make the settings to launch applications and log on to secure websites using a finger swipe, etc. The screenshots you posted above are using Windows own interfaces - these are absolutely fine. The UPEK software lets you do much more, but it is not safe. On the other hand, if you don't leave your laptop lying around unprotected, this really doesn't matter.

 

It does automatically, I've installed all original Sony Vaio drivers and Software from the first post. Check device manager to see if you have some driver missing.