VAIO (useless) Application Recovery

Hi,

I have a VAIO FZ11L and recently installed Vista Ultimate (origionally came with Home Priemium) and i installed all drivers ok, everything runs how it was before, but i want to install some of the driver applications.

When i first got the laptop i made the recovery DVD's but because i have removed the partition that was there when i put the DVD in, it does nothing, i go to SonyStyle website and try to download them from there and it just tells me to use the Recovery DVD. I would have thought the applications would be on the DVD (whats using all the space on the DVD?) not the partition... unless it doesent load setup because the partition isnt there anymore?

There must be a way of downloading these applications again, i dont understand why they make things dificult like this because it's your laptop, you should be able to do what you want.

 

There is an installer for the "Vaio Recovery Launcher" on the first of the two DVD's you created. Install that app and run it. You will see two tabs one for drivers the other for applications. (Forget the drivers one. You are better off using the driver installers from the Sony support web site.) The second tab will let you selectively install the apps you want.

Gary

 

what is the difference if any from just loading the DVD into the drive if the hidden recovery section on the hard drive already deleted?

 

Depends on WHEN you load it and what you do! If you load it BEFORE you turn on the power, the BIOS will boot from the DVD and let you attempt a FULL recovery. I believe that is your ONLY option too. However if you wait until Vista is booted up, you can browse the first DVD and find the installer I mentioned above.

Gary

 

but since the DVD has a built-in autorun program that lists the applications inside and show up everytime I put the disc in Vista. I don't need the Vaio Application Recovery anymore, right?

 

I tried Gary's method listed above for a similar problem to try to reinstall the Vaio Help and Support files/links that were wiped-out when I upgraded from Vista Premium to Ultimate

However, I have no idea where the files from the recovery disc were reinstalled/downloaded to and how you actually run the applications or exe's. When you click on the Help and Support icon on the desktop you only get the Vista Windows Support links and not the original 6 Vaio Help & Support links that were there with Vista Premium version.

 

When you said: "I don't need the Vaio Application Recovery anymore, right?" if you meant the recovery partition then, yes you are right you don't NEED it anymore. I left mine alone as it was not a lot of disk space. But technically once you create the two recovery DVD's you don't need the partition anymore.

Gary

 

Hi

Thanks for your reply, i couldnt find the "Vaio Recovery Launcher" on any of the DVD's, i made 3 DVD's when i got the laptop, the main recovery DVDs (disc 1 & 2) and also an 'Application Recovery DVD'.

When i put the App Recovery DVD in it does nothing without the partition and if you browse the DVD everything is .pac format (?) When i put the Recovery DVD in (any of the 2) it says 'If you want to recover your computer using the recovery disc, restart the computer with this disc inserted.' - I did this and it has nothing about the VAIO Applications

i browsed disc 1 and found nothing but when i looked on DVD2 i found the setup files in folders (Chipset, Camera utility, Power Utility etc..) and i installed them manually, although i dont know what to install to get the laptops hotkeys working (Volume etc...)

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I think 'littlecx' means by that is that like me, his VAIO created 3 DVD's.

1. VAIO Recovery Disc1
2. VAIO Recovery Disc2
3. VAIO Application Recovery - That does nothing without the partition

I dont understand why they needed to make 3 DVD's considering i just found the Driver software on the second main recovery DVD, the inaccessable* partition is used to 'Recover' your pc, meaning it acts just like system restore, only thats where it puts backups of your system files etc...

*inaccessible untill you use the application recovery DVD, in which case it will make the partition temporarily visible so the recovery utility can access it... untill you eject the DVD.

 

I have a FZ190. When I created the backup DVD's it only created two. If I put the first one in the DVD drive, I get the image you see attached here. If I select the OK option, it takes me to the recovery application with two tabs. One for the Drivers and another for the Applications. I assume you must have a different model which has a restore function that works differently. When you put the first of the two DVD's from the recovery set in the drive do you see the same dialog box as the image I attached here.

RE: which drivers will make the hot keys work, see my thread on "instructions for a clean vista install on an fz190".


Gary

 

Hi,

When i insert the first of the two recovery disc's i just get the message 'If you want to recover your computer using the recovery disc, restart the computer with this disc inserted.' i just have OK.

I read your post about the clean install ( http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=140878) but didnt really find anything to do with the hotkey drivers, there is alot of reference to the sony support page to get the drivers off there but when i enter my model number on the support page i just get:

Depending on your unit Preinstalled drivers, utilities and applications can also be found on your recovery CDs/DVDs or/and hard disk drive (C:\Drivers and C:\Utilities).
Not all Sony and third party applications can be downloaded directly as they are copyrighted. They can be found on the recovery CDs/DVDs. More info...

On the recovery DVD's that dont have a setup unless you boot off them.

Mike

 

Obviously your recovery disks are VERY different. I see you have an FZ11L. But I can't find that model on the Sony website, to try and point you to the hotkey drivers. What country is this model for? The hotkeys, as I understand it, require two things: the "Sony Shared Library" (or a similar name) and in the case of the FZ190, a package of apps/drivers labeled Sony Notebook Utilities. (Sony Utilities DLL in my attachments above.)

Gary

 

Hi,
The model is for the UK, i was asking a friend of mine about the hotkey drivers as he has a VAIO too, he also says you need to install two peaces of software, I have "Sony Shared Library" and "Sony Utilities DLL" on the 'Recovery' DVD.

I'll try them tomorow, im all sleepy at the moment

Thanks for your help

Mike