SOLVED Sony Viao Laptop Recovery disks junk

[sprint.tech]

K I have been thru sony support for like 30 hours and they are worthless! I have a sony vaio VPCF12YFX/B laptop. The hard drive crashed, so I replaced it and upped the ram to 8 gig. I have the original recover disks that came with the laptop but they do not work, I keep getting this message after i load all disks (5). Windows could not complete the installation to instal windows on this computer restart the installation. Over and OVEer. HELP! it is windows 7 home prem. Any ideas on how to fix this?

 

[TrainableMan]

It requested and installed all 5 DVDs and then it says there is a problem?

On another computer with internet connection I suggest you download the official W7 Home Premium ISO and burn it to DVD (be sure to burn it with something that knows it is an image, such as IMGBurn so you end up with a bootable W7 DVD).

Then I would put this new W7 DVD in your Sony VAIO and attempt a startup repair; it may be able to simply fix the files missing or corrupt from your 5 disk install. If it can't, then you will need to do a complete install from this DVD.

Just understand this W7 DVD won't have the extras from Sony so, if you do have to do a complete install from it, you may need to go to the Sony website to get additional drivers/programs or you may have to find alternatives.

 

[sprint.tech]

Installing from win7 cd vs restore dsk

K let's go back a bit, this has been going on for a while, 6 months actually. When the hard drive went out and I replaced it I went thru this whole process, contacted Sony etc.. Well class's started and I needed my laptap so I just loaded a legit copy of win7 that I had purchased for my desktop. Yes it worked, but as you stated all the cool features that come with sony vio did not work. I went to sony downloaded all the software and drivers but the laptop was not the same, none of the function buttons work. And a couple of other things like volume and dvd controls. So anyway school lets out and I am trying AGAIN to make the darn restore cd's work. When I tried to do a fix from the windows cd it just wants to go into vaio repair cds. It will not fix anything. When I pick the other option it just loads th O.S. So that is why I say the original CD's that came with the laptop are JUNK! If you know what files in the cd's actually trigger the install of the windows part I can try to launch it using a dos prompt?

 

[TrainableMan]

Some manufacturers build a code into the restore so that it only works with hard drives provided by them, but I don't know if Sony is one of them and I find it hard to believe it would go through 5 DVDs before telling you it's a problem.

So, assuming that is not it, and your DVDs are bad. You would need to buy a replacement set from Sony. The file would likely be "Setup.exe" but it is just going to do what it already did, which is not complete.

If you don't want to buy the replacement DVDs then the program needed to make your function buttons work with an original W7 install should most likely be Sony® Notebook Utilities from Sony eSupport HERE. You may also need VAIO® Event Service Update

 

[sprint.tech]

Startup Repair

thank you for your input, but alas it is to no avail. When I try to go to repair on the DVD that has the iso on it, it does not find a prior windows installation so it can not fix it. The error that I get at the end of the 5 cds is that I have some kind of printer hooked up. I dont. Then it goes into a loop and states to try the recovery again. Let me make this clear. I can load windows on this machine from any other cd's that I have. But they are not the ones that belong to this laptop. I don't want to use those, they are all legit copies bought for other machines. I looked for the setup.exe in the the sys 32 folder and it is not there, I looked in the sys64 folder and it is also not there. So I at a lose. I was hoping someone there had went thru this and knew how to fix it. I do not want to load any other O.S. other than the one I paid for. Again thank you for your help.

 

[TrainableMan]

OK, still not an answer to your most direct question but something it is important to clarify ... Legally that laptop came with Home Premium and is entitled to Home Premium so it is legal for you to use any Home Premium DVD, even one you download as I mention above (official W7 Home Premium ISO) or one that came with other computers. The product key you must use though, is either built-in to the laptop and activated automatically, or might be printed on a sticker on the machine or the recovery disks; you should not use a product key used in your other machines. So if you instal Home Premium and use the key that came with the laptop then it IS legal even if you don't use the DVDs that came with the laptop.

So that's the legality of it but as for the Sony added "bells and whistles", you would need to download them and add them after a standard install or get working Sony Home Prem installation DVDs for that laptop.

A little more info ... if you look at the files on the first DVD you should see a file called autorun.inf. If you open this file in notepad you can read it and should see something like:

[AutoRun.Amd64]
open=setup.exe
icon=setup.exe,0

[AutoRun]
open=sources\sperr32.exe x64
icon=sources\sperr32.exe,0

This example is from the W7 Home Premium ISO and tells me that when this DVD starts, that it either runs setup.exe right in the root of the DVD or it goes to a folder named "sources" and runs a program named "sperr32.exe". Your first DVD should have an Autorun.inf where you can find out what it runs.

 

[sprint.tech]

Advanced Format

Good info thank you. Now here is what Sony has just told me, I bought the wrong kind of drive???? I guess drives have come along way since I was tearing pc's apart ten years ago. Anyway now they have these drives that are AF (advanced format). Apparently that is what I bought, since when I last spoke the them, they did not mention that. Anyways I just got back from staples and bought a NONE AF 500 gig SATA drive for the laptop, I am feeding the laptop cd's again as I speak. So I will post results after this is done either, SONY is full of BOLONY or they rock. Time will tell...

