Windows 7 (64) Installation Guide -- Sony FZ280 E/B

Alright, here's my attempt at providing a guide for a clean Windows 7 (64) installation. My guide is more of a 'bare bones' installation as I only installed what is needed for functionality of the big features. The guide is incomplete. I will continue to update the document as I make more progress. Please feel free to report anything you find that is incorrect etc.

Please keep in mind this is for a FZ280 E/B, I have no idea if it will work on other FZ models.

I am still having problems with the Bluetooth driver/software and the Wireless Switch Utility (what exactly is this needed for?). I believe the functionality for Bluetooth is dependent on the something to do with the Wireless Switch Utility. However I haven't had any luck installing either option.

****EDIT****
There appears to be a problem with the power management. I unplugged the notebook for the first time and the battery went from 95% to 60% within 5 - 10 minutes. Any thoughts will be appreciated. I will be researching for a solution as well.


Below is the attached guide and a link to download the drivers I have used for the installation.

http://rapidshare.com/files/307190979/Windows_7_Ultimate_64_-_FZ280eb.rar.html

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**EDIT**

It appears that the battery will force a shutdown in less than 5 minutes when disconnecting the power. When I do this the battery is at 100%. I have taken dr.pratik's advice and installed the VAIO Utilities. It doesn't appear to have helped. I will continue to see what I can do

 

install vaio utilites a large 50 mb file from vaio support.it does have vaio power management in it.

 

thanks kevf74 all info is greatly thanked here . im working on modded bios for fz with sony slic 2.1

 

Is there a real need/advantage to updating the BIOS? I hadn't even thought of doing that....

 

you can activate win 7 like oem if it has slic 2.1 just oem key and cert

 

Does anyone know if some of these drivers will work for a FZ430E?

 

i have a fz 160 and have install win 7 many times 32 and 64 only drivers ive ever installed were card readers and sony stuff to make all special keys work. always let windows install rest . worked well but the battery always had short time . trying some of the power mgt from the z to see if i can get the life longer .

 

lol That's exactly what I need to work. I've been looking everywhere for both the card reader driver and sony software.

 

ill see if i can find my old folder with the 64 bit files in it . is that what you are tring to install 64 bit ?

 

I have the 64 bit installed on my laptop. I'm just missing the sony software to display things like the contrast, volume, ect.

These are the driver errors I have
(code 28)
Massive Storage Controller
Location: PCI bus 9, device 3, function 2

Unknown Device
Location: on Intel(R) ICH8M LPC Interface Controller - 2815
hardware id: ACPI\SNY5001

 

demx -- if you use the rapidshare link above the drivers for the memory card reader etc are included.

I too am still trying to figure out the power management issue.

 

Sounds like the Memory Card Reader and the Sony Firmware Parser (SFEP). They are the standard unknown items after the initial Win 7 install.

 

kev are you up to some testing . in the past i have found that alot of sony drivers are the same . the same sfep. utilities and all hardware . heres some links
http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/swu-list.pl?mdl=VGNFW590&LOC=3

http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/swu-list.pl?mdl=VGNZ850GB&LOC=3

just remember unpack drivers then install you wont get that this is not for your compute

 

im kinda burnt out on testing . have been testing on fz and z since first got ahold of win 7 . before rc versions

 

what are you looking to test here??

 

im not i thought you had a few problems with some drivers thought the links would help

 

thanks kevf74, i have a fz4000 cto and all of the drivers you provided worked perfectly! i havent had any troubles yet, and let's hope it stays that way, lol.

i'm gonna be counting on you to get the bluetooth working.

 

didnt you say need help with bluetooth and wireless switching

 

lol, yes I do have a problem with them. trying to do too much at once today...football, the computer, etc etc. I will see what I can figure out and post results soon. Thanks for everyone's input.

