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    Sony officially released a BIOS update to enable VT on 4th generation SR

    Discussion in 'VAIO / Sony' started by sniper_sung, Aug 14, 2009.

  1. sniper_sung

    sniper_sung Notebook Evangelist

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    There were many SR4 laptops sold in May 2009 in China suffering the problem of stopping responding randomly and frequently, which caused quite a lot of hot threads discussing.

    Sony identified the problem as some bugs in BIOS firmware and hence released an update to fix this.

    Official site: http://service.sony.com.cn/vaio/Download/25225.htm (Chinese site, Google Translate may work)

    Download link: http://customersupport-download.sony.com.cn/VAIO/EP0000204507.exe

    As a "side effect" some customers noticed that Sony has officially enabled the option of VT in BIOS settings!

    This is quite unbelievable according to the usual style of Sony. Maybe it is because of the pressure from XP mode in the upcoming Windows 7.

    Unfortunately the BIOS update still does not give SLIC 2.1 so to activate Windows 7 we still need SLIC 2.1 from Lenovo or other brands.
     
    sniper_sung, Aug 14, 2009
    #1
  2. Jparity

    Jparity Notebook Evangelist

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    As a fellow Z owner, I can't resist to ask... Nothing for the Z?..

    I know there's the hack to enable advanced bios for the Z, but nothing official from Sony yet?
     
    Jparity, Aug 14, 2009
    #2
  3. tabrisfreewill

    tabrisfreewill Notebook Consultant

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    I think I read from one of the sony manager blog that they will be enabling the VT function of certain models when Windows 7 comes out. However, he also specifically say that the vaio Z will not be one of those models.

    Hacking the z bios register to enable VT is our only hope.
     
    tabrisfreewill, Aug 14, 2009
    #3
  4. MidtownHD

    MidtownHD Notebook Consultant

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    what about FW490s?
     
    MidtownHD, Aug 14, 2009
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  5. updog

    updog Notebook Guru

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    wait does this work for the new SR420?
     
    updog, Aug 15, 2009
    #5
  6. iLoveVaio

    iLoveVaio Notebook Consultant

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    iLoveVaio, Aug 15, 2009
    #6
  7. SPEEDwithJJ

    SPEEDwithJJ NBR Super Idiot

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    This is fantastic news for all Vaio SR notebook owners. I guess Sony deserve some credit for this. :)

    On 2nd thoughts, maybe I should sell my Vaio Z690 notebook & buy a Vaio SR notebook....
     
    SPEEDwithJJ, Aug 15, 2009
    #7
  8. heavenly_wild

    heavenly_wild Notebook Deity

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    What is Sony's logic behind excluding the Z?
     
    heavenly_wild, Aug 15, 2009
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  9. retrop

    retrop Notebook Geek

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    Just tried it. Didn't work for me.
     
    retrop, Aug 15, 2009
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  10. sniper_sung

    sniper_sung Notebook Evangelist

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    Same idea here ^^ as my Z690 does not support 8GB anyway :mad:
     
    sniper_sung, Aug 15, 2009
    #10
  11. Jparity

    Jparity Notebook Evangelist

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    What's the point of excluding their flagship laptop?... Smart move Sony...
     
    Jparity, Aug 15, 2009
    #11
  12. Qeuqeu

    Qeuqeu Notebook Consultant

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    Bios update worked for me. VT works fine. woot woot!
     
    Qeuqeu, Aug 15, 2009
    #12
  13. Crooked Rain

    Crooked Rain Notebook Enthusiast

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    Nice. Worked for me on my SR430J/B. VT option is now present in the BIOS.
     
    Crooked Rain, Aug 16, 2009
    #13
  14. arth1

    arth1 a҉r҉t҉h

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    Giving Sony credit for this would be like giving your waiter credit for no longer spitting in your soup.
     
    arth1, Aug 16, 2009
    #14
  15. zimbros12

    zimbros12 Notebook Deity

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    GOOD ONE :p
     
    zimbros12, Aug 16, 2009
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  16. SPEEDwithJJ

    SPEEDwithJJ NBR Super Idiot

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    Oh man. :( What happened? :confused: I thought you had managed to get 8GB RAM to work as you bought the RAM sticks directly from Sony.... :(
     
    SPEEDwithJJ, Aug 16, 2009
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  17. Miyabi

    Miyabi Notebook Evangelist

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    why should wait for sony to officially release the bios update since we already go through the hack :p

    tho, its pretty dumb that their flagship vaio didnt get the update for VT. i guess they are going "oh business person usually use Z for words and excels. we shouldnt bother about the VT Lol".
     
    Miyabi, Aug 16, 2009
    #17
  18. zimbros12

    zimbros12 Notebook Deity

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    My opinion eventualy they will do so >
     
    zimbros12, Aug 16, 2009
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  19. Miyabi

    Miyabi Notebook Evangelist

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    srsly, i like the Z design, its revolutionary between TZ and SZ. i hope they touch up Z spec while updating its bios with VT. pretty sad to see this beauty gone waste without any improvement from sony r&d.
     
