Vaio TT Vista Japanese to English Conversion Guide + Clean Install

I recently went through the headache of trying to convert a Japanese domestic model Vaio TT from Japanese to English. This forum has been extremely useful, so I thought I'd give something back: yet another conversion/clean install guide.

I purchased the machine through SonyStyle Japan, who actually offers an English keyboard layout as a customization option. Unfortunately, they offer absolutely NO support in trying to get it to work. They won't even set the keyboard layout correctly for you. In fact, it seems like they actually go out of their way to prevent you from making it work and actively discourage you from converting the OS to English...(I asked).

Anyway, after weeks of researching and trial-and-error, I finally have a working solution:


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Sony Vaio TT Windows Vista Japanese to English Conversion Guide + Clean Install.

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Things you'll need:

- Windows Vista install CD

- Latest Intel Chipset Drivers
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator Driver
Intel PROWireless and WiFi Link Driver
INF Update Utility
http://www.intel.com

- Latest Sony Vaio TT Drivers
All of them
http://www.sony.com

- Activation Backup and Restore (ABR) Utility
http://directedge.us/content/abr-activation-backup-and-restore
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=120228

- madurai_tiger's PatchMod
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=233256

- Model Lock Bypass trick
See below.

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1. Create Recovery CDs.

If you haven't done this yet, it's always the first step...do it.


2. Back up the Sony Vista license with ABR Utility.

Sony laptops come pre-activated. Read the instructions for ABR and back up the license to an external location.


3. Extract MODS from Recovery CDs or Recovery partition with PatchMod.

Follow the instructions and extra all of the individual driver and software installers from the Recovery partition and store them to an external location.


4. Install Vista.

Replace the C partition with a new clean installation of Vista. Do not install a product key and make sure you choose to install the same version of Vista that came with your Vaio.


5. Restore the Vista license with ABR Utility.

After restoring, reboot and verify that the license is installed and running correctly.


6. Update Vista using Windows Update.

Windows Update will also install a number of device drivers, but not all of them.


7. Install Intel Chipset drivers.
- Intel Graphics Media Accelerator Driver
- Intel PROWireless and WiFi Link Driver
- INF Update Utility


8. Install the latest Sony TT drivers from Sony's support site.

Since the computer is a Japanese model and the drivers are from the US English site, you will need to use the Model Lock Bypass trick to install these drivers.

MODEL LOCK BYPASS:

-Go to C:\Windows
-Edit or Create Model.txt & put the following in the file:
Model = "VGN-XXXX"
(XXXX = the model the driver was designed to work with)
-Save
-RightClick Model.txt > Properties > Go to 'Security' Tab >
Click 'Edit' > Check 'Deny' for only 'Write' under 'Permissions for SYSTEM' pane
-Do this for all Group or User names​

On my machine, I installed the following drivers:
- Alps Pointing Device Driver
- ArcSoft WebCam Companion Software
- Broadcom Bluetooth Driver
- Infineon Trusted Platform Module Pro Package
- Intel Ethernet Driver
- Ricoh Memory Card Reader Driver
- Ricoh Memory Stick Media Driver
- Sony Firmware Extension Parser Device Driver
- Sony Notebook Utilities
- Sony programmable IO Control Device Driver
- Sony Shared Library
- UPEK FingerPrint Sensor Driver
- UPEK Protector Suite QL Soft


9. Install Driver and Software Extracted from MODs

These are Japanese-version drivers and software, but are (mostly) coded to run in English on an English OS. Many of them are optional, and some of the Sony stuff is interdependent. You will NOT need the Model Lock Bypass to install them. Don't install obvious bloatware.

On my machine, I installed the following:
- MODJ-120531.MOD.dir - McOEMAppRules
- MODJ-126664.MOD.dir - Kazashite Login かざしてログイン
- MODJ-126695.MOD.dir - Sony Picture Utility
- MODJ-126708.MOD.dir - Roxio Easy Media Creator 10 LJ
- MODJ-126772.mod.dir - Vaio Smart Network
- MODJ-126816.mod.dir - ScreenSaverLock2 FeliCa
- MODJ-126943.MOD.dir - VAIO Recovery Center Shortcut and Readme
- MODJ-127354.MOD.dir - FeliCa Data Transfer
- MODJ-127474.MOD.dir - FeliCa Port
- MODJ-128457.MOD.dir - VAIO Mobile TV
- MODJ-129994.MOD.dir - Intervideo WinDVD

Sony Video and Photo Suite components
- MODJ-126552.MOD.dir - Vaio Movie Story
- MODJ-126555.MOD.dir - Vaio Movie Story Template Data
- MODJ-126696.MOD.dir - Click to Disc
- MODJ-126813.mod.dir - Click to Disc Editor
- MODJ-126934.mod.dir - VAIO BD Menu Data
- MODJ-126940.MOD.dir - VAIO DVD Menu Data Basic
- MODJ-126957.MOD.dir - Sonic PX Engine
- Java for Windows http://java.com/en/download/manual.jsp

- SonyCXD Cipher Device 1-Seg Tuner Driver
- VAIO Recovery

NOTE 1: VAIO Recovery does not have an installer. It is simply a folder that needs to be copied to C:\Program Files\Sony

NOTE 2: I could not find the SonyCXD Cipher Device driver anywhere on the Recovery CDs or on Sony's support sites. I got it from here: http://bbs.drvsky.com/read.php?tid=1836
You may have to register (free) to download it. Right click on the .inf file and choose "Install".

NOTE 3: I chose the Japanese Vaio Smart Network over the English SmartWi Connection Utility. They both do the same thing, but the Vaio Smart Network is much nicer; smaller, easier, and much better looking.

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That's it! You should have a clean fully functional and licensed Windows Vista running in English on your Japanese model Vaio TT. Many things (especially the Sony software) are optional, but can be quite useful so I would recommend installing them.

Everything should run in English except for the Mobile TV (1-Seg Tuner) and some of the Felica stuff. I've only done this on my TT, but I imagine a variation of this would work fine for other models as well.

I hope I got everything right. Please let me know if there's an error in here somewhere.

Cheers!



EDIT:
Someone gave me a link to another set of drivers in English. It's quite interesting and even includes the 1-seg Tuner and Felica port drivers...but no software. It can be a great source if you don't want or need the Sony soft. Of course, the model numbers don't match, so you'll likely need to use the Model Lock bypass trick to install them.

http://support.vaio.sony.nl/downloads/preinstalled/preinstalled.asp?site=voe_nl_NL_cons&m=6952

 

hi,

thanks for all the info though. I have a question if you don't mind?

I just got a vaio tt, vgntt51jb, and followed your steps. But im not sure which model to download from the US site, i went for the tt290 as it was also on vista, but when i pull over the drivers, they say that they only work for vista? (i have made sure that they are for the correct version of vista?)

Is this because of the type i chose, or me just being a twit? I have changed the model.txt file and that is all grand. Cant do an automatic driver download, because the network card doesnt work!

 

Great writeup. Can a similar method be used to convert Windows 7 from Japanese to English on a Vaio X?