Windows 7 on Vaio Z - Procedure

For those still struggling to get W7 (64) working on the Z, here is my brief guide. I documented everything I did while I was installing and I've provided links to the sites I obtained the drivers from.

My install works completely with mostly the latest W7 drivers installed. Although I state an order here, I expect other orders would work but certainly orders seems to be fairly important.

I'd appreciate if even the experienced would glance this as I've a few questions of my own at the bottom.

My model is a Z11, which is a first generation Z. This is equivalent to the Z590 USA model. There are a few differences, primarily the Z11VN comes with an Option integrated mobile broadband card.

I left UAC default. I installed all drivers by right clicking and choosing install as administrator, but this is probably unnecessary. If a driver asked for a restart, I did one. Windows update installed quite a bit by default including the firmware parser. I left these alone as no update was required.

- Upgrade to latest BIOS ( R2170M3)
- Ensure all integrated components are switched on in currently installed OS
- Put switch into speed mode
- Clean install of Z with W7, 64 Bit
- Allowed all Windows Update updates to install, which required a few restarts
- Installed GFX driver and restarted ( NVDVID-00208041-764.exe)
- Sony Shared Library 5.4 ( Sony_Shared_Library_5.4_5.4.0.05200.zip)
- Restarted and changed to STAMINA mode
- Vaio Event Service 5.0 ( VAIO_Event_Service_5.0_5.0.0.07010.zip)
- Restarted and changed back to SPEED
- Vaio Smart Network 3.0 ( VAIO_Smart_Network_3.0_3.0.0.09080.zip)
- WWAN drivers from option website. Had to input my IMEI to get the download (153_Driver-4_0_17_0-Installer.zip) - I used the installer in TCPSCHEMA0/Without service folder.
- Vaio control centre 4.0 ( VAIO_Control_Center_4.0_4.0.0.06120.zip)
- Setting utility series 5.0 ( Setting_Utility_Series_5.0_5.0.0.07300.zip)
- Finger print software ( 7UPG_PROTECTOR_SUITE_QL_UPEK_64 5.9_5.9.2.5739.ZIP)
- Alps touch pad driver ( POINTING_DRIVER_ALPS_7.102A_64_7.102.505.201.ZIP)
- Vaio power management 4.0 ( VAIO_Power_Management_4.0_4.0.0.08240.zip)
- Memory stick reader driver ( MEMORY_CARD_READER_WRITER_DRIVER_RICOH_MS_6.3X64_I_6.3.0.61.ZIP)
- Memory card reader driver ( MEMORY_CARD_READER_WRITER_DRIVER_RICOH_SD_6.3X64_K_6.3.2.28.ZIP)

Everything works that I've tried:
- Brightness in SPEED and STAMINA
- Volume in both modes
- S1 and S2
- Eject
- Memory card slot and memory stick
- Web camera
- Setting utility is fully populated including functioning HDD protection
- I've not tested HDMI

Some observations
-------------------
I tried a newer version ( POINTING_DRIVER_ALPS_7.202B_64_7.202.505.108.ZIP)of the touch pad driver and it supported scrolling by circular gestures on the touch pad. It worked really well but it caused the mouse cursors to stop animating. For example the busy win 7 cursor would not rotate. I couldn't find a way to have the gestures and animated cursors.

I like the newer version of the smart network software that bases itself in the notification area, instead of the top of the screen. One quirk is that Wireless WAN is always turned on after a reboot. Previously, Smart Network respected the state it was in prior to a reboot (like it still does with wifi and bluetooth).

If any of you have circular gestures AND animated cursors I'd like to know how.
If any of you have the new Smart Network software (V3+) and it does not always turn WWAN on after a reboot, I'd like to know how

Hope this helps some of you.
I'll post this as a separate thread in case some don't frequent this thread

 

Is anyone having trouble with using their HDMI output to a flat screen LCD monitor following window 7 upgrade 64 pro from vists 64? with Sony VGN-Z790DJB

I have a Samsung T260 26" monitor, which I was using successfully with Vista, but now it is not recognizing it through the HDMI correctly. I am able to use the analog port, but want to use the HDMI.

When I have the HDMI plugged in it doesnt change from the black screen and even the second monitor in the advanced screen resolution comes in and out of recognition. That is strange, as it shows up as a second monitor, but still no picture and goes in and out.

Any help would be greatly appreciated and sorry ahead of time that i am not a computer expert by any means.

 

sigma957- you are the man..That worked perfect.

Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Hey guys, I have a problem with my windows 7 install. In device manager I have two "Bluetooth peripheral device" as uninstalled and unknown devices. Everything works I'm just wondering what that is!

Thanks

 

I have a quick qustion if anyone can help me out. My wife has a Z that came with Vista Business 64. We got the upgrade disc and upgraded it to windows 7. Everything works except the brightness keys. Thing is the computer takes longer to start and seems overall sluggish with windows 7. Would it be stupid to just go back to vista or should i go down the long path of a clean install?

Oh and it also seems after the upgrade the fan never stops spinning? Anybody else experiencing this?

 

Having had one awful upgrade attempt (BSODs everywhere), I'm back to a clean XP install on my z690 & determined to make my next attempt at Win 7 x64 succeed.

But I've run into a roadblock already. When I run the R4043M3 bios updater provided at Sony's US site it says it only runs on Vista.

Question: What's the best way to upgrade to this bios. I presume this needs to be done *before* the Win 7 install (even though the Sony-provided instructions don't even mention a bios upgrade).

Thanks

 

I'd seriously recommend a clean install. I agree, it's a total pain and takes ages to get your machine back up to speed, but you'll be rewarded with a trim speedy computer. The brightness issue is a common one. To fix it you will need:
1. Latest graphics driver from sony
2. Latest bios from sony, or the new graphics driver won't work

I wouldn't bother though. Try to find time for a clean install.

 

The bios is only to allow the new graphics drivers to work. It's fine to install W7 with the old bios and upgrade to the new one from within W7. Make sure you install the new bios BEFORE you install the latest graphics driver.

I upgraded to the new bios from the beta version of 7 than I was running before.

 

Clean install is the way to go, less things to go wonky. My only quirk right now is the loading pointer animation, sometimes it rotates while busy, most times it's just static.

I don't know whether it would make a difference or not but, run the Vaio Z in SPEED mode when installing Win 7.

 

Hi ShadowFlare. I just recently got my frozen cursor issue fixed thanks to a registry hack. Have a look here, currently it's a fairly short thread to follow.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=431357

 

ok final question (for now) is there a way to get rid of that huge sony partition then do a clean install? And If I do it and my wife still isnt happy with vista will the recovery discs that I made when the laptop was purchased take me back to vista?

 

Thanks. I'm wondering whether there's something else wrong with my machine. I started the install, went to bed while it was copying files and came back to a BSOD (IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL), which was one of the many that I received in my last attempt.

Trying again while I'm awake. I have the speed/stamina switch in speed position which according to your earlier post is correct.

 

Not sure what you mean by 'huge sony partition'. I guess you either mean the fact only one partition takes up most of the drive OR the hidden sony recovery partition that is a about 7 or 8GB.

I wouldn't worry too much about the big partition (several hundred GB). Just choose custom install from the W7 boot disc and format it before installing. You can always split that partition into 2 when you are in windows. If you are comfortable using the W7 partition tool that is build into the W7 installer you can delete than big partition and replace it with one small one (say 30-50GB for Win 7 and applications) and a larger one that fills the rest. You can then use that for documents, media etc. (that's what I do anyway).
Don't delete the hidden 7-8GB Sony partition. It's a recovery partition that allows you to get back to the factory installed version of Vista if you press CTRL-R on booting the PC. It works very well and you need to keep it in case you ever want to send you pc for repair as they often ask for you to restore the factory vista to check the apparent fault does not go away.

 

wow...thanks for clearing that up...so the sony partition is only 8 gb? Wow so the rest is OS and bloatware....arrrghhh... ok i guess i will try a "clean" install now and see if that makes her happy. Its just really weird that the computer takes soooo much longer to boot in windows 7 than vista with even a selective startup. This thing used to be blazing fast with vista OEM.

 

Don't like the sound of that. Could indeed be some hardware issue. Is this definitely a clean install, not an upgrade. It could also be:
1. ? Optical drive read error - is the DVD clean / scratched. I tend to install off a USB stick as it's quicker. I use a program called 'wintoflash' that makes it very easy to make a bootable USB drive to install 7.
2. ? Hard drive error. Maybe you should run a disc checker on the drive before trying again. I use and recommend Spinrite
3. ? Could be a memory error. I think you can somehow run a memory checker that is built into the Win 7 DVD, but I can't remember how to access it
4. Something else

Good luck

 

Yup same problem. I get to the page in "completing setup" where it asks for a user name & password and I get a BSOD. Tried multiple times. Maybe I have a bad bios, but everything runs fine in XP and ran in Vista (32) before that.

