vaio cw = FAIL (help)

Hello to all, complete noob here,

I recently acquired a used Vaio CW and I'm having a bit of trouble with it. I am the 2nd owner, but I dont think the vaio is more than a year old. The model is - VPC CW 14FX. From the research I've done, I believe it is equipped with 2.20 Ghz Intel duo processor, 4 Gig ram, Nvidia GT 230m (512 MB ram) video card, Windows 7 OS and DVD writer.

The problems started from day one. The machine will usually not boot up. Pressing the power button, the leds light up but the screen is dead. I normally have to manually cycle the power quite a few times before the screen turns on.

Once the screen lights up its a crap shoot if windows 7 will fully load before the machine freezes. Usually if it gets past the beginning Windows 7 screen the screen will lockup but the the HD light will continue to randomly shine and flash/stutter. I have actually witnessed the OS fully load three times......great success!! LOL.........

Thinking I possibly had a bad RAM stick, I tried removing them one at a time and booting up, no luck there, Same ole problems.

I figured since I had no personal files on this machine and I had nothing to loose why not a full factory reset? So I did the ALT+F10 trick on boot up and after several power cycles, I got to the main reset screen, I clicked the appropriate button and it began formatting the HD and reloading the OS from the hidden partition. Much to my dismay, the screen froze at 44% completion, but the HD light continued to shine and flicker like the operation was still working, but the screen was not displaying the magic contained within. So I just left it alone and approx 30 min later the Vaio shut down, just like it said it would in the reset instructions.

I attempted to start and actually got past the start up screen. The Vaio displayed "loading for first time startup" or something to that affect. But then, it reverted to its old ways and froze on that screen. The HD light continued to shine and flutter for a few more minutes then stopped.

So it seems that once I get the Machine to boot, the OS is working, just the screen is not displaying it.

I broke out the screw drivers and pulled the fan/heat sink and removed the hard crusty thermal grease from the CPU and the nvidia card and replaced with fresh thermal..... No change, still freezing up.

Any suggestions? I searched this forum and didnt find anyone with a CW with these problems. Seems a shame to junk this machine, Im not sure I want to give up yet. I was hoping I could get it running for my son.

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated,

-Nate

 

Of course, after I type that mini novel I find this... http://forum.notebookreview.com/sony/513121-sony-vpcz1-vpcz12ahx-suddenly-freezing.html

-Nate

 

this sounds like the monitor cable is faulty

 

The GT230m isn't a faulty card AFAIK. BUT.... there are those inevitable few that will be defective. What you described fits a failing GPU to the T. I've been through it 3 times on 2 different brands. 2 were HP's and one was a Dell.

When you press the power button it seems like the computer is booting... you get the BIOS screen (maybe).... then windows starts to load and BAM it's frozen, but the HDD activity light keeps on flickering like it's just keepin on truckin.... but there's just no video response. Half the time my BIOS screen wouldn't even come up.

The previous owner might have left it somewhere where it over heated and now you have what you see...

 

I went to Sony support online and "live chatted" with a tech. I described all the problems and they think its a hardware/motherboard issue and told me to send it in.

Does the Sony warranty only apply to original purchasers if the PC is still under 1 year old? To get warranty work done, do you have to supply original sales receipt? The vaio was purchased last Dec, and the original owner got it as a x-mas gift. That would be so great if Sony would fix this thing.

 

I called Sony, after some diagnostic failures, they are sending a tech to replace the motherboard, HD and the RAM. They are also mailing me new OS reload disks. That was easy enough, way to go sony!