Vaio Z Windows 7 Official driver available now!!

Sorry guys, I haven't been here in a while. It's time to upgrade to Win7 but I just want to make sure I get the steps right.

I have a Z540, will the drivers be OK for me?
Is there a step by step for a clean install, since I will be going from Vista 32bit to Win7 64bit?

Thanks in advance...!

 

Sony US has an excellent Windows Update documentation. You can go there and follow their steps. Then, get the video drivers and Bios from the Europe website. Sony is a Global company. As long as you install the right Bios, everything should work.

 

Ok
I'm ready to do a clean install on my Z26 (came with x86 Vista). It currently runs R2169M3 (the VT enabler), and I seek to clean install to 7 x64 PRO.

I have downloaded EVERYTHING from the Z8xx support page (Page 1 of this thread) minus the things under WIRELESS which I believe is for the American Z.

So to confirm (the last one, seriously!!!).
1. I install BIOS R2170M3 on my current Vista OS from the link vttraveller gave us.
2. Clean install Windows 7 x64 Pro
3. Install the Sony nVidia driver from page 1 of this thread (for the Z8xxx) from the link made by achau
4. Install everything else for the Z8xxx (from page 1 of this thread by achau) on my Z26 as usual minus the drivers under WIRELESS in my case

So that will make EVERYTHING work on my Z? (including brightness under SPEED)?
Also, just curious but does R2170M3 allow 8GB RAM?

Thanks in advance.

 

Just performed on my Z590. Went from Vista 32-bit and did a clean install with Windows 7 64-bit. Followed same steps and everything is working perfectly (as far as I can tell), including brightness in speed mode.

 

Does the BIOS stand for a much longer period of time (new BIOS for working Graphics driver) then it previously has with other BIOS updates??? I'm seeing this and just wondering if anyone else has had this occur???

 

Ok, currently stuck on something...
The R2170M3 BIOS firmware recommended by vttraveller (thanks by the way) comes with a .bat file AND a .exe file.
I just extract the .exe file and install that? Or does the .bat file have to be in the same directory as the .exe to install right? Just asking this since messing a BIOS firmware can brick a computer...

Also, I am having problems download the Z82x chipset driver from Sony's eSupport site (page one on this thread); link is dead.
Despite somebody having replied before saying that any Z chipset driver (or from Intel for that matter) is safe on any Z, can somebody recommend me to a Sony site where I can get a x64 Windows 7 chipset driver for the Z26?

All set for installation but being hampered from the above issues...

Cheers

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=427883

 

Just curious why people are installing so many drivers, when Windows 7 has drivers for almost everything? You can install chipset, audio, wireless, ethernet, bluetooth, etc. etc. but it is all there, recognized and working. With just a video driver and SD memory driver I was within a few things of everything working except for S1, S2 and CD Eject buttons, which I don't care about. Why bother with all the SONY utilities/drivers?

Windows 7 is fully aware of the INTEL chipset in the Z. What will installing the chipset drivers add to the experience?

Thanks for the links to the new firmware.

 

That's a good question. I'm asking that myself.
So what's the benefit!?

If you want to use the buttons and control the display brightness you have to install the Vaio Event Service.

TDO

 

Don't use the Z82x drivers. Some of the Sony utility in Z82x will check your model and it won't allow you to install. Go to another thread. Firestone had consolidate all the drivers and you can download them. You can just run the exe file of the bios file.

Here is a good installation instruction:

http://sonydb.isomedia.com/US/perl/support-info.pl?template_id=1&info_id=508&9

The crucial success factor is the correct bios version, correct graphic driver and installation order. It is not that difficult. Good luck.

 

Hey!

I have upgraded to Windows 7 quite a while ago and putting everything together in terms of drivers. I followed all the steps published at Sony Vaio website and also tried all the suggestions here. The brightness setting still behaves weirdly.

In Speed all I can change is the very first level of brightness (it does not allow me to increase it any higher). In Stamina it works fine until I switch to Speed and then back to Stamina which totally breaks the function.

I am using the recommended version of Vaio Event service (4.1). Would like to ask what's the difference using 5.0 which I noticed was recommended by some of you? And in addition to it, where was that originally downloaded? I searched the web for newer version of Event service but found nothing at all.

