Sony's Broken Win 7 Updates (Z Series)

It was hard to title this correctly, but essentially Sony released a whole load of software updates in conjunction with their Windows 7 Upgrade programme this December.

The majority of them are new versions. Here would be a good example of the files for my machine:

http://support.vaio.sony.eu/computing/vaio/downloads/updates/index.aspx?l=en_GB&m=VGN-Z21WN_B&os=10

But the Z21 & Z31 have both been updated.

HOWEVER - UNLESS YOU'RE SUICIDAL I wouldn't update them.

7UPG_VAIO Control Color Setting has the wrong URL. You can however work out and download the correct one.

7UPG_VAIO Power Management is an utter abortion. It crashes trying to do a regsvr32 for a critical component and after installation SPMgr.exe will crash at start-up 100% of the time.
​

And at the end of it? Guess what? My Brightness Control in SPEED is broken AGAIN. Thanks Sony.

I've not succeeded in rolling back the software, I've not succeeded in tweaking the software. Whatever combination of things I do, I'm unable to get the Brightness Control to be restored to before I applied these updates.

I've even used Windows System Restore (the registry automatic one) and rolled back to prior to the update with no success.

If I did use the parts of the 7UP_xxx update that did work by battery care features are broken, as is all my power-management. Rolling back, only the brightness is broken.

This is Sony doing a stupendously sloppy job. And I bet that if I contact technical support they'll either say:

a) You didn't use our £20 Windows 7 upgrade from our base Vista installation, or

b) You need to install your operating-system again and follow a specific sequence

c) The 7UP_xxx files weren't for you despite being in the Windows 7 update area
​

I mean COME ON. Are Sony / NVIDIA so inept together they can't even control the Brightness on a PC???

Sorry - you can see I'm frustrated. I can't see how I can fix this without another drop of NVIDIA magic from Sony plus a working Power Management driver.

So unless someone knows a magic trick to fix this, I'm sending out a warning to avoid all Sony Z series updates dated 4th or 8th December.

 

As an update I've been on Sony's Japanese site and there's no NVIDIA updates since October. Plus, oddly, there's only a BIOS and Settings update in December. Cynicism would say, because the rest break the computer.

What I did however notice was that Vaio Update 5 is coming soon. And when it does come, it appears to actually look like an update program rather than an IE lash-up. That however could just be its reshaping.

Still, it probably explains why Vaio Update 4 doesn't current work, producing a 500 internal server error instead.

 

Hey mate

Same problem here with my: Z Vaio model VGN-Z26GN

Today I installed

BIOS Update Ver. R2171M3
followed by
Windows 7 Upgrade NVIDIA Graphics Driver Version 8.15.10.1872

now my brightness control doesnt work in BOTH speed & stamina mode lol!!

maybe i need a setting utility or some other vaio program for 7?
cause the rest of my drivers/utilities installed are just the standard Vista drivers..

 

Well the answer is yes you do and its somewhat complicated. The short answer is that if your brightness ISN'T working in Stamina its probably due to an old NVIDIA control messing it up and you need to unwind that part of the problem.

My Brightness works in Stamina but not Speed. This is typically caused by a more complicated interaction between the Bios, nVidia Driver, VAIO Event Service and the Vaio Power Management.

For your problem I suggest you follow the many instructions found in this forum for the install order. You'll need a range of Windows 7 driver updates from the Sony site.

Avoid all the 7UP_xxx driver packages from Sony.

If your Brightness at the end of it still doesn't workin in Stamina mode you'll need to:

1) Run the nVidia uninstaller from the Sony Support site
2) Go through the registry and remove the Intel Express 45 references that map to their ig control panel
3) Install the new Sony / nVidia Hybrid driver just as you did at the start

In the end though, I don't think this is the same as my problem. *UNLESS* Bios R2171M3 is a duffer and breaks everyone in Speed mode.

 

Hey buddy

I restarted windows and brightness is working for stamina, but speed same as you. If i increase brightness it like moves up 2blocks, but nothin changes, press bright down moves down two blocks but does nothing.

ultra lol

 

Yo fatjoez~
Remember me??? I had the Z26 as well.

It's been a while since I last been here, but I just noticed a new BIOS firmware......R2171M3. I haven't yet installed it and it ain't on Sony-Asia's site at the moment.

Maybe because I did a clean install with my MSDNAA disc, but Windows 7 x64 is working without issues for me. Did you try with R2170M3?

I read somewhere here that you can make your upgrade discs into bootable, non-upgrade discs with some slipstreaming.

Get the drivers off Sony's ftp site. They (seem to) have the latest drivers and apps there all the time.

 

If anyone is interested I did eventually fix the problem. I did what I did the last time, but supersized.

Moved all the c:\windows\system32\ig*.* files to a temp folder.
Used the NVidia uninstaller from Sony.
Deleted the driver entries from devmgmt.msc.
Removed all registry references to ig* and 45 Express.

Then rebooted and reinstalled the final Sony NVidia driver.

Phew - after all that the brightness control started working again. I'm still in mortal fear of what Sony will throw at me in the form of a future update mind you.

For people inexperience in registering jiggery, I wouldn't advise copying me.

 

A lot of the Win 7 Driver on sony's esupport are broken... if you don't get the "The Install has Finished" at the end with the "Finish" button, 99% the driver is a bad one...

As for VAIO UPDATE 5.0... it seems like a decent app, and that's what most Japanese SONY VAIO use to update their drivers instead of individually downloading each driver.