    Miyabi, Aug 16, 2009
    #19
  20. zimbros12

    zimbros12 Notebook Deity

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    As your sig says : GRACE IN MOTION
     
    zimbros12, Aug 16, 2009
    #20
  21. Garmin

    Garmin Notebook Evangelist

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    will this work if i updated the bios with my sr 290?
     
    Garmin, Aug 16, 2009
    #21
  22. iLoveVaio

    iLoveVaio Notebook Consultant

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    oh my god! I've got SR490 CTO model and It seems I can't update my Vaio.

    Any other CTO users have this problem? Also are you able to install Sony Notebook Utilities? When I try to install something it says "This update is not intended to use with your computer model"
     
    iLoveVaio, Aug 16, 2009
    #22
  23. eli2k

    eli2k Notebook Consultant

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    Definitely don't try it; it's risky if there's something different between the different SR revisions, and if the flasher doesn't check to make sure it's the correct model, you can do some damage.
     
    eli2k, Aug 16, 2009
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  24. retrop

    retrop Notebook Geek

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    Yes. Same thing here. I tried to update my BIOS on my SR490 CTO and it wouldn't do it.
     
    retrop, Aug 16, 2009
    #24
  25. demarco5

    demarco5 Notebook Consultant

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    bios update worked here sr430 machine, is there any reason ti enable that virtual option?
     
    demarco5, Aug 16, 2009
    #25
  26. eli2k

    eli2k Notebook Consultant

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    It's necessary if you want to run XP Mode in Win7; and it's also helpful for people who wish to run virtualization applications. But otherwise if you don't do these sort of tasks, it won't be needed.
     
    eli2k, Aug 17, 2009
    #26
  27. retrop

    retrop Notebook Geek

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    My point is that if I can't successfully run the BIOS update now, will I be able to in the future if they come out with a version that addresses some other issue like battery life, etc.
     
    retrop, Aug 17, 2009
    #27
  28. coldmack

    coldmack Notebook Virtuoso

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    If the SR got it, I would think maybe a model like the TT would get it? I rather do a bios upgrade than a hack.
     
    coldmack, Aug 17, 2009
    #28
  29. iLoveVaio

    iLoveVaio Notebook Consultant

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    Have you tried installing Sony Notebook Utilities? I tried it and it says the same thing. (this update is not for this model bla bla)
     
    iLoveVaio, Aug 17, 2009
    #29
  30. retrop

    retrop Notebook Geek

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    No I haven't. What is it and is it something that is not already on my machine?
     
    retrop, Aug 18, 2009
    #30
  31. ductrung3993

    ductrung3993 Notebook Consultant

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    Mine works but I can't seem to enable the VT thing :(
     
    ductrung3993, Aug 18, 2009
    #31
  32. iLoveVaio

    iLoveVaio Notebook Consultant

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    well, it is. Reason why I tried to install is becuase it also checks for notebook model. I tried installing "Sony Notebook Utilities" but it didn't succeeded.

    Have you made Semi-clean install?
     
    iLoveVaio, Aug 18, 2009
    #32
  33. Garmin

    Garmin Notebook Evangelist

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    darn, Is the VT hack simple? I wanna try it but its a lot of work :D
     
    Garmin, Aug 18, 2009
    #33
  34. iLoveVaio

    iLoveVaio Notebook Consultant

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    Have you installed bios update?
     
    iLoveVaio, Aug 18, 2009
    #34
  35. Garmin

    Garmin Notebook Evangelist

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    not yet, same bios as i first gotten it.

    EDIT
    i meant to say i wanna try it, but it looks like a lot of work
     
    Garmin, Aug 18, 2009
    #35
  36. eli2k

    eli2k Notebook Consultant

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    If you can wait until October 22, maybe Sony will actually have something to say about the BIOS then. :) I just personally feel it's too risky unless you absolutely need it, as bricking the BIOS, I can't see a cheap way to fix it unless they have a backup BIOS that it can restore from; laptop motherboards are expensive! Even with desktop BIOS I usually don't flash unless I have a problem with the motherboard and the BIOS update addresses this problem. But then again, I know the feeling of wanting to have that feature because everyone else has it, even if you won't really be using it that often. =)

    Instead of using XP Mode if I ever need it, VMWare has its Unity mode, which does the same thing. Only problem is there is some overhead, leading to performance loss, but it's sufficient if I'm using a word processor or some other stuff. I'm not sure how well XP Mode runs.
     
    eli2k, Aug 18, 2009
    #36
  37. Garmin

    Garmin Notebook Evangelist

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    haha exactly, the only reason why i want this is because of xp mode. I guess i will wait, like you mentioned, i never really liked messing with the bios. Cause i m always worried that i will mess this up.
     