By the way, running Z21XN and Windows 7 32-bit.

Thanks

 

Did you use clean install? Did you use the 32bit driver? The 32bit driver is this:
http://support.vaio.sony.eu/computi...0208679.exe&m=VGN-Z41MD_B&ip=EP0000208679.htm

If you did not use clean install, maybe you need to use the 32 bit version of graphic card uninstaller provided by the Europe website to remove all the old nvidia driver files and setting before you install the new one. After you install the graphic driver, use the control panel to remove your old event service and then install the updated event service.

You can find event service here:

ftp://ftp.vaio-link.com/PUB/VAIO/ORIGINAL/

The event service 5.0.0.07100 works for me.

One of the differences is that you are using 32bit Windows 7 while many people use 64bit Windows 7.

 

No, it was not a clean install. I upgraded from Windows Vista.

I used the driver you point at, I properly uninstalled the previous version of nvidia drivers. I even deleted all the drivers for Intel that were installed by Windows on login. I verified that all of the graphic drivers belong to nvidia (including the Intel).

The only solution that might work could be the proposed Event service 5.0 I guess.

 

Then, uninstall the event service and reinstall the new one. if it is still not working, I don't know. You may need to ask if anyone is able to make everything work on 32bit windows 7. Final resort is to try a clean install but you must make sure that someone has 32bit Windows 7 working before you take this step.

 

I am using the 187.35 drivers and the 4043 bios.. both can be found in this thread.

 

hey.

i use the r2170 bios and the new NVidia-driver.
But the brightness in speed-mode will not work!
i tried everything..(reinstall Sony shared library and syon event center, ....

someone any idea?

thanke

 

How do you know if SONY event services are not working?
I had been having trouble getting 64 bit Windows 7 to install
properly, without bluescreens, etc. before the 2170 BIOS, but
now it appears to install fine.

As for "driver support" there is ZERO at this point for my Z570.
If SONY is reading anything here (quite sure they are not) I am
not appreciating having to comb through other international SONY
sites, guessing as to what might work (and usually does not) in order
to facilitate a clean install of Windows 7.

If SONY is late posting these drivers, the decent thing to do would
be to put SOMETHING on these blank webpages saying that the
drivers for Windows 7 for VGN-Zxx model will be available at date/time.

These FTP drivers don't say for Z specifically, do you know what models
they are intended to be for:
ftp://ftp.vaio-link.com/PUB/VAIO/WIN7UPGRADE/

 

After a number of trial and error of installing different drivers, I knew that the event services takes care the Fn key brightness. If the Fn key brightness is not working, this must be the event services problem.

I agree that Sony should do it better. We wasted a lot of time to make it work. There is no single place to keep all these drivers. We need to search from different locations to get a complete set of drivers, utility and bios.

I don't know all the file in that ftp site. The ftp site is used by the Europe support website. You need to go to Europe support website and do a file matching.

 

Couple questions:
1.) Why do we need INTEL chipset drivers if Windows 7 knows the chipset?
2.) Why should I install bluetooth, audio, wireless, ethernet, and touchpad drivers if they are functioning correctly in Windows 7.
3.) Why would I want SONY power management vs Windows 7's management?
4.) What does SONY Firmware Extension Parser actually do? Same for SONY Programmable i/o controller? Is Windows File Mini-Image driver still needed for Windows 7.

 

I'm trying to install the correct drivers for a 32-bit "clean" install of Windows 7 on a Z550.

On the US site Sony has not listed any drivers - does anyone have links to drivers that will work? Preferably someone has already tested them

 

I don't want any utilities.
I am not even using the fingerprint reader, webcam or WAN.

I am using the Bluetooth driver that Windows 7 installed, it works.
Why would I need SONY's bluetooth driver instead?

Same for the trackpad driver, the generic Windows driver seems
to do everything that the Alps driver does. Please correct me if I am wrong!

I got audio from Windows 7's install. What am I missing not having the true
Realtek driver? Again, I would really like to know this!

My wireless-n driver worked fine out of the Windows install.

My ethernet worked fine also.

This is a clean install question ONLY:

For any of you who have blown your partition
away and done a fresh, clean install of Windows 7:

Why would you want to update drivers for devices that Windows 7
has already found, and enabled?

