Vaio VGN-FZ21 & WinXP Pro - mission impossible

Hello everyone.

Does anyone have an idea is it really possible to install WinXP Pro OS on that model?
I have the official support answer - they say no.But they always say "no"
So i would be thankfull if someone shares any idea how to "beat" the Vista and downgrade to XP

P.S. Vaio support mentioned something about installing drivers for FE31, mentioning that they give no guarantee that system will work properly and that i am doing this on my own risk.
Have anyone tried this already ?

 

It should be possible- I will soon be trying to load XP pro on a VGN-FZ210c/e ($599 at circuitcity). I will update this thread with my progress (or lack thereof)
Look for drivers here or here.

 

You will find the drivers, but the auxilary applications needed for the Function keys and power managment are not available. That has been the stumbling block for the other folks who have attempted this. There are numerous threads here on this issue.

Gary

 

I was worried about that- below is from the sony asia site:

Code:

IMPORTANT: Before proceeding with the upgrade, disconnect all external hardware devices, including PC Cards etc.
Note: Before proceeding, ensure that the VAIO computer is operated using the supplied AC adapter.
Note: Save all data/files and close all running programs.

1. AV Mode Button can not be used.
2. Instant On mode can not be used.
3. Fn+F5/Fn+F6 Function Key(Brightness Control) can not be used.
4. Fn+F10(Zoom in/out function) can not be used.
5. When connect with HDMI, the sound output does not work.

 

An update:
Got windows XP pro installed- using a combination of the drivers from the sony asia site and the ftp site got every device up and running. Then installed the applications from the Asia site. The sony notes above are accurate- basically the only thing that doesn't work is the brightness keys- the power management works (except for changing the screen brightness)
Overall very pleased with the XP install

 

Jimmyz1,

Are you SURE the power mangement is functioning? Other reports here are to the contrary, they say the CPU speed is not being adjusted. What are you seeing in terms of power management that IS working?

Gary

 

I haven't done extensive testing but it appears to be working (other than screen brightness)
Here is what I see:
In my control panel power options I now have an additional tab- something like sony power etc.
There I can modify the various preset sony power modes- i.e. vaio optimized, maximum battery, ultimate battery
I assume its working by the following-
If I set it to maximum battery and run on battery the reported CPU speed drops, the screen color drops to 16 bit, and I get a warning message in the icon bar stating that my computer is entering quiet mode and I should look for signs of overheating (its a little less dramatic than that). Finally the little "cpu meter" in the icon bar switches from performance to adaptive (I think).

As I have mentioned the screen brightness does not change (although it is set to change in the various modes when running on battery)- there does not seem to be an xp compatible service out there that can control the brightness settings- the function key brings up the onscreen brightness bar but doesn't change anything.

I'm not on the vaio right now but if you want me to do some more specific testing let me know

 

hi,

I've installed XP pro on my VGN-FZ21Z but I'm having problems with the screen going dark after 30mins when idle, even when powered by AC power pack with the monitor set to never power off.
The machine is still running so has not went into standby mode but the only way I can get the screen to return to full brightness is to pull out the power cord then re-insert it.

I installed the shared DL'S & power mangement util for the model VGN-FE31M and it has the VAIO power management tab now.
which was suggested here...(in spanish but ran it through babelfish)
http://club.vaio.sony.co.uk/clubvaio/GB/en/forum/viewthread?thread=45094

I never run the laptop with the battery in XP so don't care about any other power mangement stuff just as long as it doesn't switch off the monitor ?

has anybody seen this issue before?

cheers..
stu.

 

Heya guys,

can you help me out here. I am trying to install XP on FZ11Z but I cannot get it to work. There is some error when trying to format HDD saying that some actions are unable to be applied to HDD. Is this duo to 945 chipset and I have to splipstream XP and install new drivers for it?

 

You need to slipstream the drivers for the SATA hard drive.

Gary

 

Ok, finally I have time to do it, I hope 2 days are enough

Could you please point me to the correct drivers I need to slipstream into XP installation?

thanks!

 

http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Det...&OSFullName=Windows* XP Professional&lang=eng

If you have a USB Floppy Drive, you don't need to slipstream. Just create the driver disk from Intel website, put it in your floppy drive and reboot. Press F6 when prompted by XP. You have to enable external boot drive in the BIOS for XP to recognize the floppy.

 

Hm...im almost done.

But the Audio driver is fracking with me I tried the ones from sony asia or the one from europe FTP. Both drivers failed, saying no such device detected. Yes..and I did install the microsoft hotfix.

Any ideas?