Where are the XP drivers for SZ4xx series?

[kdog209]

I have a Sony SZ480 and need to install XP but I don't see any XP drivers available?? please help.

Thanks,
kris

[whwtan]

Hi Kris,

Seems like you're not alone.
I've been searching through the forums and I couldn't find a specific page which helps me either.
Vista breaks most of my apps and I can't even access my own wireless network.

I really need to get my computer up so I'm downgrading to my older version of XP. Now I'm stumped at the lack of drivers...
Quite shocked. I never knew I'd hit such a problem with Sony's stuff...

[Pekkle]

Sorry, so did Sony made the SZ3xx Series XP Driver not compatible with the SZ4xx?

[whwtan]

Not sure.

I found another thread with some help for drivers but nobody's tested them yet.
It's quite appalling for Sony not to support XP for their machines. It's not as if XP has been thrown out the window by Microsoft like 9X or NT4.

Check out this link.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/show...42#post1788142

Bogard has a very very helpful link to the drivers.
Yet to test them out though.

[kdog209]

Hi whwtan,

Thanks for your reply. I am too having trouble running all my apps on XP, especially VPN not to mention it takes forever for it to boot up and get on the network. I figured I would install the XP drivers for the SZ3xx i'm guessing the hardware is the same. Not sure if anyone has tried this. I am too shocked Sony has only Vista drivers available for the SZ4xx. Vista is a long way from completely "replacing" XP. Personally I would wait until Vista SP1.

Kris

[vovan]

I downloaded and installed on SZ430N/B all XP drivers from

ftp://ftp.vaio-link.com/pub/Vaio/Ori...Z3_Drivers.zip

ftp://ftp.vaio-link.com/pub/Vaio/Ori..._Utilities.zip

But I still have 2 yellow marks in Device Manager: Mass Storage Controller, UGX.
My fingerprint stuff doesn't work as well. Camera doesn't work too.

Help with those devices please.
Thank you

vovan

[clifford]

I'm about to switch back to XP on my SZ450. It's not entirely Vista's fault. At this point, howver, it just doesn't run Quark or have drivers for my scanner, both of which I use on a daily basis.

Like the rest of the people on here, I am also dismayed that Sony would not have XP drivers for this system! Don't they understand that Vista genuinely CANNOT be used by some people??? If I can't run my applications and hardware, I can't get my work done. I have already wasted way too much time trying to get things to work in Vista, and now I know that I'm going to waste so much more time trying to get things to work in XP -- all thanks to Sony's reluctance to support an operating system still being used on the majority of computers.

For the record, I like Vista and think will probably be a fine OS in the end. If it ran everything that I need it to, I would be happy with it. However, it doesn't and I'm left with two choices: either put my new computer on the shelf for 6 months, until Quark and Microtek release Vista updates, or install XP. I'll try Vista again after they release SP1.

I'll keep my eye on this thread. I think quite a few SZ4 users like me may need to switch back to XP, so this could turn into a very valuable resource.

- Cliff

[whwtan]

Hi Vovan,

I'm sorry I didn't come across your post earlier as I've been through the same problem myself.

What I wound up doing was that I used *MOST* of SZ4's drivers (found at the same exact place you downloaded your SZ3 drivers)

Your camera will not work for a good reason. If you look at the drivers for SZ3, the camera is 22, the SZ4 camera model is 55.

That helped me out a lot.

I wound up using SZ4 drivers for my fresh XP installation and reverted to SZ3 drivers whenever the system started kicking up a fuss. (I rolled back/uninstalled the drivers for the offending device and installed the SZ3 drivers instead.)

UGX is probably the bluetooth.
Your fingerprint reader requires you to install an application as well, have you done so? (If the SZ4 version doesn't work, revert to SZ3.)

Rule of the thumb I've been using is that I'd use SZ4 drivers over SZ3 *UNLESS* it's a problem. (i.e. They specifically made it Vista only) You'll find that the sound driver for SZ4 for example doesn't work, you'll need to install the SZ3 version. Also, the power management utility for SZ4 doesn't work, revert to SZ3 as well.

Good luck. My system's humming beautifully now with the exception of my brightness functions not working.

[whwtan]

Hi Clifford,

It is for the very same reason which forced me to reinstall my system to XP again. Most of my programs died on me when I tried to install them on Vista.

Vista is only useful if you're using a couple of the most updated programs like Office and Firefox. Most of the other programs have been broken. The compatibility is so terrible I've never seen it happening before. (Even the migration of Win9X to WinNT/2k/XP wasn't so bad.)

[kdog209]

whwtan,

Thanks for the helpful info. Are you saying you are totally unable to control screen brightness on the SZ4 running Windows XP?

Kris