Windows 7 Clean install Guide for Vaio FZ

@ mikolka: it's a known issue with the latest 300 series driver from Nvidia, at least for Vaio FZ users.
We don't have a solution yet. The only thing you can do is using the integrated brightness control from Windows 8 settings (right panel).

@ Eärendil: can you tell me what's your graphics ID? It should work with your Vaio. Have you disabled the signature check prior to installing the driver?

 

Thank you for this answer. Do you know what is the latest version that I can use w\o this issue? (I'm using Windows 7 32-bit - so you recommendation not useful for me :\ )

 

I don't remeber well, but if I'm not wrong the latest fully working driver was the Nvidia Verde v301.42, or even v296.10.
I think you can find the modified .inf into this thread and you can download the older driver from Nvidia website.

 

After a successful clean install of Win 7 64bit, (Thanks to ALL here) everything is working OK on my FZ4000, except Blu-Ray discs will not play. CD/DVD are OK, but no Blu-Ray. I did the drive firmware update from Sony.

 

Hi guys,
if you want I have updated the .inf file (64 bit only) for the latest Nvidia 320.18 driver released yesterday.

Unfortunately the issues are the same as before: brightness controls aren't working, so use the Windows 8 panel instead.
If you're on Windows 7 I suggest an older fully working driver, as I stated some posts ago.

Download here: 320.18.rar
:hi2:

 

Thank you so much! Actually this is the first .inf file that brings back the hdmi output on an Nvidia version for me.
And since the backlight of my screen has died, it's the only way to use my laptop again..

 

Installed Windows 8.1 preview yesterday, and ever since then the IDT Audio stopped working and I'm having issues with my ICH8 controller hub drivers. Anyone else having issues?

 

here is the latest nvidia driver, you have to follow the number 4 instruction of coolguys's first post!

http://us.download.nvidia.com/Windows/320.49/320.49-notebook-win8-win7-32bit-international-whql.exe

UPDATE-
Could not make the nvidia driver to work.

Installed ALPS Touchpad for windows 8 - Tested - Works without any problem with new gestures for Win8 only

http://global-download.gateway.com/GDFiles/Driver/TouchPad/TouchPad_ALPS_8.100.2020.112_W8x64U_A.zip?acerid=634867292566488063&Step1=NOTEBOOK&Step2=NV%20SERIES&Step3=NV76R&OS=ALL&LC=en&BC=GATEWAY&SC=PA_6G

 

coolguy I couldn't update my display driver. The modded inf is only for 64bit. Can anyone please suggest me - Should I install win8 32 bit or 64 bit? I only have 2gb ram!

UPDATE:
After intensive search (also download, install, fail, success, restart, fail, restart!) I found the right modified inf for nvidia. Here is the link:

Nvidia Driver for Windows 7 and Windows 8, 32bit (v.320.49):
http://us.download.nvidia.com/Windows/320.49/320.49-notebook-win8-win7-32bit-international-whql.exe

Download the modified inf from here (last link):
http://www.laptopvideo2go.com/drivers/win8x32/314.14/disclaimer

Extract the driver with winrar or 7zip or uniextractor. Copy the modded inf (nvwin.inf) to the "Display.Driver" folder. Run the "setup.exe". Choose "custom" installation - uncheck "3D vision driver" if you do not need it. You may uncheck "nvidia geforce experience" if you are not playing these games on your FZ:
http://www.geforce.com/geforce-experience/supported-games.
If you do install it then open it after installation and go to "Preferences>Update" and uncheck "Automatically download driver updates..." Enjoy!

Many thanks to coolguy for his continuous effort.

 

Do you have these working not for 32bit but for 64bit windows 7 as well? I think this INF is specific to 32bit, am I wrong? And I can't find the 64 version on the website where you got the 32 bit one...

Thanks in advance
Mgomes

 

yes it is only for 32bit, 64bit inf is available as an attachment at the bottom of first post.

You can download from Iperzampem0's link ... just look above.

 

Updated Nvidia driver (64-bit) to version 320.49 WHQL. Can someone provide me the 32-bit nvszcn inf file from the 320.49 WHQL driver?

I would update the 32-bit Nvidia inf soon.

 

Here is the 32bit modded inf View attachment nvwin.zip

pls check the instructions on page 136

 

Updated the 32-bit Nvidia driver to 320.49 WHQL. Both 32-bit and 64-bit modded inf's are available now.

 

Updated the Intel chipset software.

