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    are recovery disks interchangeable between models of Vaio?

    Discussion in 'Windows OS and Software' started by dubman, May 11, 2008.

  1. dubman

    dubman Newbie

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    My friend hasn't made backup recovery disks for her Sony Vaio and now has problems..
    could she use my recovery disks eventhough my model of Vaio is different?
    Both are using windows XP Thanks.
     
    dubman, May 11, 2008
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  2. The_Observer

    The_Observer 9262 is the best:)

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    I know that the recovery disks,does a BIOS check.May be it will tolerate this across model numbers.

    Try to put it in and see if the disc comes up.
     
    The_Observer, May 11, 2008
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  3. Shyster1

    Shyster1 Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    It'd be an interesting experiment, but I doubt that it'll work unless both systems have the same BIOS. I've spent quite a few fruitless hours trying to see how much info on the BIOS lock mechanism I could wheedle out of the files on the recovery CDs I have, and it's a bit of a bear. I believe that it checks the BIOS through DMI, if that's of any help to anyone (e.g., it may be possible to find the particular data point that gets checked in DMI and clone it).
     
    Shyster1, May 12, 2008
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  4. ScuderiaConchiglia

    ScuderiaConchiglia NBR Vaio Team Curmudgeon

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    I think that depends on how different the two models are. Are we talking about two models in the same line (two different SZ models for example) or are we talking about to completely different models (like an FZ and an SZ)? If it's the former it MIGHT work, if it's the latter there is no way it will work.

    Gary
     
    ScuderiaConchiglia, May 12, 2008
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  5. flipfire

    flipfire Moderately Boss

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    The recovery disks might not install at all. It will give you an error saying the recovery disks arent made for that notebook or something. Due to the parts/specs of the laptop

    Unless your recovery disks are generic. If you had to burn the recovery disks yourself then it most likely wont work on another notebook
     
    flipfire, May 12, 2008
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  6. Shyster1

    Shyster1 Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    That is the error you'll receive if the BIOS lock check doesn't match the CDs to the particular computer. As far as I can tell, the autorun on the CDs reads the data from DMI (at least that's what the recovery CDs with my vaio - which is from early 2003 - do) and then does something with it (sorry, but my view of what it does is vague, so my description is vague) that generates either a unit-unique, or a model-unique, number. As I'm writing this, I'll note that DMI is no longer used as a standard as of 3/31/2005, according to this Wikipedia article, and the new standard is known by the acronym DASH. Thus, if the systems are newer than 3/31/05, they probably don't go looking for identifying info in DMI (although you never know, with certain OEMs being as lazy as they are).
     
    Shyster1, May 12, 2008
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