Could it have something to do with the fact that Win 7 wanted to re-partition my disks as GPT (which I allowed)? Or is it the move to 64-bit OS?

Thanks for any ideas.

 

hey guys, does anyone of you have the VGN-Z51 series yet? if so could somone do a recovery dvd of the win7 (the english version) and than upload it somewhere ?

 

@sigma957

Is your clean install guide only for 64-bit Sony Z? I have a Z11WN with 32-bit. I upgraded to W7 and I am considering doing a clean install this time as well.

 

A clean install of 7 is fast.
The 7GB partition is a compressed image backup of the vista that came with the computer, including all the Sony bloat.

See the attached screen shot from my drive layout

 

It is for 64 bit only as some of the drivers i've linked to are 64bit. An install of 32 would be very similar. Until this most recent install, I'd been using 32 bit version of the Win 7 beta and the install was very similar.

The graphics, touchpad, thumbprint, memorystick and sd card drivers I link to are 64 bit. I think all the rest are 32/64. 32bit versions of those I've listed are available, mostly by following the links I've provided. You'd need to find a 32bit version of the graphics driver, it shouldn't be too hard to find.

 

Sigma you are the man. Appreciate the help and responses. With a clean install can I just use the drivers that Sony sent me on the companion DVD? OR is downloading from your list the better option. Its a Sony z90dmr by the ways.

 

Thanks for the explanation.

 

What companion DVD? Is this one sony sent you for W7 or what?
As the Z90 is very similar to the Z11, my guide should be fine. Obviously omit the WWAN/Mobile broadband drivers if you don't have one of those. If you do, go to the option website and input your imei from the bottom of the computer and it will give you an appropriate driver package.

 

yes its the dvd they sent with windows 7. I did the upgrade when i got it but the computer. its just alot slower now than it was with vista, and the birghtness doesnt work.

yea I did that, but its missing alot of things..like no video driver under windows 7.....the link you provide has more updated drivers. Its like Sony hasnt gotten around to updating the newer models that shipped with vista.

 

I'm surprised they sent anything! Use the stuff I've posted, to my knowledge there are no more recent or appropriate drivers and as I said I'm totally happy with my install.

By the way, have a look here
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=431357
It's the same guide I posted (but in an independent thread), but there is more extra info about the touchpad driver in the several posts that follow my own.

 

Thank you so much, sigma957!! I found your post yesterday, after hours of unsucessfully trying to get my 3G modem to work. Your post clarified matters for me and I have now successfully updated my Sony Z21 from Vista Business to Windows 7 64bit. Thanks for your kindness in posting your guide.

Just have to install a few applications and then I am done....

One question or two, though. I note that Sony posted an updated ME Driver (Intel). Do I need to install this? My Device Manager is clean with no errors. I note that your posting did not mention installing the SOL (Intel) and ME (Intel) drivers, so perhaps they are not needed or supplanted by others?

Many thanks again

 

You're welcome, glad you found it helpful. Regarding the SOL and ME drivers, I'm fairly sure they're not required. As they are provided by Intel, if they are still required by 7 (which I doubt) they should be taken care of by Windows update. They are both just chipset drivers and these days all that stuff comes from Windows update.

 

Need Help- My computer (Vaio Z530N) will not/can no longer boot into windows, and I cannot (re)install windows 7. I can create partitions just fine, but I keep getting an error message every-time I try to load windows files on the primary partition. What is puzzling is that sometimes I get a message telling me the reason I cannot load windows is that my hard drive is in GPT format, and sometimes the message is that my harddrive is in EFI format and that I should change the format to NTFS in order to install windows. It's frustrating that there is no option to change/covert partition formats so I am at a loss as to what to do. I have tried everything I could think of, and more. Could it be that my hard drive is dead? I am not sure because the HDD indicator light is flashing whever I delete/extend/create a partition. Has anyone ever experienced this, or know what this could be. Let me know asap. Need to get the computer up and running before the end of the week......

 

Goto Control Panel, Uninstall a Program and look for VAIO Event Service. You will also see the version which you currently have installed.

This is a link to the VAIO Event Service 5.0.0.0710 install file.
http://support.vaio.sony.eu/computi...p&m=VGN-Z51WG_B&ip=Preinstalled_Utilities.htm

 

If you've not got anything on the computer that you need I'd suggest trying the recovery partition to reinstall the factory spec Vista. At least if that gets up and running you know you hardware is fine. Activate the recovery by pressing ctrl-R when you boot the computer. Just follow the instructions. If you've got backups of everything you need on the drive I'd choose the option that wipes the whole drive and reinstalls it to factory spec.