 

What BIOS version are you flashed to?
What version of Windows 7 32 bit?
Any reason you chose 32 bit?

The links for "working drivers" are mainly on the European SONY site, just pick England, then browse through Z1 models.

This is too early for someone to have tested drivers and method for you to use, since there are zero drivers on the USA site for your 550 and my 570.

 

As long as you are comfortable with the features after clean install, that's fine. You don't need to do anything extra. The drivers from Sony are not developed by Sony. They are the latest drivers developed by the various component manufacturers. The drivers come from the Windows 7 are from the same manufacturers but older version. I assume that later version has improvement over older version.

Sometimes, the Windows build in drivers are just the basic one. For example, I think that the standard bluetooth driver in Windows 7 doesn't support some device such as the bluetooth audio. If you want to control the sound go thru the HDMI, you need the realtek driver.

Again, it is your call if you really need all these and the optimial performance of your notebook.

 

1) R2170m3

2) "Home Premium"

3) Frankly, just taking the safe route. I'm not that schooled on the differences but I had heard that it causes some compatibility issues with older programs and - as of now - there isn't much performance gain excepting for games (which I don't play).

4) Is my model Z1 or Z2 in European paralance?

5) I'd figured that since the software's been "out" for 2 days someone might have tried it.

 

Can you scoll the pages or zoom with Windows default driver by touchpad?

Go to www.realtek.com.tw to download latest driver.

Without anything installed after fresh installation of the OS, can you use a specific functions made by laptop or device manufacturers?

 

anyone reporting with speed mode (and brightness control) on Z series 6?
what did you do to get this to work properly? the series 8 video driver is giving me the half screen effect.

 

Good points, thanks!

Still trying, I hope to have an answer, but mine will be Windows 7 Ultimate x64 not Home Premium 32 that you are trying. Likely to be a similar, if not identical install process.

Maybe not fully functional, but I wanted to start from just what Windows provides and add just the drivers that are really needed. There have been some great comments about mouse functions and HDMI that I hadn't thought of, so I will probably install most of the drivers, but probably none of the utilities.

 

I have a Z540.. However, I can not find Win 7 drivers in the support page..! Ultimate, Home, professional, 32 bit 64 bit.. nothing on sony's official page for the Z540..! What to do now! Was I left behind or what..?

 

There are no US drivers for the VGN-Z5xx models yet. While installing a UK BIOS and drivers is a possibility, you may lose functionality that's US specific, like the Sprint WWAN (and the pseudo-GPS that comes with it).

 

For example, windows will only have standard driver for all mice or touchpads.
If you use touchpad a lot (without external mouse), you will find sony touchpad has scroll functions, up and down by slide your finger along right edge, or left and right along bottom edge. The new function is zoom in or out at left edge. There are also some other functions assigned to top left corner.

 

Thanks.
I hadn't thought of, or been aware of this functionality.

 

Windows 7 Ultimate (both x86 and x64) found full information for the chipset on my Z570. I have noticed that some people are actually installing the INTEL chipset utility on Windows 7 in VISTA compatibility mode.

It would seem to me that Windows 7 RTM would be more up to date on these chipset drivers than the old INTEL drivers would be.

Is there a newer INTEL chipset driver set that would work on a U.S. Z570
model? Could you send me a link to it? Also, I am running an X25-M in my Z.
Will these chipset drivers provide any significant extra functionality for my setup?

 

Problems with new Bios R2170M3 on a Z21WN. I get a strange screen behavior during booting: it's fading from black to a vertial scratchy display to a 100% white screen and then back to vertial scratchy and further to black screen again and then computer is booting to win xp (default boot selection). See pictures.
(I can't choose between XP or 7). After this everything else is working as it should.

This happens 4 boots of 5 and I see no pattern in this behavior. It does not matter if I go from XP or 7 then booting.

Am I alone with this problem?

Best Regards Thomas Lydhig, Sweden

 

i don't understand a thing. efi mode is the default type of the installation of windows 7 x64?

 

Thanks for your help vtraveller, but I am not such an expert! The Bios that you talk about I must install it when the Z is on Vista or after the upgrade? The Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor tells me to uninstall the Intel ProSet Wireless Wifi driver before installing W7...but in this case I will not be able to download the drivers. I have to do it defore in a USB key? Could you be so helpfull and do a step by step thread? Because there are many but quite all are for Z3xx or more new models.

