It seems like people are having problems with getting the Fn Brightness and CD Eject Keys working when installing XP.
The following files and install method works here:
01. Install SFEP [AR51] (Right Click - Install SonyNC.inf)
02. Install
Sony Shared Library [AR51] and Restart when prompted
03. Install Sony Utilities DLL & Settings Utility Series [BX4]
04. Install VAIO Event Service. Select Custom and Check VESUnique and Sound [BX4]
05. Copy AR51
Vista VESConfig.ini (from attached zip file) to folder C:\Program Files\Sony\VAIO Event Service
06. Start - Run services.msc
07. Find Vaio Event Service in the Services list and Restart the Service.
Your Fn and EJECT Buttons should now work.
NOTES:
1. Don't miss out copying the new VESConfig.ini step or the FN and EJECT keys won't work (but the VOL, MUTE and Media Keys will)
2. Remember to restart the service or reboot the machine to reload the correct new .ini file. The keys won't work until you do so.
Working Buttons and Keys:
Fn Keys (LCD Brightness, LCD/Monitor, Suspend, etc)
Eject
Mute and Volume - +
Media Play/Pause, Stop, Prev, Next
Non-Functional:
S1 and S2 Buttons. BOTH are read as DVD Button Neither are functional.
Fn - F10 Zoom
AV Mode Button
Files Used:
01. SFEP Driver 7.0A (SonyNC) - AR51 Drivers
02. Sony Shared Library - AR51 Utilities
03. Sony Utilities - BX4 Applications
04. Settings Utility Series - BX4 Applications
05. Vaio Event Service - BX4 Applications
06. VESConfig.ini - From AR51 Vista VES (zip attached)
AR51 Files from Vaio support:
http://support.vaio.sony.co.uk/downl...=VGN-AR&m=2873
BX4 XP Files from:
ftp://ftp.vaio-link.com/pub/OS/XPDOW...4/APPLICATIONS
Some observations:
SFEP (Sony Notebook Control) for AR41 and AR51 are identical.
Sony's available downloads for AR51 does not include the Utilities DLL or the Settings Utility Series. These are a critical omission. The AR41 downloads DO include these.
Loading AR41 apps to get button functionality and with the new VES config.ini, on the AR51 appears to get most of the buttons working (S1/S2, EJECT, VOL, MUTE, MEDIA keys) but the Fn Brightness will only go down one step for some reason .I tried hacking/grafting AR51 files and reg keys from the Vista install, but this didn't work. Either I missed some registry key(s) or the files aren't XP friendly.
As far as I can see you need the Utilities DLL , Settings Utility Series and Vaio Event Service, all from the same model for this functionality to work properly. After a solid weekend of trying, mixing and matching AR41/AR51/BX4/SZ series of these files (GHOST 12 is great!), the BX4 Utils appear to be the most friendly to use on other machines.
While Ghost gets a shout I should mention that you can back up your Vista install AND recovery partition to an external HD, then use the same software on the machine under XP to mount the Vista install as a Virtual Drive. Pretty useful. A Second hard drive to swap in an out, and wipe a trillion times while fooling with XP installs and files, leaving your Vista HD unaffected is also useful.
Other observations:
Why can't XP register VESPerform.dll? [AR51 VES] and why does it tell me twice?
You can use the BX4 Vaio Control Centre with the above. Just delete all the options you can't open from the Settings Utility Series folder. Stuff like Megabass.exe etc. They won't show up if you open Vaio Control Centre once you've done this, so it makes it look a bit neater.
The important thing on the AR51 VESConfig.ini is the section that starts [85]
[85]
VESPowerMgr = 1
VESSemiPnP = 1
VESSuEvent = 1
VESSuPerform = 1
VESVideo = 1
VESAVModeButton = 1
I don't think you could get the AV mode button working on XP as it ties in with Media Centre on Vista. No great loss tho. XP MCE maybe, who knows?
A great machine the AR51. A pity Sony are non-existant with XP driver support.
Thanks to all those on other threads and forums who've posted loads of useful info, without which I'd have been lost, on upgrading their SZs,
TZs, ARs, etc, with the superior XP operating system
Vaio AR51E XP Downgrade - Fn Brightness and CD Eject working