 

Thanks a lot Coolguy! I almost gave up on my FZ21M... After the Win7 upgrade, it runs great!

 

hi, just wanted to thank " coolguy " for this awesome guide ... im running windows 8 pro on my fz21z with no problems ... sony should be looking at this guide and update the drivers accordantly .

Thanks

 

I have Vpccw21fx,. Driver 320.49 64bit, i replaced nvszcn.inf 64bit. i thinks everything is ok but it's not working, alert " could not find compatibility graphics hardware"

Please help me (

 

You are welcome.

 

My modded INF doesn't support all Vaio CW GPU's. What is your GPU?

 

Hey Great Tutorial! Thank you for this.

I'm trying to install Win7 Professional 32 Bit on my Vaio fz11s and I'm just installing the drivers and now i got a problem with the Setting Utility Series and the vaio Event Service. I tried to install the drivers from the first post of this topic.... When i Run the setup Files the install process starts but interrupts suddenly and then nothing happens... When I try to run the setup again I get the message that this Software only works on Windows Vista... What can I do?

Is there any newer driver available?

Regards,
Dominik

 

You must follow the steps EXACLTY and in the sequence specified. Any deviation from that and you will run into issues. You should start over, ideally with a fresh install or by uninstalling everything you did. There are no new drivers, the ones referenced in the instructions are known to work. But again you have to follow the directions exactly as written and in the sequence shown.

Gary

 

DomDom123, you need to extract the Sony software exe files as mentioned in the first post.

 

Thank you very much for this great tutorial!

With a SSD disk upgrade, a fresh install of windows 7 64, and this guide, my FZ18M is a functional laptop again.

Just a word about the AVlauncher software. In my case is fully functional, the only annoying issue is that the configuration program appears in japanese, but is easy to guess which buttons to press to add new programs to the launcher.

Regards

Paco

 

Hi I just found this info and it's good. May not be the right thread for this but can't find any more on FZ. However, I have a question regarding my Sony FZ38M which has the Nvidia chip useless. Sony don't want to know but does anyone here know how to remove the Nvidia drivers from the Sony wim file? I have found them but every time I try and commit changes thru imagex it says error INVALID. Any ideas please??

 

Amazing guide and updated. I work in IT and it is the best and most through I have ever seen including helpful on going updates. Thanks a million! I used it to reload my SONY VAIO VGN-FZ140E.

I was surprised that when I used the Universal EXE Extract WISE / installshield package exploring utility that the x64 or 64bit driver is already inside the VGP-VCC4 (Motion Eye) driver (SODCAM-12842500-US.EXE) along with the DPInst64.exe 64-bit installer. Weird, why doesn't sony update the package so when it is run under Windows 7 64bit that it uses the 64bit version of the driver??? Function keys working great including the 'S' button and AV button. Incredible work and still needed!!!! - MrBios.

 

I'm not sure imagex can do that. Why not back the laptop up with imaging software like ghost or acronis and then use a tool like vmware converter which is able to remove drivers from the hardware layer of the registry in preparation for moving an image to a virtual host (which you would not be doing but the resulting image would be free of the nvidia drivers. Then you could install which ever drivers you wanted in the normal way with the laptop booted up.

 

hey all, i have an vgn-fz21m with webcam problem no driver no software
in device manager is not recognized like imaging device is nothing there
i installed the Ricoh (Sony VGP-VCC8) camera driver 6.1006.211.0: (for FZ-2xx, 3xx, 4xx models) without results
i need help pls

 

Can you update the inf file for the latest nvidia drivers?

 

Hi, i can't find the Intel® Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN 13.4.0.139

 

you can download from this mirror
Scarica Intel PRO/Wireless and WiFi Link Drivers 16.1.5 Win7 64-bit - FileHippo.com
or
Scarica Intel PRO/Wireless and WiFi Link Drivers 16.1.5 Win7 32-bit - FileHippo.com

let me know

 

Fixed the wifi driver links.
Thanks for letting me know.

 

I will update the inf soon.

 

Quick note of thanks to Coolguy for this work. I spent a day on my VGN-AR31S yesterday and got nowhere with the display driver. This sorted it for me. Much appreciated.

 

I am glad that I could help.

 

Good news to FZ owners, the latest Nvidia driver 331.65 WHQL installs without modification for the 8400M GT GPU. However, not all hardware ID's are supported.

Check the "ListDevices.txt" file (found in the main folder) to see if your GPU/ hardware ID is supported.

