Vaio FZ Help & Support Files/Links

My Vaio FZ190 was loaded with Vista Home Premium. To make a long story short, because of some additional requirements needed for a VPN and Remote Desktop with my employer's work desktop I had to upgrade to Vista Ultimate.

The upgrade was done via Windows Anytime upgrade and was not a new clean install. I created recovery and restore disks with the Vista Home Premium version shortly after I purchased the FZ190 and prior to the Ultimate upgrade. The upgrade appeared to be successful and all of the drivers and hardware appeared to be working correctly.

However, I noticed that when I clicked on the Vaio Help and Support icon on the desktop the original 6 Vaio links:
1)Manuals & Specifications
2)Vaio Support
3)Backup and recovery
4)Wireless & Networking
5)Security
6)Vaio Sites
were no longer there. They were replaced with Microsoft Windows information and links only.

I called Sony tech support for some help and in a nice way they basically said I was screwed and the Vaio Help and Support Files could not be recovered. They mentioned something about being in a hidden partition of their own on the hard drive and apparently Vista Ultimate eliminated the partition. I also noticed that all restore points prior to the Ultimate upgrade were missing too.

I told them that I made a recovery discs of the original settings. They had me try to rescue data to reinstall missing programs. When you go through the steps and windows on the recovery discs it appears that the system is able to find the original Vaio Help & Support files and it is reinstalling them. However I cannot find the location where they were copied to.

Does anyone have any suggestions, or should I just forget it for fear a doing more damage to my FZ190 that I don't currently have. How critical is it by not having those original 6 Help & Support links that I listed above?

 

Anyone with similar experience ?

 

You're better off without their crap. Think about it, you've already experienced Sony "help" and "support." They don't even know what to do when you have a problem with the original configuration, much less with an upgraded OS. So don't worry about the missing stuff - you're fine.

 

I own a FZ160 and I did the same upgrade, except I didnt create the Recovery discs and I have the same problem. The result with Sony Support was slightly different, because their story this time was that a particular model is "built to work with an specific OEM operating system version" !!!!!! Unbelievable the amount of crap we have to bear with. Guess I will have to buy from them the original set of discs, just to be on the safe side.
Regarding the hidden partition, in my case the partition is there, so if anyone has any idea how to go on from there, I will appreciate it.
To check if your partition is still there, go Programs > Administrative Tools > Computer Management > Disk Management and there you will see if the partition exists or not. I sincerely doubt that the upgrade might have erased the partition.

 

Elito
In your example,what is the name on your Vaio of the partition? On Disk 1, other than C: the only other one listed is a blank volume name and it is called EISA configuration with 8.17 GB. So is this the "hidden partition" ?

 

If I use Disk Management, I dont see any name, nor the configuration. It's size is 7gb, so the one you are describing might be the one you are looking for. I use Acronis Disk Director Suite to manage my partitions, and in there it indicates that the hidden one is Recovery. Hope this helps.

 

Hello, although I don't actually own a VAIO FZ (yet ) from what I have read in other threads, I believe you can access the restoration partition by hitting "F10" before Windows starts to boot.

 

i belive the help and support files are loaded into the OS Image only. I belive windows will disable the system restore before beginning the upgrade;therefore erasing all system restore points.

 

I just completed a clean install of Vista. I had also made a copy of the Recovery DVD's. Insert the first one and browse it. You will find an application there that once run will tell you that if you want to do a full recovery you need to boot from the disk, but if you want to recover a driver or application hit OK to proceed. Do that and there will be a menu of items on the left. Select the "Reinstall Programs or Drivers" option. Then click Start, then Next and Next again. You will then see two tabs. One for Programs the other for Drivers. On the Programs tab is an entry "Vaio Help and Support". That will restore what you are looking for.

Gary

 

I actually did that for the Help and Support files only. However after I re-started Vista it appears that nothing happened with the restore. Even though the Viao Help & Support icon is on the desktop, none of the original Vaio links are there, only the ones created by Vista Ultimate..

 

It worked fine for me, but I did a clean install not an upgrade.

Gary

 

Actually, this appears to be an elegant, albeit costly way of getting rid of a lot of the Sony Junk. Wouldn't it be easiest to just buy Microsoft Disks for something like $15 and this way be able to restore the system whenever necessary.
I was wondering if the 25 digit key on the sticker of my FZ would enable me to also purchase system disks for cheap from Microsoft and be able to do a clean install, should it become necessary. I only purchased my machine with the Home Premium edition.

 

Why didn't I think of this? Kudos to ScuderiaConchiglia.

 

Is there a way to do a system restore without all the extra junk software? I like your idea.

 

A system restore, no. By definition a system restore will bring you back to the way the system was when you took it out of the box. However, it IS possible to create a set of backup DVD's of the system restore stuff, then wipe the C: partition clean, install a licensed copy of Vista, go to he Sony website and pull all the drivers, apply them and then using the DVD's you created pull the essential software you need to make everything work.

I just finished doing that very thing with an FZ190. I will be documenting the steps, as soon as I get the time. (I already have a VERY detailed journal but need to pare it down first.)

Gary

 

I guess my question was, how can you do a clean install without having to buy another copy of Vista?

 

You can't.

Gary

 

I am still wondering if the 25 digit code of the preinstalled Windows Vista would enable us to reinstall Windows if necessary from a normal Vista Home Premium CD that one can purchase from Microsoft for less than $20. (Emailing them has only lead to endless email containing no useful information whatsoever). The DVDs that Sony sells or the ones you can create yourself will likely not only recover your system but also reinstall all the junk software that came with it.