Warning to Sony Laptop Owners: Sony does not give out service manuals for their customers.

I'm talking about the Service manual, not the owner's manual mind you.

So what do you do if your hard drive fails after that 1 year factory warranty expires?

I own a clevo, and have no problem getting the service manual for it. I called Sony and tried getting the service manual for a sony vaio laptop. Sony does not give out the service manuals for their laptops. Now the sony laptop isn't mine, I'm just trying to replace the hard drive on it for a relative that bought it just a little over a year ago. But I will never consider buying anything Sony after this kind of support for what is still a relatively new product. It's very disappointing.

I know there are some unofficial web sites that have service manuals for some models out there, but I couldn't find any for the newer vgn-ns240e/w models.

I'd stay away from Sony due to this poor support.

 

Sony did have a manual for my FZ showing how to add RAM and replace Hard drive.

 

Yes, they do have service manuals for every model that techs refer to. The problem is they do not post them on their web site, nor do they give them out when you call asking for it. All they need to do is post it on their web site as a simple pdf file.

 

yeah, as an owner of a new Z that's one thing I noticed with much disappointment.

 

I can help out with the Z manuals (VPC-Z11 and Z12) but not much else

VPCZ1.pdf ~Z1
VPC-Z12 version2.pdf ~ Z12

To get to the parts list find the exploded diagram with the part on it and click the blue paperclip (launches in Excel)

 

How many manufacturers actually do post their detailed tear down guides on their consumer support website? I really haven't come across many who do this. It's because they don't want you to dismantle your laptop. In some locales Sony will sell you an exploding diagram and i have one for my TT.

 

HP's website is very thorough about providing all versions of all documentation for their laptops.

I meant, I was disappointed that no manual hardcopy came with the laptop. The point being, that if something goes wrong, I can't necessarily look up the pdf on the broken laptop. Also, Sony provides ample documentation about how to safely upgrade the RAM, but this info is most useful when the machine is turned off Furthermore, it's nice not to have to agree to a nonsense Adobe EULA in order to read the manual for my Sony computer. That's just poor form.

 

Yeah, HP is great about this. I also wrote to sony requesting a service manual for a Z, and they said no. Siris- Thanks a bunch for those!

 

No problem

 

I second that!!

 

It's nice to have a service manual, but it's generally unnecessary for memory and hard drive replacement. On most current models, all you have to do is remove an access panel from the bottom and it's right there.

On previous generation models, the motherboard tended to be bigger and Sony usually placed the drive under the palmrest above the motherboard. On those models, you remove all the screws from the bottom that are marked with an arrow (some may be under an access panel or the battery). Then flip it over and remove the keyboard. There are additional marked screws and various connectors under the keyboard that also need to be removed - these should be self evident. Then carefully unsnap the palmrest/cover from the base and the hard drive will be accessible. If this all sounds like too much to attempt without a service manual, then you probably shouldn't attempt it with a service manual either - better to pay a tech.

 

I have changed my hd/cpu/vid card in my clevo with the greatest of ease. If you want to know about easy, and user friendly engineering, buy a clevo.

The sony laptop isn't mine, so I want to take care to make sure no tabs are broken in the process. Sometimes laptops have certain tricks to get it done right. This sony could be one of them. Never the less, "techs" that you pay to repair these laptops refer to service manuals. Why not just give out the service manuals? I tell you why, because Sony is greedy as hell and doesn't care about their customers.

 

thank you so much for this VPC-Z12

 

i think the vaio z have small design, so the way to take apart must be more complicate.