 

i would try for you but my model fz 160 dosent have bluetooth

 

i am trying to get the scrool on my touchpad working on my fz430 but i dont know which driver to install. any ideas? and the link on the first page to the drivers seems to not work. is that just me?

thanks in advanced

 

bobby j -- What model do you have? What OS are you using? The drivers listed on the first page are for an FZ280 E/B and Windows 7 Ultimate 64. I have not tested them on any other OS/model.

 

link on first page is dead ive been trying for about hour now says all 10 downloads used up

 

uploading a new link now...will post in a few minutes.

**EDIT**


A new link has been posted on the initial post.

 

thanks downloading .

 

Thanks Kev for the download, and guys for helping figuring out missing drivers. I now don't see any yellow exclamation mark. I installed the Sony Shared Library, but I don't see it. What exactly am I suppose to look for, to make sure it is installed?

 

there kinda invisible i thnk

 

lol alrighty

 

hey kev i looked at the files you have and i think some are out dated and you also need to install sony utilities this is power mgt and control center and i think thats why you might be having problem with bluetooth and wireles switching . if i can find time ill upload file with updated and all if thats ok with you . dont want to step on anyone feet. it also conrols av launcher ans s button (utilities)

 

also you should really install mother board driver !

 

Please be more specific when making suggestions. With so much information it is easy to get confused.

 

im working on new file with more up to date driver and complete set that should be installed .

 

Thank you so much but can you provide us with the links for which sites yuo have been using to install the drivers ???

Again thank you for the help.

 

The link is gone. Please could you upload it again? Thanks.

 

I do not have access to my system today at work. Once I get home I will upload the drivers again.

I still haven't solved the power management issue. I tried a couple of different drivers for FW models with no luck. Once I had installed the control center, power management, etc I kept on getting some error where VAIO wasn't reading the battery as 'plugged in'. It would ask me to click 'ok' to put the system into hibernation and reconnect the battery. So not sure what the deal is there.

 

Thanks. A greeting.

 

kevf74 that might be the battery checker program . need to uninstall that ! sony has a problem with that so on all my sonys i leave that off .its a utility ! when you installed utilities did you install them as a package or 1 at a time ? if 1 at a time then easy in control panel / programs just uninstall battery checker . if you install as a single unit then uninstall sony utilities and then take your utilities installer and unpack and then install 1 at a time and leave out battery checker. problem fixed

 

I'm able to use the buttons such as the volume control, (play,pause,stop,skip) and Fn buttons but I'm not able to see anything on the screen. Has anyone found a way to get these to work?

 

My volume/brightness appear on my screen when adjusting. I used the drivers at the beginning of the thread. I will reload them tonight when I get home.


**random question**

anyone know why my pic doesn't show w/my posts?

 

I can see the pic in your sig, is that what what you are talking about?

 

odd, i just noticed I can't see anyone's picture.

 

Will the VAIO Event Service - 5.0.0.07300 from the Vaio Z work on the FZ series?

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

 

This version has problems with my FZ-190. The screen brightness locks down at 39% when I change the brightness. I am using version 4.3.xxx now.

 

Thanks coolguy. Is there a way to set the S1 and AV mode buttons? So far they don't do anything on my computer.

 

The AV mode doesn't work properly with my Nvidia 8400M GT even in 32-bit Vista. So I didn't touch it. I followed the registry hack in the link below ( step #20) to modify the S button path. Make sure you have Setting utility series 4.3.xx and Vaio event service 4.3.xx installed.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=242431

 

Sorry about the delay guys. New link posted.

 

Kev, does the new link contain the same files as the previous?

 

Yes they are the same. I haven't had time to really test any further. Hope to have more time later this week.

 

I have a vaio event service 4.3.xx, but my setting utility is 3.1.xx. I'm trying to find a 4.3 now.

My utililities seem to be all over the place, will this be a problem?
Control Center is 4.0.xx
Original Function Setting 1.4.xx
Power Management 4.0.xx
Content Metadata XML Interface Library 3.1.xx
Content Metadata Intelligent Analyzing Manager 3.0.xx