VAIO Z11 under XP: FN keys working now !

Hello,
this is my first post here, so greatings to all !
I had to prepare a VAIO Z11MN/B laptop under XP and although it's a great piece of hardware, I was stuck like many of us with the "fn" keys not working (except the sound mute and -/+)
After reading many threads here and on other forum, i finally get the others to work.
I just suscribe here to share the fix i've found, since i think it could help many others poor guys like me..
No wizzardry here, just trial and error guessing. And the solution is so simple that i'm quite surprised (and a little suspicious, M$ maybe behind this) that Sony didn't make it ! After all, i'd solved the problem only with a manual update of an ini file..
Some steps are maybe optionnal to achieve the same result, but i don't have time to isolate them. So i give you all what i've done in order..

Here it is:
- Downgrade your Z11 with the Sony XP downgrade CD
- Install drivers and updates that are on this CD
- Install drivers downloade from ftp://ftp.vaio-link.com/PUB/OS/XPDOWNGRADE/Z11/DRIVERS that are relevant for this model (Z11MN/B)
- Install XP SP3
- Update everything that need to through online WindowsUpdate
(at this step, no fn keys works)
- Install five files from ftp://ftp.vaio-link.com/PUB/OS/XPDOWNGRADE/Z11/UTILITIES

Code:

1 SONY SHARED LIBRARY FOR XP 2.10 _ 2.10.00.ZIP
2 SONY UTILITIES DLL 7.0 XP _ 7.0.00.ZIP
3 SETTING UTILITY SERIES 1.8 _ 1.8.00.ZIP
6 VAIO POWER MANAGEMENT 1.9 08Q2 _ 1.9.07.ZIP
8 VAIO EVENT SERVICE 2.8 XP _ 2.8.00.ZIP

- Install the hotkeys server+client apps from ftp://ftp.vaio-link.com/PUB/VAIO/HOTKEY/

Code:

SONYUTILS_HOTKEY_10_FRA.ZIP

(for the french ver.)
(at this step, only sound fn keys works)
- Go to the install dir of the VAIO event service (default to "C:\Program Files\SONY\Vaio Event Service") and edit the VESConfig.ini file:
locate your model number section in bracket, here it is [19763]
(you can find you decimal model number reading the following registry key: HKLM/Software/Sony Corporation/Vaio Event Service/MachineInfo/MachineID )
Replace the entire section with this:

Code:

   
[19763]
VESUSBKeyboard    = 1
VESStorageProtect = 1
VESPowerMgr       = 1
VESSemiPnP        = 1
VESSuEvent        = 1
VESSuPerform      = 1
VESVideo          = 1
VESBCF	          = 1
VESFnLock	      = 1
VESSpButtonUI     = 1
VESSpecialButton  = 1
VESAVModeButton   = 1
VESKBDCoverPoll   = 1
VESRotation       = 1
VESFelica	      = 1
VESHardwareMixer  = 1
VESAutoDimmer	  = 1

- restart the VaioEvent service or reboot you laptop !

Now you will have
- sound fn keys working with OSD
- brightness fn keys working (a little buggy since it's sometimes jump for 3 or 4 steps at once, but it's work in - and + direction, OSD is buggy too),
- external screen change (not tested with other screen but OSD display the function and resolution change)
- hibernate fn key works
- S1/S2 keys works (you got to install VAIO Control Center to change the action of thes special keys)

That's it !
i found this when i noticed that some parameters have a dll with the same name in the VAIO Event Service directory.
So i decided to study other models's VESConfig.ini to find new parameters and to add them in the right section of my ini file.
It works for me, and *could* works for other models too.

Hope it will help !

 

This hotkey utility is meant for older VAIOs and shouldn't be used with your Z. That's what's causing the buggy OSD, previously mentioned here.