    Garmin, Aug 18, 2009
    #37
  38. retrop

    retrop Notebook Geek

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    I stumbled onto this thread and downloaded the Uniextract program. I extracted the files out of the BIOS update file and copied the resulting files and directories to a directory called BIOS on my desktop. Ran the file in the TEMPEXEFOLDER and viola! BIOS updated where it would not before. After rebooting I then shut down and went to BIOS settings screen and sure enough, the VT option was there so I enabled it. Funny that this option is not mentioned in the release notes on the SONY website. Guess they want to keep it quiet. Anyways, next step is to see if it actually works! BTW, this may work for other updates where you get the "Update not intended for your computer model" message such as the utilites and shared library updates too. Just be sure you are using the correct file for YOUR computer.
     
    retrop, Aug 18, 2009
    #38
  39. retrop

    retrop Notebook Geek

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    VT In BIOS setting working confirmed. Tried the MS Virtual PC 2007. Worked for both a XP virtual disk and a W7 beta disk I had created a while back. My host system is Vista Home Premium 64 bit.
     
    retrop, Aug 19, 2009
    #39
  40. tipsy31191

    tipsy31191 Notebook Enthusiast

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    I'm having the same problem. I tried upgrading to windows 7 RC but hade to restore to windows vista because I couldn't install sony notebook utilities and some other drivers. Same thing happens with the BIOS.
     
    tipsy31191, Aug 19, 2009
    #40
  41. nixon

    nixon Notebook Evangelist

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    For anyone else paying attention this is the way to go if you get the "Update not intended for your computer model".

    I've used Uniextract many times for different VAIO drivers to update them when Sony themselves haven't bothered to. It's the easiest way to get around the model check by Sony's installers.
     
    nixon, Aug 19, 2009
    #41
  42. ScuderiaConchiglia

    ScuderiaConchiglia NBR Vaio Team Curmudgeon

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    It is a way to get around those checks. But folks just need to be absolutely certain they know for a fact that the update they are trying to apply is really compatible with their model. This is especially try of BIOS updates. It is real easy to brick a machine by applying an incompatible BIOS update. Unlike a driver update, when updating a BIOS, if you brick the machine there may be no way to roll back.

    Gary
     
    ScuderiaConchiglia, Aug 19, 2009
    #42
  43. iLoveVaio

    iLoveVaio Notebook Consultant

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    After restoring using Recovery discs, were you able to install Sony Notebook Utilities? Even after restoring back to factory condition. My VAIO refused to install BIOS update and Sony Notebook Utilities.
     
    iLoveVaio, Aug 20, 2009
    #43
  44. ScuderiaConchiglia

    ScuderiaConchiglia NBR Vaio Team Curmudgeon

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    After you did the factory condition restore, why would you need to install Sony Notebook Utilities???

    Gary
     
    ScuderiaConchiglia, Aug 20, 2009
    #44
  45. tipsy31191

    tipsy31191 Notebook Enthusiast

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    I did the thing where you restore the C drive only and I was able to restore the notebook utilities
     
    tipsy31191, Aug 20, 2009
    #45
  46. iLoveVaio

    iLoveVaio Notebook Consultant

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    Think again. Even i got those utilities back, i'm still not able to install them as intended. (without "model" error) Later when Sony releases Win7 upgrade package, this could lead to big problem. I think Win7 Upgrade will still have the model checker in it. Still confused...
     
    iLoveVaio, Aug 21, 2009
    #46
  47. iLoveVaio

    iLoveVaio Notebook Consultant

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    Have you tried to install Notebook Utilities?
     
    iLoveVaio, Aug 21, 2009
    #47
  48. ScuderiaConchiglia

    ScuderiaConchiglia NBR Vaio Team Curmudgeon

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    As I asked before, why would you NEED to install them after you did a factory restore? Once you are back to the "out of the box" state the utilities are already installed.

    You are the only person I have seen report a problem with installing a package like this, that wan't trying to install something from one model on a different one. This is really strange. Are you absolutely CERTAIN that you have the correct version for your specific model? Have you done any sort of BIOS update, by any chance? I know you said you had attempted to do one, but I am curious if you had done another prior to all of this. What model does the BIOS report as the model of you machine?

    gary
     
    ScuderiaConchiglia, Aug 21, 2009
    #48
  49. ScuderiaConchiglia

    ScuderiaConchiglia NBR Vaio Team Curmudgeon

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    Again, why would they need to? They get restored just like everything else.

    Gary
     
    ScuderiaConchiglia, Aug 21, 2009
    #49
  50. iLoveVaio

    iLoveVaio Notebook Consultant

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    IMO whatever happens it should get installed correctly in it. (even on factory fresh/after restoring C) So you believe that Win7 will be installed without model check?
     
    iLoveVaio, Aug 21, 2009
    #50
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