Good luck

 

You can access the the recovery menu with Ctrl-R? Didn't know that, what I know is I can access mine with F10.

I agree what sigma said, try the recovery mode. Just press Ctrl-R (or F10) when you just switched on your Z and you can see "Vaio" on the screen. Hope you still have that hidden partition.

 

Hmm. Maybe I got that wrong. I think it is F10 and not Ctrl R. Either way, it's clear what we think is you next best course of action

 

I do not think I have any of the recovery partitions. I wiped the HDD clean and reinstalled vista immediately after I bought the comp. And right now, all partitions on my HDD are blank. (I deleted them, hoping that win 7 would install on fresh partitions). We can all guess how that went.....

 

I can't get this to work for my life, tried many differn't procedures, I think my problem is that I am doing W7 pro32 bit. Should I try 64 bit? this is on my z530.
My problem is that brightness works in stamina, until i switch over to speed then brightness doesn't work in either setting, and never works in speed. that is it, but not being able to control the brightness is very anoying. anyone succesfully instal 32 bit and have a procedure that works?

thanks

 

willymcd, what version of the VAIO Event Service do you have installed ?

 

I installed Windows 7 successfully with all the fn and extra keys working, but it CANT FIND MY DVD-RAM DRIVE. I tried everything, but still it doesn't work.

Any help would be great.

BTW, my laptop is a sony vaio vgn-z530n/b

 

Hey Guys.

Whats the best way to install win7 on an Vaio Z.

From a vista-installation?

I have a lot of problems with a clean install (brightness)...

Thanks

 

Hi,
I have been trying version 5.0.0.07130 found on the driver page for z790 W7 pro 32 bit. when I was using the W7 RC I just used the z530 files for vista, but I also had the same problem of not being able to use the brightness, I was willing to live with it though, figuring it would be fixed when W7 was released.

Thanks

 

I've just been through the pages of this thread to see if anyone else has noticed there is no Vaio update in Windows 7 like there was in Vista.

I have done an upgrade, not a fresh install.

I'm also not seeing the Control Center, or HDD shock protection thingy, and I had to install the "Event Service" to get my FN keys working (although the brightness one doesn't work, nor the S1/S2 as there's no control center to specify)

Is it normal to be seeing these issues? I'm a little worried my upgrade didn't work properly??

 

Although I did a clean install, I had similar issues with the companion DVD not restoring full functionality. It was very disappointing, to say the least. In the end, I had to download the Windows 7 drivers/programs manually from http://esupport.sony.com/ and install them one by one. I played around with the order in which I installed (as well as what I installed) a couple times until I had it perfected. Then, I re-did my clean install and re-installed (downloaded) drivers and programs in the order I had figured out (I did not use the companion DVD at all).

For brightness to work, you are going to need to install a firmware update (not the one Sony provides on the site): http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=342947#1 Then, you will need to re-install the video driver (also in that post).

 

Finally got win 7 to work on my comp...fn, shortcut keys and everything else, but I cannot get win 7 to recognize my fingerprint sensor, even after installing the latest drivers from sony and UPEK. Any of you guys having a similar problem?

 

A complete success for me!

UK Z31 Vaio with Windows 7 including brightness and WWAN etc.

Go to the Sony support page for the Z51, this is a Z31 but with Windows 7 support! Download the drivers there, only a couple dont work (Stamina video drivers and ALPS touchpad)

HTH

 

Brightness keys does not work with your method

 

is the Vaio Smart Network V3 as my att. picture?
if not would you show me V3 ?

thank you

 

No, yours is v2. here is v3.0.1: ftp://ftp.vaio-link.com/pub/VAIO/Updates/EP0000209058.exe

 

thank you NHT,

do you have a picture of the V3?
can I install it to my Z with Vista?
if yes should I before unistall the V2 or I can go head with the V3 installation?

thank you

Do I need the Gobi2000 or I can do it with my GTM382?

 

WWAN only works with version 3.x on my Z (Win7 64bit).
However, I really miss the floating panel...

 

It works with my Z11WN with GTM378. I haven't tried it with my Z31WN (UNDP-1). How can we make the GPS work with GTM378?

 

Hello NHT,
I think this will work for you,

http://www.option.com/en/support/knowledge-base/article/articleen-175

regards

 

I saw it but I haven't tried it yet. But everytime I need to do it if I want to turn it on/off. I really don't like it.