 

[TrainableMan]

If it is the HD then that may be the situation I mentioned above "Some manufacturers build a code into the restore so that it only works with hard drives provided by them". I thought it was to sell their HDs but maybe it's the AF thingie causing the problems.

 

[sprint.tech]

Sony Full of Bolony!

Well after 5 disks and a couple of hours, no change, still getting the windows could not complete the installation, error message on this drive! So much for Sony Expertise ha they are a joke! Can anybody that has dealt with this issue Help?

Windows could not complete the installatin. To install Windows on this computer, restart the installation.

This is the messeage I get after all the disks load.

 

[sprint.tech]

What Drivers is setup looking for?

So I hacked into the cd and found the setup.exe file and ran it, however now it gets stuck on a No device drivers were found. Make sure that the installation media contains the corrrect drivers, and then clik OK. so I searched all the directories and have no clue what to look for...any ideas?

 

[m1r2hud]

do you remember if they old hard drive was split, having drive C and drive D, if it did, then go into bios and check to see if there is a D2D and set it to be enable if it says disable. when booting from factory DVD's drive D stores a hidden partition to do a factory default restore ( thats putting it back the way when you first bought it). factory DVD's are not for just one model or brand, the first disc is the operating system, the other four is sony;s software for other models.
i recommend buying a full version of win7 or whats called a OEM System Builder Pack. the OEM SBP will be cheaper, home premium is under 100 dollars. with a full version it puts the meaning of personal computer , as a personal computer cause you wont have anything of the manufacture software.
i installed the OEM SBP on my acer aspire 5515 and love it.

 

[TrainableMan]

i recommend buying a full version of win7 or whats called a OEM System Builder Pack. the OEM SBP will be cheaper, home premium is under 100 dollars. with a full version it puts the meaning of personal computer , as a personal computer cause you wont have anything of the manufacture software.
i installed the OEM SBP on my acer aspire 5515 and love it.

There is no reason for the OP to buy an OEM version because he already has a legal license and can simply use a full downloaded Digital River copy of Home Premium, as I explained above. But the OP has been very specific that they DO WANT the Sony extras so they would like to get the Sony disks to work.

 

[m1r2hud]

do you remember if they old hard drive was split, having drive C and drive D, if it did, then go into bios and check to see if there is a D2D and set it to be enable if it says disable. when booting from factory DVD's drive D stores a hidden partition to do a factory default restore ( thats putting it back the way when you first bought it). factory DVD's are not for just one model or brand, the first disc is the operating system, the other four is sony;s software for other models

 

[sprint.tech]

Restore Disks -continued-

O.K. so NOW Sony is telling me that I have the wrong restore CD;s that came with my laptop and wanted to SELL me Another set, HUH? I said no thank you, these cd's came with my laptop and they should work. So somehow a manager came online and said that they would send me another set of recovery cd's since the wrong ones came with my laptop?!! For free. Now it has been 5 days and no CD's yet I will Post again once CD's either show up or do not show up or if they indeed work.

 

[TrainableMan]

Hey, getting anything free out of a manufacturer is pretty impressive.

Let us know how it turns out.

 

[sprint.tech]

OEM RESTORE CD's-GARBAGE+

Well sadly the recovery cd's came in today and what I had thought was that the ones I had were the wrong ones, but alas NOPE they sent me the EXACT same ones! And needless to say after 5 hours of restoring, they also did not work. Same exact message. ANyway thank you for all the info, just to clear things up, I had this laptop running with windows ulitmate before summer, the hard drive crashed I replaced it, recover cd's would not work, so I just wiped it and loaded ulitmate just so I would have a laptop that worked, I went to the sony site and downloaded all the drivers and anything that I could find for the laptop, but none fixed my funtion keys not working, or my S buttons, so I just used the laptop for personal use. Now however school is back on and I thought I could fix it correctly, but I hit the same dam wall. I am taking autocad second year and I need the function keys to work. I had autocad on this laptop last year before the drive crashed. summer vacation came so I did not worry about it. But now I am worried. I really have to fix this right. I will look into the bios thing. thank you all for your info.

 

[m1r2hud]

do you remember if your old hard drive had a drive C and drive D, if so look in bios and see if it has a D2D (disk to disk) and see if it says its enabled, if it isnt enable it and then try loading the disc. drive D is for a hidden partition to boot a factory default restore. if it doesnt have D2D or your unable to enable it, only solution is to install a full version of win7. those 5 dvd's you have are for more than one computer.

 

[TrainableMan]

Can you tell us what is written on each DVD (do not include any product codes/keys), I'm just curious each DVDs title.

Since you have a full version of Ultimate I suggest you reinstall it and then install those utilities I linked to above from Sony support. I suspect that one of those two programs will give you the function keys you need. According to the documentation you also will need to install the Sony Shared Library.

 

[Habibk20]

You are using the New Advanced Format Hard Drive ... you need to Install Windows 7sp1 older than SP1 wont work and will give you the same error...

You can check about ADVANCED FORMAT HARD DRIVES on Google and you will know all about your problem.. but in simple words you need Windows 7SP1 DVD to install on new Hard drives or Windows 7 with MS KB 982018. Else you cannot install... Hope that Helps.

 

[TrainableMan]

Habibk20 brings up a good point. The OS disks you have would very likely not be SP1. How big is the hard drive you bought? Make/model? If it is 2TB or more then it is definitely an Advanced Format drive.