 

Hi Coolguy,

Could you update the .inf 331.65 WHQL 64-bit for AW series with 9600M GT GPU??
Here are my specs:

PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0649&SUBSYS_9040104D&REV_A1
PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0649&SUBSYS_9040104D
PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0649&CC_030000
PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0649&CC_0300

Thank you in advance.

Kind regards,

 

Hello,

Thank you so much for this guide, it has been so helpful.
I was running Windows 7-32 bits and everything was working perfectly.

I switched to windows 8 - 64 bits and there are 2 things I didn't get to work:
- the brightness control keys (OSD pop up but it only moves from 0 to 1 bar and brightness doesn't actually change)
- the wireless switch utility

Any way to fix that?

Tx

 

@ Coolguy,

Hi, just having a couple of questions:
I have W7 64-bit.
I opened your modded .inf files 306.97 & 314.22 and from what I understand you are adding the GPU HW ID's to three sections of SetA devices plus the GPU model in the section "Strings".
My question is about the values added to the SetA devices strings, you are implementing a "Section" number 19 then 20 to the next set & 21 to the third.
On another modded .inf you are also adding the values of 19 & 20 & 21 too..
What is the "Logic" for choosing those numbers, are these arbitrary values or it has something to do with the OS version i.e W7 64-bit or something else??
How these values are chosen??
Can I add these values, "as is", to future Nvidia drivers???
Also, are you changing any values to the ListDevices .txt or not?
Thank you in advance for shedding some light.

Best regards,

 

Thanks for the guide! This came in handy for a friend a few weeks ago.

 

The Sets in the inf correspond to the OS'es Vista, Win 7, Win 8 and Win 8.1.
The sections correspond to GPU's. Once Sony had released a driver in their FTP site, which had support for all Vaio notebook GPU's.
These sections are now carried over in the Nvidia released drivers too. So I just plug in the hardware id's to the relevant section numbers.

But Nvidia had changed their section numbering scheme in the most recent driver, which adds official Windows 8.1 support. So I had to rework the inf, and I am done with it.

 

The Sony brightness control doesn't work with Windows 8. There is no resolution for this issue, at present. Same is the case with the WLAN switching utitlity.

 

Updated Nvidia driver to 331.65 WHQL.

 

The link to the Audio Driver in the first post is broken / nonexistent; does anyone else have a backup of this install file?

Much thanks in advance,

DC

 

I do not own a Sony VIAO (but I bought one to my mother-in-law and she is really happy with it).

I just use this Toshiba Bluetooth Stack V8.00.03 on my Dell Latitude D630 and I was stuck with this "Trial period expired" message with no option to purchase a full-time license. So I just picked up this rewritten library ToshChk.dll from the available zip here then replaced the Toshiba original one et voila: I can now use this nice bluetooth manager again under Windows 7!

Thanks to coolguy for this valuable and accurate post including so valuable tips that can address any laptop.

Cheers from France to any reader of this thread, anywhere!

 

The link worked for me after a "non-existing" message. I have updated the link, try downloading now.

 

Hi coolguy,

thanks a lot for make functional this piece of notebook to the max. W7 Ultimate x64 working perfectly.

Best regards from Spain.

David.


PD: FYI I had downloaded this Intel Wifi Link 4965AGN driver versión directly from Intel (not zip versión):

http://downloadmirror.intel.com/22116/eng/Wireless_15.3.1_Ds64.exe

The driver version is the same, but not the install tool. Only x64 for W7, tested and working for me. (I have not tested in W8, I will try when I can).

 

This is a spectacular guide. Thank you so much!

 

Hey. I have a problem with the Sony Vaio VGN-A41M
PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0426&SUBSYS_9016104D

After installing the driver according to the instructions, there are artifacts all over the screen and the system hangs (tightly).
Please help .... very tired of sitting on a 6 year old drivers ....

 

Hallo!
I need some help :-(

I tried to install the Bluetooth Driver of Toshiba (listed as 15), on a fresh installation of Windows / 64 bit on a Vaio FZ18M.

I have downloaded the BT-stack-64bit_end-user.zip
Unzipped the file v80003T_20101215_x64.exe
I follow the wizard.

When the system try to install the driver (a new wizard window appear) the installation block:
"Installation of Bluetooth Driver. Please wait..."
and then appear a dialog window says "Close your Bluetooth Device and klick OK"

Hier I have a loop.... after 30 second/1minute "Close your Bluetooth Device and klick OK" appear agein and again...

Anyone can help me?

TY in advance and sorry for my bad english.

Best regards