 

NO idea what is causing that...
try to see whether reinstalling the bios will help or not...

 

Installed NEW BIOS R2170M3 on my Z570. I had previously flashed to R2169M3 earlier in the week. Fresh installed Windows 7 Ultimate x64 and installed the NEW 64 bit nVidia driver NVDVID-00208041-764.EXE and I have brightness control within Windows 7 using the on-screen slider! This capability had been absent for Speed Mode all along.

All of this is without one single Windows 7 driver being posted by SONY for my model!
Thanks a lot, SONY!! (not)

Questions:

1.) I have to reboot to change video modes.
What utilities have to be installed to make the slider switch active and real-time? I thought it was VAIO Event Services, but that didn't work.

2.) I don't even know where I got the NVDVID-00208041-764.EXE, can anyone tell me?

 

I have the same issue. I have to reboot to switch the graphics mode. I also can't get the brightness button to work. I am using a Z540 (Can someone tell me whether that is a Z1, Z2, etc?). I updated to BIOS R2170M3 before clean installing Windows 7. I have the Nvidia 8.16.11.8735 driver with Event Services 5.0.

I tried using Nvidia uninstaller and reinstalling the Nvidia driver and Event Services, but as soon as I reboot after uninstalling, Windows will install a driver for the graphics card. For those of you who have successfully fixed the brightness function by reinstalling the drivers, could you please tell me how you did it?

 

Yours is a Z1, like mine.
I HAVE fixed the brightness function, since it is now available in Windows 7.
The Fn-hotkey brightness function is a separate issue.

Could someone who knows, please post:
What some of these ill-named SONY utilities are, and what they do?
After a year, I would like to know:

- What is Windows Mini-port filter driver?
- What is Programmable i/io?
- What is VAIO Event Service?
- Etc.

Could someone who knows, just list these with a few words about what they actually do?

That would be most appreciated!

 

Bios problem:
Two clarifications:
1. Default boot on MY Z21 is XP (and has nothing to do with 32/64 bit) and I use 32 bit Win7.
2. When this problem occurs I see no normal bootscreens. Like the "O2"-boot screen. After power on I just see a screen that is black->gray scratchy-white->grey scratchy->black and then I'm in Win XP.

I't is not possible to reinstalling the bios as it is up to date. Is there walk arounds?

I have now seen a pattern in the behavior: if PC is in Speed mode I get the scratchy screen. But in Stamina mode it works exactly as normal.

I have also seen that this bios makes the Speed mode in Win XP disapear (to Intel/Stamina) after some standby:s (closing the lid a few times). So I have to reboot my XP quite often now to stay in Speed mode

/Thomas

 

Sounds to me like your Xp drivers are not 100% compatible with the new Bios.

Why are you still using Xp?!
Win 7 has a perfect Xp Emulation.

TDO

 

hi guys
Anyone tryed how GPS is working after clean or upgrade version of windows 7 ?
I use GPS alot with my 790 and im worry it will mess up with new 7 upgrade

 

GPS is working great!

 

hey thx for quick answer!
I have one more newbie question!
Will i be able to do clean instal with my win 7 UPGRADE dics?
thank you

 

I have the same question as dario, can we use this DVD to Clean Install 7?

 

Nope


The message you have entered is too short. Please lengthen your message to at least 10 characters.

 

Not entirely true:
http://www.winsupersite.com/win7/clean_install_upgrade_media.asp

 

Question for you guys who claim your Z is running perfectly --

Does audio work for HDMI out? I.e. when you connect your Z to your TV via HDMI, are both video and audio properly outputted to your TV?

Many thanks for your input...

 

lydhig - did you manage to resolve this?

I have exactly the same problem. I recently updated my BIOS on my Z21WN/B to the windows 7 BIOS availble on vaio UK support. Everything was working fine for a couple of reboots now I have a black screen fading into white with vertical lines as per you picture. However switching speed mode into stamina does nothing. Laptop is completely useless - anybody else experiencing this?

 

no point.
sony drivers dvd will refuse to install over clean installation. it will only install drivers if its upgrade windows.